Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Deus Ex: Human Revolution lured me in with a trailer that rivaled the cinematography seen in most Hollywood trailers. There was conflict, action, and emotion and it was suspenseful. I needed to know about this riotous, scientifically advanced future. I wanted to know about this man Adam Jensen and his compulsory augmentation.

You play Adam Jensen, an ex-SWAT specialist who’s been handpicked to oversee the defensive needs of one of America’s most experimental biotechnology firms. Your job is to safeguard company secrets, but when a black ops team breaks in and kills the very scientists you were hired to protect, everything you thought you knew about your job changes

Badly wounded during the attack, you have no choice but to become mechanically augmented and you soon find yourself chasing down leads all over the world, never knowing who you can trust. At a time when scientific advancements are turning athletes, soldiers and spies into super enhanced beings, someone is working very hard to ensure mankind’s evolution follows a particular path.

You need to discover where that path lies. Because when all is said and done, the decisions you take, and the choices you make, will be the only things that can change it

Source

Story

One of the first things that stood out to me was that the world was immediately immersive and Jensen started out with both internal and external conflict. He’s pretty much a hired gun (head of security) for Sarif Industries. This, I suppose, is good for him because Sarif Industries has enemies in every direction. He has a long, lucrative career ahead of him. Oh, unless he’s brutally beaten, left for dead, and revived using all the science at his employer’s disposal. (Who paid for this? Is he now a gazillion dollars in debt like Jude Law in Repo Men?)

So once Jensen is resurrected using metal and tubing he’s brought home early to put all that tech to good use saving people and stopping the terrorist infiltration of Sarif Industries’ Detroit plant. Everyone keeps noting how you’ve been away for six months and how surprising it is that you’re alive… Maybe you’re not the best guy for the job having gone from dead to godlike in half a year. Maybe, maybe not. Either way, you’re it.

So, this is where things get different. If you like reading and snooping, you’ll find out that there are some side missions to do before you leave for the big storyline mission. Pick up everything you can and read it. Pay attention, because this game will not hand-hold your curiosity. If you want to solve side missions, you really have to look for them by reading people’s emails (literally), creeping through vents, and so on.

These missions are a great way to practice your stealth and get an introduction to the conversation mechanics.

The people you speak with all have opinions that will also influence how your game plays out and how you feel about what you’re doing. Are you arrogant? Empathetic? Ruthless? Do you try to negotiate or shoot your way out of tight spots?

However, if you take too long farting around HQ, people will notice and it can affect your story.

Gameplay

I mostly played Deus Ex: Human Revolution on “Tell me a story,” or Easy (I played some parts on “Give me a challenge” (Normal)). I haven’t finished it yet, which is good because who wants a game you can finish in just one weekend? (I’ll be back once I finish the game with a fully informed perspective.) “Tell me a story” was not as easy as I was hoping.

In some games, you have a large range of where your bullet might hit and where you might be looking. In Deus Ex, there is a tiny dot that is your target and touch point. This took some getting used to (for my shooting frame of reference, I’m more familiar with Mass Effect and Halo. I find it much easier to hit things in hose games. however, enemies don’t move too far too quickly in this game.).

Now, sneaking is also very important. Even if you choose to go in “lethal,” you’ll be short on bullets until you find or pillage some. This is not a firefight game. This is an accuracy and creeping game.

I am not as familiar with either stealth or first person shooters as most fans of the Deus Ex franchise. I hoped for a bit more forgiveness than I got. The AI in this game is smart. Smart in a way that I swear real people aren’t… However, when you sort yourself out and figure out how to sneak or snipe successfully, you’ll feel quite proud. You’ll also learn to save often if you plan try something that might get you killed and sent back to the start of the level. The start of the level can be very, very far when you’re inching from one end to the other.

Unfortunately, the AI in a boss fight wasn’t nearly as smart as the AI in the lackeys. The Boss got a bit lame when he just threw fists full of grenades until his shields restored… Hacks. He’s not unbeatable, just not creative or very smart, but very strong.