Review: Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a first-person Western RPG/shooter/stealth game for the Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3, and Mac. It was developed by Eidos Montreal.

Adam Jensen, figuring out how to get past a guard. His options include: sneaking past him, stabbing him, knocking him out, and shooting him.

It is the year 2027, and technology that augments human abilities has progressed so far that the line between human being and machine is starting to blur. Adam Jensen is the head of security at Sarif Industries, a company that specializes in human augmentation. One day mercenaries break into Sarif, kidnap several scientists, and almost kill Jensen, necessitating the replacement of most of his body with cybernetic enhancements. Six months later Jensen is given a lead on the origin of the mercenaries, and sets out to unravel the conspiracy behind the attack.

There are two types of levels in Human Revolution: the action levels and the two hub levels. Action levels make up most of the challenge of the game while hub levels have more story to them.

In action levels Jensen has to get past guards in an area to find something or someone. One way the player can do this is to sneak past security by taking out guards silently, climb through air vents, duck under security cameras, and hack into door locks and computers. The other way is to shoot through the guards with weapons and ammo found in the level or purchased in the hub levels, and use walls and objects for cover. Or the player can go through a level with a mix of the two.

Jensen gets experience points for completing missions (which earn a lot of points), and small things like taking out guards, hacking computers, and reading books. Earn enough points and Jensen gets a Praxis Kit, which can unlock and improve one of Jensen’s abilities. Jensen has an impressive number of abilities he can improve; there are offensive capabilities, like making Jensen tougher, or able to hold his weapon steadier; stealth capabilities, like invisibility and seeing through walls; and other abilities like improved hacking and carrying more equipment. The diversity of Jensen’s powers, and the way they are all effective to some degree makes, leveling up not a chore that has to be done, but an accomplishment that makes the game feel more open.

Going through a level stealthily is really rewarding. Controls are simple so it is easy to jump from one hiding spot to another when guards are not looking, but they will still at least investigate if they see something for a split second or hear running, so it is challenging. Levels usually have a couple of ways to get pasts guards, so players can be a bit creative when exploring, though the easier paths require Praxis upgrades. The experience points gained from doing things like going through the air vents and hacking computers adds to the reward.

Fighting guards head on though is a lot less fun. Guards can take a lot of bullets to the chest without flinching, and while Jensen is kind of tough, he is still very vulnerable to gunfire. Even after using several Praxis Kits to improve Jensen's durability he is still weak, and he does not get as much experience points from fighting as he does sneaking. It is really not fair for any player who does not want to wait around for guards to move out of the way so Jensen can move a couple of yards and just wants to kill everyone.

There are two hub levels that Jensen visits in-between action levels. These are large non-linear areas where Jensen completes missions that are more story based, that mostly involve talking to people. Jensen can also complete side-missions and buy equipment in these areas. The side missions are mostly about sneaking around and talking to people, but in much smaller areas than the main missions.

A quiet moment inside Jensen's apartment.

The hub areas are the most interesting parts of Human Revolution, story wise. The question of whether it is right for humans to improve themselves artificially is the main theme of the game, and it is most prominently displayed when Jensen is walking around, listening to people on the street talking, and watching the news. Side quests have their own little stories that add make the world seem bigger and more real, and are interesting to pursue to see they play out in the end.

The main story is a bit of mess, compared to the general atmosphere of the game. Jensen will track down lead a find out there is a complicated conspiracy behind it, then get another lead and find an even more complicated conspiracy behind that, most of which are barely interesting. Jensen’s struggle with his own humanity might have been fun to watch, but he does not have a personality beyond what actions the player chooses for him. Jensen’s friend and allies more likable though, even if they do not have much to play off of, especially Jensen’s coworker Frank Pritchard.

The game suffers in the second half, when Jensen goes to the first two hub levels again instead of somewhere new, and through several action levels in a row, which can get tiring after a while.

The game design has both good points and bad points, thanks to its commitment to the cyberpunk look. The cities are detailed, with big skyscrapers, advertisements and neon everywhere, and narrow garbage filled alleyways. However, the same dark, choked futuristic atmosphere everywhere can get dull after a while. The only places that look different are the offices Jensen breaks into, and those are offices. The whole game is shot in a yellow tint, which is neat at first, but makes everything look unpleasant after a while.

There is a lot of text to read in the game, mostly in emails, but also on loading screens and dialogue. It is written in a tiny yellow font that ispainful to read.

Despite some problems with the combat, pacing, and levels, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a very addictive and entertaining game, thanks to its detailed setting which is a joy to interact with, and the freedom the game allows the player in exploration and customizing Jensen.