Deus Ex DX Ending Discussion

[Spukrian]

Tong ending is terrible... At best, humanity is set back a century, at worst millions will die.

Millions? Try billions. It's a bit unclear just how much of the worlds infrastructure will crumble, but I would expect most high tech to fail fairly quickly, followed by mass starvation as global logistics break down. I used to pick this ending as a kid, but I think if you don't take what tong says at face value, and actually consider the likely consequences it's going to be worst disaster in history short term, and long term there's no real reason to believe the world won't end up with a new illuminati (it happened 100% of the times so far!).

Well, I was going to write billions at first, but I thought to myself "let's not exaggerate". Anyway, is there any ingame source about how large the population of the world is?

Billions is probably more accurate now that I think of it. Africa in Deus Ex probably have a population between 3-4 billion...

 

[Jaedar]

Well, I was going to write billions at first, but I thought to myself "let's not exaggerate". Anyway, is there any ingame source about how large the population of the world is?

Billions is probably more accurate now that I think of it. Africa in Deus Ex probably have a population between 3-4 billion...

Not sure, iirc there is a canon massive global recession some 40 years before the game is set, and there's a plague on, so the population might not be that much higher than today.

 

[The Brazilian Slaughter]

Billions is probably more accurate now that I think of it. Africa in Deus Ex probably have a population between 3-4 billion...

Dark Age is definitively killing billions.
Remember, the whole point of the Aquinas Hub is centralizing all digital communications in one single place, where they can be controlled and monitored from a single centralized source.
Exploding Area51 = RIP Global worldwide digital communications. RIP Internet, RIP anything wider than local intranets, etc. Analogue telephone, radio and military intranets are probably the only things making out.

And the world of Deus Ex is 30 years further into the future, so arguably even more digitalized than today.

 

[Gargaune]

That we're still going back and forth over the endings after twenty years is proof of the writing's quality, but it's also a bit pointless, the resolutions were designed to be open questions and that's in keeping with the overall artistic throughline. The deliberate ambiguity of the Helios ending is key in that respect, because even the relative safety of the "devil you know" Illuminati resolution can't compete with the prospect of setting the world right in your own image, but nor can societal collapse and the potential death of billions terrify more than the definitive demise of individuality at the hands of an omniscient and omnipresent artificial tyrant. You can't make an absolute "best" or "worst" determination without knowing how Helios pans out, only a risk assessment, and that's the idea, to get you considering the implications, not to make a final statement.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

IW considers all endings to be canon at the same time btw.

 

[The people of Duckburg]

Back in the day, I chose Helios for reasons that have already been mentioned. When I last played it, I went for Tong, in large part because of his arguing for decentralization. Humans evolved in small tribes, and that's what we're best suited to. No one-world governments. No shadowy rulers that can do anything without fear of consequences, both because they're out of your reach, and because you don't even know that they exist. And please no technology that's omnipresent yet that we mere mortals have little to no control over. The Tong ending isn't a perfect solution to these problems by any means, but it's a step in the right direction. It's likely that we'll move society in the same direction again (though maybe, just maybe, we'll learn from the first time) but trying to do anything is better than refusing to do something about a problem.

Helios is basically the opposite of this, but having one omniscient, potentially flawless and incorruptible, ruler is potentially a perfect solution. It's a big gamble, though. And the Illuminati ending is just pure decline, replacing some of the old and corrupt shadowy rulers with another. It's not even JC alone taking over, so there's no guarantee that things will truly improve. Or that the remnants of the old Illuminati won't undermine or stab him in the back eventually.

 

[Ol' Willy]

Tong should be the last to urge for decentralization remembering how fucked up China was during Warlord era. American writers easily missed that nuance

 

[Gargaune]

IW considers all endings to be canon at the same time btw.

One of the better aspects of Invisible War, they managed to combine the prior installment's endings more elegantly than most.

 

[Turrul]

Tong's ending makes the most sense because I can really imagine Denton being radicalized throughout the plot after witnessing how deep the rabbit hole goes.

At the start of the game he looks like a classic normie, idealist centre-right jock fresh outta academy who trusted the government institutions and international order; only to be hit by truth-bombs again and again. Somewhere after the Hong Kong arc I can really imagine him being OD'd on Redpills and going full Kaczynski.

 

[NecroLord]

Tong should be the last to urge for decentralization remembering how fucked up China was during Warlord era. American writers easily missed that nuance

He's from Hong Kong though...
Maybe that's why?
Don't know exactly how patriotic he would be, also isn't he a Tong leader, aka pretty much a Mafia boss?
Although he seems more principled and honorable.