Having played through the game twice now, it has proved itself to be a title worthy of the Deus Ex name. From the story threads, the great soundtrack, the variety in approaches to objectives and exploration, to the refinement of the combat when compared to the first one, DX:HR has succeeded in being a successful, and more importantly, a thoroughly enjoyable cyberpunk RPG that has, in my eyes, stood the test of time and cemented its place in the annals of gaming history. The two most important things that I think made DX:HR a good DX game are the fact that they nailed both the atmosphere and the freedom of choice that defined the original game. The soundtrack composed by Michael McCann, the amazing architecture and interior design being displayed in places like Adam's apartment and Hengsha as well as the sidequests in the major hubs all serve to immerse you in the world. The game has a ton to offer when it comes to style and I love all the different ways the designers managed to express themselves and their vision of the 'near-future' aesthetic. All the ways you can approach mission objectives give the player a way to choose what kind of Adam Jensen they want to be, whether that be a blood-thirsty augmented cyberninja who cuts with his blades, blows people up with rockets and typhoon explosives and goes through walls, or a stealthy professional who avoids unnecessary conflict and achieves his goals by finding alternatives routes and shuffling through vents for half the game. The player is given many choices, some easy and inconsequential, some that are morally or mechanically difficult and have a lasting impact on your playthrough. The Director's Cut bonuses are also great, I'm looking forward to trying out the commentary and the new game plus. As far as I am concerned, this game is a must-play for anyone into Deus Ex, the cyberpunk genre or the immersive sim genre of games.
