In others, it stumbles and contradicts itself. In some moments, it shines clearly, through a passionate speech from an NPC or the increasing militarization of the police force throughout the length of the game. There’s a tepid balance of introspection and ignorance that Mankind Divided teeters on. If the game’s marketing using terms like “Augs Lives Matter” made you wary, those concerns won’t be quieted by the game itself. Just outside Prague is Golem City, a clever name for a ghetto built to contain certain Augs-those disruptive, unbending, or simply passing by the wrong officer on the wrong day.
Trains are segregated, citizens harassed, housing limited. Most of your time in Mankind Divided will be set in Prague, the first city to implement “anti-Aug” legislation. The other focal point is the tension between the Augmented and “naturals.” After the events of Human Revolution, now referred to as The Incident, the world progressed rapidly towards segregation and xenophobia. This is one focal point: the men who lurk in shadows, who pull the strings, the Real Evil of this world. A visual cut to a group of men in a room, plotting a course for the world and acting as the invisible hand that shifts Atlas’ posture beneath the Earth when it so chooses. A mysterious third party gets involved, and a conspiracy is born. He’s a lone operative, a specialist called on for the most sensitive tasks, able to cut through the bureaucracy and get results. The game opens in medias res, with stoic protagonist Adam Jensen about to drop into a high-tension mission in a foreign land.
In so many ways, Mankind Divided seeks to fill the quota of Deus Ex proper. Throughout my time with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, I couldn’t help but think back on Patrick Lindsey’s statement that sequels should be interpretive rather than mimetic endeavors. The whole of Mankind Divided is a truncated version of the series, an entertaining romp instead of an introspective experience. It foresaw the rise of the Patriot Act, the growth of constitutional liberalism and the repercussions of a state turned to paranoia.ĭeus Ex: Mankind Divided is the serialization of these concepts, a game willing to evoke contention without a desire to act on it. The original 2000 game was a milestone for many, and spoke in a manner that still resonates today. Whatever you may believe about the central conflict of the game, and whether or not this is deserved.Deus Ex has rarely shied away from controversy. A powerful enough deterrent, perhaps.to ensure that you stay in your line. It's a tangible punishment communicated through a lack of interaction. It goes on for far longer than it feels like it should. Upon reaching your destination, however, you will be confronted by an officer of the law-and held up while they check your paperwork until they feel you've been suitably chastised. You can disobey this suggestion, and use any part of the train you want! You can stroll through the far more convenient and clean portion of the subway reserved for 'naturals', and use touchscreens to board their reserved cars. When pointing you towards a mission objective, your HUD will direct you to use the aug section of the subway, causing you to pass through narrow entrances clogged with passengers being screened, mandatory document checkpoints and fences of chain and barbed wire as you go. Referencing its title, the game world is split between the 'naturals' and 'augs'.
Mankind Divided directly uses this line of thought to reinforce its theme. Taking damage in a game which allows you to regenerate health forces you to take cover, temporarily putting you out of the fight. Cutscenes pause the action, or can just be seen as boring, causing many players to demand ways to skip them (opens in new tab). 'Game Over' screens are an example of such an interruption, and can set back your progress to boot. In games and game culture, the interruption of flow is treated as the greatest consequence players can face. The fence between the aug and 'naturals' portion of the subway.