[jstarfish]

> I’m pretty sure the original deus ex also had some pretty bland, generic fps bullet sponge bosses too

I don't see how. That game really wasn't a FPS; firefights didn't last long before you were crippled in some way and then killed. Your arsenal was nothing but pellet guns with varying DPS. Realistic difficulty lived up to its name; the game really discouraged violence and Gunther's fight could be avoided altogether with a killphrase. I think there's even one or two bosses you can simply run away from?

> I totally stand by my comment about the level design getting more linear the further into the game you get.

I distinctly remember this being a thing for Deus Ex 2 especially. IIRC it wasn't even the same developer and everyone hated it. The first few areas were cool and sandboxy but by the end of that game it was basically Duke Nukem On Ice.