Your limbless worries are over!
I jumped on the Dues Ex: Human Revolution hype-band-wagon impulsively. Having never played any of the previous titles in the series I got a little rush dramatically clicking the purchase button on Steam (had Valve's little distribution platform not saved my credit card there's a good chance I wouldn't be writing this right now). I live on the edge, just like you decisively can as Adam Jensen in Eidos Montreal's cyber-punk inspired world set in 2027.
Naturally, the tables feel turned as I write this. There's a better chance you, the reader, have more experience with the Deus Ex series. If not, by golly, you're in luck! The game is set 16 years in the future where biomechanics have progressed in medicine to augment the human body. Human Revolution is set 25 years before the original Deus Ex where nanotechnological augmentations were at the forefront. The conflict in the crisp story line is magnetized between the leading company that specializes in augmentations, Sarif Industries, and "purists" opposed to human augmentation. Without spoiling anything (since it seems apparent from trailers circulating the 'net), Jensen slowly exposes a conspiracy in midst of all the conflict.
Playing through Human Revolutions is like virtually guiding the protagonist of sci-fi novel. And it's presented incredibly well: voice-acting covers all of the characters, investigating side-quests and digging deeper into the surroundings strengthens the story, and optional dialog responses keep it fresh.
At times beginning a side-quest felt like a chore since they're side bars to the main objective at hand, but once you get your hands dirty in them it's usually rewarding.
While this is a first-person shooter, it's also a RPG in that XP is gaining by completing tasks, killing enemies, etc. It's a genre that we've seen more of lately, yet Human Revolution found niches to remain uniquely engaging in the market.
The game focuses on various "pillars of gameplay" including: "combat," "stealth," "hacking," and "social." These gameplay types can be switched between whenever players please. This is done by placing points into Jensen's augmented tech tree as the player levels. This format gives the player the ability to craft their own methods of play as they see fit.
Visually, I have no complaints. Most of the environment isn't just backdrop, it's rendered nicely to interact with. While the cities are nasty slums, the art direction makes it believable. There's an Italian Renaissance feel to much of the design from character wardrobe to architecture.
As a newcomer to the series it isn't difficult for me to recommend this to anyone that's willing to dish out the cash for a new game. The story is engaging, and it looks and plays great. Can't ask for much more.
