Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Eidos Montreal’s reboot of the Deus Ex universe in 2011 was one of last generation’s more ambitious efforts. Adam Jensen’s world felt alive, and while the game wasn’t perfect, it certainly captured the feel of the originals while updating for modern sensibilities.

With Mankind Divided, the studio is directly addressing the criticisms levied against the first game. Human Revolution’s boss battles were incongruous with the rest of the experience, forcing players into open combat, regardless of how they chose to play the game. These were reworked for the Director’s Cut, and the lessons learned from that feedback have been applied to Mankind Divided.

More importantly, Eidos is working to find a better balance between the different play styles. In Human Revolution, the game was weighted toward stealth, with a less than ideal combat design. 

Everything in Mankind Divided has been refined, especially the combat. A large part of what Eidos has done is to make Jensen’s augmentation skills more fluid and easily accessible while in a firefight. You’ll be able to use enhanced armor to turn into a walking tank, use arm-embedded guns, as well as firearms to take down the horde of enemies you’re sure to encounter.

If you prefer to play quietly though, there are new and improved options. You’ll still move into third-person when taking cover, but you can more precisely plot your movements to other objects in the environment. 

You’ll also have more tools at your disposal for non-lethal encounters. All of your favorite destructive augments from Human Revolution, like the Typhoon, now have options for keeping your foes alive.

One of the coolest new skills is the Icarus Dash. If you played Dishonored, chances are you made ample use of Blink to teleport short distances over gaps and to higher ledges. The dash offers similar benefits, and can be also be used to close the distance and deliver an augmented punch to a bad guy’s sternum.

Hacking is making a comeback, with an added twist this time. You’ll be able to remotely tamper with some electronics. This isn’t as effective as using a terminal, but it can buy you some breathing room.

Narratively, Mankind Divided takes a sharp turn from the golden age of transhumanism portrayed in Human Revolution. The populous is fearful following the incidents that took place two years prior. Augmented humans lost control and began attacking civilians. Following that, the world has entered into what Eidos Montreal calls a “mechanical apartheid,” with augmented people shunned and living in poverty.

This ultimately changes how Adam Jensen is perceived by those around him. His new role is as a member of an anti-terrorism task force on which he is the only one with augments. His first mission with the team touches off another conspiracy-laden adventure that blends RPG elements with stealth and combat in a way that will be individual to each player.

You’ll be able to choose your own path through Eidos Montreal’s ambitious adventure come February 23, 2016, on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. For more, check out our coverage hub from May 2015.