Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a 2011 action role-playing game created by Eidos-Montréal and released by Square Enix’s European branch. It was first available for Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 in August 2011. A version for OS X was released in April 2012, and a "director’s cut" version came out in October 2013 for the original platforms and Wii U. This is the third game in the Deus Ex series. The gameplay mixes first-person shooting, stealth, and role-playing elements. Players explore connected city-based environments, complete quests that earn experience points, and use items called Praxis Kits to customize the main character’s abilities. Conversations with characters offer multiple choices, and these choices can change how events unfold in the story.
Set in the year 2027—25 years before the original Deus Ex (2000)—players control Adam Jensen, a security officer for Sarif Industries, a company that creates controversial artificial organs called "augmentations." After an attack on Sarif, Jensen receives advanced augmentations and investigates the secret group behind the attack. The story explores themes like transhumanism (using technology to enhance human abilities) and the influence of powerful corporations on society. It also continues the series’ cyberpunk setting and focus on conspiracy theories.
Development of Human Revolution began in 2007 with a small team at Eidos-Montréal after earlier attempts to make a sequel failed. Key influences included the myth of Icarus (a theme from earlier games in the series) and Renaissance art, which shaped the game’s story, visuals, and music. The open-ended gameplay was challenging to create, and some boss battles were made by another developer due to time limits. The music, composed by Michael McCann, focused on ambient sounds and layered compositions rather than traditional melodies. The game was announced in 2007 and its title and release date were shared in 2010.
Human Revolution was praised for its flexible story, gameplay, and character customization options. Some critics noted issues with boss fights and technical problems. The director’s cut version improved gameplay and received positive reviews. A downloadable episode called The Missing Link was later released, offering updated graphics and gameplay, and was later bundled with the director’s cut. By November 2011, the original version had sold 2.18 million copies. The game was followed by a spin-off, The Fall (2013), and a direct sequel, Mankind Divided (2016).
Gameplay
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is an action role-playing game that combines first-person shooter and stealth gameplay. Players control Adam Jensen, a character with mechanical cybernetic implants called augmentations. The game includes open world areas and more structured environments that are explored from a first-person perspective. However, certain actions, like hiding behind cover, talking to non-playable characters (NPCs), and some attack animations, switch to a third-person view. Within these environments, NPCs help players complete the main story and optional side quests. Completing quests and engaging in combat with enemies earns Adam experience points, which increase his experience level. Players can also purchase equipment and weapons from black market vendors using Credits, the game’s currency. Interactive objects in the environment can be highlighted, but these features may be disabled on the hardest difficulty or turned off through the game’s settings.
Players have multiple ways to approach challenges. They can use a direct approach, shooting enemies while using cover to avoid damage. Alternatively, Adam can use stealth, avoiding or knocking out guards and security systems while staying hidden behind cover. Adam can move between cover and around corners without being seen. The melee takedown system allows players to choose between lethal and non-lethal options, as well as use various weapons. Adam can also move enemy bodies into hiding spots to avoid detection and prevent alarms. Augmentations, which are upgrades to Adam’s abilities, can be obtained and improved using Praxis Kits. These kits can be purchased from vendors, found in the game world, or automatically unlocked by leveling up. Higher-level augmentations require more Praxis Kits to unlock. Augmentations can provide passive benefits, such as improved vision or damage resistance, or active abilities, like falling from great heights without injury or increased strength. Some augmentations depend on Adam’s energy level and stop working when energy is depleted.
Throughout the game, Adam interacts with NPCs to complete quests. During conversations, Adam has three options to choose from, and these choices affect the story’s outcome. Selecting the correct option helps achieve goals, while choosing incorrectly may block certain paths and require alternative solutions. A "Social" augmentation helps Adam better understand NPCs’ expressions and psychological traits, increasing the chance of choosing the right dialogue option. In the game world, Adam finds terminals and computers that can be accessed with passwords or by hacking. When hacking, a screen appears showing the steps needed to bypass a device’s security system. Players must open "directory" nodes to reach the registry. Each node has a difficulty rating that affects how easy it is to access. Devices vary in difficulty, which limits how many times hacking can be attempted. Each hacking attempt triggers a Diagnostic Sub-Routine, which tries to stop the hack and sets a time limit once it detects the attempt. Players can use special tools or items to extend the time, such as software that stops or captures nodes or strengthens captured nodes to increase the time limit. Successful hacks reward players with experience points, Credits, and sometimes extra items.
Synopsis
Human Revolution takes place in the year 2027, 25 years before the original Deus Ex. The Deus Ex series is set in a future where secret groups and conspiracies are common. One of these groups is the Illuminati. Before Human Revolution, society made progress in fighting global warming, curing diseases, and improving green energy. At the same time, large companies became more powerful than governments, and private military groups grew stronger than official armies. Advances in biotechnology and cybernetics led to the creation of "augmentations"—advanced artificial organs that improve human abilities. This technology created a new social divide: people with augmentations became a privileged class, while others without them formed the majority of the lower class. Augmentations require taking Neuropozyne, a limited and expensive drug that prevents the body from rejecting the technology. By the time of Human Revolution, society is split between "augs," people who use augmentations, and ordinary humans who cannot or will not use them. Tensions between these groups lead to open conflict.
The main character is Adam Jensen, who comes from a simple background in Detroit. He worked with the local SWAT team until he refused an order and was fired. Later, he becomes a security manager at Sarif Industries, a company leading in augmentation technology. A coworker is Megan Reed, a scientist and Adam’s former girlfriend. His employer is David Sarif, the company’s CEO, who saves Adam after he is severely injured early in the game. Adam meets many important people during his missions in Detroit, Montreal, and the Chinese city of Hengsha. These include Faridah Malik, Sarif’s pilot; Frank Pritchard, a systems engineer; Eliza Cassan, a media personality; William Taggart, founder of the anti-augmentation group Humanity Front; Hugh Darrow, who created augmentation technology but cannot use it himself; Zhao Yun Ru, CEO of the Tai Yong Medical company; and the Tyrants, a group of mercenaries.
While the main story of Human Revolution follows a specific path, players can make choices that affect different parts of the game. This summary focuses on the main story that all players experience.
As Sarif Industries was about to announce a way to stop needing Neuropozyne, the company was attacked by augmented terrorists called the Tyrants. Megan Reed and other scientists are believed to have died in the attack, and Jensen is severely injured. Sarif saves Jensen by giving him advanced augmentations. Six months later, Jensen is called to investigate another attack by anti-augmentation radicals. He finds an augmented terrorist trying to steal information but is killed before he can capture him. Pritchard traces the hacker’s signal to an abandoned factory in Highland Park. Jensen discovers the Tyrants guarding a FEMA detention camp but finds they are leaving after a failed raid. He defeats one of the mercenaries, who tells him to go to Hengsha before dying.
In Hengsha, Jensen meets Arie van Bruggen, the original hacker, who is hiding with a local leader named Tong Si Hung. Van Bruggen directs Jensen to Tai Yong Medical, the largest augmentation company and Sarif’s main competitor. Inside Tai Yong, Jensen finds proof that Zhao Yun Ru and Eliza Cassan are involved with the Tyrants, and that Megan and the scientists are alive. Zhao reveals he is working with a secret group controlling global interests. Later, Jensen finds Eliza in Montreal, where she is revealed to be an artificial intelligence designed to influence the media. After defeating her controller, Eliza helps Jensen and provides evidence linking Isaias Sandoval, an aide to William Taggart, to the conspiracy.
Back in Detroit, Sarif admits the Illuminati are behind the conspiracy, trying to stop Sarif’s progress and keep their power. Jensen infiltrates a Humanity Front rally and finds Sandoval’s location. Sandoval admits to kidnapping the scientists and gives Jensen a clue to find them. Jensen also meets Hugh Darrow, who is working to stop global warming using the Panchaea Facility in the Arctic. Returning to Hengsha to follow a tracking beacon, Jensen is attacked by Belltower, a private security company. He and other augmented people begin experiencing glitches in their biochips. The beacon leads to Tong Si Hung, who now has a dead Sarif scientist’s arm. With Tong’s help, Jensen hides in a stasis pod and wakes up in a secret base in Singapore.
While helping the scientists escape, Jensen learns the biochip malfunctions were planned to distribute a new biochip that controls augmented humans. He and the scientists create a distraction, allowing Jensen to enter the facility’s secret bunker. After defeating the Tyrant leader, Jensen confronts Megan, who admits her research was based on his DNA. She was kidnapped for it and reveals Darrow is also working with the Illuminati. Moments later, Darrow sends
Development
The original Deus Ex and its sequel Invisible War were created by Ion Storm, with varying contributions from Warren Spector, the series creator and co-founder of the studio, and Harvey Smith, a designer. After Invisible War was released, several attempts were made to develop a sequel, even after Spector left the company. Two main projects were planned: Deus Ex: Insurrection, which used the same game engine as Invisible War but changed some controversial mechanics, and Deus Ex 3, which aimed to be an open-world game with a story that had multiple paths. A failed attempt, meant to be the fourth Deus Ex project after Insurrection, led to the creation of Project Snowblind. Development on Deus Ex 3 was stopped in 2005 when the studio’s owner, Eidos Interactive, closed the company due to staff leaving and financial problems.
Work on Human Revolution began in early 2007, shortly after Eidos-Montréal was founded. The team was small at first, including producer David Anfossi, director Jean-François Dugas, senior designer François Lapikas, and art director Jonathan Jacques-Belletête. Early work focused on research and brainstorming to create the game’s basic ideas. One early goal was to bring key staff on board early to ensure the project’s success. The team studied the first two Deus Ex games to understand what worked and what needed improvement. They decided to keep the series’ core values, even though Human Revolution was a new start for the series. When they presented their plans to Eidos management, the project was approved after two days of review. All main staff were new to the Deus Ex series, which made development challenging. During early design, the team tested ideas and removed elements that might not fit or make the game too large. The hardest time was the first two years, described as creating a detailed part of the game to test before expanding it fully.
Human Revolution was planned for consoles and Microsoft Windows. Dugas insisted the PC version would not be a copy of the console versions, so both needed to feel similar in gameplay. Full-motion cutscenes were created by Eidos-Montréal, Square Enix’s Visual Works, and Goldtooth Creative. Goldtooth made early designs, and Visual Works handled the animation. Visual Works had been involved since 2009, after Square Enix bought Eidos. Due to time limits, the team had to drop real-time cutscenes and split the work across multiple studios. The game used the Crystal Engine, developed by Crystal Dynamics for their next Tomb Raider game. However, the engine was not suitable for the team’s needs, so Eidos-Montréal modified it with new tools.
Lapikas, the lead designer, was responsible for many game features, including the cover system, augmentations, conversations, hacking, combat and stealth AI, interactive objects, and balancing. The team focused on four main gameplay areas: "Combat," "Stealth," "Hacking," and "Social." While most gameplay was in first-person, the camera switched to third-person during specific actions to help players connect with the character, Adam. Augmentations allowed players to customize Adam’s abilities and appearance.
For combat, the team used ideas from games like Rainbow Six: Vegas for cover systems, F.E.A.R. for AI, BioShock for weapon design, Call of Duty for regenerating health, and Resident Evil 4 for inventory and actions. Regenerating health was controversial among fans. Combat included enemies like humans, augmented humans, and robots. Stealth was inspired by Metal Gear Solid and The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. Hacking was based on the tabletop game Shadowrun and required players to analyze environments. Social interactions followed a risk-reward system similar to other gameplay styles.
Boss battles were initially planned to be created by the team, inspired by Metal Gear Solid. However, as the story and gameplay took priority, boss battles became less important. The team outsourced this work to Grip Entertainment, who used the game’s engine to create battles that fit the game’s style.
The script for Human Revolution was written by Mary DeMarle, the narrative director and main writer. She worked with others to ensure the story was shown through environments, dialogue, and player choices. Sheldon Pacotti, the main writer for the first two Deus Ex games, was a story consultant.
Release
A third game in the Deus Ex series was being made by Eidos-Montréal in May 2007, as stated by Eidos France director Patrick Melchior during an interview on MusiquePlus. At that time, Eidos did not share details about the story. In November, Eidos-Montréal project manager Stéphane D'Astous confirmed the game was being developed, saying concept approval had just been given. A short teaser video was released on November 26, 2007. The game’s name, details, and original release date were announced at the 2010 Game Developers Conference. Square Enix published the game worldwide. Originally planned for 2010, the release was moved to after April of the next year to improve the gameplay. The game was released for PlayStation 3 (PS3), Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows computers. Gameplay was the same on all platforms, except for control methods. Eidos initially planned to make the PC version region locked because of DVD limits that required splitting the game’s languages. However, this plan was changed after public feedback.
The PC version was made by Nixxes Software, who also worked on other Eidos projects, such as the PC version of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. Eidos chose to outsource the PC version because their team could not handle the three different platform versions. Nixxes was selected because they had already worked on the project, were trusted developers, and understood the game’s engine well. The teams worked closely together, using the same code to keep the PC and console versions as similar as possible in content and graphics. To improve the PC version, Nixxes created a special tool called a DirectX 11 renderer, which allowed better graphics, such as added details and extra anti-aliasing options. Controls and the on-screen display were adjusted for computer keyboards. Some people had mixed feelings about outsourcing the PC version, but the teams worked harder to ensure quality. Additional help came from Advanced Micro Devices. The game was also made for Apple’s OS X platform, handled by Feral Interactive, who had previously ported games like BioShock and Max Payne to the same platform.
The game was released in August 2011 in major Western regions: North America on August 23, Australia on August 25, and Europe on August 26. Special editions with extra content were released in North America and Europe. The "Explosive Mission Pack" included a mission about a main character, new weapons, and equipment. The "Augmented Edition" added more content from the mission pack and in-game rewards. The European version had a few more items than the North American version. A separate pack included codes for Team Fortress 2 themed items for pre-orders on Steam. The OS X version, called the "Ultimate Edition," was released on April 26, 2012, and included all pre-order content and previous downloadable content (DLC). A problem occurred when GameStop removed free access to the game on OnLive from the original packaging, claiming it promoted a competitor. As an apology, GameStop gave $50 gift cards to customers who bought the PC version before August 26 and brought the issue to staff.
The game was released in Japan for PS3 and Xbox 360, including all pre-order content. The PS3 version also had English voice acting. The subtitle was removed in Japan, and the game was released as "Deus Ex." It received a "Z" rating from Japan’s CERO board, similar to the North American "Adults Only" rating, but some violent and suggestive content was edited to meet Japanese law. Originally planned to release with Bandai Namco’s Tales of Xillia, the game was moved to the next month after CERO requested more edits. It was finally released on October 20.
A DLC episode called "The Missing Link" was released digitally in October 2011 for Steam, Xbox Live, and PlayStation Network. It was also released in Japan later for console versions. The story takes place during a key event in the game, where the main character, Adam, is captured and must escape a ship and a Belltower base.
Plans for DLC were first announced in August 2010, as an extension of the game. Developers did not originally plan for DLC but started working on it later in production. Development was slow because the main focus was on the main game. For "The Missing Link," the team improved lighting, gameplay, and character animations. The DLC was made entirely by Eidos-Montréal, allowing them to create a boss fight with multiple solutions, which they could not do in the main game.
A director’s version of the game, called "Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Director’s Cut," was announced in April 2013. It was co-produced by Eidos-Montréal, Australian developer Straight Right, and Canada-based Snowed In Studios. Originally planned for the Wii U, it was later released on the original platforms as well. Major changes included new strategies for non-lethal boss fights, improved enemy AI, and better lighting. These changes were based on lessons from "The Missing Link." The Wii U version was more expensive because of added features. Console versions included a second screen option: the Wii U GamePad, PlayStation Vita, or Xbox SmartGlass. This feature was intended to make the game easier to play and to recreate the feel of the 2010 CGI trailer. The decision to release the director’s cut on multiple platforms came from fan requests. The director’s cut included all extra content, such as added equipment and the DLC episode "The Missing Link," which was incorporated into the main game.
Reception
The game received strong praise from critics when it was first released. A review site called Metacritic gave the game a score of 90 out of 100 for PC, and 89 out of 100 for PS3 and Xbox 360. These scores were based on 52, 50, and 70 reviews from critics, respectively. The Director's Cut version also received mostly positive feedback: Metacritic gave the Wii U version a score of 88 out of 100 and the PC version a score of 91 out of 100, based on 30 and 4 reviews, respectively.
Tom Bramwell from Eurogamer said the story worked well with the game’s mechanics and praised the side quests for helping players understand the world better. He compared the dialogue and character interactions to a boxing match. Andrew Reiner from Game Informer called the story and world "very interesting," but said some game mechanics were frustrating. Kevin VanOrd from GameSpot praised the story’s style and how it explored modern topics. Arthur Gies from IGN said the story stayed strong even though some parts of the writing were awkward. Tom Francis from PC Gamer did not focus much on the story but noted the game’s large scale and detailed environments. Mike Channell from Official Xbox Magazine called the game one of the most well-written games for the console, praising the main story and side quests even though some supporting characters’ stories were incomplete. Famitsu noted that the game gave players many choices, and they liked how the conversation options were presented.
Bramwell liked the overall gameplay, especially the hacking feature, but said the game’s limitations were noticeable because of its high quality. Reiner enjoyed the general experience but found the enemy AI and balancing issues to be problems. VanOrd praised the freedom of choice and the amount of time players could spend in the game but said weak enemy AI distracted from the experience. Gies praised the number of choices players had and said the stealth and action gameplay were both strong. Francis compared the number of options to the original Deus Ex game, noted that hacking was more interactive than earlier Deus Ex games, and enjoyed both the action and stealth gameplay. Channell said pre-augmentation combat was "clumsy" but generally liked how combat improved and focused on stealth and conversation. Famitsu was very positive about the gameplay, saying it combined role-playing and first-person shooter genres well, and praised character customization and enemy AI. Many critics criticized the boss battles, saying they were either poorly done or did not match the rest of the game.
Bramwell liked the level design but said some interior environments felt repetitive. Reiner said Jensen’s voice actor was not expressive and the facial animations looked "robotic," but praised the soundtrack even though it was similar to Mass Effect’s music. He also liked the world design. VanOrd praised the visuals but said the facial animations looked outdated and noted long load times as technical issues. Gies praised the game’s art style and music but also mentioned technical problems and criticized the voice acting. Francis called the mission environments "gorgeous." Channell praised the visuals and said the voice acting was "impeccable."
In his review of the Director’s Cut, Brian Albert from IGN said there were some inconsistencies in enemy behavior but shared many of his praises from the original version, adding that the Director’s Cut had improved gameplay mechanics and better boss battles. VanOrd from GameSpot again noted outdated facial animations and poor AI but generally praised other aspects of the Director’s Cut, especially the improved boss battles. Bramwell from Eurogamer praised the revamped boss battles and the added content, such as The Missing Link, which did not work well on its own. He also repeated his praise for the original game. Michael Gapper from Official Nintendo Magazine said all the changes in the Director’s Cut improved the game, praising its gameplay balance, freedom of choice, and new features.
At the 15th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Human Revolution for "Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance" (Adam Jensen).
When the game was released in North America, it became the top-selling video game in August, even though it came out later in the month. It stayed in the top ten bestselling games in September, dropping to sixth place. In the United Kingdom, the game debuted at number one in the all-format game software charts, excluding digital sales. Most sales were on Xbox 360, with 57% of sales. PS3 accounted for 31%, and PC accounted for 13%. The game sold nearly one million units in its first week, which was only 26,000 units away from the total sales of Invisible War. It was the second bestselling game of the month, behind Zumba Fitness. In the following weeks, it remained in the top ten bestselling games in the UK: it stayed at number one in the second week despite a 47% drop in sales, and by late September, it dropped to fifth place. It was the UK’s 21st bestselling game of 2011.
By November 2011, Human Revolution had sold 2.18 million copies in North America and Europe: 800,000 in North America and 1.38 million in Europe. The strong sales helped publisher Square Enix earn three times its expected profits for the April–September period, which the company called a "favorable result." By May 2022, Human Revolution (including the Director’s Cut) and Mankind Divided had sold a combined 12 million units.
Sequels
After the release of Human Revolution, a mobile version of the game, Deus Ex: The Fall was created by N-Fusion Interactive. The Fall continues the story from Icarus Effect, focusing on the later experiences of characters Saxon and Kelso. It was released in July 2013 for iOS devices and in 2014 for Android and PC. In 2013, a new game in the series was announced to be in development, along with the release date for the Director's Cut. The game, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, is a direct follow-up to Human Revolution, set two years after Adam destroyed Panchea in a world where augmentation technology is rejected, and people who have it are separated. It was released in August 2016. Mankind Divided is part of a larger project called the "Deus Ex Universe," which includes games and other media to expand the series' world.