Video games don’t always get second chances but can this new version of the thinking man’s shooter fix all the problems of the already lauded original?
The term director’s cut has no meaning when it’s applied to video games. For a start there’s very little agreement on what job titles actually mean in the games industry, and the person in charge is often not even called a director. And while we’re being pedantic it’s not as if games have ‘cuts’ either; and although they may well not turn out as originally intended it’s rarely because all the good stuff was left on the (hypothetical) cutting room floor. More importantly all the faults with Human Revolution were entirely of the ‘director’s’ making; but we are glad he’s been given a chance to repair the damage.
Originally released in 2011, Deus Ex: Human Revolution was and is an excellent game. But it did have a number of niggling flaws that marred an otherwise impressively polished game. The most obvious issue was the boss battles, which were properly awful and seemed to have been beamed in from a different game. It later transpired that this was exactly what had happened, and that Eidos Montreal had inexplicably chosen to outsource those sequences to a different developer.
This director’s cut reverses that bizarre decision and also addresses other problems, such as inconsistent artificial intelligence and sometimes low tech graphics. Because it was originally planned as a Wii U exclusive there’s also a lot of new second screen features, which suit the game very well and have been replicated on SmartGlass and the PS Vita. Plus, you get the downloadable content thrown in as well – which is not only very good but fits in perfectly with the rest of the story.
Apart from the boss battles though this is still essentially the same game underneath. Set years before either of the two original games the technology here is purposefully lower tech than before, with people acquiring robot limbs and augmentations rather than relying on quasi-magical nanomachines. Your hero is Adam Jensen, who thanks to a near fatal encounter at the beginning of the game finds himself being forced to accept augmentations to survive.
But without having made the conscious decision to use them he’s left unsure of where he stands in the increasing social divide between those who want and can afford to turn themselves into a high-tech cyborg and those that cannot or will not. The game is understandably hesitant around religious questions of playing god but surprisingly cutting in terms of politics – in particular the self-serving and lawless nature of modern (and apparently future) corporations.
The game is a little too desperate to appear serious and mature though, and Adam’s voiceover is often unintentionally funny in its attempt to sound like Clint Eastwood’s gruffer brother. But the various issues and character developments are handled in a far more consistent and elegant way than most other story-driven game.
However, the plot has never been the only, or even primary, appeal of the series. Instead, the original was one of a small number of PC-only contemporaries (including System Shock 2 and Thief: The Dark Project) that popularised the idea of an open world first person game where there was no set solution to any obstacle, just an open-ended toolbox of items and abilities with which to overcome it.
In practical terms Deus Ex is a first person shooter, although whenever you snap to cover the game switches to a third person view. This can be quite disorientating at first but it’s essential because moving around behind cover and staying undetected is almost always the easiest way out of a confrontation. You can go in all guns blazing, but even if you choose to concentrate on upgrading Adam’s physical abilities he remains realistically vulnerable to the game’s many and varied weapons.
At heart then the game is a stealth adventure, and one that’s not afraid to borrow liberally from Metal Gear et al. Realising this may come as a slight letdown at first, especially when you realise that so many of the other puzzles involve moving boxes and/or crawling down ventilator shafts. It’s true that memorable set pieces are not the game’s forte, but this seems to be the price of ensuring there are always multiple ways out of every situation.
Multiple ways as long as you have the right augmentations anyway. Although you can upgrade Adam often and easily there are never any obvious decisions. Unlocking a limited use cloaking device might sound the most fun, but is it really as useful as improved hacking skills or a pheromone-based interrogation tool?
There are no easy options in terms of dialogue, puzzles or upgrades and the fact that the game never judges or punishes you for any of them is one of its greatest achievements. Its greatest failure was always the boss battles, which usually offered no recourse but straight action – which was particularly galling if you were trying to get through the game without killing anyone. Not only that but the encounters were unfairly difficult if you hadn’t been augmenting your character’s physical skills.
Although the boss battles all still have the same lead-up and characters they now grant you the freedom to complete them however you want, whether its through violence, stealth, hacking or a combination of all three. Often this is achieved by enlarging the play area and offering up lots of tempting alternatives (a computer console here, an ammo stash there), which works very well. Anyone new to the game is unlikely to guess the boss battles are new and will be even more incredulous that they used to work any other way.
Surprisingly the second screen options also seem as if they were always there, but then Human Revolution always had a complex interface and putting the map, quick menus, and hacking game on a second screen is genuinely useful. It’s also interesting that although the Director’s Cut was originally only designed for the Wii U (t was initially supposed to be out in May) SmartGlass and the PS Vita are able to replicate almost all of its features with ease.
But not all of the Director’s Cut’s promised improvements are entirely successful. Despite talk of improving the artificial intelligence enemies still seem to have supernatural knowledge of your whereabouts, even when cloaked, and yet still suffer from the usual goldfish memory of all stealth adventures. And apart from a bit of bug removal the graphics don’t seem noticeably improved, with the facial animation remaining distractingly wooden.
Even with its original flaws Human Revolution was always an excellent game, and one that not only successfully resurrected a classic franchise but also effortlessly superseded it in terms of storytelling and accessibility. That its most serious failing has now been completely removed only enhances the game’s reputation as one of the most variously talented action games of this generation.
In Short: A usefully improved version of what was already one of the most successfully ambitious action games of the last several years, with the second screen functions proving an unexpected bonus.
Pros: Daringly adult storytelling with generally solid dialogue. Excellent controls, a huge range of options in any situation, and great attention to detail. Much improved boss battles and useful new second screen features.
Cons: A slight obsession with box moving/air vent crawling. Supposed improvements to artificial intelligence and graphics make little difference.
Score: 9/10
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