Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided mixes stealth, action, hacking, impressive visuals and a great script in just one beautiful game. It will be remembered as one of the best and more complex videogames of the current generation.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is an amazing game and a worthy fourth entry in arguably the best videogame series of all time. It took me 30 hours to finish it and I loved all of it. While Deus Ex fans might be a little disappointed that there’s only one city hub, concentrating on Prague has allowed Eidos Montreal to create one of the most detailed, believable, and well designed locations in videogames, one that rewards exploration every time.

Another wonderful feature of the Tobii tech is the ability to look around and move the camera in any direction to reveal more of the screen. I know, I know, that sounds like a simple thing, but it does provide a bit more visual girth to the already big world. I’m the type of gamer that doesn’t like to feel claustrophobic when it comes to visuals. I like seeing a big bulky world around me, so this option is good and it doesn’t get in the way of things.

Human Revolution was great, Mankind Divided is even better. The game mechanics are more polished, the script is engaging and the world of Deux Ex is expertly crafted. A strong contender for Game of the Year. [Sept 2016]

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is an excellent game. There are few cyberpunk RPGs available, and none that offer such freeform stealth, and because of that it almost always feels novel. Though the game did suffer some issues with stuttering over time and the rare, brief audio drop out in dialogue, those issues couldn’t hold a candle to the sublime experience of immersing myself into that world. With numerous ways to complete every mission and two rich and satisfying secondary modes, it’s a game that begs to be returned to. In fact, I’ll do just that.

Its impeccably designed environments are flush with possibility, remaining completely coherent while supporting a wide variety of routes and character builds, and Jensen’s prodigious new feats of techno-wizardry make add new dimension to both combat and exploration. Mankind Divided never stopped challenging me or rewarding my curiosity, which pushed me to thoroughly explore its beautiful, ruined world while carefully weighing my decisions along the way.

Mankind Divided rewards exploration and respects your choices throughout its hefty campaign. The city of Prague is absolutely amazing with great details and visuals. The gameplay is also exactly what you expect from a Deus Ex game.

This confident refinement of Human Revolution's potent, though flawed, proof of concept, has resulted in one of the most elaborate videogame sandboxes in which we've ever had the pleasure of getting lost. [Oct 2016, p.104]

Even though Mankind Divided's story doesn't quite reach the same heights as its predecessor, the overall package is still an undeniably strong follow-up to one of the best cyberpunk RPGs of the past decade.

Graphics gripes aside, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is more than the sum of its parts. There are a few issues that make it far from flawless, but it’s still a remarkable game that should be in the collection of every gamer.

I know we’re only eight months in but Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is certainly a strong contender for game of the year. For those who enjoyed Deus Ex: Human Revolution this is the same but sharper, more focused, and gorgeous to look at. Surprises may be few and far between, but few can craft a world as comprehensively believable as this one.

I’ve always loved the franchise and although micro transactions, pre-order content and extra story related DLC mildly annoy me, sadly I can do nothing to stop its endless press on the gaming world.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided improves upon its predecessor in nearly every way and delivers an incredibly tense and entertaining action role-playing game.

A far more colorful game than Human Revolution, even though the futuristic version of Europe is quite different from the dystopian depiction of Detroit anno 2027.

If you liked Human Revolution, you will no doubt enjoy Mankind Divided. The studio took a well-built base and made a very solid game around it with more or less the same virtues. However, we expect the studio to take more risks in future entries.

Mankind Divided is full of great moments, from the lengthy journey across The Throat of Golem City, to the simple pleasure of crouching in a Prague bank, wondering how next to proceed.

A beautiful, smartly designed game set in a gorgeous futuristic city, but with a story that doesn’t quite do it justice.

A beautiful, smartly designed game set in a gorgeous futuristic city, but with a story that doesn’t quite do it justice.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided isn't a revolutionary experience, but it is a high-quality one in just about every way. If you're a fan of the genre or the series you'll love it, and it's worth a look even for those new to this kind of game (though prepare to wade through hip-deep lore as you go).

It won’t be remembered for its technical accomplishments, but the new installment in the Deus Ex series is a game full of attention to the detail and love for the players. The sophisticated cyberpunk atmospheres of the locations around the world offer the player the possibility to experiment with various gameplay approaches, which is always a good thing. The new Breach mode is fun but slightly flawed, and it probably won’t be your favourite.

An elegant action game with some fantastic abilities, let down by a lacklustre narrative. [Oct 2006, p.72]

As far as gameplay is concerned, this is the best Deus Ex since the first one, with great action and great roleplay - but its greatest weakness is the story, of all things.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided manages to be the most well-rounded Deus Ex game ever – at least regarding the gameplay. With the new engine and various improvements on elements like the cover-system, overall controls and weapons, Eidos Montreal really outdid themselves in order to create an immensely enjoyable gaming-experience. I was especially fascinated by the intricate level-design that was still able to surprise me even after spending a considerable time with the game. Though the one big flaw of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is the story, which severely disappointed me. Choices throughout the game do not really matter, and the bulk of the actual plot only gets teased, with it being further elaborated on in a future sequel. If Eidos Montreal and Publisher Square Enix had just focused on perfecting this game instead of already planning future installments, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided could’ve truly been a susalt anperb game.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided has a firm grasp on what made the original title so iconic- providing some of the best variety in how a player could approach every objective and making each of them feel just as fun and satisfying as the other. If not for the rather lackluster cast of characters and a story that ends abruptly, it could have been a new classic.

With all its little problems like logic holes, AI mistakes etc. it would be all too easy to dismiss Mankind Divided as a good, yet unpolished project. But that wouldn’t do justice to the core. Dugas and DeMarle created an interactive novel, in which game and storytelling are combined in a mature way. A captivating cyberpunk thriller.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is one of the best games of 2016, featuring an astonishing artistic design, a detailed universe and marvelous gameplay mechanics. However, its plot could have been more intense and less conservative.

The new augments combined with better level design makes exploration more satisfying, and the little upgrades to hacking make that whole system more tense. While it’s over a little too soon, if you enjoyed Human Revolution, there is a lot to like here.

The game mechanics all work remarkably well, from hacking (despite it being a little repetitive after going through the same process dozens of times) to the cover system, to the various forms of combat, resulting in a game that has a poignant narrative whilst still being enjoyable to play.

You can’t escape the feeling that story-wise Mankind Divided is just one big filler. It’s well-made, it has great ambient atmosphere, the gameplay is fun – but its events do not alter the status quo of Deus Ex’s world. [Issue#211, p.50]

There is almost nothing you can complain about regarding the Mankind Divided gameplay. To achieve a greater score new Deus Ex lacks a better story and the possibility to "turn off" Czech language. [Issue#267]

I was pleased with Mankind Divided. I had to play it in long, intense sessions to meet the deadline and I wasn’t tired of it even for a minute. The new Deus Ex is not a breakthrough in any respect, but all the great qualities of the previous game are here and they still work great. [10/2016, p.34]

Despite some flaws and stability issues, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is an engrossing RPG rich in atmosphere. [Issue#255, p.53]

A great game with a good atmosphere, amazing graphics and excellent level design that rewards you for choosing the silent approach option with long hours of fun stealth gameplay. However somewhat empty plot and mediocre fights with bad AI lower the final score… and there are also a number of technical issues and flaws, which are thankfully being worked on.

While not a triumph, Mankind Divided is an extremely enjoyable cyberpunk adventure with enough content and gameplay options to keep fans of the franchise happy. The main story lacks impact and drops off completely at the end, but the missions are almost universally fantastic, allowing you to flex your cybernetically-enhanced muscles in a multitude of ways.

Gameplay is what truly makes Mankind Divided shine, and here, any problems with the racial story is made up by having a complex and immersive world with level design purposely built around the idea of Deus Ex‘s choice gameplay.

When Mankind Divided's gameplay comes together it's an incredible experience. Excellent level design, diverse character skills and generally very tight gameplay design combine to make for a thrilling experience that takes place in a fantastically built world. The core story told within that world this time feels like a weaker one and ends even more weakly still, but that can't drag how impressive Mankind Divided feels to actually play.

While it can't live up to its predecessor's success, Mankind Divided still manages to be a great cyber-punk experience. Micro transactions and graphical optimization are a little absurd but still, give it a go if you want to continue Adam Jensen's story.

Great expectations for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided made it look a bit worse than Human Revolution (even though the new DX is a really good game). The good things: improvements in gameplay mechanics, freedom of choice and great atmosphere are outweighed by a really mediocre storyline that casts a shadow on an overall great achievement.

Again, Eidos Montreal succeeds in delivering a great Deus Ex experience. Mankind Divided is not a revolution in the franchise, and it really feels like a Human Revolution upgrade, but it manages to offer another great mix of RPG, FPS and stealth with some huge environments and a lot of things to discover and try before reaching its end. And with the Breach Mode for leaderboards addicts, the whole package is definitely worth a try, even if some elements like A.I. may have been more polished.

Adam Jensen returns in an all-new adventure, proving that Human Revolution wasn't a fluke. Eidos Montreal has outdone itself with the same great stealth experience, improved combat, and some gorgeous art direction. There's a whole host of augments and weapons, allowing you to customize your experience and certain moral choices you make will stick with you. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided does not disappoint.

Mankind Divided trades some global breadth for localised depth, setting the majority of its free-approach missions in Prague. The narrative feels closer to home too, thrusting Jensen in with the oppressed augmented masses. It’s a strong sequel, reinforcing the mechanics of player agency and unique world design Deus Ex is famous for, but unresolved plot points do disappoint.

Video game narratives can be great, but nothing will surpass the stories we create in collaboration with a game – emergent, unscripted moments that pop up unplanned and create lasting impressions, and that’s where Mankind Divided excels.

A polished continuation of an intriguing narrative, Mankind Divided is a familiar, yet enjoyable thirty hours of tech noir.

Adam Jensen's return is largely successful, even if the conspiracy surrounding him could've been a little more engaging.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided doesn't succeed in making me care about the plight of humans and augs, but it still pulled me into its compelling cloak-and-dagger world where people in capes can turn invisible and shoot balls of lightning out of their arm.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided refines and reinforces the defining foundations of the series. It creates challenging situations and gives players the tools and flexibility to deal with them in a multitude of ways, all within an absorbing cyberpunk world. Although not a significant departure from Human Revolution, Mankind Divided is still a uniquely fulfilling experience, one which feels rare in games today.

Flawed and outclassed, but still keeping the compelling elements that define the Deus Ex experience, Mankind Divided is a competent but lackluster effort that is outshined by its predecessor, by the original and by current competitors.

Despite the "Can't stop the progress" tagline, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is pretty much a rehash of the previous game.

Beyond Mankind Divided‘s fumbled sociopolitical themes, the plot’s just dull and too small in scale.

The incredible proliferation of options when it comes to routing your way through some of the larger environments is a clear standout.

Unfortunately Deus Ex: Mankind Divided falls apart at the end, and I don’t mean this in a “The ending is bad,” sort of way. It literally doesn’t have an ending, in the traditional sense.

A handsome, thoughtful blend of shooting and stealth that delights with its choice-driven play. Though it can feel painfully rushed at times, which is a shame.

Aside from a few crashes at startup with the PC version, Mankind Divided is very much an enjoyable role-playing experience. The game’s characters aren’t all that memorable, and chances are, you won’t even remember their names after you’re done with your journey, but hey, at least playing around with the augmentations is cool.

Eidos Montreal’s near-future thriller presents a visually impressive dystopian playground, but a wonky narrative and some shoddy touches tarnish its potential.