Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director’s Cut

Genre: First-Person Shooter / Stealth / Action-RPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Deus Ex: Human Revolution was first released in 2011 on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 breathing new life into the long-stagnant Deus Ex series after a beloved original installment and its underwhelming sequel Deus Ex: Invisible War. In this third entry in the series, Human Revolution is generally seen as a return to player choice that’s well-suited to the series’ roots as a cyberpunk First-Person Shooter with Stealth and Action-RPG elements.

Two years later in 2013, the game was followed up with a Director’s Cut releasing on the same platforms as the original version of Human Revolution, as well as the Wii U. This version incorporated multiple graphical and gameplay improvements first created for the game’s DLC, The Missing Link (also included here), including improved AI, reworked boss encounters, improved lighting, and other tweaks to the gameplay.

In addition, the Wii U version received its own enhancements focused on the Wii U gamepad, with the map, menus, and multiple HUD elements now on the gamepad. I had mixed feelings about the use of the Wii U gamepad here. On the one hand, using the gamepad for hacking just makes sense, and naturally inventory management and a map screen are sensible uses for the second screen. On the other hand, it was tedious at times to keep having to look back and forth between the two screens.

However, my frustration with this version of the game is not the Wii U gamepad, but rather that players are forced to use that gamepad – there is no support here for the Wii U Pro Controller. What’s more, there are only four optional button layouts, and players have no ability to remap button functions in ways they may be more familiar with. In a game that’s all about choice and customizing yourself, this game offers players frustratingly little opportunity to customize their own experience.

However, these frustrations aside, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is every bit as good on Wii U as it is on other platforms, which is to say that it is quite excellent, giving players the freedom to tackle the game’s challenges how they want, whether it’s to be a stealthy sneaker, a guns a-blazin’ type, or perhaps a demolitions enthusiast. Additionally, players are given meaningful ethical choices over the course of the game that have a meaningful impact on their options as they progress. The result is a deep and rewarding First-Person Shooter.

It’s disappointing that five years into the Nintendo Switch’s life, neither Deus Ex: Human Revolution nor its sequel, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided have made it to Nintendo’s newest platform. And while I felt like the Wii U release of Human Revolution could have benefited greatly from more options, what’s here is still excellent, and Nintendo fans who have a Wii U and didn’t snag a copy of this game for another platform would do well to get this game.

tl;dr – Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a First-Person Shooter with Stealth and Action-RPG elements that has players choosing how to tackle tasks in a cyberpunk future. The Wii U version of the game has its own unique added features, but players have frustratingly little choice how to play the game. Still, the game is excellent and this is a wonderful version of it. If you have a Wii U laying around and don’t already have this game for another platform, you’d do well to give this version a try.

Grade: B+

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