More art piece than game, Deus Ex Machina 2 guides through the stages of life set to a soundtrack that dominates the game. Conception and birth through adolescence into adulthood, old age and death are all represented in the form of "games" that are essentially music videos in which you play a minor role in collecting or avoiding things. Perhaps you are seeking out positive messages as a child or dodging craters and bombs as a soldier or collecting kisses -- but essentially each level is the same thing. Throughout, you have a rating for "Degree of Real Identity" which is affected by how well you play level (or sometimes just seems to tick down regardless) but it's misleading to keep using the terms "game" and "play". These are games in name only. The controls are sparse and sluggish and the effects seem frustratingly random at times. Of course all roads lead to the grave regardless -- I had enough Identity to carry me through to the ending scenes but I don't know if it's possible to actually lose the game.

Deus Ex Machina 2 starts out strong in that the music helps pull you in and the overall complete weirdness of the experience makes you go along for the ride. By the end though, it has largely worn out its welcome. Perhaps that's a metaphor for life or perhaps it's just poor game design but either way it's hard to recommend it. If you ever found yourself with a free copy, it's worth it to play the first half which has more manic weirdness than the increasingly plodding second half. But I couldn't, in good faith, tell anyone to spend money on the experience.

More art piece than game, Deus Ex Machina 2 guides through the stages of life set to a soundtrack that dominates the game. Conception and birth through adolescence into adulthood, old age and death are all represented in the form of "games" that are essentially music videos in which you play a minor role in collecting or avoiding things. Perhaps you are seeking out positive messages as a child or dodging craters and bombs as a soldier or collecting kisses -- but essentially each level is the same thing. Throughout, you have a rating for "Degree of Real Identity" which is affected by how well you play level (or sometimes just seems to tick down regardless) but it's misleading to keep using the terms "game" and "play". These are games in name only. The controls are sparse and sluggish and the effects seem frustratingly random at times. Of course all roads lead to the grave regardless -- I had enough Identity to carry me through to the ending scenes but I don't know if it's possible to actually lose the game. Deus Ex Machina 2 starts out strong in that the music helps pull you in and the overall complete weirdness of the experience makes you go along for the ride. By the end though, it has largely worn out its welcome. Perhaps that's a metaphor for life or perhaps it's just poor game design but either way it's hard to recommend it. If you ever found yourself with a free copy, it's worth it to play the first half which has more manic weirdness than the increasingly plodding second half. But I couldn't, in good faith, tell anyone to spend money on the experience.