Deus Ex: Invisible War Audio Director admits “room for improvement” while defending soundtrack
Very few games still spark as much controversy and debate as the sequel to Deus Ex. Deus Ex: Invisible War was released in 2003, and it pretty much divided the fandom because of its smaller level design and simpler systems, despite pushing for a richer story. You could ally with different factions, betray allies, or pit different factions against one another.
It’s been over two decades since Deus Ex: Invisible War was released, and recently, the game’s audio director opened up and came clean about what worked and what didn’t, while also discussing the game’s soundtrack, which many fans of the series still consider its strongest point.
Alexander Brandon worked as a music composer for the original Deus Ex and even did some voice acting. For the sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War, he was appointed audio lead. For context, this was the first time Brandon was given a larger role.
In a recent interview with PC Gamer, he opened up about the game’s flaws and said, “There was room for improvement, I will just put it that way.” Still, Brandon applauds the team and himself for what they accomplished under tight deadlines and despite technical challenges.
He said, “As far as the content goes, I think we did really, really well. I’m proud of my main theme. My now ex-wife did the vocals on it and did an amazing job. And I was given a little more freedom to express thematic and melodic ideas, even though it was muted compared to the original theme. It wasn’t this ‘90s cyberpunk Johnny Mnemonic cheese fest that everybody reveled in at the time.”
Instead of feeling retrospectively cheesy, the audio work and themes in Deus Ex: Invisible War come across as more grown-up, which aligned with the game’s move toward a darker, grittier tone. Brandon further explained:
“We have more fidelity, and the story is gonna be a lot more intricate, but it’s going to be a bit darker, even though the art was a little lighter in some ways—in a lot of ways, really. But it was supposed to have a more serious, more immersive tone. I really like the soundtrack for what it is.”
What stood out was the addition of music tracks by the industrial rock band Kidneythieves, which added an edge to the game’s futuristic clubs. The band’s lead singer, Free Dominguez, also voiced the holographic pop star NG Resonance.
Brandon continued, “There is a lot I would change if I could. If we could all go back and do it again, that would be great. But no, I’m proud of it overall.”
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