Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

I don't understand the flurry of hatred against the game. Yes, MD is generally weaker than Human Revolution. Yes, it is not complete in its plot. Yes, the game is short enough. Bad DLC. But. Great gameplay is offered to you. Great graphics. Memorable characters and the development of the artistic universe. Great art design. Good optimization. I completed the game without a single crash or glitch. This game deserves a 4 out of 5.

Mankind Divided is a good entry in the Deus Ex series. Levels are interesting, and the plot is decent. Sadly, the ending comes incredibly abruptly, it feels like a whole chapter is missing, not unlike MGSV. Now the port... is one of the worst I've played. DX12 doesn't even function, and if you're playing the game on a CPU with more than 4 cores, you have to disable the extra cores, otherwise it crashes on loading screens. The game also crashes seemingly randomly fairly frequently. If you've played Human Revolution, but not the original, play the original before this - you'll have a much better time.

A lot is written about how this game suffered from published interference and that is just the first half of a supposed whole. Knowing all of that, and that probably we won't ever get a direct sequence, how good is to play the game today? Great, I would say. Some may be turned off by the limited scope of the game world and plot, but for me it worked quite well. It plays almost as a sandbox, with a very detailed Prague as scenary. Yes, the main story is rather short, as it was my first playthrough, following it more closely. However, if you play as my second one, taking your time to investigate every nook and crane, hacking and reading every e-mail and reading every book, you'll have a very respectable 60+ hours of gaming. Gameplay flows way better than Human Revolution, and every style is truly a satisfactory choice. However, stealth still is the most enticing. Simply because going Rambo makes the game too easy after a while. Whole tense stealth sequences can be "solved" by taking down a few enemies, and rarely you'll be fighting againts overwhelming odds. However, is also nice to clear an area and then explore it entirely, Both experiences are rewarding and give you very distinct games to play, which is one of the cornerstones of immersive sims in general. However, there are some immersion-breaking quirks, like being able to steal everything from a room/apartment in front of the owners without question, or murdering a whole institution and then speak politely to the receptiotinst. For one side it's interesting that the game doesn't punish you for choosing a given playstyle. For other, you get almost no significant consequences for it, and playing as respectful non-lethal stealth Adam is basically the same as kleptomaniac psychopat mass-murdeder Adam. If you can get in on a sale, grab the full version. System Rift is more-of-the-same, but A Criminal Past gives you some new spins. If you suffer with crashes, look around the net for possible solutions, they work.

The problems that many complain about, are based on a simple option called AA. Which is supremely aggressive with any graphics card that does not exceed the characteristics of a 2080.I have an rtx 2060 and I can say that my game is in ultra (without AA), and it runs between 90 and 130 fps depending on the scene. The audio, is majestic. from the music, which accompanies each mission, whether you are discovered, or while you are stealthy and sneak into any building. Hacks and pirates of software, pc's and doors. Super immersive. The sound of the weapons and the effects are very well recreated. The graphic section is not left behind. It's amazing, the dynamic lights, shadows, explosions, and holographic effects. The detail in each section (offices, medical complexes, hangars, streets) How much will designers work to achieve this level? I have been playing for about 25 hours and I am entertaining with each place, doing each side mission. Because this is where this game shines at its best. Decisions in conversations are vital, to get or lose information from the NPCS. Are you aggressive? Ok go for weapons, health, and attack powers like the iCarus, or the typhoon. Do you like stealth? Well, then improve your lung capacity, energy level, peripheral vision, and char analysis Want both? No problem. Every corner is full of possibilities, to find new weapons, attachments, for your character, as well as for your weapons. Telescopic sights, lasers, silencers Advanced hacking options, building access cards, banks, safes. Read, or listen to private conversations, that will reveal new paths ... You can attack or tackle your enemies in different ways. Disabling them physically, electronically (robots, turrets, and other augs). Or with explosive weapons, mines, smoke, EMP. For me, it's the best I've played lately. I know the game is not new, but with everything it has, it far exceeds any title that has come out in the last 2 years that claims to be RPG and Cyberpunk.

Sadly outside of The Fall, this is the weakest Deus Ex game when it comes to plot and intrigue, and the only reason The Fall is worse is because while Mankind Divided never finished it’s story, The Fall didnt even get past chapter 1. However, at the same time for sheer gameplay and ability to play how you want to, this is arguably one of the best I have played in a long time, rivalling even the original game that started the franchise. And this really does leave me of two minds on how to score this game. Almost any other game I would put the gameplay first, but Deus Ex has always been deeply entrenched in it’s story and the conspiracy theories entwined through it, making it a much tougher call here. If you are a fan of the franchise, you should probably pick up and play this game, because for all it’s flaws, it’s still a very good experience within the universe, and quite possibly the last we will ever get. Just don’t get to excited about the plot because it will disappoint you in every way it can. If you get into a game to play with it like a sandbox, you will probably enjoy this game a lot more then most, because even though the game doesn't use vehicles (the world locations are actually to small), it lets you loose to do what you want, and you will have a good time going about it. But if story matters to you, stay the FUCK away from this title. This game is going nowhere good on that front.