Holding its breath for the umpteenth time, Gamestyle reflected. It's hard not to fall in love with the delicious backstory; the tangible icing that so gloriously cakes the conspiracy-filled manifesto of JC Denton. Having thwarted a despotic bid for global domination in the original Deus Ex, UNATCO (United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition) peacekeeper, JC Denton, apparently took leave of his senses...and disappeared for 20 years. Pacifism - or its next of kin - never dies, because Alex D (for Denton) has been co-opted by disparate factions to uncover his whereabouts. For a game that espouses freedom of choice, it certainly divests those choices with the available player-avatars. The manual may boast of "three" male or female identities, but you're essentially getting one (per gender) palette-swapped choice. Bah, and humbug.