Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Deus Ex: Human Revolution revived the cult cyberpunk series as a prequel set in 2027, as humanity stands on the threshold of the mass spread of bodily cybernetic augmentations. The player, as Adam Jensen, head of security at the biotech corporation Sarif Industries, receives extensive mechanical implants after a near-fatal attack and investigates a conspiracy linking corporate interests, terrorism, and questions of human identity in an era of transhumanism.

Eidos Montreal built on the immersive-sim philosophy of the original Deus Ex, offering players freedom of approach — silent infiltration, direct action, or hacking solutions to tasks — with most levels containing multiple paths and hidden shortcuts rewarding exploration. Vents, broken-open terminals, moved heavy crates revealing bricked-up passages, and simple conversations in which an opponent can be persuaded rather than shot all give practically every mission several different solutions. The Praxis upgrade system let players gradually unlock abilities like invisibility, enhanced strength, or hacking tools according to their preferred playstyle, while hacking took the form of its own minigame about capturing nodes against a tracing program. Sprawling central hub cities, through which the player moves freely between main missions, added side quests that often reveal more about the world of 2027 than the main storyline.

An art style blending Renaissance aesthetics with a black-and-gold color palette created an unmistakable visual identity, inspired by paintings such as The Birth of Venus, backed by a subdued ambient soundtrack. The story took a serious approach to the ethical questions of biotechnology and the inequality between augmented and natural humans. Critics praised the return to the series' immersive-sim roots and the depth of approach choices, with reservations aimed mainly at the boss fights, which didn't allow for a stealth approach. Deus Ex: Human Revolution successfully relaunched the franchise and paved the way for the sequel, Mankind Divided.