This week we have another free title from GameTap, and if you missed this game at the turn of the century you really ought to check it out now. Of course, I’m talking about …

Title: Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition
Developed by: Ion Storm Inc.
Published by: Eidos Interactive
For: Windows
ESRB rating: Mature

Yes, Deus Ex. This classic shooter makes a big show of providing several possible solutions to almost any problem. The player can augment J.C. Denton, the cyborg hero they control, with numerous upgrades, allowing him to specialize in combat, hacking and stealth tactics or a combination of the three. Situations can be resolved through gunplay or subterfuge, or even conversation — how to proceed is up to the player, as is how to improve Denton’s abilities.

The story is futuristic sci-fi goodness, featuring a “Blade Runner”-like world in which practically every secret society and popular conspiracy theory — from the Illuminati and the Knights Templar to gray aliens and Area 51 — is threaded into the plot, which can end in several ways. It looks a little rough nowadays, of course, but it’s a solid piece of work whose influences still crop up in shooters today.

As with “Psychonauts,” players will need a GameTap account to download and play the game, and a short ad is shown before each session.

(Image courtesy of Amazon.com)