Deus Ex has
often
been referred to as the Holy Grail of gaming by its rabid fans.
style=""> It sported a massive and
immersive world,
with a relatively emotionless protagonist to create your own image for.
style=""> It also sported combat
that had multiple ways
to win, and
eventually this style of
gameplay could be seen later in games such as Bioshock,
where crafty spells have just as lethal effects as
bullets.
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/110631">
style="font-style: italic;">....but yes, you can just shoot
everyone to pieces if you so choose.
So the bar is quite high for
style="">Deus Ex : Human Revolution.
We
already saw one sequel in Deus Ex: Invisible
War try to remake that epic feel of JC Dentons adventure,
the protagonist
of the first game. While
it wasnt a
bad game, it was nowhere near the level of awesome that the fan base
was
expecting. Now its
up to the guys at
Eidos to learn from their mistakes and make a worthy sequel of a
legend. But
did they succeed?
Cautions
This game is rated M for Mature. Its not only mature for its topics and gameplay, but I would actually call it mature for understanding of the storyline as well.
Gameplay - 95 / 100
Human
Revolution, and
the Deus Ex series in general are
a
wealth of genres pooled together.
Since
each one is an important part of the whole, well approach the gameplay
one at
a time.
The first part of the gameplay that
will probably stand out
to you are the stealth portions. These
are common, but largely optional.
Forced
stealth is not a fun mechanic, and Im happy to see the developers
realized
this. Being spotted
will almost always
trigger attacks and possibly reinforcements depending on the alert
level, but
the AI for better
or for worse is
completely retarded. If
you so much as
duck behind a box for a few seconds, the sentries will go right back to
their
posts/along their merry way. Seeing
as
were not playing Metal Gear, I can
accept this. It
also helps with the flow
of the game. If
youre constantly
getting spotted and not playing a combat-oriented character, youll
definitely
appreciate the quick resetting of patrols.
But the stealth gameplay isnt just get byit can also be
get to your
opponents for conversations or quick kills.
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style="border: 0px solid ; width: 640px; height: 360px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/110633">
style="font-style: italic;">Stealth is optional, but the
rewards are so much more satisfying than playing Rambo.
When the blood spills, it turns into
a fairly standard
game. Fans of the
original will be happy
to see that your accuracy isnt horrendous at long range now, and like
every
other damn shooter, weve got a cover system.
Even when you get hit, theres a health regeneration
element. A lot of
you probably stood up and yelled
after reading that, but fear not.
Its
fairly slow, and if you pump up the difficulty, extremely slow.
style=""> Mistakes in combat are not
easily fixed as a
result, so you cant rely on being in cover for 5 seconds to restore
your
health. You restore
your mana as well
when it is depleted, but only enough for one actions worth.
style=""> You have to find
consumables to restore the
rest. Attacks such
as Takedowns (lethal
or non-lethal, more on this later) will use your energy just like
special
attacks.
Hacking has always been a staple of
any sci-fi RPG, and it
returns in this game in multiple forms.
Like Bioshock or
style="">Fallout, youll hack computers to read
messages and use turrets.
style=""> But youll also be hacking
keypads, or if youre
not man enough, you can typically find the code in the stage if you
search
enough. The actual hacking process itself is a difficult little mini
game about
territory control. You
capture territory
nodes on the way to the AIs core, but along the way, the AI will come
to life
and begin taking territory back and try to make its way to your home
point. Fail, and
chances are you just
pissed off the whole complex!
One of the places Human
Revolution shines is in the conversations.
There are multiple paths, but unlike Mass
Effect for instance, the asshole or bribery response is not
a guaranteed
way to get what you want. Eventually
youll
get augmentations to help you detect what kind of person youre talking
to, but
until then youll have to rely on your wits and analysis to determine
how the
person best responds. Each
conversation
will only happen once if you reach an end point that locks you out, so
dont
think you can just mash options and work your way to a resolution
through trial
and error. Note
that you can actually
hover over your conversational choice to see what youre going to say
fully,
rather than just some little quip, which is a nice feature for those of
us
seeking to fully define our main characters personality.
All in all, the spirit of the
original is definitely
noticeable, and this is a very good thing!
Graphics - 87 / 100
The world truly feels dark and lost, a feeling created by a world of drab designs and shadows. Normally I would use those terms negatively but weve got a setting of a dim future, and this fits perfectly. The character designs and effects are spot on. If you have the hardware to crank out all of the fancy DX11 effets, youll have the prettiest (well, for a cyberpunk) RPG on your hands.
Sound - 95 / 100
My immersion in an RPG is defined by two things the people and the soundtrack. Both of these things are absolutely wonderful. The soundtrack is done by Michael McCann and is good to the point of me actually listening to the bonus soundtrack that comes with the Augmented Edition of the game. The conversations are emotional and play out naturally. Some of the combat sound effects are a little tame, but thats a tiny flaw in an otherwise stellar score.
Value - 87 / 100
Perhaps the best part of the game is that there are so many ways to get from point A to point B. The end result is at least 2 full playthroughs worth of content, and I clocked in my first at about 25 hours. The main downside is that the primary bosses of the game cant be talked down or really have anything truly crafty done to them, but everything else in the world is fair game for that! Its a minor complaint at best to a robust single player experience
Lasting Appeal - 82 / 100
Invisible War has finally been atoned for. Whats more, this game has such a foundation that an expansion is a possibility, and if the game does well, is quite likely. Its a sci-fi experience that blows Fallout 3 and New Vegas out of the water easily. There are some tiny gripes and obvious its a port moments, such as some mouse slowdown and glitches that will inevitably be patched out with time. These little bugs dont detract at all from the glorious gameplay that will have you talking for months to come.
Pros and Cons
-
Holy crap, they delivered on the
hype promises! -
Wonderful ambience sound,
graphics, npcs, all really
contribute to set the mood -
Lots of little things that touch
back on the first games
legacy
Cons
-
Its still a good PC experience,
but its a port -
Takedowns are awesome, but I wish
I could melee normally
sometimes -
It took a decade and change to
make a worthy sequel to the
original
Conclusion
Deus Ex : Human Revolution is a wonderful step forward for cyberpunk RPG enthusiasts. This is RPG perfection! The world feels vivid, the options in combat are numerous and varied, and you can come up with multiple ways to solve a situation typically. You have every reason to explore and try things in Human Revolution, and whats more, youre actually rewarded for doing so rather than feeling like you wasted your time. Other developers, take note, this is a wonderful feeling to have in games!
Overall 87/100 - Very Good
