The Therapist Gamer

I'm a huge fan of Deus Ex: Human Revolution and was really looking forward to the sequel.  Because of this, it's hard for me to be fair to Mankind Divided.  On the whole, I think Mankind Divided is much better than the average game and the story is better than most, but it simply isn't as good as it's predecessor.  

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The highlight of almost all games is the gameplay, and Mankind Divided delivers the goods just as the other Deus Ex games have.  It's a first person RPG, but it's also third person at times.  It sounds a bit strange but the game designers have got it worked out perfectly - it's first person except for when you're in cover, and the two perspectives move seamlessly between each other.  Though you can play any way you'd like, the game gives you benefits if you play stealthily and even more benefits if you avoid killing people; it's a lot like Metal Gear Solid in this regard.  Calling the game "open world" isn't true because the gameplay area isn't as big as games like Grand Theft Auto, but you do play in a large area with lots to explore.  "Open world" games used to be called "sandbox" games, and this is a much better term for Deus Ex - there are hidden panels to discover behind refrigerators, sewer grates to sneak into, computers to hack, etc., and it feels like there are things to discover all around the city.

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You can upgrade your abilities in many different ways and the environment is generally suited to accommodate multiple play styles.  For example, if you can't get into an apartment you may need to hack the security panel - however, you could also use your leg augmentation to jump up high and get in through a vent, or go into the apartment next door and use your arm augmentation to punch a hole in the wall.  I was continually impressed by how many different ways there were to solve problems.  I imagine it was a difficult balance for the gameplay designers - they don't want to keep players from areas just because they picked the wrong upgrade, but they don't want to cheapen the upgrades if they all ultimately achieve the same tasks; however, I think that it all works brilliantly and other developers should be taking notes.  

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Deus Ex: Mankind Divided takes place a couple of years after Human Revolution.  The main themes in the story are similar - hypercapitalism vs. anti-corporate-ism, discrimination, the militarization of police, exploitation, the war economy, etc.  These themes really resonate with me and that probably has something to do with why I like the story and themes of Deus Ex, but the story in-and-of itself is engaging.  The writers also approach the themes in a reasonable way - they aren't too extreme in their presentation and they present various strengths and weaknesses with the positions, but I would say it's obvious where they stand.

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Unfortunately the story felt really cut short.  I honestly thought I'd reached the halfway point of the game when suddenly the credits started.  It took a moment for it to hit me that the game really was over.  It felt like the end of an episodic game (like The Walking Dead) but without the assurance that I could jump into the next chapter right away.  I'm not sure what the developers were thinking.  Perhaps they are so supremely confident in a sequel, and that everybody would play this game, that they thought they could end the game in the midst of the story.  Perhaps the publisher told them to save some for later.  I don't know.  There's a bizarre micro-transaction feature in the game (that doesn't impact things whatsoever - don't spend a penny), which makes me think that the talented game developers probably wanted to do more with the game, but were stopped by the people that run the money-making side of things.  Whatever the case, I think it's a major blight on the game that it's over far too soon.

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Perhaps I'm just too greedy for good games.  Deus Ex: Mankind Divided has some great gameplay, detailed exploration that rewards curiosity, and thoughtful themes.  It's just a shame that there isn't more of it.