Deus Ex Human Revolution was one of my favorite games from the 7th generation, so Mankind Divided was naturally one of my most anticipated games for 2016. Although it is a big letdown in some fields, Mankind Divided still stands head and shoulders above most games in 2016. This review contains spoilers of Human Revolution, but not Mankind Divided.
The Deus Ex series' plots were never exactly stellar, but they usually succeeded in creating a coherent and believable world for the player to lose themselves in. While the events of Mankind Divided make sense given the previous game's conclusion, you never get a sense of personal motivation behind your actions. In Human Revolution, you are not only trying to find your missing girlfriend Megan Reed, but also exacting revenge upon the same terrorist group that nearly killed protagonist Adam Jensen. With Mankind Divided, Jensen doesn't really have any big incentive to do what he does, outside of that being his "job". You can kind of side with one of two groups, but that still makes you feel like someone else's puppet. Jensen is a good character but his presence in Mankind Divided feels pointless. They could've just as well made a new character due to the lack of motivation on Jensen's part. Also, the story ends abruptly and poorly. Human Revolution's "press X to choose" ending got a lot of flack, but it at least wrapped itself up in a logical way. Ultimately, the plot of Mankind Divided is a pretty big letdown and its major themes are basically just extreme retreads of its predecessor's themes.
Graphically, Mankind Divided is a bit of a mixed bag. The environments are excellent, and the juxtaposition of Prague's old European architecture with the futuristic world of Deus Ex is a very unique aesthetic that i never got sick of. The new engine allows large areas with sparse (albeit long) load times and great lighting over packed, lived-in environments. The character models, however, leave more to be desired. They look decidedly last gen with poor lip syncing and animation in place of motion capture. The framerate ran at a solid 30 on Xbox One, and while not a full 1080p, the game looks decent and provided a nice variety of environments.
Musically, Mankind Divided sounds very similar to its predecessor. While i loved Human Revolution's soundtrack, i found it a bit disappointing that Mankind Divided didn't take on a new sound to ensure an impact. Nevertheless, the music fits the world nicely and provided a nice ambiance for vent-crawling. The voice acting is solid, and although the producers deserve kudos for hiring actors authentic to the eastern European area, repeat voices were a common sight.
Gameplay is king in Deus Ex, and Mankind Divided is a massive step up from its already excellent predecessor. The new experimental augs allow a lot of new gameplay choices, and the maps are packed to the brim with optional entrances and paths. Only in Deus Ex can I remotely activate a radio to distract a guard, and then reprogram his turret to kill him from behind. One of the big features the developers were touting was a better balance between offensive and stealth gameplay. This had me fearing a potential Deus Ex: Infinite Warfare, but rest assured knowing Mankind Divided executes that goal perfectly. I played on Give Me Deus Ex with a mix of stealth and action, and both gameplay types are loads of fun. I also recommend using the "Mankind Divided" control scheme - the learning curb is steep but once you figure it out, it suits the game beautifully. In the first game, there was always an issue with running out of energy since it was only replenishable with energy bars (not kidding). Mankind Divided's solution makes sense - a more powerful Biocell drop that can be made with the new crafting feature, as well as a strict regeneration mechanic. In the first few hours of the game it seems like an issue but by the end you'll understand why the Biocells were the best choice. Also, I have to recommend trying the different sidequests, as they are among the highlights of the game for me.
Probably the most underrated feature of Mankind Divided is Breach - a stylized, arcade-style take on Deus Ex gameplay. It's super fun in short bursts, and the highly competitive score feature will make it very replayable. It was a totally unnecessary addition to an already content-rich game, but also one of its most interesting ideas.
Overrall, while Mankind Divided doesn't have the best story or the best graphics, it shines as a game where choice is king and gameplay is refined to near perfection. I am also happy to report that the game has very little technical issues despite its large scope, and in the gaming industry of 2016 that is noteworthy. I had no qualms with paying full price, and got more than my money's worth. I'm hopeful that a sequel strives for a more involved plot, and expands even more on Mankind Divided's strengths.
GF365: "Here are our picks for the eight best sci-fi RPGs. Science fiction is a great genre for any medium of entertainment. These games are the best in the genre."
The og deus ex is magical. Im also very exited about mass effect legendary edition from the gp. Its next on my playlist never played mass effect game before.
Never played ME? It's imo the greatest trilogy of all-time and perhaps the best setting outside maybe Fallout. Play it. Great DLC as well. In 2 & 3 at least. Skip Andromeda. Also, Human Revolution was great as well even if OG fans claim otherwise.
Mass effect 1 was great. I feel they dumbed down alot on the 2nd one and seemed more action like. Mass effect 1 the citadel was an explorable city. Far as I got in Mass effect 2 it was reduced to a location list no traveling through it. I disliked it alot(the citadel) part. I also feel they went more action oriented then rpg
It always makes me mad when you see something you have done in the first mass effect or dragon age can make something change in the 3rd because bioware make 6 games in what 8 years? that did this but today 0 games do this.
I wish we had trilogies today were we can share saves and have multiple endings/path's on all 3 because of choices from anyone of them.
Its so funny being the bad sheparad from one to 3 then the end having just you and joker ha ha yet everyone is like hey your a hero with a 90% casualty rate.
Fallout can't hold Mass Effect's jockstrap. The one Fallout even in the ballpark is 3, and that's only because the DLC was extremely good. When Ken Rolston was in Bethesda's employment were they good. That's about it. They're now the world's greatest copy/paste developer out there. Bioware at their pinnacle was ten times better a studio than Todd's team. Go look up the games
Mass Effect is my favorite, followed by 2 and 3. Yes, ME2 was dumbed down but also refined in terms of polish and accessibility. ME2 had an awesome story, great DLC, and a solid cast. Mordin in particular. It's a great game. Even 3 which was the weakest was still solid imo despite the ending. If u love ME how do u not enjoy all 3?
Fallout is not a better game though FO3 was great. In terms of setting though Fallout is Mt Rushmore. The 50's post apoc setting was brbrilliant. I still put ME setting n lore above but FO is up there with setting.
Right? There's a serious lack of classics on this list.
The original 2 Star Oceans. Rogue Galaxy...
Why aren't there more? A Star Trek RPG for one. Or something with non humanoid aliens?
Cause for some damn reason medieval is more popular ugghhh. I'd take some sci fi sh anyway over it. I've said time and time again I hope the elden guys are working on a sci fi type game.
Something non-post apocalypse or dystopian. Just world saving. Fighting bad guys while doing good and dealing with ethical/moral/psychological quandaries.
The reason why fantasy RPGs, and Fantasy as a genre, are more popular than Sci-Fi, is because of the low technology/high magic tropes. If all of your problems can be solved with looking up the answer on a smartphone, well, there's just lower stakes than if a character has to have a sword fight, and climb the tower, and rescue the fair princess and recite the ancient incantation to seal the evil.
Obviously you can have universe ending stakes in Sci-Fi, but that requires abstract reasoning, and an ability to RP in a way that is progressive instead of regressive. Couple that with Sci-Fi games and media generally being faster paced, and you've got a genre that attracts a very specific demographic of gamers.
or go crazy and make a starship troopers rpg can you survive the bug fight?
The animated show was great showed what someone can do with the lore.
A Starship Troopers game as a real time strategy like the command and conquer series would be awesome.
@fist
We have that today but its a small team with a smal budget
https://www.youtube.com/wat...
Its not a major rts sadly but a start
I really hope Naughty Dog is doing a Sci-Fi game. As a lover all most things RPG I would love to see Naughty Dog quality in an RPG.
They could do some really great stuff with sci-fi. The sense of grand adventure of Uncharted, but also with the stealth and crafting of The Last of Us. Different planets, creative alien races, collecting junk to craft repairs and upgrades for your ship and weapons, etc.
He'll yea , hope we here something about that if they are. I'm not to worried about factions at all
TLOU2 is the finest game ND has made. U4 was fantastic. New ND is a more impressive ND. I don't rate Crash n Jak like i do Uncharted and TLOU. Even Uncharted 1 and 3 were not as well crafted as TLOU, TLOU2, U4 imo. Idc if ppl troll TLOU2, most ppl are clueless, that game was incredibly impressive.
TLOU2 combat, visuals, and acting were the best of the genre. I found the story deeper and more profound than most but it's subjective. The level design was excellent also. The score. Audio. Animation. It was a masterpiece to me. The rope physics, detail. TLOU2 deserved Elden Ring scores and ER deserved TLOU2 scores. If any game deserved 97 in recent years it's TLOU2. Best game i ever played and if ppl come with Abby bs i already know it's not worth it. Those who call TLOU2 trash are foolish. Just look at it running...
Mary DeMarle led narrative on modern Deus Ex games and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Hopefully it's for lead writer on Mass effect. But that would mean it's way off.
Regardless...i mostly loved Guardians for the story so it's a good get from Bioware.
I wonder if Embracer group is slimming down Crystal Dynamics...
Well Bioware has fallen so far off, its finally good to see them getting some talent where they need it most. First order of business: FIX MASS EFFECT story....immediately
For such an acclaimed series, it's kind of crazy how few Deus Ex games there are. Let's get some more.
