February 20th, 2012

Deus Ex – Human Revolution

The plot of this game sounds like this. It is the year 2027, and above 20 years before the events of the first Deus Ex game. All big corporations have grown in power and the technological advancements are outpacing mankind’s ability to comprehend their consequences. There is a strong hint of anarchy in the air, a perfect time to make acquaintances with Human Revolution’s protagonist - Adam Hensen. Now Adam has a tortured past and pretty soon into the game is destined with a tortured future thanks to a series of ill-fated events at Sarif industries, his employer who happens to be one of the many players in the science of human augmentation. This sets him on a path of discovering the perpetrators begin the attack and uncovering a conspiracy much deeper than anyone imagined.

The story is one of Human Revolution’s highlights. The tale it spins is always believable and never degenerates into caricatures, clichés or predictability. Not only does it handle a weighty subject with the eight nuance and gravitas, but it also has one of the best endings of the year. You don’t often see video games flirt with just the right amount of ambiguity, but Human Revolution does itself proud.

Because the game was in production for a very long period, it shows in its visuals. Everything looks angular, low resolution and out-dated, although the game does try to spin it into a positive by weaving the engine’s limitations into the art design. There are also substantial loading times that quickly become tiresome, especially as most missions require you to hoof it between locations. What saves the game from being a visual letdown, however, is the superlative art direction. Using an unconventional mix of cyberpunk and European renaissance era design, combined with warm color tones, the visual appeal of the game outweighs its technical blemishes. Environments are impressively detailed and filled with elements such as e-books, emails and other paraphernalia that add detail and literary depth to the universe. The characters may come with uneven voice acting, but that certainly doesn’t apply to Michael McCann’s tine.

The game involves first person exploration and combat and the traversal of hub worlds are sizable, their number may leave something to be desired. This is still a lengthy game by modern standards, but it would have been best to include two more hubs to minimize backtracking.

You can choose your approach to the situations you encounter, either sneaking through them or going in guns blazing. There is a neat cover system in effect, with the camera pulling out to third person when you snap to an object. Guns feel meaty and the game rations out ammo just right. The grid based inventory management is a wonderful little time-sink, and there is a neat little pop-up quick menu to access your weapons and consumables.

Overall, although the outdate mechanics can be frustrating, but the mature story and impeccable production values and solid game play all come together as a very interesting game. It is definitely a game that you should invest in.