'Deus Ex' mixes great story, gameplay to woo gamers

The mark of a great story in video games is when you're more interested in the plot, dialogue and characters than the actual gameplay itself. The mark of great storytelling in video games is when the gameplay actually enhances the experience of the story. "Deus Ex: Human Revolution," – despite a few issues here and there – not only has both of these marks but wears them proudly on its sleeve.

Set in the year 2027, the third entry in the Deus Ex series tells the story of Adam Jensen, chief of security at Sarif Industries. Being at the head of cybernetic human augmentation, Sarif Industries' controversy has earned them many enemies. Crippled by an attack on a Sarif lab, Jensen has been a cyborg for six months and must deal with the company's threats while coming to terms with the alterations made to his body that he never asked for.

The story of "Human Revolution" takes on a neo-noir feel not unlike films such as "Blade Runner" and "Minority Report." The dialogue and plot are gripping and top notch, intriguing the player to see how the story will unfold. Their compelling nature is a definite plus, as it helps to distract from the terrible character animations and voice acting. Had the writing been of lesser quality, the stiff acting and emotionless expressions of character models above the mid-jaw would have been downright laughable.

Fortunately, the drive to unfold the story is also compounded by just how much fun the game is to play. Like previous games of the series, "Deus Ex: Human Revolution" unfolds in first person as a shooter with RPG elements mixed in. The game allows the player an exhilarating freedom of choice in terms of how they wish to play the game. One can achieve the exact same goal through several, entirely different means. For example, one mission requires the player to break into a police office to steal inaccessible intelligence, as well as to get into a section of futuristic Detroit that is otherwise unreachable. Do you save time by breaking in through the front entrance and gun down everything in your path way or do you take your time with the stealthy approach, moving your way through completely undetected, saving ammo? Both methods are different yet rewarding.

Unfortunately, there are also several instances in which the game forces the player's hand. The noticeable lack of easily accessible ammo in the game can be a nuisance for anybody that wishes to play the game with a combat heavy focus. This flaw is even further exacerbated by the lack of melee weaponry in the game. Jensen can perform stealth knockouts and kills but can't freely punch or attack anything. The stealth kills also deplete an energy bar needed to maintain certain cybernetic abilities, which means that should the player ever run out of ammo and energy, the game is essentially over. The mandatory boss battles can also be frustrating, derailing an experience that was otherwise delivering on almost everything I could possibly ask for out of an RPG.

Flaws aside, "Deus Ex: Human Revolution" is simply a fun ride from start to finish. It may have its fair share of flaws and can get frustrating at several points due to a lack of options in handling certain scenarios but when it's good, it's incredible. The amazing sense of freedom and atmosphere combined with the top-notch writing make for a fantastic experience and I wholeheartedly recommend it.