Deus Ex: Human Revolution has intrigued me for a while. I think it's fair to it's got the attention of of both fans of the series and newcomers alike, and why not? Slick graphics, in-depth and lengthy gameplay, and a strong history backing it, sort of. The original Deus Ex is a legendary, ground-breaking game, but the series has since lost some of the people who have made it so good. The sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War, was still good, but gets flak from many fans and journalists as taking the series in the wrong direction.
It looks like Human Revolution is doing it's damnedest to change the mind of Invisible War's detractors. The latest trailer shows a substantial amount of gameplay, and most of the game's four pillars in action. These pillars represent different ways you can progress through the story; combat, stealth, hacking, and social intereation. The combat looks on point. The weapons shown in the trailer seem to do a little of everything; silenced pistols, EMP grenades, an area-of-effect stun gun (?), and a laser that goes through walls for God's sake. Also, arm swords. Hell yeah. We also see a bit of the upgrade system in action, as protagonist Adam Jensen combines a revolver with something else to create a fucking hand cannon. Sweet.
Stealth is shown, but not much. Adam goes see-through to get past some laser detection security, and to sneak up on a couple unassuming enemies. We don't see him use his stealth to overcome an entire area or mission, but I suppose that would take too long. Hacking is used on a few occasions, with Adam hacking a security drone to turn on its allies, and also using a mini-game to complete some sort of objective. No sign of any social interaction to complete objectives, but as the first meaty chunk of Human Revolution gameplay, do we really wanna see lots of talking? I think the choice to show people getting blown up was the right call. However when the social aspect comes into play, we can be relieved to know that the voice acting seems top notch.
If you choose to explore all four pillars of gameplay, there's over 40 hours of Revolution to be found. Should you stick with the basics of combat and stealth, you'll still find a more than respectable 25 hours of play. A deep, sexy experience, coupled with multiple endings and different ways to play reaffirms the belief that Deus Ex: Human Revolution is one to keep your eyes on.