Evolution
Have you ever wanted the ability to pick up cars? To run like the wind? To jump off hundred story buildings and live? To be awesome in just about every imaginable way? Well that’s too bad you can't. No, wait! Come back, sorry I forgot that in the world of the new Deus Ex which was just released you can.
Wait what? Yeah that’s right, you heard me, Eidos Montreal has finally released the long awaited third game in the Deus Ex series, Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The previous Deus Ex games have always been about choices and the impacts that come with them, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution only improves upon this system in Adam Jensen’s hunt for answers. Deus Ex is at its core a role-playing game, a game that is meant to be enjoyed and savored. So what do you mean by role-playing? No it’s not sitting in a basement with costumes rolling dice hoping you hit a critical on a dragon- burp, sorry nerd bubble. No a role-playing game is all about the story and the experience. You the player are given the role of a character or characters and progress through a plethora of possibilities in a set story. Again it’s all about the choice: do you want to go around with safeties off and play god, do you want to play Mr. Sneaky and take out an entire building of people without making a single sound, or do you want to play the nice guy and let everyone live? Whatever you want, whatever you imagine you could do, you can. And this is where Deus Ex shines, it’s your story, play it how you want to.
First off let’s look at the story. The year is 2027 and humans are bored; bored of waiting that is. Humans feel they have waited long enough for evolution to take place and are discouraged by the lack of human improvements. People are still dying of sicknesses and diseases, military powers are too equal in strength, and IRobot hasn’t become reality yet. So thanks to Sarif industries and companies alike, humans have taken up the role of god and begun augmenting humans with robotic enhancements, amplifying every possible genetic and physical quality that exists. Humans now have the power of the gods and scientific marvels are routine. However it’s not that simple, it never is. Anti-Augmentation activists have started riots in every city over the world, pledging that these super advances in technology will only anger god and be the death of us. And corporations have now become more powerful then the government and determine the path in which this twisted future follows.
While this is all happening, a lone scientist, Megan Reed, has come across a particular innovation that could change the very fate of augmentation: A gene ti allow augmentation for everyone. Soon human restrictions will be a thing of the past and everyday people can harness the will of the machine. One that in time becomes very controversial and sought after by every other company. A gene to allow augmentation for everyone, soon human restrictions will be a thing of the past and everyday people can harness the will of the machine. So with the need of some heightened security and a personal escort to Washington for the unveiling, who better to hire for the job then your ex-boyfriend? You. You the player take the role of Adam Jensen, an ex-cop/SWAT member who is on neither side of the augmentation revolution.
It seems Adam Jensen and Megan Reed had a touchy feely kind of relationship but the player never really can seem to figure out how or why they broke up. All I know is it only takes one trip to Adam’s apartment to find, sitting on his desk, pictures of a fairytale couple. All that’s missing for Adam is a box of tissues. Anyway! With not even enough time to paint your nails, enjoy a hot cup of coffee, and have a nice chat with your boss, Sarif Industries is attacked by an unknown group of enemies. And faster than a bunny rabbit, Adam is thrown into battle. You’re given a tutorial to some of the finer techniques of death and eventually you feel like a badass. That is until you run into the real muscle of this mysterious group of mercenaries: one over sized and fully augmented Russian dude, prepped and ready. And even faster than the previous bunny rabbit, he throws you through a nicely dimensioned sheet of glass for a smooth and relaxing ride, hey look its Megan! Remember though, you’re a badass, glass can’t kill you. But that gun can, and without any final atonements or epitaphs you are shot in the head. Six months have passed and one really cool montage opening later Adam Jensen awakes anew with some interesting features. While Jensen enjoyed his coma-induced vacation, Sarif has been emptying their coffers into making him the perfect soldier. Fully robotic augmented neural circuitry, muscle replacement, heart implants, spinal housing, skeletal reinforcement, retinal scanning, respiratory expansions, energy based power cells, internally installed weaponry systems, and one pair of sweet ass sunglasses. A plentiful number of tools, yes? Well good because you’re going to need all the help you can get to finally get to the bottom of this conspiracy and save mankind from utter destruction. It is up to you to decide whether or not you want to accept these gifts, and while, yes, you never asked for them, they can be of great benefit. And it is your duty to show that even the augmented still have hearts. Just stronger.
Oh yeah, sorry Mr. and Mrs. Multiplayer™, Deus Ex: Human Revolution does not contain a multiplayer of any kind. But there was none really to expect as it is a RPG title.
On to the technical side! Edios strived to create a game that would stand out and were successful given the launch of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. However it is also because this game was so ambitious that problems were so easily recognizable being that the game tried so hard to immerse the player.
But immersed the player was. The player truly can feel that the power is in their hands and that the fate of this possible future lies within their decisions. Specialized augmentations allow the ability for the gamer to build the Adam Jensen “they” want to play. So whether you enjoy running around with a gun trigger happy or are fond of the more stealth based experience, this system makes it possible for the individual. Jensen will gain “Praxis Points” with every level achieved through your campaign which can then be spent on upgrades for things like reduced firing recoil for weapons or increased inventory space to create a flavorful arsenal of death. Or choose a completely different path and spend your points on upgrades towards your retinal scanner, allowing you to see through walls and monitor heart rates of characters you come across; so now instead of killing a group guards for an access key for a door, you can just sneak by or persuade them in conversation, pressuring them into giving you the code after you see their heart rate rise as the fold under anxiety.
The world around changes with your decisions; local newspapers scattered throughout the cities and its buildings reflect past events determined by you. Whether you turned a psychotic murderer against himself and spared a civilian's life, or in fact saved them both, the event will be in headlines on those very newspapers. You'll also be the talk of the town. A.I.s change their passive dialogue towards current events and you the player are often a popular topic, and the televisions and reporters covering the news can’t seem to halt your name from their Teleprompters.
The art style of the game is based strongly and heavily on the colors black and gold, helping along with an atmosphere that really captures the dark story going on. City life is bustling, music pumps from local night clubs, conversation fills the streets, and guards go about their regular routine. Even cities placed around the world have their own distinct and recognizable differences adding a new layer to immersion. Making the act of traveling to strange and alien places such as china, or the middle of the arctic a more pleasurable experience.
However in this story of choice there are a few bugs that can ruin the flow of the game. While emphasized on the act of choice and the importance of such, certain missions require a certain collection of augmentations. Forcing you to take paths that otherwise wouldn’t have been chosen by your personal preference. Side missions and quests rely heavily on hacking and if you’ve spent your Praxis Points on various other augmentations it may lead you to come back later or skip the entire mission all together, removing vital and story-rich material from your play through. The game also offers no continuous replay engine: where I had hoped to eventually buy all the augmentations and truly have an Adam Jensen to reckon with, I was sadly let down. However that is only a personal grudge, being as the game has a fantastic replay value in raw. There were numerous times during missions where I wanted to play it again and try a different strategy; an important aspect for adding shelf life to a game and making it last.
The largest disappoint for this game would have to be the boss battles. In a story of choice these linear boss battles are only of frustration and annoyance. The time it takes to actually complete the battles takes far too long and there are no options when it comes to how you will defeat the boss encounters. A difficult thing to swallow when you’ve been basing your play style purely on stealth and you find yourself in a heated battle requiring pure brawn. This also takes away from the immersion as well, where frustration and countless load screens can pull you out of the story.
Deus Ex does not stretch the foundation of modern day games either. In fact Deus Ex is plagued with technical issues including slow load times, frame rate lags on the console versions, and stiff facial expressions in dialogue. The game has a unique and pleasurable take down system which is a lot of fun to play with but can be misleading at some points when characters glitch into the walls or A.I. is motionless in the background.
Now while that may seem as a heavy load of issues digest, it is minuscule to the sheer entirety that is Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The only reason why problems stick out is because Edios has done such a good job at creating a game and environment that draw the player in and keep them in. Deus Ex is a fantastic addition to the gaming market and one that is totally fun. The story is one that keeps you involved and guessing and can take several dozen glorious hours to complete. The expansive range of options, creativity, and personal touch that can be produced with this game is unbelievable and you can really play this game how you want to play it.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution has become an extremely successful prequel to the Deus Ex series and a fantastic game in its own way. It was truly a pleasure to play and I can’t wait to get started on my second play through. Funny to think that in 16 years, we will have robotic super humans running around redefining society. All I can say is I’m going to start saving my allowance because I really want a pair of those Jensen sunglasses!
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