If you aren't familiar with the series, think Metal Gear meets Mass Effect. This is a very tactical stealth based shooter with a complex story. Some people will nominate this as a Game of the Year Contender, while the run and gun crowd may be turned off by the deliberate pacing of the game.
Concept: 9/10
Set in a dark and not so distant future, where human beings are getting cybernetic implants, you play as Adam Jensen, an Ex-SWAT operative with a mysterious past, and you're on a corporate backed espionage mission to uncover a vile plot to alter the course of humanity. Armed with the latest in Cybernetic Stealth Technology and an arsenal of weapons, you travel the world to expose corporate and government corruption.
Story: 10/10!!!
This is one of the best stories that I've ever seen in a game! Without spoiling anything it is about the boundaries between freedom and anarchy, and the limits that should or should not be placed on technology. The story is complex, so you will have to pay close attention. The story is told through cutscenes, cinematics, in game dialogue, and if you hack computers in the game, there's even more information backing the story. It is truly immersive and will make you think. Your actions will determine which ending you get, so it is crucial that you pay attention.
Gameplay: 8/10
As you play through the game, you earn PRAXIS POINTS, which you use to upgrade your character. There are loads of upgrades to choose from and they will all affect the style of your gameplay. Some upgrades enhance your stealth, like silent movement, more info on enemies' behavior, or temporary invisibility. Some enhance your strength, like the ability to wield heavy weapons with no recoil or bursting through walls like the old Cool-Aid guy. Other implants enhance your shooting, your vision, your radar, your armor, resistance to special damage attacks, close range combat, and hacking.
The game is basically 4 HUBS with a few load screens breaking them up. There are main quests (which drive the story) and side quests (which supply additional info to the story and allow you to gain extra XP.) When you Accept a Quest, important info shows up on your HUD. The majority of quests deal with you infiltrating areas protected by armed guards. This is where the game shines. It is up to you how you complete the quests. You can sneak past enemies and use a tranquilizer rifle to knock them out. You can use a heavy machine gun to mow them down. You can use sniper weapons and hack computer systems to turn off security systems or even turn them on your enemies. When you get to the end, there is usually a multiple choice conversation you have with your contact that will affect the story and give you an XP bonus.
The save points are generous and you usually have the ability to load the last 2 auto-saves or any of your (up to 20) manual save points.
Weapons: 9/10
There is an excellent selection of modifiable weapons in the game. Tranq Gun, Combat Rifle, Sniper Rifle, Plasma Gun, Laser Gun, Shotgun, Pistol, Revolver, Rocket Launcher, AOE Stun Gun, Normal Stun Gun, Mines, Grenades, etc... The weapon choices really allow you to customize the game to your style of play. Put landmines by a door, then trigger the alarm to blow up your enemies. Bribe an NPC and then hit him with a stun gun to get your money back. You can pretty much do anything that you can imagine with this arsenal at your disposal.
Haxx0rZing!!1: 8/10
If you choose the route of Hacker, there is a FUN mini-game that you play in realtime, where you try to take over terminals on a network and reach your goal. The terminals are connected by paths and there is a starting point and an ending point with multiple paths. Each terminal has a % chance that you will be discovered. If you are not discovered, you can move from terminal to terminal and hack the computer, gain XP, information, and sometimes access to the enemy's security systems. If you are discovered, a counter appears and you have that much time to get to the end goal. You also have countermeasures at your disposal to show down the Network. (Nuke allows you to access 1 terminal without fear of detection, Worm gives pauses the countdown for 5 seconds if you are discovered, and Fortify slows down the enemy Network when they reach terminals.) If you are discovered, the system is locked down for 30 seconds and enemies usually are set on alert.
Bosses: 6/10
The low point of the game are the Boss Battles. In a game where you specialize your character for infiltration, the worst situation you can find yourself in is a small arena against a super soldier that can insta-kill you. Fortunately, there are only a few of these. When you play, keep this in mind, and bulk up your armor. I died on the first boss 4 times, even though I sniped him in his helmet-less head 3 times and blew up an exploding barrel next to him. I eventually beat the first boss by hiding. He threw a trio of grenades, and they all bounced off walls, back at him. The boss fights would have been much better if the boss chased you through an area where you had to be stealthy. Then you could use your infiltration skills in the fight. All of the Boss fights are arena battles. Grenades, Armor, Heavy Weapons, the Typhoon, and health powerups will all aid you.
Graphics: 8/10
The world is dark and... shiny. It's not the best looking game, but it delivers on atmosphere. The futuristic visions of New Detroit, China, and Montreal are interesting. The characters are well animated and the enemies are nicely defined so you can tell the difference between a light armored, medium armored, and heavily armored guy. (Except for the helmetless first boss who shrugs off head shots with a high powered sniper rifle... sigh)
Sound: 7/10
The music is very cool and the sound effects highten the suspense and punctuate the action. There isn't anything that you'd download from itunes though. I also have to knock the game for using slang from 1995. "I heard someone jettin'", "Fly Girl", and "I gotsta get back to my crib, cholo." *Cringe*
Replay Value: 8/10
There is no multiplayer, but you can replay the single player campaign using different tactics. Play through once as a stealthy hacker. Try again as an armored terminator who can burst through walls. There are also 2 achievements that you can try: Complete the game without killing anyone (gas grenades, stun guns, KO moves...) and Complete the game without setting off any alarms.
Maturity: Older Teens
The plot is complex and there is violence and swearing. This is more of a political intrigue story, so the "I just wanna kill bad guys" crowd might be a little overwhelmed.
Overall: 9/10
This is a Great Tactical Shooter that will take you 15-30 hours to finish. It's a full on RPG with excellent user friendly stealth / combat elements. The story is outstanding, especially if you have been keeping up with what is going on with our current government.
Buy it if you love the Deus Ex series.
Buy it if you love Stealth Action RPG's.
Buy it if you love Stealth Games or Tactical Shooters like Metal Gear of the Tom Clancy Games.
Buy it if you love a good government conspiracy story.
Rent it if you can finish an RPG fast.
Avoid it if you wanna feel like Rambo and gun down hordes of bad guys. You won't last very long if you abandon the tactics. It's like playing Halo with No Shield.