Deus Ex: Human Revolution‘s first trailer set the stage that not many have been able to grasp. It showed this weird visualization of a male being grafted with feathered wings, which somehow seemed to be happening in a time long-forgotten. It was a powerful enough statement; this was potentially a game about the aspirations and arrogance of mankind. Within moments of Human Revolution’s opening dialogue, you discover just how appropriate that scene from the debut trailer actually is.

Set in the year 2027, players take control of Adam Jensen, an ex-S.W.A.T. member and the head of security for Sarif Industries, a big time corporation that specializes in Augmentations. These Augmentations range from artificial limbs to neural implants that can help a person fly a plane better. With Augmentations, scientists believe they can fully tap into mankind’s true potential.

This is how Adam’s one-time love Megan Reed is brought into the picture. It seems she has discovered a way to open up potential in human DNA that could change the world. Of course, things go completely wrong, as Adam is forced to watch an attack on his colleagues. To top it all off, he is injured so intensely he must undergo body augmentation himself.

The nature of Jensen’s story depends entirely on player choice. Do you play as a ruthless bastard, killing anyone who stands in their way? Are you a stealth specialist, killing only those who need to be killed? Which side quests do you take? What decisions do you make at key plot points? The Deus Ex: Human Revolution story can be very different depending on the actions of the individual player.  In this way, and many others, Human Revolution doesn’t revolutionise the mechanics of the original, but merely brings them – almost perfectly – into the modern age.

The setting of the game, Detroit, coupled with the augmentation of the main character, will have many players drawing parallels to Robocop. (There’s even a part in the game where there is direct references to  the movie.) However, similarities between the movie and game splinter after the forced augmentation bit, as we’re forced to question the mentality of big corporations wanting to play God—for a price. There are also some Blade Runner elements thrown in for good measure. Unapologetically, Deus Ex: Human Revolution embraces the pop culture of the sci-fi adventure and runs with it.

There is clearly a lot of work gone into this game and if you take the time to explore it fully you will see notice more, take an extra few minutes to listen to the NPC’s in the street and buildings and you’ll discover new ways to enter buildings, where to find items, developments in the plot, or maybe just information about their lives. There are ebooks about the world you are in and additional information to be found and read throughout the game and then the computers you can hack to gain more info and bonuses. You don’t need to hack to gain more XP though, just entering certain buildings and vents will give you this.

Whether you are a fan of stealth type games or not you will surely enjoy this game, the story is very gripping and it even has its own clothes line, check them out here. The gameplay just seems to never end. This is because you can play the game however you want. You could kill anyone you come across, or you could look upon Deus Ex: Human Revolution as a stealth game. The truth is, regardless of how you choose to play Human Revolution, it plays brilliantly. No matter how you play, cover is of the upmost importance, and whether using it to sneak by guards, or as something to hide behind in a gunfight, the mechanic works excellently. Simply hold the cover button in place and Jenson will hug walls, crates or anything else nearby in the environment to provide cover.  Coincidentally, cover is essential for Jensen to use, given his relatively low health and minimalist damage resistance; sure, a single, face-to-face fire fight with a single enemy can kill you. Perhaps it’s because of this that health regeneration has been added to the game. It’s a feature that was almost unheard of when Deus Ex was released in 2000, yet has become a staple of FPS in recent years. While it takes a little something away from the challenge of the game, it’s understandable why the developers chose to implement this relatively modern feature.

In closing.

It’s the story of Deus Ex: Human Revolutionthat’ll keep players returning to the game for multiple playthroughs. It’s a story with so many twists and turns – all of which change depending on decisions made by the player throughout the game. What side missions do you take? Indeed, which way do you play missions? All guns blazing or stealthily? As with life, the choices you make effect your own experience, and this is a credit to both the game and its creators. Each of these play a part in a plot that branches out in numerous ways and offers multiple endings which perfectionists (or achievement hunters) will be eager to see.

After all the years of waiting, Deus Ex: Human Revolution doesn’t disappoint. Much like its predecessor, the original Deus Ex, it combines RPG, shooter and adventure elements perfectly, and this time adds proper stealth gameplay too. While it may not be the revolutionary experience Deus Ex was, Human Revolution still offers an excellent gameplay experience. The way it plays is entirely up to you, and with a plot that twists and turns throughout, in a world that isn’t too different to ours, it’s something you’ll want to just keep playing.

Be sure to check out the Marketplace aswell for some more wonderful Deus Ex Human Revolution extras. See them here.

Score.
It gets an 8/10 – GO BUY IT! Click here to head to the GhostStorm Store and get it at the best price.