Console: PC
Date Released: 23 Aug 2011
Date Reviewed: 06 Feb 2012
Reviewer: Justin
Pros * Freedom of Playstyle * Novelistic Storyline * Environmental Immersion Cons * Sporadically Weak AI * Awkward Voiceover Re-Use * Introduction of late early-game DLC (we’ll explain)
It’s a rare occurrence to be purely happy with a game these days, especially as a PC gamer. Most forms of interactive entertainment seem to be tailored toward the console market, and let’s face it – that’s an absolute truth in nearly all cases. Oddly enough, Deus Ex: Human Revolution broke through this console tailored barrier and has managed to tear through the lonely hearts of many disillusioned gamers.
Regardless if you’re a fan of the original, or playing a video game for the first time, Human Revolution will provide you with a euphoric experience to remember.
Presentation : A
Graphics / Animation / Sound
There’s a point in time where a gamer knows that they’ve lost a war with reality, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution definitely tips one into a graphics-induced madness. The environments in Human Revolution are as vibrant and lush as they are large, bringing a gold sheen to nearly every setting in-game. The soundtrack used to back the environments completely immerses the player, allowing for endless hours of time to be lost by staring at computer desks in a police station that you have no right being in.
The re-use of voiceovers does get annoying from time to time – but we’ll overlook that due to the fact that only a crazed person (or a reviewer) would care to converse with every NPC enough to be disheartened by such a thing.
Although there is the odd graphic faux pas, such as character clipping and stiff speech animations, Human Revolution does well at keeping your mind off of them – slamming out a beautiful audible and visual experience. To no surprise, it’s presentation like this that makes gamers wonder why reality seems to run on an iOS engine in comparison.
Single Player : B
Game mechanics / Length / difficulty
Keeping in tune with the original Deus Ex, Human Revolution kicks out a storyline to die for – although we recommend that you play through at least twice before you do anything rash. Human Revolution gives gamers the ability to play how they want, whether as a door-kicking gunslinger or a peace-wielding war protester. The options of creating a character tailored to your game play style are limited, but they seem to be in perfect balance so long as you have a brain enough to think ahead. Inclusive to creation mechanics, the AI that your super-soldier goes up against do often seem weakly programmed, but it’s by no means a game-breaking occurrence.
The length of the story depends entirely on your choices as a player, giving you the ability to prolong your experience by doing side-quests until you drain your own life essence, or brutalizing your way through the main storyline like a madman. The option of choosing the length of a game yourself seems to be a common occurrence in games developed as of late, but it’s certainly a welcome one.
Difficulty – oh, the difficulty. This is a fairly short point, but it’s one that pretty well needs it’s own paragraph. Let’s state this now – there is no difficulty to this game, especially on the second play-through. Although this game has a beautiful presentation, so long as you’re smarter than a fifth grader, the difficulty just isn’t there. Not to say that the game doesn’t have certain challenges to overcome, but it certainly doesn’t provide the experience of difficulty in end-game that we’d like.
Just kidding – we lied.
The difficulty of Human Revolution doesn’t become apparent until you’ve officially screwed yourself over. Now, because this review isn’t meant to spoil your experience, we’re going to let you figure that out for yourself. Let’s just say that decisions early-game effect how much ass-kicking is on each side of the scale late-game.
From a standpoint, glitches as small as the aforementioned may be intentional in order to break your concentration and remind you that there is an outside world. Scary, we know.
Multiplayer : F
Game mechanics / features / Online features
Unless you’re a Modder, the only multiplayer that you’ll find in Deus Ex: Human Revolution is the DLC. Oh wait, that’s called multi-payer.
Alright, let’s be honest here – no game should come without multiplayer these days. Some may argue that multiplayer isn’t essential, but they’re more than likely the aforesaid fifth graders that you, the gamer, must be smarter than to even read this review.
Multiplayer – it’s a staple in the current game market. But allow us to clarify – multiplayer isn’t always about running around and killing each other in a setting that resembles a dating show gone wrong. Hell, we’d be happy with statistics multiplayer, or anything to compare how large your social virginity really is.
Replay Value : B
Lasting appeal / Bonus Content / DLC
Alright, I know what you’re thinking – how can we open up by stating that a game allows for the player to be purely happy and give the replay value a ‘B’? Well, that’s pretty simple – that statement was about the game as a single, not pertaining to the replay of it.
The lasting appeal of Deus Ex: Human Revolution is there, but it’s nothing that you will completely obsess over (see: social virginity). The ability to play the game in any style that you want will make it seem like a second play-through will be fun, which it can be if you let it. The early-game and late-game options that are found within Human Revolution are fairly game changing, but they’re nothing that a person has to completely start a game over for – so it’s all up to you.
DLC for Human Revolution is decently entertaining, but it’s certainly not worth it’s current price-point at $20 USD. Although the DLC gives you a reason to replay the game over, if a recommendation was to be made, it would certainly be to wait until the DLC’s price drops to buy and play it.
Overall, the replay value is a really touchy subject. The game makes you want to replay it, but the consequences of going blind from staring at a computer desk (see: presentation) seem heavily outweighed by searching up a YouTube video of the difference early-game and end-game events.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a piece of art worth at least one or two play-throughs. In the opinion of many, Human Revolution has stepped up as one of the best games released into the recent game market, which we couldn’t agree with more. Despite any negative points, the game is well executed, and if you haven’t already played it, it’s highly recommended. No game comes without glitches, and a gamer must always take that into consideration when playing such products.
As a final though, do be warned that like any other single player game, there is a strong chance you’ll be uninstalling it after you’ve finished; until you hit your mid-life crisis and want to relive the ‘glory days’ of gaming.
Overall : B+
