Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ANNOUNCED

[Lex]

loool

Been playing for a bit. Actually, I've spent an alarming number of hours on it without really progressing any main story missions, I've just been exploring. Which I suppose is a good thing. It does feel like a better version of Human Revolution, which is nice. But it's missing the atmosphere that game had (so far). Everything's a little overwhelming, but I'm kinda into the swing of it so far.

So I love it, but I'm still getting used to it.

 

[Mayo Master]

Been playing for a bit, and enjoying it so far, although still in the process of "getting used to stuff". I had forgotten about how much it has the feel of a "detective game". I also feel like I have been spending most of my time in "unproductive search for the right clue or the right air vent", taking 3 hours to figure how to infiltrate a place and then do the actual infiltration in 15 minutes.
I like the story and the atmosphere, and I've enjoyed how some of the quests could be solved (how I solved the issue of Drahomir's checkpoint was very long, but really satisfying in the end, for instance).
I'm about to begin exploring Golem City now.

 

[Lex]

I like the story and the atmosphere, and I've enjoyed how some of the quests could be solved (how I solved the issue of Drahomir's checkpoint was very long, but really satisfying in the end, for instance).

Ha, same.

I spent an hour today trying to kill two flying turrets to save a random named NPC. I'll admit, I'm being very save/reloady. It's taking me a long time to get anywhere because I want to play it like I played Human Revolution: explore every inch without killing anyone. I do ghost/ stealth combat (don't get seen while knocking out (not killing) as many people as possible). As soon as they start shooting I reset XD.

 

[Mayo Master]

I spent an hour today trying to kill two flying turrets to save a random named NPC. I'll admit, I'm being very save/reloady. It's taking me a long time to get anywhere because I want to play it like I played Human Revolution: explore every inch without killing anyone. I do ghost/ stealth combat (don't get seen while knocking out (not killing) as many people as possible). As soon as they start shooting I reset XD.

Man, I'm very much guilty of that as well.
I'm not quite following the "pacifist hard line" this time (if some criminal bastard shoots first, I'll have no scruples about going lethal), but I'm going non-lethal more than 95% of the time.

Spoiler: However...

Something I found odd: I had played the "Claiming Jurisdiction" mission (the one about retrieving evidence from Smiley while the perimeter had been taken over by the state police) - I didn't go entirely unnoticed but all my take-downs were non-lethal. And then, people kept reporting that my actions had led to "a bloodbath". WTF?

Spoiler: Back from Golem City

I love how horrible this place looked, conveying that feeling of this futuristic dystopian slum. Btw I was so proud of how I had managed to lead my discussion with Talos Rucker to a non-violent outcome, that having him killed built a feeling of frustration that was impressively genuine. That was actually neat.

 

[Random Nobody]

....Malik isn't coming back.

 

[Lex]

There's at least a note from her in Jensen's apartment.

 

[Lex]

So I've clocked quite a few hours in this now (must be somewhere around 15 at this point) and now that I'm into the swing of things I officially love the game so far. Still haven't really progressed much of the main story, I'm just trying to get enough money to go back and buy the praxis kits from the first area. I achieve this by looting apartments and progressing the odd side quest here and there.

The side quests are plentiful and interesting. I was waiting for that moment where I felt like I was "in" the world again, and it happened earlier when I was reading random emails in an apartment. The attention to detail in small things like this is astounding.

I'm still finding the sheer size of the Prague hub overwhelming. I feel like I did everything in the first area and moved on to another to progress quests, but this area is like three times the size and the amount you can do is just insane. Detroit from Human Revolution is about 1/6th the size of this. And that's me saying that having only visited two parts of prague.

So loving it. Hopefully going to make a bit of progress today.

 

[Mayo Master]

Spoiler: Just finished the game...

It was great, but... short! After I saved the day in London, I was expecting some kind of "mid-game" respite, and then I see "you've unlocked New Game +" What a pity...
I did enjoy what I've played though, but I can't shake the feeling of having completed the equivalent of "half a game". I guess I have that frustration because you don't get to visit many locations beside Prague, whereas Human Revolution had you travel to places more.
Then went to play the "Desperate measures" side-mission (it felt like it was a playable demo I had not followed the promotion of the game), wrapped it up under half an hour.
Would have liked MOAR Adam Jensen

 

[Lex]

^I'll read that when I finish it. Which won't be for a few days at least

I've just turned it off at the decision between

Spoiler

Allison or the bank mission. I'm really not sure which one to go for. I know they're going to have a significant impact and I think I want to try Allison since I already looted a big portion of the bank on a previous side mission, but re: story implications I'm really unsure

.

argh i hate decisions

 

[Mayo Master]

^ Let me know what decision you've taken, I'm curious.

Spoiler: My own choice...

was to pull the heist at the bank, maybe because it seemed easier (as you said, a sidequest has you deal with the bank security) and I had little sympathy for the person I suspected to have bombed the station. I later managed to convince Miller that my actions made sense, at least. This decision didn't seem to have too much impact on later aspects of the game though.

 

[Lex]

^I'm leaning toward that one now because it's kind of an allegiance thing? Idk, I'll make the decision when I finish work today XD.

 

[Lex]

finished

That feel when you finish the game and get Pacifist on your first run but not Foxiest of the Hounds even though you checked and never even got the alarm tutorial and were really careful with saves

But anyway that's irrelevant, because the game is excellent and well worth another playthrough or ten. Overall took me a lot longer to feel like I was "in the world" again compared to Human Revolution. Something about HR's atmosphere just sucked me right in, MD took a lot longer but still managed it. Definitely up there along with Uncharted 4 as my personal GOTY, but in fairness it doesn't have much competition in terms of the games I actually like to play (yet; the next few months should be interesting).

All in all, I'd recommend. I enjoyed being Adam again. I just kinda wish

Spoiler

the story had been a bit more personal - Malik gets a tiny easter egg which was nice but I'd have liked to have seen her. Then there's Megan. I was waiting for her to be the villain tbh. Actually I was willing that to happen after she was first mentioned (handwaved away, I should say), that would have been neat.

Re: mission choice,

Spoiler

I did the bank and having now read both options I can never imagine not doing the bank, since you can save everyone with that option. I'll definitely try the Allison mission next playthrough, but I'll likely reload to do the bank because I'm weird like that.

Re: the ending,

Spoiler

I avoid spoilers but I was spoiled on the "sequel-bait" aspect and I find myself not really caring. Yes some things are left unresolved, but I feel like as long as they resolve these things in one FINAL Adam Jensen game, I'm good with that.

I have more thoughts but I'm tired and have post-good-game blues.

 

[Hisako]

Fuck this motherfucking game didn't give me Foxiest of the Hounds again fuck

fuckkkk

 

[Lex]

^ Let me know what decision you've taken, I'm curious.

Spoiler: My own choice...

was to pull the heist at the bank, maybe because it seemed easier (as you said, a sidequest has you deal with the bank security) and I had little sympathy for the person I suspected to have bombed the station. I later managed to convince Miller that my actions made sense, at least. This decision didn't seem to have too much impact on later aspects of the game though.

Actually which one you choose has a pretty big impact.

Spoiler

Going with Allison gets you more time to get to Marchenko in the final mission, but Miller dies. Going with the bank gets you the antidote to Orchid, which saves Miller and if you're slow getting to the people, lets you save them anyway (because time-wise if you take too long to get to the delegates, they can be in three states - 1. haven't drunk the poison yet, 2. have drunk it, or 3. have died from it. If you have the antidote you can save them if you don't get to them before they drink.)

The final "choice" is time based, so you can do both (that's what I did). You have to be really quite fast to have done the bank mission, save Miller, choose to save the delegates, then get to Marchenko before he triggers the bomb, but it's doable. I even did it all full stealth/ pacifist, so it's not that hard.

So doing the Allison mission essentially gives you more time to do "all of the above", but you can't get the antidote without choosing to do the bank mission so you can't save Miller. Therefore the best choice is always the bank mission, IMO. If the best possible ending is keeping Miller alive, saving the delegates and stopping Marchenko from setting off the bomb.

 

[Mayo Master]

^uh. I didn't know all that. Thanks for the details.

Spoiler: I was satisfied with my own ending though

I did the bank job, then once in London I went first for Marchenko, then I was unable to save Miller and I arrived after the delegates had drunk the poison, but in time to give them the antidote

.

Spoiler: Part of my issue with the ending...

... is that it indeed begs for a sequel, but honestly I have no idea of how long it's going to be till the next episode. I'm not liking the idea of having to wait 6 years - the time between HR and MD releases - to continue this story. If we had some guarantee that the sequel would come within 2 years, I'd be fine though

.

Spoiler: one other detail I enjoyed

I was sort of befriending the psychologist during the game, and then in the conversation I ticked when she referred to Joseph Manderley as "Joe" - I was thinking "oh, shit, now I know whose camp you're in" - and clearly I had a "I knew it!" moment during the endgame reveal

 

[Joker]

Good to hear that I'll be having a good time with this.

re: Foxiest, there's apparently a ton of things that can blow your ability to get it, mostly involving things happening in other areas and certain quest outcomes and the like, even if it doesn't trigger a proper alarm (I found a bit about this on gamefaqs when I was looking for a list of available augs before I booted up the game)

 

[Lex]

^uh. I didn't know all that. Thanks for the details.

Spoiler: I was satisfied with my own ending though

I did the bank job, then once in London I went first for Marchenko, then I was unable to save Miller and I arrived after the delegates had drunk the poison, but in time to give them the antidote

.

Spoiler: Part of my issue with the ending...

... is that it indeed begs for a sequel, but honestly I have no idea of how long it's going to be till the next episode. I'm not liking the idea of having to wait 6 years - the time between HR and MD releases - to continue this story. If we had some guarantee that the sequel would come within 2 years, I'd be fine though

.

Spoiler: one other detail I enjoyed

I was sort of befriending the psychologist during the game, and then in the conversation I ticked when she referred to Joseph Manderley as "Joe" - I was thinking "oh, shit, now I know whose camp you're in" - and clearly I had a "I knew it!" moment during the endgame reveal

I was the same with her tbh, I clocked that too.

I think re: the next game, there are rumours abound that development began last year on the sequel so if I guessed I'd say 2-3 years isn't unreasonable.

 

[Flare]

This past week I've finally picked up this game again and am now fully into it and having fun. (Also what, it's been over a year since any post in here o__o)

Spoiler: Gameplay bits

Because I played the prologue and then stopped for a while, I spent the first couple days of playing it again relearning all the controls, at one point throwing a grenade into an empty shop because I pressed the wrong button
However now that I'm in the swing of things and know the controls, I really like it. There's a lot of ways to play the game, as usual, the latest mission I did I was having fun experimenting with throwing objects to draw individuals away from groups and then tranq them... and sometimes failing I also once did a surprise lethal takedown of someone (every other time it's been non-lethal because I'm nice like that ) and was slightly horrified at the way Jensen practically guts the person, it was so brutal like, damn dude

Spoiler: Game style

I suppose this is also 'gameplay' but I wanted to separate it because it's about more to do with stealth, violence, dialogue, etc. It seems to just advance on what HR did but makes it better and more, idk, seamless? Sometimes things seem really obvious (hey look a vent, that's convenient!).....until you realize the vent only let you bypass a couple dudes and there's still 5 in front of you. Or in some areas, like that bank in Prague, I spent a few hours trying to figure out how to sneak around in there AND IT WAS SO FUN, like, so much to be aware of and 1,578 ways in which you could screw up. AND YET it was possible to sneak in and out and I felt so accomplished for doing so.
Also the last mission I did (where you have to get to Talos Rucker), towards the end of that segment I did eventually just give a shootout a go. Still knocked some people out in a fight but I used some of my firepower, which can also be satisfying when you use the right ammo. I like how you can go through fast and with bullets blazing or be stealthy and merciful. As always, that's been a favorite thing of mine in any Deus Ex game.
I feel like the actual lethal combat has really improved in the games. The stealth too, I mean both are just a lot more immersive.
Still bothered by how easily Adam can die from a slightly long drop if he doesn't have the Icarus Landing aug activated

Also conversations that you can interact in seem even nicer than before. It follows a similar step process from HR (3-4 times where you can alter the direction of conversation to your favor or away from it), and I'd like to see that done a bit better in future Deus Ex games (assuming they continue the series ) Like, shake things up a bit so the formula doesn't stay the same. Granted I still feel like I'm in the beginning of the game so who knows what's to come yet!

Spoiler: Story and world

I've just got back to Prague from Golem City. The longer I'm in Prague, the more I like it. It's quite a huge place too, so I'm still learning my way around it. But it's got good atmosphere; Golem City was very claustrophobic, in multiple ways. Prague is more open, but still it has a underlying stress to it. People are tense. And then you get quiet moments like watching the water and it feels almost solemn and calm.

I hope there's a few more interesting and diverse locations to visit in the game though, the first game (and HR) takes you to a myriad of locales and I loved that. I want more of that!

So far, besides the names dropped right after the prologue, I've heard mention of Joseph Manderly and I'm like I want as many connections to the first game as possible, so the more, the better.

While the game world has a definite atmosphere, and the story so far is intriguing, it's not quite giving me enough of that 'Deus Ex' feel atm. Of course I'm comparing it to the original in this regard; at the same time I don't want my love for the original to color my appreciation and enjoyment for this game. Bottom line is I'm enjoying Mankind Divided and am eager to see where the story takes Jensen, how it all ends, how it connects more things in the overall story, etc.

As for a couple decisions I've made so far in the game... I made a deal with Otar and am planning on returning the 'favor' of him giving me that chip. Curious to see where this whole shebang goes. (had a hilarious moment earlier tonight of when I was trying to figure out how to take out that weapon dealer in Golem City.... ended up stepping into a restricted zone besides their shop and the police caught a glimpse, stormed the place, and shot him dead for me IT WAS AWESOME. And then they seemed to go after some other people so I just climbed the ladder again and continued with the main mission. I swear I didn't do it.

Also, the meeting with Talos... it was going really well until my last dialogue choice, made the wrong one and then he refuses to cooperate. He seemed to hit a button on his table... was that him calling for reinforcements? And then his augs malfunction and I'm like, well, shit, I think he just killed himself But then there's mention of poison which also makes sense.
But then that makes me consider that, I thought my dialogue choices killed him, yet I get the feeling he would've died in that room no matter your dialogue choices, which disappoints me if that's true.
I was hoping his death was a result of me 'screwing up' and would affect the story in ways that him staying alive wouldn't, etc. But, ah well.

I want to play more but I'm done for the night. There's so much to do in this game, holy hell

Edit: Also I love the music for this game <3 <3 Been listening to this for the past hour

Edit 2: I'm wondering if I'm going to see any strange mutated animal enemies in this game. Greasy green greasels, anyone?

 

[Flare]

Shit nooooooo I'm at a part in the game where I have to decide something and I'm agonizing over it WHAT DO I DOOOOOO

 

[Lex]

Remember there's a new game plus?

 

[Flare]

BUT THE FIRST TIME YOU DO IT IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT

Spoiler

I chose the bank.

 

[Cacti]

BUT THE FIRST TIME YOU DO IT IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT

Spoiler

I chose the bank.

Spoiler

I made the same choice, it felt like the more interesting choice out of the two. I mean who doesn't want to rob a bank right? right?

I did miss a few things there though, so I'm going to have to give it a thorough search next time I play through it!