I can’t stand
military first-person shooters. I mean it; I CANNOT stomach the generic,
consumable garbage your average meathead will pinch pennies over to get their fix.
This statement applies to titles that fit that criterion, most notably (and
quite obviously) franchises like Call of
Duty and others like it. I don’t mean to sound overtly pessimistic and
critical, but I can’t help but sigh when an industry is overrun by the same regurgitated
bile shoved down consumers’ throats over and over and over again. However, if
we’re to be fair, FPS titles do not all fall under the same stereotype and the
genre is not the only offender. The point is, it’s a breath of fresh air to see
something not only different, but innovative, something that bleeds creativity,
heart and soul put into what we as gamers experience throughout wonderful
narratives or just honest entertainment. Deus
Ex: Human Revolution falls under this category.
A prequel to
2000’s Deus Ex and the often-dividing
sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War. Human Revolution is set in the year
2027, 25 years prior to the events of the original game, and 45 prior to Invisible War. The game begins at Sarif
Industries, both famous and infamous for the controversial science of human
augmentation, biomechanical, as the nanotechnological augmentations present in the
first game have not yet been developed. Adam Jensen, a security specialist,
while on a routine security detail, he and other employees and scientists are
attacked by a rogue team of augmented combatants, and Adam is critically
injured. David Sarif, CEO, has Adam undergo extensive augmentation in order to
save his life, and Adam is determined to uncover the truth behind the attack,
while the world around him is divided, polarized by those for, against, or
indifferent towards what Sarif Industries’ experimentation does for aspects of
human integrity and conflicting moralities.
Human Revolution is a stealth-based action RPG with
first-person view. As Adam is a man with cybernetic enhancements, various upgrades
in the form of Praxis Kits greatly affect how you progress as a player in your
exploration. Between a landing upgrade that negates any damage you may have
sustained from a high fall, to advanced hacking prowess, to the strength to
lift obstacles that would otherwise block a shortcut around a multitude of
enemies, this mechanic is one of the best takes on a traditional experience and
leveling system I have ever seen. Dialogue choices while interacting with
important characters actually have an effect on discovering certain truths
behind the big mystery, conversations with NPCs here make the ones in oh so
perfect Skyrim a joke.
A shortcoming
in gameplay, however, is actual gunfighting, which isn’t much of a step above
your average shooter, aside from some of the more creative weaponry. Combat
against large hordes is difficult and monotonous, and there is little incentive
for it, so naturally, stealth is preferable. Going back to difficulty, Human Revolution is not an easy game.
Adam, even with durability upgrades, goes down in a matter of seconds when
exposed to excessive gunfire, which attributes to the game’s sense of realism,
but can also alienate the casual gamer.
The plot,
while never quite hitting that high stakes level of intensity, does justice to
the sci-fi genre, and as an avid fan of dystopia (mentioned before, I know), I
was impressed. From an aesthetic standpoint, the game is gorgeous, and the
environments are interesting, which help the player dismiss the sometimes
robotic character animation and faulty lip-syncing (which I’m never a fan of)
regarding in-game models. Voice acting gets the job done, in spite of no
performance that particularly stands out, but the atmosphere, the narrative,
and the fantastic score by Michael McCann help keep everything especially
balanced. Deus Ex: Human Revolution,
overall, is a fantastic experience for any fan of great science fiction as well
as fans of the original game, and this review doesn’t do it nearly enough
justice. Experience it yourself. 9 out of 10.
