It's been a fairly decent sum of years since the first Deus Ex game came out, and when it did, it's safe to say the game became an instant classic. It's mixture of the frenetic action seen in FPS shooters of its time with the structure of RPG's that saw the player's actions as a definition of the main character's personality gave Deus Ex a feel all its own. When it was released in 2000, the game played with the notions of cyber-terrorism and government conspiracy that were so popular in the wake of the Y2K scare, and the cyberpunk feel only heightened that sense of post-cyberia life. Now, 11 years later, Deus Ex: Human Revolution has a whole new notion, a whole new look, and a wonderfully amazing feel to it that seeks to only inject you deeper into the world that Deus Ex has been built around.
-PREMISE- You take control of Adam Jensen, security chief for biotech corporation Sarif Industries. In the wake of a massive attack on Sarif's HQ, Adam is left bloodied, batter, and half-past dead, but due to the technological advancements made through modern science, Adam's been outfitted by the latest Augmentations - or, as they're better known throughout the game world, Augs. Six months pass before Adam is taken back by Sarif to handle a developing situation with the Purists, a group of activists who stage violent protests against Sarif for their pro-Aug activities. It's through dealing with these terrorists that Adam soon learns there's much more to the attacks on Sarif, and the death of his girlfriend and her team six months ago, than meets the eye. He sets off on a trek from Detroit to China and more to find the missing puzzle pieces in the game of Corporate chess he seems to've been thrust into playing.
-GAMEPLAY- DX:HR is heavily threaded in the idea that you can be whatever character you build yourself to be. You're given a blank template at the beginning of the game, as well as two questions, that will decide which type of character you'll be playing. Adam Jensen is a super soldier of sorts, his augments allow him to walk into any situation armed with some sort of defense. This means that you, as a player, can outfit him to be the ultimate fighting machine or an agent of extreme subterfuge.
Players can outfit Adam's personal augmentation loadout. His enhancement options can range from the simple (muscular, cerebral etc.) to the complex (hacking skills, implanted rebreathers, stealth cloaking devices etc.), it all depends on how the player wishes to utilize Adam's augs in completing the missions he's sent to complete.
The weapons Adam is loaded out with range from heavy weapons (heavy machine rifles, sniper rifles, laser cannons etc.) to personal defense (combat rifles, machine pistols, handguns etc.) and each can be customized to fit the player's standards. Augmentations made to guns can be anything from silencers to ammunition counts, and they all come in handy one way or another.
Arguably the best part about the game is its combat system. Players are left with the choice to go in guns a-blazing or work their way through the levels in a stealthy, deliberate manner. Either way, players will make great use of the expertly crafted cover system. When Adam goes into cover, the camera zooms from its first person perspective, allowing the player to see over and around walls and plan their routes accordingly. The player can sidle along cover and roll or quickly maneuver to the next piece of cover available to them. While moving cover-to-cover can be seamless and fun to perform, the player must always plan their movements carefully as enemies are always on the lookout.
Another excellent aspect to the combat is the takedown system. When prompted, the player can either take down their opponents with a knockout move or a fatality. Both takedown maneuvers are extremely entertaining to perform, however Adam utilizes his own aug energy in performing them, meaning the player must be full up on energy before committing a takedown. Not that it matters much. For most enemies, I found that utilizing the Stun Gun was an extremely useful method for one shot knockouts.
The game has its fair share of boss encounters. As anyone who might've played the Deus Ex series before DX:HR, they would know that boss fights tend to fluctuate between outright difficult and damn near impossible to work past. DX:HR is no different in this respect. A total of four boss fights and about 75% of them will have the player shaking their fists in anger. That is, of course, unless the player is outfitted with the right Augs. Remember, update your augs, operate smoothly, and the excellent gameplay will forgive the occasional 'what the french toast?' boss fight moments.
-OVERALL- The game is a sleek, shining example of what the Action-RPG genre should be. In a world where the Mass Effects and Skyrims dominate such arenas, its easy to see how this game could be overlooked. However, if you enjoyed such series as Splinter Cell or even Metal Gear Solid, then it's hard to see why you wouldn't want to pick up Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
-9/10-
-PREMISE- You take control of Adam Jensen, security chief for biotech corporation Sarif Industries. In the wake of a massive attack on Sarif's HQ, Adam is left bloodied, batter, and half-past dead, but due to the technological advancements made through modern science, Adam's been outfitted by the latest Augmentations - or, as they're better known throughout the game world, Augs. Six months pass before Adam is taken back by Sarif to handle a developing situation with the Purists, a group of activists who stage violent protests against Sarif for their pro-Aug activities. It's through dealing with these terrorists that Adam soon learns there's much more to the attacks on Sarif, and the death of his girlfriend and her team six months ago, than meets the eye. He sets off on a trek from Detroit to China and more to find the missing puzzle pieces in the game of Corporate chess he seems to've been thrust into playing.
-GAMEPLAY- DX:HR is heavily threaded in the idea that you can be whatever character you build yourself to be. You're given a blank template at the beginning of the game, as well as two questions, that will decide which type of character you'll be playing. Adam Jensen is a super soldier of sorts, his augments allow him to walk into any situation armed with some sort of defense. This means that you, as a player, can outfit him to be the ultimate fighting machine or an agent of extreme subterfuge.
Players can outfit Adam's personal augmentation loadout. His enhancement options can range from the simple (muscular, cerebral etc.) to the complex (hacking skills, implanted rebreathers, stealth cloaking devices etc.), it all depends on how the player wishes to utilize Adam's augs in completing the missions he's sent to complete.
The weapons Adam is loaded out with range from heavy weapons (heavy machine rifles, sniper rifles, laser cannons etc.) to personal defense (combat rifles, machine pistols, handguns etc.) and each can be customized to fit the player's standards. Augmentations made to guns can be anything from silencers to ammunition counts, and they all come in handy one way or another.
Arguably the best part about the game is its combat system. Players are left with the choice to go in guns a-blazing or work their way through the levels in a stealthy, deliberate manner. Either way, players will make great use of the expertly crafted cover system. When Adam goes into cover, the camera zooms from its first person perspective, allowing the player to see over and around walls and plan their routes accordingly. The player can sidle along cover and roll or quickly maneuver to the next piece of cover available to them. While moving cover-to-cover can be seamless and fun to perform, the player must always plan their movements carefully as enemies are always on the lookout.
Another excellent aspect to the combat is the takedown system. When prompted, the player can either take down their opponents with a knockout move or a fatality. Both takedown maneuvers are extremely entertaining to perform, however Adam utilizes his own aug energy in performing them, meaning the player must be full up on energy before committing a takedown. Not that it matters much. For most enemies, I found that utilizing the Stun Gun was an extremely useful method for one shot knockouts.
The game has its fair share of boss encounters. As anyone who might've played the Deus Ex series before DX:HR, they would know that boss fights tend to fluctuate between outright difficult and damn near impossible to work past. DX:HR is no different in this respect. A total of four boss fights and about 75% of them will have the player shaking their fists in anger. That is, of course, unless the player is outfitted with the right Augs. Remember, update your augs, operate smoothly, and the excellent gameplay will forgive the occasional 'what the french toast?' boss fight moments.
-OVERALL- The game is a sleek, shining example of what the Action-RPG genre should be. In a world where the Mass Effects and Skyrims dominate such arenas, its easy to see how this game could be overlooked. However, if you enjoyed such series as Splinter Cell or even Metal Gear Solid, then it's hard to see why you wouldn't want to pick up Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
-9/10-