The game's soundtrack starts out with a masterful theme: the triumphant descent of Icarus. This is his next step: the conversion of his nature towards its perfection. The music is a suite-like piece in which it reconciles the human (choral-classical music) and the machine (electronic music) through a phase of transhumanism's evolution. Michael McCann, the composer, portrayed the theme spot-on. He did a fanciful job of suggesting a startling theme that will be felt throughout the story. He created a sci-fi atmosphere with a philosophical spirit, revelling the need for human perfection above the limits of its being. Personally, I recommend listening to the soundtrack first before playing.

The story is set in a futuristic-themed world in the year 2027. When protests related to augmentations and biotechnology broke out around the world, Sarif Industries kept researching. Adam Jensen, the head of security, was reporting to the office when, abruptly, an attack was carried out by augmented terrorists. Adam is gravely wounded, and Megan Reed was kidnapped. A few months have elapsed, and our protagonist is also an augmented person whose implants or prosthesis saved his life. At this point, his primary quest is to find out what really happened, being a corporate spying agent, while the world is on the verge of collapse.


Even though the game has gotten older graphically (a lustrous world with a futuristic visual style with philosophical elements of the Renaissance), its story still is riveting. The game became a cult classic for its story and gameplay, and it was well worth including some refinements in this final version of the director's cut. As if it were a film in the style of Blade Runner or Metropolis, Deus Ex: Human Revolution tells us a story about human perfection through technology. Various themes are present in the plot, evolving steadily throughout the story, such as the body and the mind. However, the story is not only enriched by the philosophical themes involved, but also by the reaction of the people, which gives an intimate context to the world within the story is taking place. The world is projected to be hurled into tailspin as a result of a counter-revolution, while the discrete drama stay on to unfold and provide clues to induce the player to take an immersive as well as contextual stance.

The plot of the game is composed of multiple narrative layers (in the same way as if it were a structure comparable to human anatomy), some of which are more discreet than others. The futuristic style of the world finds a way to give off a sci-fi sophistication in part due to the juxtaposition of features of other artistic mediums such as films, literature or painting (for example, Rembrandt's painting, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp). While the drama plays out from the shadows in the style of Metal Gear Solid or Tom Clancy. It's remarkable to behold the influences that the plot draws on to creatively adapt them into a story with underlying themes that motivate us to relish and think about it.

The footage of each scene is meticulously careful, with a dramatic tone that is emphatic and other allegorical. In truth, the game is incredibly sophisticated, as if it were an organic machine. Although the 3D modelling of the characters achieves to mimic body expressions, the game realises to attract attention for their personalities are nevertheless complex. To use an analogy, the gameplay is the body and the plot (its evolution) is the soul. It's the same way with all the characters. It was achieved in a creatively multifaceted script. The script is brilliant because it uses different languages as well as highlighting a layer of personality as the plot requires. Due to its narrative complexity, I recommend playing it multiple times if you want to understand the story, its context and the topics addressed.


The game is complex, so I only post imprecise comments instead of offering in-depth analysis. Although the game doesn't say it outright, it is assumed that the plot is the soul and the gameplay is the body. The gameplay must be viewed in two ways: the world and the protagonist. (There is even duality, body-soul, in every element of the game: from the world to the protagonist).

If we concentrate our attention to just carrying out the plot, it is linear and dynamic, thus the division of chapters is not noticeable. Now, what interrupts is the world. Each place —which arranges the plot— is an open map. At the beginning, it's not feasible to fully explore because there are places with obstacles, such as lifting heavy boxes or hacking doors. Indeed, this is paramount, how to overcome limitations due to hindrance, since it will enable us to envisage alternative paths to accomplish certain missions. We'll also arrive at supply stores (resources and praxis points), since the currency of the world is the credits that we get by looting or completing missions.

Adam, on the other hand, is our ship of Theseus. At first glance, our character can die many times from accidents or from enemies. In other words, he's a flimsy character. But we can improve and upgrade him by resorting to implants, which are actually augments invested by the praxis points procured and spent. These can be obtained by completing missions or purchased at LIMB stores for a cost of credits. We can perform a mission in different ways with these new features, for example, stealth mode with hacking, combat and weapons expert or explore new areas. As I mentioned before, there are alternative routes, so depending on how we do things, we can also gain experience with which we earn praxis points (being a ghost or elite marksman, for example). According to this, we can interact with the plot in ways that define our path. It's especially evident with some characters and in the discernible development of the ending. We could say that with praxis, practice, we succeed, and we test what we get.


In itself, this is not just a first-person shooting game, it has a mixed and complex combination that adjusts, like a prosthesis, to the player's decision and way of playing. There are several weapons, supplies and tools, but you select the one that suits you best. Above all, if you're drawn to investigate, deliberating what is transpiring, its reward invites you to make your way in ways whose direct or obvious paths are not usually good options. The only bad thing for me was the excess of information and saturated context, where I took the trouble to find out the context and many times it was presented only as a bunch of irrelevant text. Lots of text to peruse but little content worth considering, except for passwords.

I wasn't blown away by the ending either because of the decisions I made. I was impressed by some side quests and their repercussions as the plot developed. So in game+ fosters me to explore and perform even better because it preserves the improvements acquired. Either way, it's a well-constructed and sophisticated game with an engrossing story. Maybe we’re unaware of any further development in the biotechnological realm, but at least we still have this film game. I recommend it if you like stories that are worth unraveling.

THE best and my favourite game of ALL time!

Atmosphere - Phenomenal. Probably the best vibe and atmosphere I've ever felt in any game ever! The futuristic and golden cyberpunk feeling along with the 2010s graphics, and the phenomenal soundtracks and ambient sounds is just so perfectly made and combined here.

Music - Icarus main theme song from the trailer is my top 3 best gaming soundtracks of all time, and I'm so sad it's only used once briefly in the last arc of the game. But beside Icarus, every single other soundtrack and ambient sound is SO good! Every sound has a perfect placement and beautiful vibe to the themes of the game.

Story - The most important and actually the best aspect of this game! The story is so fantastic I wish I could continue to experience it over and over again, and with many more sequels too. The slowly uncovering and mysterious story of the shadows that work from the dark, and the great connections between the Adam Jensen and the story of first Deus Ex is so good!

Gameplay - Along with the story, this game has the most fun and interesting gameplay I've ever experienced. It might not be for everyone, but it's a perfect style for me personally. I LOVE the stealth in this game and the cover system. But the best part of this game is that it falls into the category called "Immersive Sim" which I love the most. It has such unique feeling to it that I can't describe or explain it.

Characters and VAs - This game also has the most badass and my personal favourite main character of all time, Adam Jensen. His model and outfit is so unique and cool but along with perfect voice from Elias Toufexis, it gives him a whole different level. But beside Adam Jensen, I really love every other character and their stories and perspectives on the world of the game. Also, voice acting is top notch for every character too.


Deus Ex Human Revolution will forever stay as my favourite game of all time, and I really wish that Adam Jensen will get the ending to his story, because he deserves it so much... Such a beautiful game made with love and passion.

10/10

An ambitious, immersive, exquisite experience that excels both as an RPG and as a stealth-oriented FPS. What’s even more heartening is that it excels as high-quality science fiction too, crafting a fascinating and detailed cyberpunk world, exploring the social effects of transhumanist technologies with depth and nuance.

Much unlike the sequel, it also feels incredibly complete, never rushing with story events or environments, giving ample time to sink into every location and get to know every character. There’s even a world-altering decision to be made at the end, though, of course, the in-universe effect of that had to be eventually toned down to make any continuation possible, but it doesn’t take away from the thought-provoking nature of the journey.

The original Deus Ex game is too dated and gray for me, but this is gold. 10/10 would ask random callers about how they got this frequency again.

Not as good as the first one, but still great

Good story, 2011 gameplay and it shows. Boring boss fights

it's..so...boooorrrring!
Make.it.stop!

DO NOT RECOMMEND.

Real downgrade from original Deus Ex in every way possible.
1. Helicopter looks like a toy and Malik is ugly.
2. Story's so lame I already forgot what I'm even doing.
3. World looks disgusting. Everything looks the same and you are constantly blinded by a golden gleam in every corner of the world.
4. Most of dialogue is pointless and an active waste of time. Dialogue decisions also have no impact at all. They just lengthen or shorten the conversation, outcome is the same.
5. Antagonists look like punk rock hippy boy band.
6. Remember Alex Jacobson from Deus Ex? Smart, well dressed, hygienic, respectful and sharp cyber security expert master hacker. In HR you get the complete opposite: Professional loser and hipster Pritchard.
7. Lame is the best word to describe this garbage.

Here I am playing this game for the first time in 2024 and loving it! This just once again confirms to me cutting edge graphics and marketing hype are not what we need. Spend the development time/money on making good games with good characters! Go back to 2010 graphics for all I care!

i wish my wife didn't leave and take the kids

Good game with very good story
a stealth game rather than shooter fps

cons:
visuals are bad
very bad controls

pros:
great story
good stealth
kind of philosophical