I guess I'm just in a ranting mood tonight. I just posted a long article about why I can't understand why people still love Halo over on Armchair Arcade. And now it seems like time to update one of my most personal gripes in gaming.
JC Denton was black. In the original Deus Ex, you had the option to choose from a number of skin colors. Don't ask me why I chose black. I'm not black. I just liked the look of it. But as I started getting into the story, realizing what a pawns I and my brother Paul were, it began to make sense. I was always running around tenements and sewers, always pursued by the authorities. I knew I was above all this, that I was being persecuted for the wrongdoing of others. Do you understand why JC being black began to feel right, began to feel resonant?
Can you imagine how much of a betrayal it was when Deus Ex: Invisible War only let you play as white? Sure, you could play as a woman (which I did), but it wasn't the same. And when I reached the endgame, finally meeting JC, it was a horrible experience. Who is this white man, this poseur? This man hadn't suffered like JC had. This man hadn't overcome. This man was Neo, given gifts upon gifts, passing down his infallible wisdom with absolute certainty. I saw all the endings of Invisible War, and I will tell you this. I didn't mind killing JC.
