Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

A great addition to the Deus Ex mythos, and more than just a better looking Human Revolution. If you’re a fan of the series, or even just the last one, then you can’t go wrong with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.

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In Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, you play as Adam Jensen, an augmented former police officer in a futuristic society torn apart by discrimination against mechanically-augmented humans. With cybernetic abilities and a range of weapons, Jensen must uncover a global conspiracy while navigating a world filled with intrigue and danger. This first-person RPG offers a deep exploration of themes like transhumanism and social justice, along with engaging gameplay and richly detailed environments.

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Reviews

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 15,396 reviews

story3,392 positive mentions

optimization533 negative mentions

story
13,248 mentions
26 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story of "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it feels incomplete and abruptly ends, leaving numerous plot threads unresolved. While the main narrative is considered less engaging than its predecessor, "Human Revolution," the side quests are often praised for their depth and connection to the game's themes, providing a richer experience for those who explore them. Overall, the game is recognized for its immersive world and gameplay mechanics, but the lack of a satisfying conclusion to Adam Jensen's story has left many fans disappointed.
- “The story is captivating, offering a depth of narrative and dialogue rarely seen in modern gaming.”
- “The side missions are well written and are often even better than the actual plot itself, and prague is a beautifully designed hub world that is filled with secrets to explore and discover.”
- “The story, while having holes, is still engaging, and the hub world is still fun to traverse and explore.”
- “Where the game falls flat, in my opinion, is probably its story.”
- “The story is the weakest part for a key reason; it was left too vague and too open-ended in the finale.”
- “The main story is a bit short and feels rushed at the end, but if you take the time to do all of the side stories, it's a pretty great game.”
gameplay
4,847 mentions
40 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided" is widely praised for its depth and variety, allowing players to approach missions through stealth, hacking, or direct combat, with many new augmentations enhancing the experience. While the game builds on the solid foundation of its predecessor, "Human Revolution," some players feel that the story is weaker and the ending is abrupt, leaving a sense of incompleteness. Overall, the gameplay mechanics are considered a significant improvement, offering a polished and engaging experience that rewards exploration and creativity.
- “The game has excellent varied gameplay, good graphics, very interesting side quests and gives you thoughts to think after finishing.”
- “Not only is this a rare case of a good modern immersive sim, but also a great entry in the Deus Ex franchise with enough connections to the original game and fun mechanics that will encourage repeated playthroughs to experience all its different playstyles.”
- “The gameplay is polished and tactile.”
- “Gameplay-wise, there isn't a whole lot of improvements over Human Revolution.”
- “The gameplay is so boring that I almost fall asleep during the cutscenes and during the gameplay I'm just waiting for the sequence to end.”
- “The gameplay is a rehashed version of the previous game and it feels more like a large DLC than a full game.”
graphics
2,886 mentions
45 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided" have received widespread praise for their stunning detail and immersive environments, particularly in the depiction of Prague. However, many players have reported performance issues, including frame rate drops and graphical glitches, especially when using higher settings or DirectX 12. Overall, while the game showcases impressive visuals, it often struggles with optimization, leading to a mixed reception regarding its graphical performance.
- “The graphics are stunning and the feeling of walking around in Prague is just very immersing and a bit terrifying with police checkpoints everywhere and police asking for papers etc given that they are oppressing people with augmentations.”
- “The graphics are absolutely gorgeous! The level of detail in all areas of the game was incredible.”
- “The graphics are much better, the gameplay has been properly polished and the soundtrack remains amazing.”
- “While the quality of the game's content is fine (e.g. environment, visuals, and sound), there are so many bizarre design choices made that you can neatly summarize the game experience as having taken one step forward in places and two steps backward in others.”
- “I experienced constant crashes and stutterings, even lowering the graphics, and figured out that the problem was not my GPU or CPU but the poor optimization of the game, especially in certain regions of Prague.”
- “The graphics are poorly optimized, and the game is prone to crashes.”
optimization
1,586 mentions
13 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
34 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided" has received significant criticism from users, with many reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, even on high-end systems. While some players have managed to achieve stable performance through various tweaks, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, particularly for NVIDIA graphics cards, leading to a frustrating experience for many. Despite the game's engaging story and visuals, the technical shortcomings have overshadowed its strengths, prompting recommendations to wait for further patches before purchasing.
- “Much more beautiful and more optimized than Human Revolution!”
- “Performance on modern hardware is smooth even on the highest settings.”
- “The game is very capable of producing excellent performance & graphics with the right settings.”
- “The game doesn't run well even with low settings; the optimization is trash tier, do not buy.”
- “Inefficient optimizations have led to severe frame drops, and the entire game is riddled with vicious bugs; this series is severely overrated.”
- “This game is poorly optimized to the point it's barely playable.”
monetization
1,292 mentions
5 % positive mentions
76 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided" has drawn significant criticism, primarily due to the inclusion of microtransactions in a full-priced single-player game. While many players report that these microtransactions are non-intrusive and can be ignored, they still feel that their presence is inappropriate and indicative of a cash-grab mentality from the publisher, Square Enix. Overall, the sentiment is mixed, with some players able to overlook the monetization while others find it a major detractor from the game's experience.
- “The microtransactions aren't really noticeable; you can get plenty of praxis just by playing however you like.”
- “If I wasn't told it had microtransactions, I wouldn't have known because you can simply ignore them.”
- “Despite the presence of microtransactions, the game is still enjoyable and doesn't require you to spend extra money to progress.”
- “The microtransactions, bad optimization, and the lackluster story are just a damn shame.”
- “Microtransactions in a single player game are just silly.”
- “The presence of nickel and dime microtransactions in a full price single player AAA game is all that's necessary for me to give this game a thumbs down.”
music
736 mentions
54 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric qualities and the return of composer Michael McCann, who delivers a soundtrack that enhances the game's cyberpunk setting. While some players find the music to be immersive and fitting, others feel it lacks the memorable impact of its predecessor, "Human Revolution," noting that it often blends into the background rather than standing out. Overall, the soundtrack is generally regarded as solid, though opinions vary on its distinctiveness and emotional resonance compared to earlier entries in the series.
- “The soundtrack is full of bangers and dynamically adapts to the situation.”
- “The music and sound design were fantastic as well, just like Human Revolution.”
- “The music is groundbreaking; I still get chills listening to the soundtrack, it's quite similar to the previous game and builds on the foundations of it.”
- “I have nothing to say, to be honest I'm not even sure there was any soundtrack given how inconspicuous it was.”
- “However, I don't know what happened with the game's music, but for whatever reason, it has nowhere near as much impact as Human Revolution's.”
- “The music is very forgettable most of the time; a few tracks stand out but nothing amazing.”
stability
674 mentions
8 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
91 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various graphical glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. While some players experienced minimal issues, many others described the game as a "buggy mess," with game-breaking bugs that prevent progress and require constant troubleshooting. Overall, the consensus is that the game remains unstable and poorly optimized, even years after its release.
- “The game runs great on modern hardware even with DX12.”
- “No glitches or bugs (playing in 2019), so they must have cleaned those up from the ones reported at launch.”
- “I stand by everything I said already, but now that NVIDIA MGPU is fully supported in DX12 I can say from a technical point of view the game is now completely baked - it runs great, looks great, and there are few glitches.”
- “This game is a buggy mess; I couldn't beat the game because I got soft locked out of the final boss fight.”
- “The amount of times this game gets stuck in infinite loading screens, freezes, or crashes is beyond belief.”
- “I would love to finish this game, but it constantly crashes and freezes.”
atmosphere
558 mentions
56 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided" is widely praised for its immersive and richly detailed cyberpunk setting, particularly the depiction of Prague, which feels alive and authentic. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to convey tension and societal struggles through its world-building, music, and visual design, creating a compelling backdrop for the narrative. While some players feel the atmosphere may not reach the heights of its predecessor, "Human Revolution," it still stands out as a significant strength of the game, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere the developers managed to set up is, in my opinion, really a work of art, capable of conveying the tension and ultimately the struggle of people who suddenly found themselves outcasts in a society that rejected their irreversible choice of augmenting their bodies.”
- “The game's attention to detail, architectural design, and atmospheric lighting create a rich and immersive environment that feels both futuristic and lived-in.”
- “Prague is a great setting with its mix of old-world architecture and the futuristic cyberpunk style that the series is known for; it's chock full of atmosphere and a total blast to explore.”
- “In general, there is no feeling of immersion in the world, there is no atmosphere.”
- “The cyberpunk atmosphere, while present, feels slightly diluted in Mankind Divided.”
- “Mankind Divided lacks the identity, characterization, and atmosphere of its predecessor while extending on its systems.”
replayability
259 mentions
37 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, with features like New Game+ and various difficulty levels that encourage multiple playthroughs. Players appreciate the diverse approaches to missions, allowing for different playstyles and outcomes, which enhances the overall experience. However, some reviews note that the replay value may not be as high as its predecessor, with certain choices having limited impact on the story.
- “This not only adds to the satisfaction but also significantly boosts the game's replay value through various approaches and character upgrades.”
- “The gameplay is fluid and consistent, the character abilities are well-balanced, the levels are well-designed with many paths and opportunities, the writing is strong, the pacing is consistent, the story is enticing, the art design is superb, the characters are memorable, and it all wraps up together into an enormously satisfying and replayable package.”
- “You have so many ways to achieve your objectives and so, the game offers a lot of replay value.”
- “Moreover, their replayability is basically zero, since the players' choices hardly have any impact on the story or other events in the world or memorable characters, only occasionally give you a few more allies in the playthrough at best.”
- “However, it doesn't have quite the same depth and replayability as its predecessor, and I feel like I'm more likely to simply put it behind me rather than revisit it once I've experienced the bulk of what the world has to offer.”
- “But because it insists on driving you through a story with limited forks, the replayability is lacking.”
grinding
133 mentions
2 % positive mentions
5 % neutral mentions
93 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being excessively tedious and repetitive, with many players expressing frustration over the time-consuming nature of side missions, fetch quests, and the slow-paced traversal between locations. While some players found enjoyment in the core gameplay mechanics, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding elements detract significantly from the overall experience, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging challenge.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The tl;dr of this review is that yes, there are a few controversies surrounding aspects of this game like one-use pre-order consumables, a separate tacked-on game mode that likely siphoned development time off the main game, and microtransactions which you really don't need as the game isn't grindy at all.”
- “It's way too long and tedious.”
- “This was such a slog to get through; these achievements are not difficult to complete, but they are time-consuming and extremely tedious; these will be the most annoying to obtain out of all of them.”
- “The missions, however, are rather tedious and almost all of them revolve around Adam Jensen just ping-ponging from one side of Prague to another repeated 20 times, and each time you'll have to go through the metro, aka fast-travel that isn't fast at all.”
emotional
120 mentions
82 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its ability to evoke strong feelings through its themes of humanity, corporate greed, and moral dilemmas, while others criticize the lack of emotional depth in the story and character connections. Many noted that the game successfully creates an immersive atmosphere, yet fails to deliver a compelling narrative that resonates as deeply as its predecessors. Overall, while some moments are impactful, the game is often described as lacking the emotional stakes and engagement that players expected.
- “It's so emotional, so human and so beautifully made.”
- “The ambient soundtracks and attention to detail in the environments have been fantastic, and the dialogue got me emotionally invested in the characters.”
- “This was an emotional rollercoaster as well, every choice was such a difficult thing to make but it all is to really reflect your gut instinct and your true inner personality.”
- “Nice visuals and improved combat mechanics don't make up for a painfully boring story, tedious stealth, and a world full of characters you couldn't care less about.”
- “The story lacks the intrigue that defined its predecessors, with plot points telegraphed from miles away, lack of choice in any of the major story beats, and ultimately a boring story that plays out like a pale shadow of what is expected from a Deus Ex title.”
- “Mankind Divided is generally a great game, let down by a boring story.”
humor
115 mentions
97 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mixed bag, with some players finding moments of genuine hilarity in character interactions, glitches, and Easter eggs, while others lament the lack of consistent comedic elements compared to previous titles in the series. Notable funny aspects include overpowered gameplay mechanics, amusing NPC dialogue, and the absurdity of certain game features, though some reviewers feel the overall tone lacks the dark humor that characterized earlier installments. Overall, while there are funny moments, the game is criticized for not fully embracing humor in its narrative and design.
- “It has some good humor dispersed within fluff material in the game (some email chains that you can hack into are hilarious).”
- “The game's 'augment your pre-order' program was widely criticized and mocked, but it did lead to some funny memes.”
- “I found myself laughing out loud at times, both during cutscenes and while listening to the ambient dialogue.”
- “So freaking mad it's not funny.”
- “Not funny, really.”
- “This is not funny.”
character development
64 mentions
36 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising the depth and complexity found in "Deus Ex: Human Revolution," while criticizing "Mankind Divided" for its lackluster character arcs and shallow interactions. Although some players appreciated the improved character designs and the engaging side missions that added narrative depth, the overall sentiment is that the character development is significantly weaker in the latter title, leading to a less immersive experience. Many reviewers expressed disappointment over the absence of meaningful character growth and impactful storytelling, which they felt diminished the game's potential.
- “As thought-provoking as it was entertaining, Human Revolution still boasts some of the best gameplay, world-building, character development, and overall writing I've personally experienced in gaming thus far.”
- “I've enjoyed this game a lot and I was surprised I completely forgot of its existence until I got notified by Steam of a sale on my wishlist. I really loved the story and all the side missions, the world-building, the character development; it was interesting and it made me want to see more, to find out more.”
- “The story itself is great, interesting character development, and I did feel like I was present in a lovingly crafted world.”
- “Gone are the choices regarding character development, gone is any rational and thought-out writing or character-driven plot, and gone is any real drive the character might have had.”
- “The main reason I don’t recommend this game is that it fell so short of the game Deus Ex; it lacked an accurately gripping storyline and completely failed on character development. All it had going for itself was the graphics, and that’s it.”
- “Unlike Deus Ex: Human Revolution, here he has zero character development.”