deus ex human revolution review
Deus Ex: Human RevolutionSkeptical, we will have been to the end. Seven years after the disappointing Invisible War, while trying to attract an ever-widening audience, could the video game industry still offer a worthy sequel to the legendary Deus Ex? Honestly, we doubted it. The Eidos Montreal teams have however worked together for more than 4 years to meet the challenge. Now is the time for the verdict. Deus Ex: Is Human Revolution the worthy successor of its illustrious ancestor?
By taking the quintessence of Ultima Underworld, System Shock and Thief as part of a conspiratorial cyberpunk fable, Deus Ex has become at its exit the standard bearer of the subtle RPG FPS, capable of reconciling emerging gameplay and depth scriptwriting. This timeless classic ("every time you mention it, someone will reinstall it") even propelled its creator, Warren Spector, into the Hall of Fame video game. But what could be more difficult than succeeding a monument of its kind? For Invisible War, heredity was too heavy to bear, especially in the conditions of multi-support development. This suite was not disastrous, but its level design next to the plate caricatured the freedom of approach that had made the success of the first opus: "So the nags, it's right; there is a rifle assault on the table, help yourself. For the stealthy ones, it's on the left; the air duct is already open. " We are barely exaggerating ... This is what we feared to find in Human Revolution, at a time when developments have an unfortunate tendency to draw wealth and complexity down. Fortunately, it is not!
Let it be understood: Deus Ex: Human Revolution does not prohibit any borrowing from modernity. The luminous halo signaling the interactive elements of the decor, the automatic rise of energy in the middle of a fight or even the disappearance of lean thanks to a Gears of War cover system ... That's enough to make the purists tick. ! Some of these features are configurable: before starting to play, don't forget to take a look at the options to remove the yellow halo and the target indicator (disabled by default in the highest difficulty setting). But others cannot be modified: you will have to deal with the automatic regeneration of your vital energy, which will deprive you of those moments of stress when you had to approach a new sequence with poor health, as well as with the automatic transition to the 3rd person during certain game actions, which will tarnish the typical immersion of subjective representation. But it is difficult to condemn this call from the foot to the neophytes, so besides that, Eidos Montreal has applied to restore the playing experience of the original Deus Ex, to the delight of the fans.
The story takes place 25 years before the events of the first installment, at a time when cybernetics is just beginning to invade the world landscape and to generate a cleavage between the supporters and detractors of this technology. Unlike a J.C. Denton, Adam Jensen begins his adventure as a non-augmented human and symbolizes a near future which still questions the benefits of scientific and technical progress. The brutal and methodically orchestrated attack on the company in which he officiates as chief of security, Sarif Industries, takes away his ex-girlfriend but also a part of himself since, dying, he is saved by the implantation a neural interface and cybernetic members. The cyberpunk theme of Human Revolution is therefore rooted in an ethical and philosophical reflection on transhumanism. Throughout his search for the truth, which will lead him from surprise to surprise, Adam Jensen will be confronted as well with clans of manipulated punks as with overarmed militias, insurgent idealists or groups serving political interests and financial ... No doubt, we are in a Deus Ex.
Adam Jensen's investigation will lead him to successively visit three major cities: that of Detroit, which is struggling to survive the automobile and oil shock, that of Hengsha, built on two floors to accommodate the growing population, and finally that of Montreal, which will prove to be the relay of an international conspiracy. Each urban center, made up of several interconnected areas, is open to the player's desire to explore. If Adam's boss, David Sarif, will entrust him with most of his missions, it is also possible to converse with the local population to retrieve some pleasantly developed side quests. The particularity of all these objectives is that they can be achieved in several different ways. Example among many others, how will you manage to access the morgue of a police station? By trying to convince the guardian of your good intentions? By perpetrating a Schwarzy-style massacre in Terminator? Hacking the back door security code? Looking for roof or sewer access? Served by a level-design of a formidable efficiency, the freedom of action is enormous.
The frontal approach is not uninteresting. Supported by a wide range of deadly weapons (colt, shotgun, submachine gun, frag grenades, etc., all fully customizable by means of laser sights, silencers and other recoil absorbers) as well as by a cover system rather well done to water the enemy by staying hidden behind an element of the decor, the gunfights are dynamic and removed. But the stealth approach is undoubtedly more rewarding, especially because it offers multiple possibilities. Methodically sniping your opponents without bothering with ethical considerations, knock them out with one of the many non-lethal weapons (tranquilizer rifle, taser, anesthetic dart crossbow, shock wave pistol, gas mine ...) or even s '' infiltrate to the goal without being spotted, by using ventilation ducts and leaping from hiding place to hiding place to sneak under the guards and security systems: you choose! It is notably possible to complete the game without killing a single human being, except for bosses. And that is real satisfaction!
It is all the more regrettable that artificial intelligence is subject to some errors, whether you act in a subtle or nagging way. If they manage visual and audible cues such as a door that opens or a body on the ground (which you can happily move), the guards behave too fallible as soon as they are on alert. They stupidly rush towards their fallen colleague (s) instead of trying to locate the origin of the threat, which too often makes it possible to pile up the bodies in a given place. And if they have the misfortune to spot you, they then align you like rabbits with formidable precision (S.T.A.L.K.E.R. syndrome) where we would have preferred to see them using circumvention strategies. We expected better from a modern AI, even if we have to put our disappointment in perspective. First of all, that of the first Deus Ex was not flawless either, but it never stopped us from getting off. What is more, the Eidos Montreal team has the merit of not having yielded to the temptation of a succession of scripts typical of modern FPS, which would have harmed the variety of approaches available.
The great strength of Human Revolution is that it never submits a situation to a single possible resolution (even battles against bosses can be approached differently). Numerous additional routes open up, notably during the evolution of Adam, who acquires amplification points to spend among some sixty possible increases. The neural implants will allow him to easily convince his interlocutor or to hack the security systems (via a more elaborate mini-game than usual consisting in infiltrating a network without being detected), the retinal implants to see through the walls. , dermal implants to become invisible for a short time or to resist damage, bionic legs to run faster or jump over impassable obstacles and arms raised to destroy certain walls or move heavy objects, etc. Only regret: the amplification points are acquired a little quickly, so that you end up mastering several areas thoroughly, without any real obligation to specialize. But the game knows how to maintain a constant challenge until the end, you will have the opportunity to realize it.
When you are stuck (it happens!), It is often enough to explore the surroundings to find an alternative solution, not necessarily provided by the developers (this is called emerging gameplay). If you are one of those people who likes to stack crates collected at the other end of the map to reach an inaccessible place, you should be served! Relatively open, the playing areas are above all of exceptional richness and density. They are full of secret places whose discovery, although superfluous, always causes great pleasure, as was the case in the first Deus Ex. We also feel that it has greatly inspired the teams of Eidos Montreal, until in the progression with disturbing similarities: the Detroit / Hengsha / Montreal journey evokes the New-York / Hong Kong / Paris journey, especially since there are similar missions there (the pirate antenna in Detroit, the nightclub in Hengsha). We will take this as a tribute, especially with its suspense which increases crescendo, its few crucial choices having subsequent repercussions and its different possible endings, Human Revolution ostensibly approaches its model.
In terms of production, this PS3 version is particularly convincing with the exception of a slight technical concern that affects dubbing in French, sometimes decked out with an overly pronounced echo. The ergonomics of the pad controls are generally satisfactory (except perhaps during the hacking sequences, more playable on PC) and the rapid inventory, which allows you to change weapons or use a consumable on the fly, fills perfectly his office. On the visual level, the obsolete aspect of the graphics engine is fortunately compensated by a remarkable artistic direction which evokes the work of Syd Mead for Blade Runner. Jensen even has enough class to make the refractories swallow the sequences in the 3rd person, that is to say! Add to that a particularly effective futuristic score, and you should have no trouble getting into the mood. You will get out after 15 to 20 hours if you limit yourself to the main frame, and after a good thirty if you explore every corner. This completes making this Deus Ex: Human Revolution a real success, on which the author of these lines would not have bet a kopeck. Shame on me and huge congratulations to Eidos Montreal!
The notes
Graphics 17/20
Deus Ex: Human Revolution compensates its somewhat outdated graphics engine with high-level artistic direction. The result is generally pleasant to look at. Too bad the cut-scenes don't have much to do with CGI trailers from Square Japan.
Gameplay 18/20
Open game zones, a wide variety of possible approaches, scripts reduced to the minimum vital: Human Revolution offers a game experience very close to the original Deus Ex even if you have to accept some concessions (like the view to 3rd person and automatic resumption of vital energy) and just average AI.
Lifespan 17/20
Allow 15 to 20 hours of play if you do everything in a straight line, and thirty if you explore the least square inch of land. The difficulty is well balanced, but the replay potential suffers from the possibility of acquiring a large majority of increases from the first game.
Soundtrack 16/20
As soon as the main menu appears, magnificent futuristic musical themes immerse you in the incredible atmosphere of the game. The sound effects are neat, but the dubbing in French (correct, no more) suffers from a disappointing technical quality.
Scenario 17/20
The scenario seemed a little more agreed than that of the previous two episodes, but the richness of the background and the themes addressed mean that we can only get carried away by the story. Special mention to the plethora of writings that succeed in the feat of never being boring to read.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution offers a game experience much closer to the founding episode than to Invisible War, which in itself is an unexpected victory. With an intelligent story, a tremendously immersive atmosphere and a rewarding freedom of action, he stands out as the worthy representative of a genre that is becoming too rare. This third opus is certainly not without flaws; its just average AI and its few concessions to the dictates of current shooters may also annoy some. But we end up adjusting to it as the pleasure of playing is immense. Adam Jensen even has enough class to make the refractories swallow the sequences in the 3rd person. And if this appeal to the wider public can facilitate the start of construction of a suite of the same caliber, so be it!
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