Deus Ex was a phonominal game of epic proportion. Very depressing, but still a great game.
I have noticed that the great games are gone now, games like Deus Ex, Tribes, Freespace, Decents, Balders Gate, Diablo, War Craft, System Shock 2, and many many others just have not yet been equaled.
Sure there are a few inovative games, like Farcry, Dominions 2, SEIV, Half Life, Halo, Civ2, and others, but lately most games just seem to be to bloated with code and to short in game play.
Deus Ex 2 for example took me about a fourth of the time that the original did. I think that the emphesis on graphics, and the presure to get it done and out the door ASAP, have kind of ruined the inginuity and inovation that the older games had. One only has to look to Interplay and Microprose to see how dedication to ones craft can ruin your company.
In the Last few years, well since 2001, the games that I have enjoyed the most have been Wolfenstien, MOH, Farcry, SEIV, Deus Ex IW, Tribes 2, Sim City 3 and Sim City 4 Rush Hour, Empire Earth, SOF, Halo, and a few others that I cannot remember the names of.
Farcry should be recognised as one of the best games of the year IMHO. If not, well then the academy has been bought off by advatisers and special interest Groups. Farcry is so far ahead of DOOM3 and even better than Half Life 2. (Farcry is a lot longer game, with a better story and more complete game play. It at least had multiplayer.)