Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

[roberthammer 582]

Game Informer has revealed its Deus Ex: Mankind Divided cover for the May issue. The game will be released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. No release date has been announced at this time.

Set in 2029, two years after the events of Human Revolution, Adam Jensen returns and joins forces with an Interpol-funded task force aiming to hunt down and capture augmented terrorists in a world that now hates and fears transhumans. Jensen has a new suite of augmentations that allow him to cleverly navigate stealth, combat, and social interactions, but how Jensen chooses to solve every problem is entirely up to you. At the end of Human Revolution, the Illuminati caused every transhuman to go into a fight-or-flight response and attack anyone near them. In the next issue of Game Informer, you can find out how this event caused humanity to hate and fear those with augmentations.

We spent two days in Eidos-Montreal's studio, talking with the team and learning about how they build a realistic future. We go in depth on some of Jensen's new augmentations that help improve the stealth and combat systems, such as the ability to remote hack electronic objects, fire off his nano blade from a distance, and surround himself with a nearly indestructible nanoshield. We also got some great examples on how the game will be as open ended as ever, allowing players to carve their own path through the world. You can only get these details in the latest issue of Game Informer.

Screenshots:

Edited April 8, 2015 by RobertHammer

[Janez 506]

Oh, that came out of nowhere, at least for me. I for one really like Human Revolution so it will be interesting to see what they make. I wonder though if different endings in HR effects the story in Mankind Divided? Because the endings were quite distinct, not at all like Mass Effect 3. But after watching the trailer/preview I'm not sure that will be the case.

[Tonci87 163]

Well I liked Human revolution, it was a good game, and even a good Deus Ex. A game with a conclusive story and a meaningfull ending.

However...

Square Enix might fuck it up. Here are their plans for "Deus Ex Universe"

"The concept behind Deus Ex: Universe is to create an ongoing, expanding and connected game world built across a generation of core games," he said at the time.

"It's a commitment on our part to deliver meaningful content that expands the franchise on a regular basis and to deliver a deep conspiracy that will span several connected Deus Ex games, creating a more immersive and richer experience than ever before."

Anfossi said Deus Ex: Universe would include PC and console games, as well as additional Deus Ex "experiences" for smartphones, tablets, books and graphic novels. Perhaps Mankind Divided is a part of this.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-04-07-looks-like-square-enix-is-revealing-the-new-deus-ex

Sounds like you will only have the complete experience and story if you also invest in all of that additional stuff I really couldn´t care less about. Sounds like the new Deus Ex might be quite open ended to make people buy the next one. Sounds like a new franchise to be milked to its max.

P.S.: I think Cyberpunk is going to be the next "Big thing" in the gaming industry (and I think that is cool), especially with CDPRs cyberpunk game on the horizon.

[Janez 506]

That does not sound good, especially considering what a disaster The Fall was for PC. It's supposed to be good on a tablet (or whatever it was designed for) but I really do not care for playing games on a phone either. We'll see how it turns out. This whole setting has a lot of potential for an excellent story driven games if not overused. I hope this won't turn into AC type of deal.

[tpw 2311]

I just hope they don't farm the boss battles out to a 3rd party like they did for Human Revolution. I loved the game but ended up rage quitting because one of the boss battles was unwinnable due to the stealthy gameplay decisions I'd made earlier.

[Janez 506]

I just hope they don't farm the boss battles out to a 3rd party like they did for Human Revolution. I loved the game but ended up rage quitting because one of the boss battles was unwinnable due to the stealthy gameplay decisions I'd made earlier.

You mean you did not have enough lethal equipment to fight him/her? Because boss fights did not matter for pacifist. What you could do is, install Debug Menu and equip what you want/need.

Anyway, I agree. Boss battles were one of the worse parts. They supposed to "fix" it in Director's Cut but I haven't turn that yet.

[Tonci87 163]

Yeah they are better in the DC but still not that good. They basically tacked on additional ways to defeat them with stealth and hacking and boy does that make it easy to kill them! Seriously, no challenge at all.

And yeah I really do hope that Square Enix doesn´t go full retard on this one. A series of Deus Ex PC games like the last one with a good story? Sure, bring it on. But if I don´t get important parts of the story without playing/watching/reading other stuff... no thanks.

[sudayev 27]

They started working on it since HR, but it's promising to see something from the new title unveiled. I have a feeling there will even more Deus Ex after DX:MD

[nodunit 397]

That does not sound good, especially considering what a disaster The Fall was for PC. It's supposed to be good on a tablet (or whatever it was designed for) but I really do not care for playing games on a phone either. We'll see how it turns out. This whole setting has a lot of potential for an excellent story driven games if not overused. I hope this won't turn into AC type of deal.

The fall was a port to PC, it was originally designed for Android hence its...short comings, was never designed with the same mindset as Human Revolution.

[Tonci87 163]

The fall was a port to PC, it was originally designed for Android hence its...short comings, was never designed with the same mindset as Human Revolution.

Yeah you see, I don´t want that crap at all. If they make a game on Tablet in the same universe, but otherwise unrelated to the core PC games, then fine, go ahead. However if you need all that junk to get the full story.....

[krycek 349]

Can't wait and I hope we have bigger hubs now,Hengsha was awesome but Detroit was a bit lackluster.I hope they at least have inserted the Montreal hub which was cut from Human Revolution.I see the weapons are mostly the same,if it was another game this would have bothered me but I felt the DX:HR guns were very well done.

Also I'm getting tired with this transhumanism theme as a main theme.I get it,regular people fear the augged ones and Illuminati plays on their fears for control,but having the same theme for two games is kinda boring for me,feels like X-Men.

I was hoping more cyberpunk-ish stuff like "hacker vs megacorporations" like in William Gibson novels,or at least some more grey areas like being an augged merc and be hired by the highest bidder.Guess I'll have my fix with Cyberpunk 2077 or Satellite Reign.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Krycek

[PuFu 4591]

I really hope they forget about the 3rd person "cover" system, together with the tackle down stuff. Besides, i really hope for bigger hubs. HR was a good game, but not even close to the previous games.

[froggyluv 2130]

^^^ This. Actually quit the game once I realised the awful sticky cover system was rampant. First game was an experience though.

[RiskPickles 10]

You mean you did not have enough lethal equipment to fight him/her? Because boss fights did not matter for pacifist. What you could do is, install Debug Menu and equip what you want/need.

Anyway, I agree. Boss battles were one of the worse parts. They supposed to "fix" it in Director's Cut but I haven't turn that yet.

Yeah, it was fixed in Director's Cut, which is probably a lot better in general as a game due to changes in the boss fights (all can be killed/defeated stealthily) and removal of the piss-colour filter.

[krycek 349]

The DC is the perfect example of laziness because it's using an older engine version from DX:HR with bugs that were actually fixed in later DX:HR versions.I also couldn't see much difference with and without the piss filter.The only noticeable diff is that the textures are "colder" without piss filter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8quNErVRrg

[nodunit 397]

The DC is the perfect example of laziness because it's using an older engine version from DX:HR with bugs that were actually fixed in later DX:HR versions.I also couldn't see much difference with and without the piss filter.The only noticeable diff is that the textures are "colder" without piss filter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8quNErVRrg

The difference in lighting boggles my mind, seems to also be a difference in volumetrics too...the odd thing being that there is less in the directors cut, wha?

If the gold filter was causing all of that then I would happily take it, at least its not coffee grain filter.

[dontknowhow 33]

the game will be out on the 23rd, and it's available for prepurchase:

 

http://store.steampowered.com/app/337000/

[Mr. Charles 22]

Eagerly waiting for this one. My little Adam Jensen figurine from last year's gamescom is ready  B)

[dontknowhow 33]

I'm reading of crashes and terrible performance. I guess it had to be expected.

[Janez 506]

TotalBiscuit's thoughts. Might not be that bad in general.

 

[Janez 506]

So... after, what four years? I finally turned the game. I tried it like two years ago but incredibly long loading times and the fact that this game can be a completionists nightmare, made me put in on hold for a while. Which turned out to be another two years after release but here we are. 🙂

 

First, as mentioned, I highly recommend a SSD, I cannot stress this enough. The game saves exact location for every box of beer and there is a lot of beer. A lot. Therefore you'll need around 50GB on your drive.

 

Next up, if you're a completionist, you may want to plan out what you're going to go for. I'll list some essential sources.

 

PCGamingWiki - among other info and tweaks, lists launch parameters to skip splash logos!

Guides on Steam - possibly with screenshots

• Performance Tuning Guide
• Quick mission overview
• Full achievements guide
• Breach Software locations
• Tablet Collector Achievement

Video Guides

• All eBook Locations
• All Breach Software Locations
• All Triangle Code Locations
• All Praxis Kit Locations

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Wiki - few below but article about pretty much everything can be found there

• Walkthrough
• Achievements
• Tablet Collector
• Praxis Kits
• Merchants
• Augmentations
• Weapons

 

Game is available on Steam and recently also on GoG! Steam version is available on Linux, GoG version sadly not.

 

There is some bullshit though. First, game has a Season Pass which is still not worth it. Steam version also has microtransactions which was a big hit on game's commercial success when it launched. They are quite idiotic in nature, since purchases are single use only!!! Bound to a save file, rather then account/profile. Basically, they took the beloved Burger Menu mod for Human Revolution on sold it for real money.

Later, after release, one of the developers revealed that just two weeks before release they had the game balanced and were working their ass off with polishing the game, when word came from upper management that microtransactions had to be implemented. I guess a game about Illuminati was ruined by their executioners. Square Enix is generally known to panic and draw odd decisions when new trends emerge. Anyone remembers Hitman episodic reboot fiasco?

 

 

I wont go very deep or that long... that's what she usua... wait, no... I mean, I wont go into spoilers, yes, that's it. It was SO refreshing to play this game. In 2016 I would probably say it was OK, you know, pretty good story but held back by technical issues and stupid microtransactions, but today? Today I say it's an absolute masterpiece and best thing since sliced bread. Seriously, in this ocean of mediocrity this past decade, with rare exceptions like The Witcher 3, this is excellent.

 

Jensen doesn't come across as some gimmick that marketing deemed will be most liked. Elias Toufexis, as ever, nailed it once again with the voice and you can role play Adam in few different ways, for the most part. Disillusioned but still a moral ex cop, a cynical asshole or a guy who is somewhat sympathetic to everyone. Although, you'll likely find yourself choosing dialogue choices from more then one tree throughout a single conversation. Game is not strict in this sense at all but Jensen's responses can lean in certain directions and possibly how other characters view Jensen.

 

While a game has quite a lot of stories and interesting characters, it doesn't really explore this group it refers to as the Illuminati all that much. Some correlations can be drawn to modern day derivations from eBooks and other lore but not in areas where one playing such game would possibly expect. Still, one can recognize concept of Satan's chessboard on multiple levels. Create a problem, sell the solution. Control/arm both/all sides and so on.

Game does a decent job presenting what it has to offer in an elegant manner, without glorifying occult symbology and ideology, unlike most blockbusters these days. Anyone seen something like Apex Legends? Killing is cool, right? Quickly, put on some androgynous outfit that you grinded whole season for and flash a hip 666 emote while you're at it. Witchcraft is so cute and even sexy, right? Look at her go, sucking the life out of that guy. Heroes, yay!

Mankind Divided, as it's predecessor Human Revolution, reminds me of East Wind and even Cold War Assault campaigns. Concepts portrayed make these topics gruesome and terrifying, while being educational and serve as a warning to never forget our history and maintain high morality. Flying limbs and gore in general only provoke disgust to a point where you cannot care anymore.

I would suggest Super Bunnyhop's Anti-War War Games video.

 

In context of 2016, when game was released, the augmented don't serve as some sort of metaphor for minorities in North America either, as most critics were probing. While today, in 2020, some scenes may hint so, it is simply not. Augmented either chose or it was somehow chosen for them to turn their bodies into, at the very least a potential if not straight up, weapon. Therefore, face-to-face conversation in fundamentally changed.

 

Overall, all characters have some sort of agenda that may or may not be revealed. Some entertain this idea of augmentation being an evolution of humanity, which anyone familiar with loss of key tooth let alone a limb, knows what kind irreversible trauma on the deepest levels that is. Just because we are used to destroying our own bodies in ~65-70 years, it doesn't mean our bodies are not perfect in their design. We just need to read the instruction manual.

Other characters can have absolutely brutal twists, so I have to recommend NOT to go through wiki before finishing your first playthrough.

 

 

Prague. I absolutely love it in Mankind Divided, the atmosphere, presentation, characters, somewhat realistically awkward accents, it all pairs beautifully with gorgeous art design and absolutely hair raising, marvelous music. It is incredibly refreshing location. Besides, for those who know, Prague makes a lot of sense here. Regardless, shout-out to our Czech friends, may God be with you.

 

 

Finally, gameplay is more of the same from Human Revolution. Meaning, ghosting, systematic looting, bartering, lots of hacking and exploring every nook and cranny but greatly expanded. Although I wish boxes were not so finicky when stacking them and climbing them. They tried something here but its way to sensitive to player, you'll see. Luckily there are augs to almost completely circumvent this.

Facial animations are kinda awesome but also kinda lame but they add to experience more then they deter. Graphics are excellent and there is a lot of settings to tweak. For everything.

Gunplay has seen a huge improvement in Mankind Divided and you have far more both lethal and non-lethal tactical options and they affect how Jensen is perceived by others.

 

TL;DR a must play. GoG version also does NOT have Denuvo DRM, so get it there if you don't have it already.

[jeza 5415]

Nice little review. I'd never played the series before human revolution and that took me two tries to get into it over a couple of years, then put in a good 40 hours into the directors cut. As for Mankind Divided I felt largely the same as you post, has its issues but its solid and builds of the previous one in many way (not played the dlc). Love the Prague vibe as well, felt like a place where people live and go about their lives. 

[Janez 506]

There is also a Perma-Death difficulty called, you guessed it, I Never Asked for This.

 

Quote

 

Earning this achievement requires the player to complete the game on the difficulty setting of the same name, which is unlocked after beating the main campaign once. On this setting, the most significant change in rules is that the player only has one life, meaning if they die the save file will be locked and they will have to start the game over.

 

Additional rules to this difficulty level are as follows:

• The mode cannot be started on New Game +, one must start a fresh playthrough in order to access it. A cleared playthrough on this mode is also not eligible for a New Game +.
• The player is limited to one manual save slot. Quick and autosaving are disabled.
• Enemies are more vigilant and the player makes more noise while moving around.
• Difficulty level cannot be toned down in settings.

 

 

If anyone is feeling suicidal, I've adopted a batch script to backup your saves. Tbh, unless you go completely loud, surviving isn't that difficult, you need backups for when some bullshit alarm goes off or something to ruin a possible parallel objective like Foxiest of the Hounds run or a ghost bonus.

If you're about to die, just alt+F4 during animation and you're fine. Restoring backups doesn't work if the game is running, it'll give corrupted save error but closing the game and restoring a save works fine. Running the game in full screen windowed mode helps too.

 

See, this is the kind of shit I game on PC for, not because ultra super graphics. We have all these tools at our disposal.

 

How to:

• Copy the following code into a text file and name it, Backup.txt for example.
• Change it's txt extension to bat (you may need to disable 'Hide extensions for known file types'); i.e. Backup.txt >> Backup.bat
• Set the destination directory path and the saved game file to copy in the batch file. Navigate, by default, "%ProgramFiles%\Steam\UserData\<Your Steam ID>\337000\remote\", sort the folder by date and if your Perma-Death save is the newest, set it's number in the bat file ('DXNGsavegame000X.dat').

@ECHO OFF
:: Check WMIC is available
WMIC.EXE Alias /? >NUL 2>&1 || GOTO backup_syntax

SETLOCAL

:: Use WMIC to retrieve date and time
FOR /F "skip=1 tokens=1-6" %%A IN ('WMIC Path Win32_LocalTime Get Day^,Hour^,Minute^,Month^,Second^,Year /Format:table') DO (
	IF "%%~F"=="" GOTO backup_done
		SET _YYYY=%%F
		SET _MM=00%%D
		SET _DD=00%%A
		SET _Hour=00%%B
		SET _Minute=00%%C
		SET _Second=00%%E
	)
	:backup_done

:: Pad digits with leading zeros
	SET _MM=%_MM:~-2%
	SET _DD=%_DD:~-2%
	SET _Hour=%_Hour:~-2%
	SET _Minute=%_Minute:~-2%
	SET _Second=%_Second:~-2%

:: Compile the results in ISO 8601 format
SET _ISODATE=%_YYYY%-%_MM%-%_DD%_T%_Hour%-%_Minute%-%_Second%

:: *REQUIRED* Set SOURCE
SET _FILE="%ProgramFiles%\Steam\UserData\<Your Steam ID>\337000\remote\DXNGsavegame0005.dat"

:: *OPTIONAL* Set DESTINATION
SET _DIR="%UserProfile%\Documents\Deus Ex -  Mankind Divided\Save"

SET _DIRFULL=%_DIR%\%_ISODATE%

:: Create custom directory and copy files
IF NOT EXIST %_FILE% GOTO backup_syntax
IF NOT EXIST %_DIRFULL% MKDIR %_DIRFULL%
CD %_DIRFULL%
COPY %_FILE%

:: Done
ENDLOCAL
GOTO:EOF

:backup_syntax
ECHO Creates a directory named with current local time and 
ECHO copies desired files into it.
ECHO.
ECHO Uses WMIC to query the current date and time in 
ECHO ISO 8601 (YYYYMMDD and HHmmSS) format, 
ECHO completely independent of Windows' Regional Settings or 
ECHO language, and without the use of temporary files. 
ECHO WMIC is native in Windows XP Professional and later.
ECHO.
ECHO Usage:
ECHO		- *REQUIRED* Define source file to copy.
ECHO		- *OPTIONAL* Define destination of backups.
ECHO.
ECHO Based on SortDate.bat, Version 5 by Rob van der Woude
ECHO https://www.robvanderwoude.com
ECHO and SS64 GetDate.cmd, Method 2
ECHO https://ss64.com
ECHO.