QCF: Deus Ex: Human Revolution Augmented Edition

eus Ex is a series I've been hearing about all the time for something like 11 years. Since it was a PC-only thing for a very long time, it's no real wonder that I haven't exactly had the means to play these games, given that my first PC since the game came out was bought in 2007 (seriously) and I had kind of forgotten about the series by then. In 2011, Deus Ex finally made the jump to consoles from publisher Square-Enix with Deus Ex: Human Revolution. In addition to PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 owners were finally able to see what the fuss was about. Naturally, I still didn't get on board. Of course.

Maybe that was a wise decision, though, since there is now a whole new version of Human Revolution available that not only makes the graphics prettier, but also adds a ton of new elements to the game, as well as some better balancing of many of the mechanics in the game. Deus Ex: Human Revolution Augmented Edition attempts a daring double-dip for existing fans. With a heavy does of FPS and a liberal dash of RPG, it's definitely an interesting mix... but how is it if you're just getting warmed up?

In future Chicago, people use enhancements called augmentations to exceed their physical limits, like getting implants for extra strength or better vision. It's all very common place. As a result, there are very few people left with, for all intents and purposes, all of their original parts. Adam Jensen is a cop that is part of that slim minority, but when visiting an augmentation lab working on high-level implants for the military, he ends up getting super-killed – and subsequently Robocopped. When he finally regains consciousness, he comes to realize that he himself is now almost entirely augmented... and tied more than ever to the various needs of the Chicago PD.

Besides the story, which is the main draw here, the gameplay itself is one part first-person shooting, three parts RPG and two parts stealth. There are a lot of conversations to be had and all kinds of information to absorb from the many people you'll encounter along the way, which is handy for getting around in a timely manner and making sure you understand your objectives, obviously. You really have to pay attention to the stuff you've come across and heard though, or it can be easy to get lost. Aside from this, there are even some puzzle elements to the game as well, since at times, you'll have to interact with certain set pieces in order to progress, such as using a crate to reach a ladder, for instance.

You also have a limited inventory system as well, with a very Resident Evil-style system that allows you only to carry items that can fit into a specific amount of space. This makes for a more tactical game. Do you carry more curative stuff or more weapons? Do you grab the shotgun or the assault rifle? Granted, the space is much greater than that of Capcom's Survival Horror title, and it can be upgraded with the proper upgrades.

Otherwise, Deus Ex really emphasizes the Stealth aspect of the game. You could choose to kill your opposition, or you could just knock them out, which is probably the best way to go. Adam's augments require power to activate, and knocking someone out takes a lot less power to do that to kill them stealthily. Conserving your energy remains crucial since it takes a long time to recharge, unless you build up that particular augmentation. Of course, running in with guns blazing results in giving yourself away, and not only is the ammo and guns you will find very limited in terms of capacity, but the enemy opposition will almost always overrun you. It's best to keep your ammo for the boss fights, otherwise you'll need a really strong paddle for the rapids in shit creek.

The game also puts a heavy emphasis on stealth in the hacking system. Hacking can be really fun, and comes off as a pretty polished feature -- one that will be used often. Certain hacking points also require you to be a higher level to access them, so upgrading your hacking ability early leads to more places to gain experience or items faster. There are even viruses that can be used to delay certain countermeasures as you take care of business, which is a nice touch.

Experience collected allows you to use upgrades known as Praxis. Collecting experience can be as easy as completing objectives without even fighting, though neutralizing enemies also helps. Since Adam is almost entirely a machine, everything from his vision (including radar), strength, cognitive abilities, and basically everything you can think of can be upgraded to better accomplish tasks. With money, you can also buy Praxis kits from Augmentation clinics while also finding more kits along the way. It's a fairly neat way to go about level building.

The controls work fairly well in the end. It feels nothing like Call of Duty or anything, but that's not always a bad thing since, at its core, this is an RPG. The keyboard setup just confused me, though, so I ended up sticking an Xbox 360 pad in, and the controls mapped perfectly right away. You can even still use the keyboard and mouse functions when a game pad is plugged in; sometimes mouselook works a bit better when you're looking around.

The visuals also look pretty great, even with the lower settings I dropped my computer to. With all kinds of depth of field effects, great facial animation, and good lighting and texture work, I'd say the presentation isn't too bad at all. There are even really neat little details, like the Chicago Sun-Times being sold in newspaper vendors, and tiny intricate things in the clothing people wear, not to mention all kinds of nods and cameos here and there. The voice acting is also really good as well; even the NPCs speak fairly naturally.

So was it worth the wait? I would say yes. While at first it didn't really feel like my cup of tea, Deus EX: Human Revolution Augmented Edition compelled me to continue, if only to see the rest of the story. And while I have no idea what's so different about this game from its previous original-release incarnation since I never got on board with it, to get all the extras and a better visual package can't possibly be a bad thing for returning players.