Liberty Island (Deus Ex)

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Liberty Island
Statue of Liberty, depicted at nighttime, surrounded by a darkened island with grey structures, with skyline in the distance
View of the level, looking towards the skyline
First appearanceDeus Ex (2000)
Created byIon Storm
GenreScience fiction
In-universe information
TypeIsland
LocationNew York Harbor

Liberty Island is the first level of the 2000

UNATCO, a fictional United Nations counterterrorist organization. The level was well-regarded by critics for being the player's introduction to the game's immersive sim design and the many potential means to clear the level, and is known as an iconic video game location. It is also notorious for depicting a damaged Statue of Liberty and missing World Trade Center, despite being released prior to the September 11 attacks
.

Level content

handler, Alex Jacobsen, advises him to shoot on sight, demonstrating a marked difference between UNATCO's stated policy of non-lethality, as suggested by Paul, and its orders in practice.[1]

The player heads to the north dock to meet a UNATCO informant, Harley Filben. Filben gives Denton the key to the statue after the player promises not to kill the NSF commander. The player can either use the front door, or a stack of crates in back to enter the statue. Once inside, the player can free Gunther Hermann, a top UNATCO agent, who is being held in a cell on the compound's lobby level. Finally, the player climbs the statue to interrogate NSF commander Leo Gold. The player can either kill the commander or talk him into surrendering without becoming hostile. Either way, this allows UNATCO to take over the island. Denton then enters UNATCO HQ, meeting his boss,

Joseph Manderley
, as well as the other personnel of UNATCO.

Development

Game designer Harvey Smith had first intended the level to start with Denton showing up for work and meeting his colleagues, but was inspired by

Battery Park and Liberty Island. Smith was not familiar with New York, but was excited by the island's large, open space. He stated it was "different and exciting" to design a level around something large. He stated it was indicative of the "go anywhere game" they were attempting to make, despite the long sightlines causing frame rates on some machines to "nosedive".[2]

Developers were conflicted on the amount of freedom the player should be allowed during the level. Some on the team argued that the level should be based on a single set of powers, while others advocated for a completely different set, and yet others believed all possibilities should be open to the player at all times. Some also believed there should be clear paths indicating each style of play, whereas other team members advocated for an open area. Ultimately, the team developed rules that there should be negative space between encounters, leading to Liberty Island being designed with empty areas for "quiet, reflective moments". Roughly halfway through the game's development, it was decided that each path should support at least a combat, stealth and hacking approach.[2]

The first person outside the development team to playtest the level was Caroline Spector, wife of Warren Spector. The level contained physics simulation of objects, which was at the time a novelty. The team assumed the level had failed at first, because she spent 20 minutes experimenting on the dock and playing with the objects. However, shortly afterwards, she told the developers that it was the most fun she had in a game, causing them to double down on the game's object physics.[2] Liberty Island was ultimately the last level to be finished – the developers believed it was "high stakes", and were anxious to get it correct.[3]

Reception

Andy Kelly of PC Gamer described Liberty Island as "one of the greatest opening gambits in PC gaming", as well as the most iconic level in the game. Calling it a "trial by fire", he remarked that it was "the perfect introduction to Deus Ex’s unsurpassed freedom of play", noting the numerous ways the player could infiltrate the complex. However, he stated that it was a difficult level, especially for first-time players.[2] Tom Francis of the same publication claimed that he always used Liberty Island as an example of what made Deus Ex great, calling it "huge for an open-air level" despite being small by real-world standards. He further elaborated that it "showcased everything that was unique and exciting about the game's open-ended approach to missions, demand for tactical planning, and constant surprises".[4]

William Hughes of

security camera, ignore it and head for the back entrance, or use a nearby EMP grenade to disable it. Stating that it pioneered the idea of a video game remembering the player's decisions, he expressed the belief that the level felt like a "digital playground" with "unprecedented levels of choice".[5]

Wireframe magazine called Liberty Island an "iconic opening mission", a "fine tutorial", and an example of a setting that complemented the core gameplay. Describing it as both an introduction to freeform gameplay and a means to build on the game's lore, the magazine stated that the "simple objective" of infiltrating the Statue of Liberty allowed the player to pivot around a "fixed point". They also noted that the level's entire makeup changes if the player is spotted by a security camera, functioning as a "twist" that changes the player's path.[6] Justin Keverne of Game Developer described the island as "close enough to feel like a real place" despite its lack of complete accuracy, calling the "sensation of reality" common to locations throughout the game.[1]

The content in the level itself was later considered prescient in predicting the rise of

9/11. The end of the level reveals that the attackers were simply unable to obtain the Ambrosia vaccine due to its distribution to the rich and powerful, casting the morality of killing them into doubt.[7] The Statue of Liberty is depicted without its head, a metaphorically significant visual reminiscent of Planet of the Apes (1968) that indicates the loss of democracy, and showing that war in the 21st century would be waged with symbolic acts.[8] Keverne called the level's symbolism "heavy-handed, but effective".[1] The foggy, dark, nighttime setting also represents the declining health of civilization.[8]

Legacy

Liberty Island was described as influencing Smith in subsequent games, such as Dishonored (2012).[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c Keverne, Justin (July 28, 2010). "Level Design Analysis: Deus Ex's Liberty Island – Part 1". Game Developer. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Kelly, Andy (June 22, 2020). "The story behind Liberty Island, Deus Ex's most iconic level". PC Gamer. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Peel, Jeremy (June 22, 2020). "Deus Ex at 20: The oral history of a pivotal PC game". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  4. ^ Francis, Tom (June 14, 2010). "Taking Liberties: a Deus Ex story". PC Gamer. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  5. ^ Hughes, William (August 13, 2020). "In Y2K, Deus Ex taught gaming the true meaning of Liberty". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  6. ^ "Designing Great Single-Player Missions". Wireframe (33): 37. February 27, 2020 – via Internet Archive.
  7. ^ Wordsworth, Richard (February 4, 2021). "How Deus Ex Predicted The Future". Kotaku Australia. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4214-2869-7
    .
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liberty_Island_(Deus_Ex)&oldid=1215947816"