Deus Ex Mankind Divided

In 2011 Deus Ex: Human Revolution returned after a long 8 years absence, and It defiantly didn't  disappoint. What HR set out to offer was a non-linear gameplay progression where you would be able to progress through the game in different play-styles, whether in stealth or all-out action shooter. The level design was one of the most compelling aspects of HR as it was also non-linear; your goal can be reached in multiple ways whether in stealth or action. 

What Deus Ex: Mankind divided dose is tightens almost ever aspect of the formula; the mechanics are used more appropriately and fitted better within the game, you will no longer need to face a boss or a level in a play-style other than what you invested in. 

The level design in HR was well crafted with multiple routes to every objective. What MD did is give even more routes with more variety; almost every objective I reached I found that I could have reached from two or three other routes, and in each route you have to use a specific ability. The only issue I had with the level design is how many conveniently placed vents are in the world.

When it came to playing the game as a shooter, while it was sound enough for me in HR, I can't but admit that it was a tad stiff. It wasn't an issue for me since I played almost the whole game in stealth. In MD my play-style was more varied, so I had moments where I cleared a level by killing every single enemy. While the shooting and mechanics for the action play-style are very well done, the game lacks in enemy variety and the terrible and easy AI.

Spite playing on the highest difficulty available from the get-go, the game was a cake walk; the stupid AI, your abilities and options give you a huge overhand in every level and over every enemy. But spite all that, the game was still enjoyable, mostly due to how the exploration is rewarding and fun.

The narrative in HR was very well done with excellent dialogue and great epic moments. In MD the main narrative tries, and tries a bit too much, to relate, or base the narrative to current world issues. The ideas were a bit hit and miss, but overall felt a bit stale. I wished it didn't go in that direction and took a more fitting cyberpunk route; a more William Gibson-esk narrative would have fit the theme more. But the where the narrative really shines is in the side missions. These tidbits help build the world and make the player realize it more. But what makes them shine even more is how different and refreshing they feel from the main narrative.

Thou there are rough edges here and there, I can safely say that I enjoined every bit of Deus Ex Mankind Divided. The game irons out most of its predecessor's creases , but still fall a couple of steps from perfection.