Xbox (also on PC); £39.99; www.eidos.com

By Richard Bell

THE events of Deus Ex and the worldwide economic Great Collapse were 20 years ago.

The world of Invisible War finds itself only beginning to recover from a secret, conspiratorial war, technology run amok and catastrophic depression.

The winner-take-all geopolitics of mid-21st Century Earth have given way to a struggle over much more basic concerns: food, water, re-establishing civil law and cleaning up biological and nano-tech fallout.

Several religious and political factions see in the chaos the opportunity to shape a worldwide government and they know the right moves now could determine the shape of human society.

In this immersive, first-person action-adventure, your mission is to reveal the secrets of each faction, the identities of the true players in this struggle for power and your part in it all — which may well be more crucial than you’d think.

Like its predecessor, Invisible War allows you to participate in the telling of a seemingly non-linear, powerful story, rich in mystery, lies, intrigue and responsive plot branches.

In addition to a host of new conspiratorial friends and foes, players can expect encounters with a variety of characters from the original game. And, once again, players visit a variety of real world locations made more exotic by the passage of time.

New is the ability to create a compelling alter ego through the selection of futuristic bio-mechanical upgrades, awesome weapons and hundreds of useful objects.

As previously, character choices, a generous array of ordnance and the use of objects work in combination with a highly interactive world to give you the freedom to solve problems the way you want to.

You have the option of sneaking, talking or hacking your way past any problem encountered and every situation can be dealt with by a variety of methods. This freedom to choose a play style set Deus Ex apart from other games in the genre and Invisible War builds upon that.

It also boasts a more powerful physics system, believable AI, enhanced character modelling and animation, a new sound propagation system and top-drawer lighting and graphics that really come into their own as you engage in more than a spot of globe-trotting and take in locations such as Red Square, Seattle and London.

And then there’s the guns, nano-tech augmentations, not to mention various pain-givers and tools for destruction. On the boomstick front, a ballistic pistol, shotgun, sniper rifle and rail gun are handy to have when in a jam.

Better still are the upgrades that you wear. One bio-mod adds strength to your right arm for harder punches and to carry heavier objects. The Neural Interface allows you to enter computer systems without a password, Cloak renders you invisible to organics, but not synthetics, while a visual tweak increases low-light ability and targeting accuracy.

With all this ordnance on offer you could be forgiven for thinking that killing is mandatory — it’s not. The game allows for non-lethal, non-violent resolutions to conflict, allowing players to make ethical statements through their actions — cue the stun prod, stun grenades and crowbar.

VERDICT: A riveting new chapter in the Deus Ex story, Invisible War is an engrossing experience that will keep newbies and veterans of the series gripped for countless hours.

90%

By Graeme Strachan

COMPLETE with a whole new look, 19,000 players, 778 clubs, 16 leagues in England, Scotland, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, LMA Manager 2004 offers unequalled depth.

The game has all the 2003/2004 season stats, with updated statistics for every player, all the transfers after the summer break, more flexible management options, and even more player stats.

These figures are impressive, but, as with any game, it must be judged on how it plays.

It compares poorly with other football management games — CIS Cup in comparison to the Champions League.

Maybe that’s harsh — the game is okay to play, but for a series that’s renowned as the most emotive and entertaining football management game, it’s a disappointment.

There are so many time- consuming menus and sub-menus to navigate before you get to play a match, without any background music (perhaps needed to stop gamers nodding off).

Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.

The sheer weight of statistics and complications you need to consider are staggering and you can be left bewildered by the wealth of information you’re presented with.

The match engine has been updated both graphically and tactically, using the form of the Club Football engine, but games are too long, and there are only six changeable in-game tactical options.

Watching Berti Vogts’ Scotland team becomes a joy in comparison.

Unequalled depth of statistics must be matched by accessibility and if you’re not playing the matches yourself, they must be exciting to watch — LMA 2004 just doesn’t cut the mustard.

Bring back Football Director on the ZX Spectrum . . .

VERDICT: More Roddy Grant than Ronaldinho. Average game.

50%

By Derek Uchman

XBOX gamepad’s are extremely well equipped in the cable department — better than any other console, in fact. But there can be no doubting that to go wireless is better still.

JOYTECH’s Neo S features the relatively new 2.4GHz RF technology, so gamers can expect a secure connection to the console without the annoyance of the slow response times which have plagued other wireless controllers.

Operational range is eight metres (even further than JOYTECH’s PS2controller, reviewed here a couple of weeks ago). However, the Neo S’s problematic design may mean that you won’t be able to take full advantage of the range, in particular, if you use a headset for online gaming. You see, it plugs into the receiver module, which, of course, is slotted into the console, and so you are tethered to the machine, even if the Neo S isn’t.

What’s needed here is for someone to dream up a wireless headset (Are you listening, JOYTECH?)

This aside, the Neo S is a well thought-out piece of kit. The control sticks are analogue, the pad feels extremely comfortable and the rubberised grips ensure secure handling.

You’ll need three AAA batteries to power the pad, which should supply up to 50 hours of continuous gameplay. However, that number will drop if you switch on to rumble mode (and who wouldn’t?)

Our other minor gripe is, once again, with the receiver module. It contains two expansion slots which dangle on the end of a very short length of cable. OK, so it works fine, but it does look untidy.

Still, the Neo S’s plusses far outweigh the minuses, and, like the PS2 wireless controller, this should be your pad of choice.

VERDICT: With the Neo S, JOYTECH continue their run of decent peripherals at a more-than reasonable price. Nice one.

90%

THE sequel to Splinter Cell has gone gold — but it ain’t even out yet! Ubisoft, who release Splinter Cell Pandora tomorrow, have been swamped with pre-release orders. Release date for Xbox and GBA is March 26, and April 1 for PC.

NEWSFLASH! Toilet seats are cleaner than the average work PC! A US boffin says there are 400 times more germs at a workstation than on the loo. The dirtiest spot is the phone, with 12,127 microbes per square inch, compared to 49 on the throne.

ELECTRONIC ARTS has announced it is to make a game based on the Godfather trilogy. No other information is available.