In 2000, Ion Storm released the sci-fi RPG Deus Ex, it gained universal acclaim for its highly varied gameplay and deep storyline, packed with conspiracy and intrigue. It is still remembered today as one of the greatest games of all time. Now, over a decade since the first Deus Ex game, and with new developer Eidos Montreal at the helm, does Deus Ex: Human Revolution live up to the legacy set by the original?
Set in 2027, Human Revolution sees you playing as Adam Jensen, an ex-SWAT cop for Detroit PD, now head of security at Sarif Industries, a company specialising in human augmentations - technological modifications to the body that allow their users to perform superhuman feats. As Sarif is on the verge of a huge scientific breakthrough, it is attacked by a group of mercenaries who steal important research, kill scientists and severely injure Jensen. After undergoing extensive surgery and being reconstructed with augmentations, Jensen sets out to find the identity and motive of the terrorists behind the attack.
The story will take you to various locations around the world as Jensen unfolds the conspiracy. The topic of human modification sets a tense moral and political background for the story as anti-augmentation groups hold protests and 'harvesters' kill modified humans and steal their parts. There's plenty of back story to be discovered by reading newspapers and books, hacking emails, eavesdropping etc. But you will need to put skill points into your hacking abilities if you want to see everything.
These skill points will define how you play Deus Ex. If you like your games to play like a fast-paced shooter you might put points into your health and accuracy skills, likewise, if you prefer the stealthy approach (my favourite way to play), you should put your points into the invisibility and hacking abilities. This variety means you can play through Deus Ex's 20+ hour campaign multiple times and have a different experience. While you can play through most of the game without killing a single enemy, there are several boss fights in the game that are unavoidable, these can be very frustrating if you haven't put any skill points into combat abilities.
The presentation of the game is excellent, while the graphics might not be as technically impressive as Crysis 2 or Killzone 3, Deus Ex has a great unique art style, with a predominantly black and gold colour palette. The atmosphere does a great job of pulling the player in, making the game's world a place you really want to explore.
Human Revolution has its problems, frustrating boss fights, long load times, bad enemy AI, and inconsistent voice acting, but if you can look past those small issues, I guarantee you'll have a good time with Deus Ex: Human Revolution.