10 Things You Should Know About Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Deus Ex: Human Revolution has gone gold, and should be on store shelves on August 23. With Ion Storm disbanded, Eidos Montreal has taken up the reins on this anticipated sequel. I've already played all the way through the game, and have compiled a spoiler-free list of 10 things you should know about it.

1
Pick Your Path
Holding true to Deus Ex's heritage, Human Revolution allows players to approach many objectives from stealth, combat, exploration, and conversation angles. Early in the game, protagonist Adam Jensen must get to a computer terminal on a police station's second floor. Getting into the police station is no easy task. He can try to talk his way in or can draw his guns in the lobby and clear a bloody path to his objective. Alternatively, he doesn't even have to make contact with anyone. He can find an alternate path, which could potentially lead him through the sewers or onto the police station's roof. These routes may require stealth or heavy objects to be lifted.

2
It's a Prequel
Human Revolution takes place in the year 2027 (25 years prior to the events in the first game). Adam Jensen finds himself at the center of mankind's ethical struggle over augmenting the body with mechanical implants. The world is split on the subject. The governments' control over its people and the powerful biotechnology companies is slipping. A war to determine the future of mankind is about to unfold.

3
You Are Jensen's Personality
Adam Jensen isn't the most talkative person in the world, but he is a skilled negotiator and a shrewd businessman. In most of the game's conversations, Jensen will be prompted to respond with one of three responses, each branching to a different conversation tree and outcome. If you are talking to a terrorist with hostages, your speech could lead to the death of innocents, the terrorist lowering his weapon, Jensen killing the terrorist, or even a fleet-footed chase across rooftops.

4
Shape Your Jensen
Almost every action in the game rewards Jensen with experience points. When enough are accumulated, Jensen will unlock a praxis point. These points can be used to upgrade Jensen's wares. He can unlock new abilities and upgrades in cranium, eye, torso, back, skin, arm, and leg categories. For example, the cranium category houses upgrades for social, stealth, radar, infolink, hacking: capture, hacking: analyze, hacking: fortify, and hacking: stealth.

5
Pop & Shoot Gameplay
Most enemies are skilled marksmen. They can down Jensen in a few hits, which means you had best stay in cover as much as you can. Human Revolution allows players to pop out of cover, lean around corners, and blind fire from behind cover (all from a third-person perspective). If you're feeling lucky, you can stand out in the open and look down an iron sight or spray bullets.

6
Limited Inventory Space
Jensen cannot carry everything he finds. Firearm, software, ammo, and cyber boost rationing are a big part of this experience. Larger weapons, like rocket launchers and sniper rifles, take up more space. If you want more inventory space, you'll have to exchange valuable praxis points to increase your carrying capacity.

7
Jensen Runs On Batteries
Adam Jensen didn't get the choice of keeping his body pure. He was injured in an attack and awoke with the majority of his body enhanced with the latest in biotechnology. While allowing him to cloak his body and devastate foes with a radial blast, these actions drain his energy cells. Even the simple action of stealthily choking out an enemy drains a cell. If Jensen is out of cell power, he will have to wait for it to recharge before he can engage in another one of these actions.

8
Hacking
Human Revolution features an elaborate hacking minigame, where Jensen must fortify nodes before security bots can lock down the system. Jensen will not be able to hack every computer unless he upgrades his wares to high enough levels. Computers often hold information pertaining to missions, but also reward the player with experience and extensive story material.

9
Talk to Everyone
Every character that Jensen runs across can be talked to. They may not engage in a conversation, but they will at least say something back to you. In some cases, they will ask for your help. Many side missions are found this way. Players that want to see it all should talk to everyone.

10
Not Just Detroit
The game begins in Detroit, but doesn't stay there for long. Most of the game takes place in different areas across the globe. I won't spoil what these locations are in this feature, but I can say that almost every environment brings new architecture and a different vibe. Jensen can travel back to most of them.