Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

The Deus Ex series was rebooted in 2011 with Deus Ex: Human Revolution. This game took everything that was great about the previous iterations and updated it for modern audiences. It was a critical and commercial hit, so it was inevitable that a followup would be released.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided takes place after the world changing events of Human Revolution. In that game, augmented humans weren't treated any differently from normal humans, but now, those with cybernetic implants are seen as dangerous and are societal pariahs. This setup is used to touch on several real-world events but through the filter of science fiction.

From everything that has been seen up to this point, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided appears to be another hit in the making. Below are some reasons why you should be excited for the game.

Weapon Mods and Augmentations
Any RPG worth playing lets players modify their equipment and themselves. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is no different in this regard, and will give players a slew of new weapon mods and body augmentations meant to cater to many different play styles.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Thanks to mods and augmentations, players can choose to take a more methodical, stealthy, and non-lethal approach to mission objectives. Or, they can do the complete opposite and deck themselves out with mods that enhance strength, durability, and firepower. Since no two gamers are alike, having all of these different customization options will ensure everyone tackles the game in their own unique way.

Globe-Trotting Adventure
Mankind Divided takes place in various cities around the world. The last game featured only a small number of locales, but this latest adventure will have substantially more. We've seen the Prague and Dubai levels, but Square Enix promises more that haven't been announced yet.

Each of the cities will be far larger than any seen in previous games, so players will have more opportunities to approach missions differently. Despite their larger size, the environments will be dense and rich. Each location will have different sights that others may not have so it will be worth folks' time to explore and see what can be found within each city.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Sidequests That Matter
As is to be expected from a role-playing game, Mankind Divided contains a good number of side quests for players to complete. However, Eidos has taken care to ensure that each side mission is meaningful, varied, and adds to the world of Deus Ex. Don't expect any of the usual objectives and situations here.

Each side quest can be seen as a separate story that ties into the larger narrative. You will meet new characters and have to face tough moral choices. Players are free to choose not to partake in any side quests, but they will miss out on some excellent world building—not to mention potentially lose out on upgrades that will make their journey easier.

Breach Mode
For those of the competitive persuasion, Mankind Divided will feature a brand-new Multiplayer Mode called Breach. Here, players will enter into a virtual world where they must hack terminals for information. Like with the main game, users will be able to add augmentations to their character. Players will face opposition in the form of humanoid robots and other nasty automatons as they hack into terminals and find their way to the extraction point.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Players can upload their results to a leaderboard where they can see how they stack against others across the world. They can even place bets on how well they'll do on missions. If they win the bet, they will earn cash and extra equipment. If they lose, players will forfeit earnings and equipment.

The most interesting aspect of this arcade-like mode lies with its graphics. Eschewing the realistic visuals of the main game, Breach Mode instead offers a clean, polygonal-looking world that hearkens back to the early days of 3D animation. It's a clever stylistic choice that helps this mode stand out, not only from the core game, but from any other titles on the market.

Non-Linear Story
Though Deus Ex: Mankind Divided features a central story about human augmentation and how those with cybernetic implants are discriminated against, players are free to approach the plot as they see fit.

When speaking to non-playable characters, a player has a number of different responses they can make. Depending on what dialogue choice is made, the story could take drastically different turns. This means that everyone will each have different experiences during their playthroughs. The ending is also affected by choices made during the game.

Mankind Divided features New Game Plus. Every mod and augmentation carries over, but players will now be able to make different decisions to see how things turn out when taking an alternate course. Also of note is that different augmentations can help players see how characters will react to specific dialogue options, opening up the game to more experimentation.