Albert Einstein said "Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of pathological criminal." Is technological progress always good for our human existence on this planet? Should we play God, and use technology to speed up the human evolutionary progress, to improve our human potentials?
This is, the main theme of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. A new addition to the "Deux Ex" franchise originally released in 2000. The first Deux Ex game was a great success, and the game is widely known today as an action/RPG classic. 11 years after the first Deus Ex game. Eidos Montreal has released Deus Ex: Human Revolution, a prequel to the first Deus Ex game.
Story:
Deus Ex Human Revolution, is a cyberpunk action/RPG. Set in 15 years from modern day (2027). In the story, in 2027 the world has reached an era when the society has begin to use biomedical engineering technology to improve our human status. Through the use of biomedical augmentation and genetic modification on the human body. This major trend to implementing human augmentations is driven mainly by international, multi-billion dollar corporations. The movement takes the form of 21th century renaissance, and much debate is presented at UN if human augmentation is a good or a bad thing. The player takes control of a highly trained security personnel Adam Jensen, an employer at a biomedical augmentation company Sarif. An incident occurred where a group of unidentified terrorist assaulted the company HQ, and kidnapped a group of scientists. Adam Jensen, was heavily injured during his attempt to stop the terrorists. In the status of near death, Adam Jensen was rushed to the emergency operating room and received military class augementations. 6 months later, Jensen worked relentlessly trying to uncover the true identity of the terrorists that assaulted his employer. In the process, discovered a series of intriguing conspiracies and secret plots that will ultimately challenge humanity on the question of "should we use technology to propel us ahead of our progress in natural evolution?"
Gameplay and design:
Deux Ex: Human Revolution is an action/RPG game. The player will be able to travel in an open needed, near futuristic world. Most of the game takes place in two mega cities: Detroiet, and Heng Sha. The city design and environment is believable and eye catching, and feels like something that is taken from the movie "Blade Runner". Being an open ended world RPG game also means the player will have the freedom to roam the cities, explore, talk to NPCs, and perform side quests in any order you choose. Overall, the environment in this game is very well designed and crafted.
In terms of the actual gameplay and combat mechancis. Deus Ex Human Revolution is primary a FPS stealth game. However, the game designer has implemented a 3rd person view when in stealth mode. This means the game gives players options of some of the most non-linear game play in today's video game titles. To complete a mission, the player can choose to either: shoot your way through, use stealth to remain undetected, or brawl your way through the levels assassin style! Like all RPG titles, Deux Ex has an experience system where the player will be rewaraded with experience points through completing objectives or taking down enemies. The experience points can be used to purchase augmentation upgrades that will make Jensen more powerful, depending on how you want to play your game. The non-linear game play in this game is very well designed, and when it all works, it works really well.
While the game play of Deux Ex Human revolution is truly marvelous. However, I do have to criticize three elements in the game. First of all, in the game, the player will have to perform a lot of "hacking" mini games. To hack into computer systems or door security console to gain access that are critical to completing objectives. The "hacking' mini game is essentially a race against time to control "nodes". While the concept is simple, but it somewhat feels like a repetitive exercise that could have been left out of the game.
Another criticism is the dumb AI. For some reason, the game designer has implemented some of the most stupid AI I've seen in recently released video games. Although the AI is dumb, but your enemies, especially at later stage will have ridiculous amount of health, making it extremely difficult to take them out using projectile weapons, and will force you to use the stealth/take down approach instead. This lead to a highly unbalanced game play that can be quite frustrating at times.
Thirdly, the zoom in/out from first person view into third person view in stealth can be quite annoying sometimes. Personally, I do not understand why Edios Montreal didn't implement the option to let players choose either first person or third person view. I mean, when in stealth mode, the camera zooms out and you get to see Adam Jensen, and he looks awesome. But the moment you go back to normal running/sneaking the camera zooms in to first person and you can't see Adam Jensen anymore..
My thoughts on the game:
I have always tried, to the best of my ability to review a video game story based on Christian world view. So here I would like to talk about my thoughts on the story of Deus Ex Human Revolution. I guess the main theme of the story is, "should we play God and use biomedical technology to enhance our human abilities?"
In the story of Human Revolution, augmented human can perform wondrous feats such as: improve their social skill through enhancement chips, lift cars, see through walls, perform super human feats, be connected to networks 24/7, and to many extents, such augementations can help to cure many diseases. But, is it a good thing?
Although this is a sci-fi story, but it is not something out of total fantasy. It is actually very real. Right now, as we speak, our genetic engineering technology is improving by the seconds. With the much debated ethics of human cloning technology still on the table, and stem cell research. I think it is highly likely that in the very near future, our technological progress will reach a point when, we can use our genetic engineering and biomedical engineering technology to make us super humans. Or even prolong human life spam to unimaginable length.
Personally, I cannot find any passages in the Bible that addresses topics of if human cloning or genetic engineering is right or wrong. However, certain Biblical wisdom can still help us to be aware of our situation.
While most technologies are invented with good intentions, to make our world better. At the same time it is also often abused and perverted into something bad, because of our sinful human nature and the tendency to abuse good things for our own selfish and sinful intentions. For example, the internet, can be used to improve communication, but at the same time it has also been perverted into an instrument to view pornography, stealing money, fraud and identity theft, and have created a generation that lacks face to face social interaction skills.
If Deus Ex Human Revolution reminds me of one thing, then that is our science and technology cannot solve all of our problems. Our proposed solutions through science and technology have, in the past been double edged swords that cuts deeply into the well being of our world, just as we reaps benefits from its wake. It is because we, the human are inherently flawed creatures.
So maybe the problem isn't with the technology that has been invented, but the problem is actually the end user of the technology. As Einstein said "Technological progress, is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal". So one day, if we do have the technology to make us "better and stronger" physically, will we use it for good? Or will we abuse it? Will it be better for the world? I wonder if the technology to make us more than we are meant to be will pave the way for unforetold human injustice and tragedy. It is impossible to tell right now. It seems it is what people do with technology that determine the outcome of such technological progression, and people have not always employed technology for good courses.
So how do we propose to approach the 21th century with all these new powerful inventions in our grasps, while we know so little of the long term consequences? What does it mean to be human? As inventors of technologies, how do we avoid letting technology rule over us, so we are not changed fundamentally from what we are truly meant to be by our technologies (socially and biologically)?
This, is a question worthy of time to think about. Actually, this is a question that I need to think about as well. I think Biblical wisdom is a good starting point to find the answers to this pending challenge of our era.
Conclusion
Story: (9.3/10): I think Deux Ex Human Revolution has one of the best story line in video games. It is a story of where conspiracy theories interweaves with human struggle in grasping hold of our place in the line of technological progression. The ending of the game is thought provoking, and the story is well narrated.
Gameplay and design (8.7/10): The environment design is amazing and believable, feels like something from Blade Runner. The combat mechanics is solid, but the dumb AI, annoying first person view and the meaningless hacking mini game is withholding an otherwise spectacular game.
Sex/nudity: none
Violence: heavy: Not recommended for people under 15 years of age
Final verdict: 9/10: Deus Ex: Human Revolution, with its engaging and thought provoking storyline, makes it a truly worthy sequel in the Deux Ex franchise. The gameplay is solid, the game environment is well crafted. This is truly one of the better RPG released in 2011.
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