Review: Deus Ex: Icarus Effect
Words by: Marco Fiori | Posted on: Wednesday 18th May, 2011 | Filed under: Features.
Stem cell research continues to generate discourse across the international community. The ability to effectively control our own destinies would be one of the most powerful tools that mankind has ever possessed. Legalising widespread use of the science would arguably be the most significant breakthrough seen. We’d be literally playing God, and whether or not you’re a religious person, you can appreciate the implications that would cause.
The latest video game tie-in novel, Deus Ex: Icarus Effect, draws on the above to create a complex narrative set in a futuristic, seemingly utopian world. The first two games are considered seminal titles and with the third in development there’s plenty of healthy source material for author James Swallow to draw upon. With such a sci-fi prolific writer at the helm, it definitely looks promising from a quality standpoint.
Thankfully Swallow doesn’t disappoint as he weaves a thrilling exploration of modern genetics, technological advancement and brooding shadow organisations.
Granted, Icarus Effect does initially start off with a whiff of confusion. It struggles to give its many characters a definitive voice, leaving the reader puzzled as to who everyone is and how they interact. The multiple storylines obviously exaggerate the situation and the fact they come and go before eventually blending together ensures you need to be paying attention.
However, once it manages to find its feet we have a surprisingly deep look at a future modern age where humanity is augmented by technological supplements. Soldiers are buffed up with cyberarms for close combat, secret service agents are enhanced with optical readouts within their very eyes. Not everyone can afford the kit, raising issues of modern class discrimination, and many in the novel question the destruction of humanity when it’s merged with technology.
It’s unavoidably intriguing and Swallow manages to paint a stark future – his use of descriptive language is particularly engaging and doesn’t lose the reader in a sea of techno-babble.
At the heart of Icarus Effect are two contrasting characters: Ben Saxon, a beefcake who contracts for mercenary organisations and on the other side of the fence is Anna Kelso. She’s a government agent who finds herself at the centre of a bureaucracy storm when her mission goes wrong. People die, mistakes are made, nobody is who they seem.
Understandably neither character is happy to accept their new-found fate and as the novel gradually delves deeper into their separate worlds (before explosively combining), we’re given two likeable characters that are easy to relate with. Eventually their paths lead them to be united against the book’s evil organisation and tied together with their collective guilt from events in their past, Kelso and Saxon try to throw a spanner at adversity.
Nothing is clear-cut in Icarus Effect and Swallow is very good at keeping you second guessing – often we’re led down dead ends which are laced with red herrings.
A minor issue is that realism is often pushed to one side – there are several incidents which prompt you to question the survivability of the protagonists. Then again, with augmentation offering a crutch for narrative freedom, you soon avoid the niggling questions of whether real people would survive the hurt.
This is very much a fictional world and plenty of liberties are taken in the name of entertainment. The final third of the novel particularly shines as paths cross, treachery is revealed and alpha males lock horns. With the games providing a solid backbone, Icarus Effect fares better than most video game novels.
Its conclusion does seems slightly hurried, but generally it’s a thrilling read that holds the reader throughout. Well worth a look-in and a good way to get excited about the upcoming third game.
About Marco Fiori
Marco’s been playing games since 1996 and has been writing about them for four years. RPGs are his strong point and he has an unholy love obsession with the Calibri font. Follow him on Twitter @M_Fiori
Jamie on Wed, 18th May 2011 4:04 pm
Where does it say "Project" buddy?