It has been decades since the events of the one before this, and it is a new, rebuilt(and again post-apocalyptic, gritty and bleak) world. Seattle is divided into the slums and the rich area, with clubs and the Tarsus academy, which you are a new graduate from. You are Alex D(with six potential appearances, covering both genders, hence the unisex name, and some ethnicity), a top-trained agent that is so formidable that *everyone* wants him to do something for them... and the choice is all yours(as are the distinct, long-term consequences!). From the very beginning, you're given good reason to doubt the various factions, as well as given the chance to choose between who to work for. While they will send you to the same places, their objectives soon start conflicting, and they *will*, on occasion, tell you to do things that will give you pause. "They" are the WTO, a global government and military organization accused of corruption(although there is a different group that kind of fits with that, that you don't work for), and The Order, who attempt to combine all of the faiths of the world(...so they got guts), and are offering introspection(and... there *is* a religious crowd who are as intolerant as these are claimed to be... is this having your cake and eating it, too(regardless of who you choose, you can still say "well, *this* one does it right" because you're fighting a similar type that are "evil"), or just making it more nuanced? You decide). This remains an RPG/FPS hybrid, with every location(most of them insignificant... it does get to be memorable and with proper set pieces(missions you find yourself deeply immersed in, also a rarity... where's the "taking back the statue of liberty from terrorists" that opens the one preceding this?), eh, too little, too late) having areas that you have to infiltrate to accomplish what you're sent for, and each with guards(on patrol or lookouts), cameras(and turrets that the former can activate, or that are turned on by alarms... and that you can hack and turn on their owners, even manually, aiming and pulling the trigger yourself!), and a few robots(of varying types, exceeding in number to the original, such as a bulldog-like one(that runs towards you!) with a shotgun on its back, a flying one with a gattling gun, etc. and they grow in size until they are several times the size of men, and their steps, when near you, causes the ground to shake... and they can all be gotten to your side by Scrambling(through grenades, that can bounce or explode on impact, or proximity mines, that can be set to a short timed fuse; this is true of the other kinds, as well, including Gas, Concussion, etc.), hacking a security computer(forget finding logins in this one), or potentially by using an ability(that is risky since it takes time(ten seconds or so, close to it!) and leaves you defenseless, Bot Domination, which gives you first person control, and it can't move far), and how you approach it is entirely up to you. Stealth? All-out war? An entirely third option? It's all possible. The graphics have improved, slightly... eyes remain dead(or zombie-like in their open, vacant stare... they really should have given the lead sunglasses, it helped before in covering it up), and, like the physical movements(that are also stiff and awkward), devoid of expression. Lighting can be strange, extremely bright or so dark that you can't tell if the object in front of you is something that will make noise when thrown(only way to put those down once you pick them up), or something for your positively tiny inventory(12 slots to begin, 6 of them on the belt, and hardly any chance to increase it... and everything takes up the same amount of space(whether a rocket launcher(that you can now guide the projectiles of! Awesomeness) or a soda can... something that, along with you not putting in numbers on keypads(you just "activate" them), makes this feel like a less "real" universe, and more like just an artificial interface). This is the oldest game I know of that employs clear streamlining. Multitools and lockpicks are combined, and worse, so is ammo. Run out, you're out, for *all* that use it(including the stun prod). Of course they spend it at different rates. Yes, I realize they wanted to limit how often you use the heavy arms... do what you did last time: Give less bullets for those. It's that easy. This, is just clumy and annoying. With that said, your arsenal is cool. Every one of them have an alternate function/fire(for some, it's just a scope... thankfully, that doesn't just go for the sniper, also the boltcaster, that uses a poison that knocks enemies out), such as firing flashbangs or EMP. Almost all of them are useful, and you seldom ditch your "piece" without thinking twice about it, even for a more powerful one. This brings me nicely to the biomods. They are a good example of this offering simultaneously too much, and too little, freedom. The former? Every possible use of them is available from almost the very start of this(it wastes no time tossing stuff at you that you have to deal with at first). The latter? You can't use very many of them. In Deus Ex 1(that this is such a tribute to, and continuation of, that it limits itself and shoots itself in the foot... and it is not newcomer-friendly), there are 9 possible augmentations slots, with two uses for each(that you have to decide between), so, 18 total. In this? Only 5 for the former, and with three for each, 15 to take from. The abilities are just about all left over from the 2000 outing, so... retread. They do offer great tactical opportunities(and some are fun). Plot is twisty, clever. There is bloody violence and disturbing content in this. I recommend this to those who want to see what happens after the ending of JC's adventures. 7/10
