This game pains me in so many ways. I love the Deus Ex series. I first experienced the series with Invisible War on the original X-Box, and while I did enjoy it and found it intriguing, the game glitched out on me at a specific spot and I couldn't complete the game. Later on I stumbled upon Human Revolution which quickly became my favorite game of all time as I played it at a very specific time in my life and simply fell in love with everything it had to offer. When Mankind Divided released and I discovered it took place in the city I grew up in, I ran out to obtain a copy.

This game does so much so well, it hurts. It hurts because it was meant to be so much more. Due to meddling from Square Enix wanting to nickel and dime this game as much as possible, we were deprived of a much bigger and richer experience and that is something that is so upsetting to me.
If you strictly follow the main story, you'll find the game to be short and ridiculously abrupt. If you take your time, explore, try to find and complete side quests and soak in the atmosphere, the game really shines and will double your play time. Eidos really did a great job at getting closer to bringing that Deus Ex experience found in the original with all of your options in customizing your abilities, exploring and finding alternate paths. The in-game graphics are quite impressive, especially considering when it released (the cut-scenes still look a bit...off).
Voice acting is top notch, but I must say the use of the Czech language and their accents are laughable and at times just plain silly, but have their own charm. The stealth is nicely handled but combat is still bombastic and badass as can be.

My main gripe for Mankind Divided mostly stems from Square Enix's handling of game and the totally unnecessary Breach mode which should be avoided. This game could have been so much more, but I am still happy it exists. I can only hope that Eidos will continue with this series and complete Adam Jensen's story.

Reviewed on Jul 07, 2023


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