Deus
Ex: Human Revolution
REVIEW
In
the year 2000, the world was introduced to Deus Ex: a sprawling
cyberpunk adventure with multiple paths and endings, a cast of
fantastic characters and storytelling beyond most things seen at the
time. Which is why it won countless Game of the Year awards.
In
2003 its sequel, Invisible War, was met with derision as fans of the
PC original (which was later ported to the PS2) were angered by the
simultaneous release with the Xbox version, and what they thought was
a compromised or cut-down game. In all honesty, the sequel was a
fantastic game in its own right, albeit a little smaller in scale
than its predecessor.
In
2007, Eidos Montreal took on the immense task of creating a new game
in the franchise, one that would wipe the bad memories of Invisible
War's reception whilst eclipsing the original game in the franchise.
Not an easy task for an entirely new team's first game.
But
one they succeeded in.
Deus
Ex: Human Revolution takes place in the year 2027, a full twenty-five
years before the events of the original game. Playing as Adam Jensen,
a private security operative for Sarif Industries, a simple
assignment goes horribly wrong, leaving poor Adam beaten by an
unknown augmented chap before being shot in the head. That would ruin
anybody's day.
That
is not the end though, far from it, as Sarif Industries, the leading
company in human augmentations, puts Adam back together using
mechanical augmentations such as his new arms (with blades embedded
within, an excellent choice for the security chief of a global
organisation) and, although unlocked as you progress, an invisibility
cloak, ability to see through walls and many, many more.
Augmentations
have always been an integral part of the Deus Ex games and here it is
no different. A new levelling system has been put into place that
earns you experience points (XP) for various things – successful
hacking, finding secret areas, taking down enemies – and in turn
gives you access to Praxis points, which allow you to upgrade or
install your various augmentations. Praxis kits can also be found in
the really secret areas, as
well as in the not-so-secret LIMB clinics, wherein you can buy a
limited amount of them for use at any time.
The
various augmentations you buy can be tailored to whatever play style
you choose, with the invisibility and hacking ones helping you to
maintain a stealthy attitude, the social upgrade helping you to be
diplomatic and talk your way out of situations, and the likes of the
Typhoon system (deploying miniature mines to knock down multiple
foes) and the ability to punch through walls being just a couple of
the choices for the more visceral approach. Whichever way you play,
you even have the choice of being non-lethal too. Tapping the
context-sensitive takedown button will perform a stealthy knock-out
attack whereas holding it will result in Jensen killing his prey,
each choice ending in any of a number of brilliantly animated scenes
as you pummel or butcher your target. This can also be upgraded for
taking down two enemies simultaneously too, which leads to an even
more stunning array of animated takedowns.
How
Eidos Montreal has limited this is very clever, giving you limited
energy supplies (Jensen is using powerful machinery, after all) in
the form of bars of energy, with one being used up every time you use
a takedown or any other energy-based augmentations. Only one of the
bars will recharge though, meaning you have to be frugal in your
attempts to bypass the various guards and goons of Deus Ex.
The
guards and peoples that populate the world are all hugely varied
depending on the region you are investigating. With Detroit, Hengsha
and Singapore on the list of places visited in the game, the variety
of each place's residents differs wildly from the others, as do the
environments themselves.
Every
location in the game is rendered beautifully, with astonishing
attention to detail that extends from simple 'missing persons'
posters and giant advertisement billboards, to the intricate post-it
notes plastered over desks and computer screens. The lighting and
shadows are exquisite too, with locations bathed in the glow of neon
signs or the spotlights of vehicles overhead, and the first time you
enter Adam's apartment is a thing of real beauty.
When
navigating these places, there are tonnes of hidden areas to explore,
pocket secretaries to be found (usually offering access codes to
terminals or electronically-locked doors, sometimes crucial when on
the run) and masses of people to speak to. Find the right people and
you can unlock side missions, often involving finding a certain
person/object or to resolve tough situations, and will net you extra
XP toward those all-important Praxis points.
When
you find yourself entering into conversation with certain characters,
you will be presented with options for various responses or simply to
ask questions, but this is often much deeper than it first seems.
Decisions can have lasting effects on the story, with one particular
choice determining the outcome of a very important scene much further
on in the game. It really is a game about choice and consequence,
which hits the nail on the head when creating a Deus Ex game.
The
voice acting and storytelling in general gets almost everything
right, from the husky voice of the lead to the settings themselves,
all created with the utmost care by a team clearly intent on making
the best possible experience they could. There is intrigue and
suspense, you will feel genuine mistrust for certain characters or
affection for others, all the while trying to balance the need to
explore with the craving to find out what happens next in the story.
And
this is no small game either, running into the tens of hours' worth
of gameplay, with average times coming in at around thirty hours.
There is such rich detail and immersion here that you will struggle
to part with the controller (or mouse and keyboard) even after long
sessions. There are so many moments when the end seems near as well,
only to find yet another plot twist or mission that needs completing.
In many games this extra time can merely be crammed with filler
content but not here, as even the most minor twists can result in
massive implications down the line for those who pay attention.
This
all sounds like Human Revolution has no flaws, but that simply is not
true. The AI can be a bit glitchy at times, with guards sometimes
seeing you without being in their line of sight, and the boss battles
can feel a little out of place, though they are usually fun and
challenging. However, if you have set up for a stealthy approach, you
can often be left fuming when you must face down a boss character
head-on – but stealth rules still apply, as the boss AI will still
lose you if you slip away undetected.
All
in all, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a stellar example of blending
first-person action with role-playing, infusing it with
thought-provoking storytelling and a soundtrack that is dripping with
atmosphere at all times, and absolutely jaw-droppingly beautiful when
it hits its best. Even the biggest titles on the horizon this holiday
are going to struggle to match this level of quality throughout.
Eidos
Montreal hasn't just eclipsed the original game with Human
Revolution, they have probably given us 2011's Game of the Year.
10
