a90skid.com
  • Shop
  • Reviews
  • Shop
  • Reviews
0
A 90s Kid
  • Shop
  • Reviews

After finishing Mankind Divided, my strongest thought was if Invisible War was better? If I consider the games relative to the time they were released, I would have to say Mankind Divided falls at the bottom. None of the games are terrible, but I found MD the least interesting to get through. The story was weak and the presentation was very uneven. AAA games are often made by several teams, but it never feels or looks this apparent.

but….Invisible War?!

Invisible War caught a lot of shit trying to follow up the groundbreaking original, arguably the greatest PC game of all time. In many instances the harsh criticism is justified. It was indeed dumbed down for multi-platform (console) release. The RPG mechanics were stripped, the universal ammo was plain stupid, and the environments were laughably small and claustrophobic. It’s hard to imagine you’re globetrotting through cities when every area looks like an empty airport lobby.

At the time however, I accepted the limitations and enjoyed the story, especially the balance of multiple factions, none of them painted as clearcut ‘bad guys’. The example I always give is a mission involving a scientist and a super weapon. The multiple factions ask for multiple resolutions but it’s up to you to decide how to act. Save or kill the scientist? Destroy/use/sell the weapon? There’s no paragon/renegade here, you can only think for yourself. Although Invisible War lost so much of what made the first Deus Ex so fantastic, I feel it fully delivered in this aspect.

Back to Mankind Divided

Eidos Montreal’s latest Deus Ex has many of the hallmarks the first game established: Large sandbox levels with various methods of approach, a branching story, multiple mission paths with moral decisions, and a conspiracy-heavy plot in a believable cyber-punk world. However, MD executes these elements with varying degrees of success.

Centering the majority of the game around the hub of Prague provided the best sense of scale since the original Deus Ex. Unfortunately, the fake Czech accents are irritating as hell, but the city layout is wide and deep. The neighborhoods are distinct and vibrant, the Bank is a large and well-designed level in itself, and the sewer system provides useful transportation and further color for characters who wish to remain hidden.

In a game that delivers a decent enough Deus Ex experience, the story is by far the biggest offender. Mystery is obviously a great ingredient for a story in this setting, but it’s overused. The narrative spends too long answering questions with questions, layering a suffocating amount of characters, organizations, and motivations without providing enough meaning. Before the main plot thread can become grounded, the ending is rushed and finishes insultingly open-ended, especially for a franchise that’s now “on-hiatus”.

Mankind Divided gave me just enough stealth infiltration and cyberpunk atmosphere to keep me playing, but I was left flat. There were a few memorable moments – most notably in side-quests – but the overall story was easily the worst of the series, and the rest of the package felt the least impactful of the four main games.

I truly enjoyed Eidos Montreal’s Human Revolution at the time – though I doubt it would hold up today – but after this sequel, I’d like to see a new developer take a crack at what should be a much more relevant franchise.

Deus Ex may be one of the best PC games ever made, but its legacy is unfortunately becoming more watered down with every new release.

 

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Related Topics
  • best
  • deus ex
  • games
  • gaming
  • human revolution
  • invisible war
  • list
  • mankin didivided
  • mankind
  • rank
Mathew Falvai

Mathew is a huge fan of Space, Strategy, and Shadowrun (Genesis version is #1). When it comes to games and films, he’d much rather experience a 10/10 classic from yesteryear than a 6/10 modern blandfest. He does feel we’re living in a gaming golden age with the power of indie developers at an all-time high, but wishes AAA publishers would take more risks. Mat believes it’s only a matter of time before the pendulum swings the other way and new ideas take their rightful place above reboots.

You May Also Like
Deer Simulator at SGDQ 2022
View Post
  • 5 min
  • Industry
  • Opinion
  • SGDQ 2022

Silly Games Help SGDQ 2022 Hit $1 Million (Day 5 Recap)

  • Matthew Owen
  • July 1, 2022
Super Mario Sunshine Speedrun at SGDQ 2022
View Post
  • 5 min
  • Industry
  • Opinion
  • SGDQ 2022

The Summer of Speedruns Continues at SGDQ 2022 (Day 4 Recap)

  • Matthew Owen
  • June 30, 2022
Halo Infinite Speedrun at SGDQ 2022
View Post
  • 4 min
  • Industry
  • Opinion
  • SGDQ 2022

Horror, Halo, and More at SGDQ 2022 (Day 3 Recap)

  • Matthew Owen
  • June 29, 2022
Boss Fight in Ninja Gaiden
View Post
  • 5 min
  • Industry
  • Opinion
  • SGDQ 2022

Retro Game Speedruns Spice Up SGDQ 2022 (Day 2 Recap)

  • Matthew Owen
  • June 28, 2022
Warioware Touched Gameplay
View Post
  • 3 min
  • Industry
  • Opinion
  • SGDQ 2022

SGDQ 2022 Starts With $130,000 Success (Day 1 Recap)

  • Matthew Owen
  • June 27, 2022
Creepy Fortune Teller from The Quarry
View Post
  • 5 min
  • PlayStation
  • Review
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Series X

The Quarry Review – Summer of Blood

  • Matthew Owen
  • June 22, 2022
SGDQ 2022 Logo
View Post
  • 7 min
  • Opinion

The SGDQ 2022 Schedule – What Speedruns to Watch

  • Matthew Owen
  • June 20, 2022
The Goonies Cover Art
View Post
  • 3 min
  • Opinion

The Nostalgia Kick: Revisiting The Goonies Video Games

  • A9K Staff
  • May 30, 2022
2 comments
  1. Any-NN says:
    February 18, 2017 at 2:10 pm

    Deus Ex MD is a very good game, the problem with it is the story (short, open ending), beside that it’s better than any other Deus Ex in term of gameplay, I’ve finished the game 3 times and it felt fresh every time, I hope we will see another Deus Ex with a longer and better story.

    Reply
    1. Mathew Falvai says:
      February 19, 2017 at 8:58 am

      Like Metal Gear Solid V, Mankind Divided definitely has the best controls of the series, evolving into a great stealth-action game. It feels the most like a proper shooter and I love the cinematic take-downs (upgrading to two at once) they implemented in Human Revolution.

      Deus Ex and Invisible War felt good the first time I played them as well.

      I definitely enjoyed MD, but I’m hoping for a better representation of the series moving forward.

      Thanks for the comment. Did you change up your second and third playthroughs much?

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

A90KID.COM

VIDEO GAMES COMMUNITY & ENTERTAINMENT

A 90s Kid is an active website and media channel, dedicated to providing you information and entertainment related to the video games industry

Navigation
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund and Returns Policy
Recent Articles
  • Silly Games Help SGDQ 2022 Hit $1 Million (Day 5 Recap) July 1, 2022
  • The Summer of Speedruns Continues at SGDQ 2022 (Day 4 Recap) June 30, 2022
  • Horror, Halo, and More at SGDQ 2022 (Day 3 Recap) June 29, 2022
  • Retro Game Speedruns Spice Up SGDQ 2022 (Day 2 Recap) June 28, 2022
  • SGDQ 2022 Starts With $130,000 Success (Day 1 Recap) June 27, 2022
A 90s Kid
© 2022

Input your search keywords and press Enter.