Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Took a while to get to this and gotta say I'm pleasantly suprised. The game has issues mostly being related to the convoluted and mediocre story, the weak gunplay and uslessness of credits, but outside of that this is a really solid stealth sandbox game.

There are so many routes and options to approach missions and a great sense of accomplishment and progression when you find a hidden vent or manage to slip away just in time.

The upgrades are all really fun and feel useful and honestly beat Cyberpunk 2077's augments in almost every aspect, all though levelling can feel a little slow at times.

Honestly prefer this too the mess Cyberpunk is, and if you're looking for a more polished and focused Cyberpunk experience you honestly can't go wrong with this even with it's flaws.

I was really enjoying this game. Honestly I was. A sci-fi RPG set in a dark future, with cyborgs, adventure and guns. What's not to love right? I was having an 8/10 or higher level of fun while playing it. But then I hit about 20% og the way into the game, and realized I had been robbed. I got this game years after release, and was able to pick it up in a supermarket for the low price of £10, and I still feel totally, UTTERLY ripped off. I got to about 20% of the way into the game, to discover the credits rolling. "no" I thought to myself "there's... there's no way that's the end right? already? I mean... I only just started it? right?" I was utterly appealed at how short this game was. It's not a full release, its like an extended demo, its like A short spin-off game. I loved the world of Deus Ex, but if this is the length the games are, I'll not bother to play another again. It couldn't have been more that 8-10 hours of play, surely? For the amount of actual content, I would say this should be priced at like £4.99 brand new or something, as a short game to download on PSN. I feel stolen from that I paid so much for such a short game. I expected this to the be the end of the first act of five, not the end of the whole game. Outrageously short.

This game is awesome, from the bad ass augmented weapons your character has installed in his body to the stealth, the weapon modding, the cool inventory system, and the incredibly large lore/perfect length main storyline. you can't stop until you find out what happens next. I loved the location, the theme, the soundtrack, the characters it's really enjoyable. Perhaps not perfect but definitely worth playing and experiencing it's story.

I was a fan since the first game and the direct prequel by Eidos Montreal undoubtedly returned the series to greatness, after the flawed 2nd game. This sequel was highly anticipated by me and the somewhat flawed technical side of the last entry was fully fixed now. The console version got a notable downgrade from the gorgeous PC version, but the jump in graphical fidelity is still immense. The gameplay and character-building was further perfected here and the previously lame boss battles have been replaced by almost none at all, hm. The soundtrack and sound design remained on point too. The story though, an essential hallmark of the series, took a step down. I overall enjoined it, a side-story about a transhumanist cult was especially great, but I felt that I only scratched the surface for large parts of the narrative. The game is also a bit shorter than expected and story DLC is being sold during the month of release too, sigh. Not the smartest of moves to keep the fans going and the in-game purchases + the random multiplayer are about as pointless as they are harmless. I certainly saw worse in the last gen but i ultimately felt that I was "only" playing a standalone addon to Human Revolution, with a shiny new engine, in the end. 4 years of development are a bit much for this. Fans of the genre + stealth games and the series overall still need to get it but the next entry will need to put more meat on the plate, in terms of narrative and scope. 8,5/10

As a massive fan of "Deus Ex: Human Revolution," I waited five long years for "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided" to drop. The trailers pumped up my excitement, making me believe this sequel would surpass its predecessor. However, I approached it with a bit of skepticism after learning that the choices I made in the first game wouldn't impact the story this time around. I figured it was a necessity of moving to a new console. Unfortunately, "Mankind Divided" suffers from what many sequels do: the burden of expectation and the weight of comparison to the original.

Set primarily in Prague, the game brings back the semi-open world format, allowing players to wander the streets, tackle side quests, and dive into the main storyline. The premise picks up after the events of "Human Revolution," with enhanced individuals being treated as outcasts due to a violent incident. While that setup promises an intriguing narrative, the execution falls a bit flat, which I'll get into shortly.

When comparing side quests, "Mankind Divided" had potential, but many felt underdeveloped. In "Human Revolution," side quests felt meaningful and added depth; in "Mankind Divided," some quests left me wanting more, often lacking the atmosphere that made them compelling. It felt like a missed opportunity.

On the technical side, there's no denying that the game looks fantastic. The graphics are on point, the sound quality is excellent, and the gameplay is smooth. However, when it comes to locations, my feelings were mixed. While you can travel to various places, Prague itself feels narrow and less exciting to explore compared to the vibrant settings of the previous game. Some locations seemed linear and rushed, lacking the sense of discovery that kept me engaged before.

New skills and upgrades are one aspect that stands out. The ability to shoot projectiles from your hand is a cool addition, but I tended to rely on stealth, so I didn't use them much. That's more a reflection of my playstyle than the game's design, which is fair.

The story, unfortunately, is where "Mankind Divided" really disappointed me. It felt like it was building towards something epic, only to fizzle out at the end, leaving me confused as to why it ended so abruptly. It lacked a proper beginning, middle, and end, giving me the impression I was only halfway through. The final level was a highlight, bringing back that classic "Deus Ex" vibe, but the overall narrative left me unsatisfied.

Character development was another area that fell short. The main antagonist felt more like a sidekick than a formidable foe, and while there are new characters alongside Adam Jensen, they didn't leave a lasting impression on me.

Despite its flaws, it's a shame "Mankind Divided" didn't achieve the success I hoped for. I would have adored a continuation of the series, as the potential is still there. While the game isn't bad, it didn't live up to the high bar set by "Human Revolution." If you loved the original, it might be worth checking out for the visuals and gameplay, but be prepared for a narrative that doesn't quite hit the mark.