[amalcon]

I played Deus Ex because it came with some PC part I was buying at the time -- I forget whether it was a graphics card or a sound card. The part in question came with three other games, but I can't name another one of them. On the other hand, I could probably make a pretty good approximation of Deus Ex's first level map from memory.

I don't know if I'd call it the best game of that era, but I think it's a strong contender for most influential. It goes beyond the obvious homages (e.g. the variety of games that put the code "0451" in a prominent place). Deus Ex blended actual agency with illusory agency in a way that almost every western narrative-driven game since then has tried to replicate, with varying degrees of success. It's one of the few games where I knew I didn't really have much control over the story, but it made me feel like a character in it anyway.