Final Fantasy X-2 is a brand new world in the beloved series. While it is based on, and set in, FFX's world of Spira and containing the core characters of Yuna & Rikku, and a plethora of the supporting characters seen previously, it as much different as it is similar.
Some 2 years have passed since Yuna, Wakka, Sir Auron, Rikku, Kimahri & our lost dream (and Yuna's love,) Tidus defeated Sin to bring the eternal calm. For anyone that hasn't played and beaten X, it's a good idea to pick up a copy and play it through first simply because X-2 doesn't give you a lot of backstory, instead alludes to things and moves forward.
Storyline:
Yuna is now a Sphere Hunter with the Gullwings and travels with her cousin Rikku and a brash new character, the Gothic female Paine. Rikku arrived on the Isle of Besaid and gave Yuna a sphere containing a video of someone that looks like Tidus trapped for trying to use some kind of weapon. I can't elaborate more or I would spoil most of the adventure. So, Y. P. R. (as they call themselves) are hunting every sphere in Spira trying to find out just who this is. Along the way, they are constantly hounded by the Leblanc Syndicate (another Sphere Hunter group) and the rise of New Yevon. If X's tagline was "This is my story," (meaning Tidus,) than the tagline for X-2 is appropriate as "This is Yuna's story." In fact, it is a deep story as I have come to find out and far moreso than the brief synopsis by Square-Enix. (This is a good thing.)
Graphics:
The same source code was used for many of different area's seen in FFX, but have been tweaked and updated to bring the world of Spira 2 years forward. Some area's look exactly the same, however, with new people and places to explore. Graphically, FF X-2 is better looking and superior to X because of these added elements.
Graphics II:
The character models are sharp and gorgeous. The speech to mouth movement has been overhauled and plays out smoothly. You'll notice the incredible graphics while in battle and especially while changing dressspheres.
Gameplay:
This is where X-2 differs so much from FFX. Instead of the linear world of moving from place to place, you now have a beautiful airship to roam wherever you want to, when ever you want to. In short, you can play this game any way you want too as there's no preset way to go. The world map has returned and with your airship you pick where you want to go instead of waiting until deep into the game to acquire the ship (as was the case in previous FF titles.) Also, instead of one defined mini-game, like Blitzball & Tetra Master, there are many (sorta like the things you could do at the Gold Saucer in FFVII.)
Gameplay II:
Ah, the battle scheme. It is easy, and it is tough. ATB, "Active Time Battle," seen in Final Fantasy IX has returned and you can change job classes in the middle of battle. Be careful however, changing classes in a tough fight could leave your party vanquished. Gone is the usual fight stance and style where one party stays on one side and the fiend on the other. X-2 presents the battle in a realistic form. You may surround the fiends once, or they may surround you. Also, I can't leave out the mentioning of the "Chain Attack," a cool feature done in other games and now bringing a great strategy to FF's turn-based battle system. (You'll notice in X-2, that it doesn't as heavily rely on turn-based as previous FF's and could be an Action RPG like Summoner 2 if was loosened any further.) Again, a good thing.
Sound:
The voice acting is suberb by the same cast as the original. The music is upbeat and lively and bear's no, and I mean NO, resemblence to Nobuo Uematsu's awesome scores and themes. This may be the games only drawback and is sorely missed, at least by me.
Overall:
X-2 is presented as a game in itself with ties to X. The mission-based gameplay, free roaming world and familiar meetings make the game an incredible RPG. Square-Enix has outdone itself. Don't expect to be replaying FFX, this is a forward-driven, exceptional new chapter as much as a sequel.
Note:
I have left a lot out in this review, simply because to divulge too much would be to give away spoilers. There is something at every turn in the game that is new and connecting the 2 games.
Tuesday, September 12, 2000
Saturday, September 09, 2000
Super Mario RPG | 9.5
To be honest, I like this game a whole lot better than Mario 64.
When the Super NES was beginning its end, games sometimes are rushed out to beat the discontinuing of games and systems. Mega Man 6 was the last NES game released in America and it was not all that worthwhile of a game (although it is necessary to complete any Mega Man collection). However, for the Super NES, one of the last few games ended up being a great classic: Super Mario RPG. Combining the world of Mario with the designs of a classic RPG setting, this game is not only a great game, BUT a landmark game in the RPG genre.
Since it came out near the end of the Super NES (at least in America, anyway), this game is very hard to find. Nevertheless, it is WELL WORTH YOUR TIME. The music is very good, the characters and story well developed, and the OldSkool-style battle system is very pleasing indeed. Plus, Mario and Bowser actually fight side-by-side.
This game uses a simple RPG system to introduce newbies to RPGs, but at the same time, it captivates veteran gamers with a great story and interesting characters. The biggest irony is that Mario doesn't speak, which is intended to be classic because a lot of RPGs have main characters that never speak. This will surely please even the jaded RPG gamer.
It was cool having Bowser Koopa on my side for once, as well as two new characters (Geno and Mallow) I was disappointed that Luigi wasn't part of the game, but having Peach as a playable character's cool. Everyone has nice attacks, and I liked playing with all of them - I was often switching between characters because none of them were really weak (unlike other games where some characters are practically useless) and the storyline itself is unique and interesting. The game length was also good, you have all of these quests (and side-quests) to explore, along with quite a few bonus quests (which turn up a few cool and rare items). Overall this really is a lot of fun, and gets 4.5/5 stars from me. Enjoy!
When the Super NES was beginning its end, games sometimes are rushed out to beat the discontinuing of games and systems. Mega Man 6 was the last NES game released in America and it was not all that worthwhile of a game (although it is necessary to complete any Mega Man collection). However, for the Super NES, one of the last few games ended up being a great classic: Super Mario RPG. Combining the world of Mario with the designs of a classic RPG setting, this game is not only a great game, BUT a landmark game in the RPG genre.
Since it came out near the end of the Super NES (at least in America, anyway), this game is very hard to find. Nevertheless, it is WELL WORTH YOUR TIME. The music is very good, the characters and story well developed, and the OldSkool-style battle system is very pleasing indeed. Plus, Mario and Bowser actually fight side-by-side.
This game uses a simple RPG system to introduce newbies to RPGs, but at the same time, it captivates veteran gamers with a great story and interesting characters. The biggest irony is that Mario doesn't speak, which is intended to be classic because a lot of RPGs have main characters that never speak. This will surely please even the jaded RPG gamer.
It was cool having Bowser Koopa on my side for once, as well as two new characters (Geno and Mallow) I was disappointed that Luigi wasn't part of the game, but having Peach as a playable character's cool. Everyone has nice attacks, and I liked playing with all of them - I was often switching between characters because none of them were really weak (unlike other games where some characters are practically useless) and the storyline itself is unique and interesting. The game length was also good, you have all of these quests (and side-quests) to explore, along with quite a few bonus quests (which turn up a few cool and rare items). Overall this really is a lot of fun, and gets 4.5/5 stars from me. Enjoy!
Thursday, September 07, 2000
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete | 8.0
TThe story of Eternal Blue is pure classic. It's the simple story of a brash adventurer who falls for an enigmatic girl with a mission. Quite simple, but monolithic nonetheless. Unlike many current RPGs, the simple charm of the love story is not buried under reams of dross. Yes, an epic adventure unfolds, but Eternal Blue never loses sight of its greatest strengths: its characters, simple romance, and a sense of lighthearted adventure. Working Designs knows what they are doing: their script is witty and proficient, underscoring unique personalities and heightening the emotional impact of any given scene. The villains are more interesting this time around, the plot hardly ever runs off track, and there's a few plot twists you'll never expect.
For those who didn't experience this wonderful story in the Sega CD days, you owe it to yourself to play it through. It ranks among the greatest stories ever, and in many ways is surpasses the original telling (which had too much humor for its own good).
The graphics are very 16-bit, so the game lacks graphical titillation. (The FMV is gorgeous, though.) The gameplay, likewise, is archaic, and actually a step down from the Sega CD original. The magic system, which was one of the greatest merits of the original, has been simplified to the point of mindlessness, which is ridiculous and dumb. Actually, the gameplay seems more tiring than I remembered, the dungeons being particularly exhausting. The game is a little tougher though, which creates a sense of urgency not often associated with many RPGs these days.
While the gameplay hasn't aged well, the story is as timeless as they come, and that makes the game worth playing.
All the extras are a nice treat as well. I personally found the "Making Of Lunar 2" CD very interesting, and while I have no use for the amulet or the character standees, they are nice bonuses. The map is a nifty keepsake, and the full soundtrack is great. I don't listen to the soundtrack, because I don't really enjoy the Lunar music outside the context of the game, but I appreciate the gesture, and there are still several good tunes included (Lemina's theme is fookin' catchy). Hopefully other publishers will include soundtracks with their games in the future.
For those who didn't experience this wonderful story in the Sega CD days, you owe it to yourself to play it through. It ranks among the greatest stories ever, and in many ways is surpasses the original telling (which had too much humor for its own good).
The graphics are very 16-bit, so the game lacks graphical titillation. (The FMV is gorgeous, though.) The gameplay, likewise, is archaic, and actually a step down from the Sega CD original. The magic system, which was one of the greatest merits of the original, has been simplified to the point of mindlessness, which is ridiculous and dumb. Actually, the gameplay seems more tiring than I remembered, the dungeons being particularly exhausting. The game is a little tougher though, which creates a sense of urgency not often associated with many RPGs these days.
While the gameplay hasn't aged well, the story is as timeless as they come, and that makes the game worth playing.
All the extras are a nice treat as well. I personally found the "Making Of Lunar 2" CD very interesting, and while I have no use for the amulet or the character standees, they are nice bonuses. The map is a nifty keepsake, and the full soundtrack is great. I don't listen to the soundtrack, because I don't really enjoy the Lunar music outside the context of the game, but I appreciate the gesture, and there are still several good tunes included (Lemina's theme is fookin' catchy). Hopefully other publishers will include soundtracks with their games in the future.
Wednesday, September 06, 2000
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete | 9.0
It's kind of hard to tell RPG players the appeal of Lunar when other games have more stellar graphics, more complicated storylines and deeper gameplay systems. While some of the older games from the SNES era are considered RPG classics despite very outdated looks, it's strange trying to do the same for Lunar since it wasn't quite as big or as mass-appealing. While yes graphically and storyline wise, this isn't exactly Vagrant Story or even Final Fantasy stuff, there was always an appeal to the Lunar games that made you forget about it and just enjoy it anyway.
Story: You play as Alex from the town of Burg who wants to become just like the Dragonmaster Dyne. But an encounter with a Dragon has Alex, his pet dragon Nall and friend Luna on a quest to save the world where they'll be taken to floating cities and different cities to save the world of Lunar. Again it's not the most deepest and complex RPG plot but like a lot of classic fairytales and fantasy stories, there's a wide appeal for the story simply because of the charming characters and just the general atmosphere of the game.
Graphics: You'll notice a difference between the new stuff and the "revamped" stuff. Basically the new is fully-animated cutscenes which help flesh out special events but usually they're served as character introductions. They're gorgeous with great character designs and they really stand out. Everything else is iffy since the overworld/town stuff is incredibly simplistic with mini-sprites and character portraits during dialogue. But if you love Final Fantasy VI or Chrono Trigger, than this kind of graphic style is nothing.
Sound/Music: Soundtrack was done by Noriyuki Iwadare who's quite talented at doing upbeat catchy themes and although music-wise it can get slightly repetitive, they're quite fun and the vocal tracks are quite stellar. Sound work otherwise is functional but not impressive as swords clang and enemies die with small groans but this isn't really one of those "immersive" sound worlds like Metroid or Bioshock where there is tons of ambience. The voice acting though is quite stellar and aside from the Metal Gear series, Lunar is usually mentioned among games that best use voice acting.
Gameplay: Lunar does something different (though not together uncommon) in that spells are actually gained when you obtain a certain level as opposed to finding them in the world, buying them from shops and the like. It encourages level grinding so you can obtain new spells though enemies can get just as bad since they can level up with you a little (mainly bosses though) but really it's just going through a dungeon, beating enemies - which are thankfully onscreen like Chrono series - finding item chests and making it to the boss and whomping them. There's also some collectables called bromides which are character artworks that show up as mini-cutscenes and since the ladies are quite lovely to ogle, I like collecting the things.
Since there was extra care in the making of the game, we get some added stuff like the cd soundtrack, an artbook with a readily-available walkthrough inside (complete with funny captions, character artwork and interviews with game developers) and a map. Might not be the absolute best RPG to many people but there's lots of fans, myself included of course, and Lunar is one to pick up, or at least try.
Story: You play as Alex from the town of Burg who wants to become just like the Dragonmaster Dyne. But an encounter with a Dragon has Alex, his pet dragon Nall and friend Luna on a quest to save the world where they'll be taken to floating cities and different cities to save the world of Lunar. Again it's not the most deepest and complex RPG plot but like a lot of classic fairytales and fantasy stories, there's a wide appeal for the story simply because of the charming characters and just the general atmosphere of the game.
Graphics: You'll notice a difference between the new stuff and the "revamped" stuff. Basically the new is fully-animated cutscenes which help flesh out special events but usually they're served as character introductions. They're gorgeous with great character designs and they really stand out. Everything else is iffy since the overworld/town stuff is incredibly simplistic with mini-sprites and character portraits during dialogue. But if you love Final Fantasy VI or Chrono Trigger, than this kind of graphic style is nothing.
Sound/Music: Soundtrack was done by Noriyuki Iwadare who's quite talented at doing upbeat catchy themes and although music-wise it can get slightly repetitive, they're quite fun and the vocal tracks are quite stellar. Sound work otherwise is functional but not impressive as swords clang and enemies die with small groans but this isn't really one of those "immersive" sound worlds like Metroid or Bioshock where there is tons of ambience. The voice acting though is quite stellar and aside from the Metal Gear series, Lunar is usually mentioned among games that best use voice acting.
Gameplay: Lunar does something different (though not together uncommon) in that spells are actually gained when you obtain a certain level as opposed to finding them in the world, buying them from shops and the like. It encourages level grinding so you can obtain new spells though enemies can get just as bad since they can level up with you a little (mainly bosses though) but really it's just going through a dungeon, beating enemies - which are thankfully onscreen like Chrono series - finding item chests and making it to the boss and whomping them. There's also some collectables called bromides which are character artworks that show up as mini-cutscenes and since the ladies are quite lovely to ogle, I like collecting the things.
Since there was extra care in the making of the game, we get some added stuff like the cd soundtrack, an artbook with a readily-available walkthrough inside (complete with funny captions, character artwork and interviews with game developers) and a map. Might not be the absolute best RPG to many people but there's lots of fans, myself included of course, and Lunar is one to pick up, or at least try.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution | 9.3
The original Deus Ex(DX) hit the market back in 2000 and with its combination of a Cyberpunk atmosphere and fusion of RPG and FPS elements, became a hit title that eventually won game of the year amongst many other awards. The game was ahead of its time in a way, similar to how Blade Runner (the movie) was ahead of its time for back in the 1980's. With this new release, DX: HR, does the game fall into mediocrity or does DX continue to be a a beautiful melody of various gameplays in an immerse environment?.... A few technical details aside, I would say this game easily marks a new generation in the Deus Ex line and could just be one of the best SP based campaign game released in 2011.
GAMEPLAY
And a whole lot of it! This game is massive and the cyberpunk vision of the future is captured beautifully. DX:HR I feel, tends to be a blend of FPS meets Stealth meets Espionage meets Social. You play as Adam Jensen who is a security officer for an Augmentation company. After an attack leaves him so badly wounded he needs heavy body augmentation the game begins. Who plotted the attack? Why? Terrorism? Self-Sabotage? The conspiracy runs deep and it is your job to figure out it! At your disposal is a very immerse and game changing set of mechanics that shapes how you play the game, yet adapts to your play-style. Need to get to the 5th floor and hack a terminal.. no problem go in guns blazing...or maybe stealth past the guards taking them out one at a time... or maybe break in through a vent system...or combine all 3! Not only can you approach objectives and quests from various methods, but there often are quite a few options available to you. You don't always need to take that grate on the left. You could hack the janitor's closet and steal the keycard and just walk right in on the objective. Maybe there is a guard wandering who has a keycard also, or someone wrote it in an email message that you found when hacking terminals. The variety is just huge and never gets old! To top it all off you can upgrade Mr. Jensen to better suit your play-style
As you complete objectives, side quests, or basically do anything you gain XP. Shoot a mob you get XP, stealth him instead XP, Avoid combat all together get XP! Hacking amounts to bonus XP as hacking is more of a mini-game than a mandatory tool in this game, but I found it worth my time to hack. It was fun and provided some interesting bits of information that paid off in the long run. Anyhow, the XP you gain is used to level up Jensen, and as you level you gain the ability to further boost the level of mods you have. What is so beautiful about this the upgrades compliment your play-style. You are not forced to pick upgrades you do not want, however I rarely found that I picked something that felt like a waste. It is a solid system that gives you the freedom to play as you want for the most part.
GRAPHICS
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is not the flashiest of games. It isn't the latest and greatest game engine that might choke your PS3/360 or stress your video card until it explodes. The game still looks very good though. It captures a cyberpunk / blade runner style atmosphere very well and uses a darker color pallet which makes for a slightly darker vision of the future. Character animations can seem a little stiff or awkward at times, but do remember people are walking around with augmentations so the body movements might seem a bit unnatural for a reason. On the PS3 version the Frame-rate dropped from time to time, especially during one or two intense cut-scenes but it wasn't that bad. There was similar frame-rate issues on the 360 but occurring in different areas spots so the drop is probably relating to how the system is handling the engine itself. Graphically, the PS3 vs the 360 have differences but not enough to sway me to one or the other. It really depends on what you are looking at, at the time you are comparing. Sometimes PS3 looked better, sometimes 360. PS3 lighting was better in some spots, yet the 360 had better coloring in others.
In short... The Graphics, while not the best, are very good and despite the PS3 and 360 having some frame-rate issues, either system is a perfect option for this game; each boasting pros and cons over the other.
SOUND/STORY
The music for this game is awesome! The style of music chosen fits the environment and setting of the game perfectly, going well with the cyberpunk theme. It helps immerse you into the game which is a big plus. Voice acting however is a sub-par as often the same voice actor played multiple characters and didn't even change their voice. You may even find multiple characters who say the same line of text. I'm not surprised by this though as the original Deus Ex had some of the Worst-yet best! voice acting of any game I played. .... Storyline wise, while I honestly have not completed the game at this point (the game is LONG!), the storyline is great! Everything you do has influences on the game, and the storyline is very deep and balanced. It is full of plot twists and surprises that had me hooked.
REPLAY/LENGTH
While this game lacks multiplayer, you are getting your $'s worth here. The game easily has 25+hrs of gameplay, more like 30-40 hrs if you factor in side quests and taking your time to really immerse yourself. Not only does this game boast a huge amount of varied gameplay, but I could easily see myself picking it up and doing it all over again! The variety in gameplay is just that amazing. You stealthed your way into the building for Mission 6, replay it and try going Rambo. You might find new items or bits of information, or even slightly influence events of that mission. Deus Ex reminds me a little of Mass Effect in this sense. Every new gameplay can be filled with little bits and pieces you may of missed, or simply did not see in a previous playthrough; plus there are multiple endings to this game which only tempt you to try alternative paths and methods.
CONS
Normally I integrate my Con's into each section, but Deus-Ex is the kind of game that you need to see the entire picture. The game can clock it easily +25hrs and has such a wide variety of elements to it things were bound to go wrong in some spots. This comes in the form of frame-rate problems(see graphics), boss encounters, and AI problems. Frame-rate has been covered but Boss Encounters were a disappointment simply because there is only one real way to fight them. RAMBO style! If you specialized in hacking that won't help you during the fight. The illusion of choice is removed here and you are forced into a play style you might not enjoy. This isn't a major problem but for someone who didn't specialize in guns, since the game is forgiving, it feels like bosses were rushed in rather than fully thought out. AI problems well, it was to be expected. Sometimes enemies just become stupid and forget you are there or have such obvious pathing it makes you wonder how they were even hired to be guards. Despite their AI problems however they seem to have eagle eye vision when it comes to accuracy with guns (which makes for a good challenge!)
OVERALL ... 93% (9.3 / A)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a product of its sums. Individually each part of the game, from the shooter, to the stealth to the social aspects 'could have' been done better. Instead each element was created specifically to balance the other and what you end up with is a game that has multiple play-styles, gameplay which caters to the needs of the player, immerse storyline and environment, and a wide variety of methods to tackle the problem; so much so alternative play-throughs are a must! DX: HR has technical issues, but when a single game can easily surpass 25-30hrs and contain such variety, a few problems might slip through the cracks or be inevitable.
In the end, we have a beautiful game that will keep you glued to your PC, 360 or PS3.
GAMEPLAY
And a whole lot of it! This game is massive and the cyberpunk vision of the future is captured beautifully. DX:HR I feel, tends to be a blend of FPS meets Stealth meets Espionage meets Social. You play as Adam Jensen who is a security officer for an Augmentation company. After an attack leaves him so badly wounded he needs heavy body augmentation the game begins. Who plotted the attack? Why? Terrorism? Self-Sabotage? The conspiracy runs deep and it is your job to figure out it! At your disposal is a very immerse and game changing set of mechanics that shapes how you play the game, yet adapts to your play-style. Need to get to the 5th floor and hack a terminal.. no problem go in guns blazing...or maybe stealth past the guards taking them out one at a time... or maybe break in through a vent system...or combine all 3! Not only can you approach objectives and quests from various methods, but there often are quite a few options available to you. You don't always need to take that grate on the left. You could hack the janitor's closet and steal the keycard and just walk right in on the objective. Maybe there is a guard wandering who has a keycard also, or someone wrote it in an email message that you found when hacking terminals. The variety is just huge and never gets old! To top it all off you can upgrade Mr. Jensen to better suit your play-style
As you complete objectives, side quests, or basically do anything you gain XP. Shoot a mob you get XP, stealth him instead XP, Avoid combat all together get XP! Hacking amounts to bonus XP as hacking is more of a mini-game than a mandatory tool in this game, but I found it worth my time to hack. It was fun and provided some interesting bits of information that paid off in the long run. Anyhow, the XP you gain is used to level up Jensen, and as you level you gain the ability to further boost the level of mods you have. What is so beautiful about this the upgrades compliment your play-style. You are not forced to pick upgrades you do not want, however I rarely found that I picked something that felt like a waste. It is a solid system that gives you the freedom to play as you want for the most part.
GRAPHICS
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is not the flashiest of games. It isn't the latest and greatest game engine that might choke your PS3/360 or stress your video card until it explodes. The game still looks very good though. It captures a cyberpunk / blade runner style atmosphere very well and uses a darker color pallet which makes for a slightly darker vision of the future. Character animations can seem a little stiff or awkward at times, but do remember people are walking around with augmentations so the body movements might seem a bit unnatural for a reason. On the PS3 version the Frame-rate dropped from time to time, especially during one or two intense cut-scenes but it wasn't that bad. There was similar frame-rate issues on the 360 but occurring in different areas spots so the drop is probably relating to how the system is handling the engine itself. Graphically, the PS3 vs the 360 have differences but not enough to sway me to one or the other. It really depends on what you are looking at, at the time you are comparing. Sometimes PS3 looked better, sometimes 360. PS3 lighting was better in some spots, yet the 360 had better coloring in others.
In short... The Graphics, while not the best, are very good and despite the PS3 and 360 having some frame-rate issues, either system is a perfect option for this game; each boasting pros and cons over the other.
SOUND/STORY
The music for this game is awesome! The style of music chosen fits the environment and setting of the game perfectly, going well with the cyberpunk theme. It helps immerse you into the game which is a big plus. Voice acting however is a sub-par as often the same voice actor played multiple characters and didn't even change their voice. You may even find multiple characters who say the same line of text. I'm not surprised by this though as the original Deus Ex had some of the Worst-yet best! voice acting of any game I played. .... Storyline wise, while I honestly have not completed the game at this point (the game is LONG!), the storyline is great! Everything you do has influences on the game, and the storyline is very deep and balanced. It is full of plot twists and surprises that had me hooked.
REPLAY/LENGTH
While this game lacks multiplayer, you are getting your $'s worth here. The game easily has 25+hrs of gameplay, more like 30-40 hrs if you factor in side quests and taking your time to really immerse yourself. Not only does this game boast a huge amount of varied gameplay, but I could easily see myself picking it up and doing it all over again! The variety in gameplay is just that amazing. You stealthed your way into the building for Mission 6, replay it and try going Rambo. You might find new items or bits of information, or even slightly influence events of that mission. Deus Ex reminds me a little of Mass Effect in this sense. Every new gameplay can be filled with little bits and pieces you may of missed, or simply did not see in a previous playthrough; plus there are multiple endings to this game which only tempt you to try alternative paths and methods.
CONS
Normally I integrate my Con's into each section, but Deus-Ex is the kind of game that you need to see the entire picture. The game can clock it easily +25hrs and has such a wide variety of elements to it things were bound to go wrong in some spots. This comes in the form of frame-rate problems(see graphics), boss encounters, and AI problems. Frame-rate has been covered but Boss Encounters were a disappointment simply because there is only one real way to fight them. RAMBO style! If you specialized in hacking that won't help you during the fight. The illusion of choice is removed here and you are forced into a play style you might not enjoy. This isn't a major problem but for someone who didn't specialize in guns, since the game is forgiving, it feels like bosses were rushed in rather than fully thought out. AI problems well, it was to be expected. Sometimes enemies just become stupid and forget you are there or have such obvious pathing it makes you wonder how they were even hired to be guards. Despite their AI problems however they seem to have eagle eye vision when it comes to accuracy with guns (which makes for a good challenge!)
OVERALL ... 93% (9.3 / A)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a product of its sums. Individually each part of the game, from the shooter, to the stealth to the social aspects 'could have' been done better. Instead each element was created specifically to balance the other and what you end up with is a game that has multiple play-styles, gameplay which caters to the needs of the player, immerse storyline and environment, and a wide variety of methods to tackle the problem; so much so alternative play-throughs are a must! DX: HR has technical issues, but when a single game can easily surpass 25-30hrs and contain such variety, a few problems might slip through the cracks or be inevitable.
In the end, we have a beautiful game that will keep you glued to your PC, 360 or PS3.
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