Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Review

Deus Ex has always been a series with choice at the heart of it. Mankind Divided is no different in that goal and provides a great and at times a masterful approach to that formula. It doesn't just give the illusion of choice, but rather showers you with options that constantly make you feel rewarded. With all these choices you feel empowered. That's the goal of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and for the most part it succeeds.

A Nation Divided

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided starts two years after the events of 2011's Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The developers added an optional 12 minute video at the start of the game detailing the events of that game to help refresh the player. I wish more games would do this as I felt it helped me feel more engaged in the story and it helped set up Mankind Divided's plot. The main protagonist continues to be Adam Jensen. For a gritty, crime ridden, sci-fi game he is pretty relatable and acts as a conduit for the player to experience the world's issues first hand. Deus Ex is cyberpunk done right. It focuses on interesting moral, ethical, and political problems in realistic ways. The ideas of people augmenting their body to become more enhanced has surprising implications and effects on the those who choose not to become cybernetic hybrids. The way in which social and political issues are displayed through TV's, radios, books, and people talking on the streets perfectly illustrate the issues at hand and give a realistic tone and quality rarely seen in video games.

The world building in Deus Ex is quite effective and believable. It adds so many little details that the environments feel real and full of life. People walk the streets, while police enforce brutality on the augmented citizens. I on occasion stopped just to take in all their was to see. To express just how detailed this world is I was walking towards a metro station to advance to a mission, but I paused to watch as a couple who seemed like tourists asked to have another person take a picture with their phone and continued to do so for about a minute. This event was completely unscripted and had nothing to do with my mission or the story, but it was such an intricate detail I couldn't help but be amazed.

Although the atmosphere and world of Mankind Divided are quite impressive, the story fares a little worse. It is not that the story is bad at all. In fact I was intrigued by it often and found it to be compelling to a point, but compared to the ambitious plot of Human Revolution the story feels as though it has less to prove making it feel underwhelming compared to the rest of the experience. That doesn't affect the side missions thankfully. The side missions are significantly more engaging than the main story. That is not a knock on the main story, but rather an expression of just how in-depth and lengthy these can be. They feel more complete and compelling than those found in Human Revolution. Although there might be less here than in that game, the ones found here are much more interesting and provide a worthwhile time investment.

A Cyborg Among Sheep

The minute to minute gameplay in Deus Ex shines through more than ever with Mankind Divided. As I mentioned at the start choice is truly the most complex and diverse it's ever been in the series. Gone are the days of mandatory stealth and skulking around corners. You are free to handle situations however you want. I spent most of the game engaging in dialogue and fighting enemies non-lethally rather than engaging in firefights. Deus Ex is quite impressive in the fact that you could play the entire game without killing a single enemy. Few games ever offer that choice and even fewer offer the chance to play a game so dynamically. Whether you want to go into a mission without being seen, or decide you'd prefer to make every enemy pay for their crimes the choice is yours. The various augmentations you have access to while playing the game is impressive as well.

Your augmented body feels as capable as a gun for taking enemies down. The ability to go invisible, shoot technologic blades out of your arms, or jump from a ledge only to have the ground shake beneath you are just a few of the upgrades you can unlock. They are free to use near the beginning to give you a taste of their power and then are taken away allowing you to decide what to unlock as time goes on. I really cannot say much negative about the gameplay. Combat and exploring the dense areas feel as tight as ever. Exploration usually reveals new routes towards your mission goal or a room full of ammo, codes for hacking into computers, and credit to spend on equipment. No matter how you want to play you can.

There really isn't much negative to say about the gameplay. Moving Adam Jensen around feels good and it plays much more loose than past Deus Ex games. The main complaint I have with the gameplay is the way you melee enemies. A minor complaint, but one I feel should be addressed. I understand that Adam Jensen is a cyborg, but if I am behind cover and a guard comes up behind me it should not deplete my augmented energy meter. The energy meter returns from Human Revolution standing as a battery for what augmentations you can use, and although it doesn't often get in the way it is decidedly strange to punch an enemy only to watch the bar drain. It doesn't make sense and requires the player to have some suspension of disbelief. For a game as realistic as Deus Ex I find it a strange inclusion. I understand the meter is to control the player and make things more strategic, but I feel there may have been a few too many restrictions for what the meter controls. Outside of that complaint everything else seems to be fairly straightforward and natural. Fighting feels fluid and less clunky. The game is really a joy to play.

Verdict:

Overall I can't help but feel impressed with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. As a sequel it builds greatly upon its predecessor in terms of gameplay, level design, world building, and dialogue. In all that though the main story and some confusing gameplay decisions bog it down a bit. Thankfully that doesn't stop it from a being a great and exciting game to play. The experience and side stories are enough to make it a strong recommendation from me. If you have any interest in exploring a densely packed sci-fi game with intriguing themes about humanity and ethicality then Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is must play title.

8/10

Written by Kelton Rice.