Could Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Be the Best Game of 2016?

Deus Ex: Human Revolution was a high-point for the beloved sci-fi video game series, and its follow-up sequel, Mankind Divided, is arriving on Xbox One, PS4, and PC on 23 August, and a few international publications got some hands-on time with the game and it’s new challenge mode called Breach. Here’s what they’re saying so far:

Stuff

“If Human Revolution showcased the best of what the last-gen consoles were capable of, then Mankind Divided looks like being a high-point so far for current-gen hardware. Graphically it’s superb and I can’t wait to continue hacking and sneaking through Jensen’s story-line. Breach, meanwhile, offers something extra and something a little different, with its stylised visuals and more arcadey gameplay.”

Trusted Reviews

“Overall, my hands-on with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided left me pretty excited ahead of its August 23 launch. It’s super-polished with a gloriously scary yet utterly plausible, multi-layered storyline. It’s always nerve wracking when much-loved old franchises returns from hiatus. But Deus Ex: Mankind Divided oozes quality from every pore, and I can’t wait to see more of it.”

Digital Trends

“Mankind Divided‘s impressive visuals — the sandstorm is especially easy on the eyes — are clearly harnessing all those horses beneath the new consoles’ hood, but the gameplay feels more comfortably familiar than groundbreaking. Not necessarily a bad thing, but we hope the final release still has some surprises tucked into Jensen’s trench coat.

Based on our short time with Breach, the new mode seems like a welcome online addition. Assuming its creation doesn’t come at the cost of polishing the core campaign, we’ll happily embrace this visually stylized, competition-fueled take on the franchise’s defining gameplay.”

Shacknews

“It looks like Humanity Divided is amping up all the features from Human Revolution several notches. At this point, it’s still unclear whether the game will suffer from some of the same problems as its predecessor, like needing a ton of upgrades before combat becomes a realistic option. The presentation also didn’t deal with the conversation system or critical choices, but we were assured that every effort is being made to ensure that players can play however they want, whether it’s with a ton of augmentations or hardly any at all.”

Rock Paper Shotgun

“Deus Ex: Mankind Divided looks to tick every box its predecessor did, and the streamlining of the relationship between infiltration, exploration and battle is nicely judged thus far. the art direction, as ever, brilliantly expresses social tensions in how it melds or bashes together a range of period influences. But it has yet to really capture my attention and rock my preconceptions, whether in terms of how I sneak and shoot, or as regards the overlap between its fraught, messy world and ours.”

Game Reactor

“Deus Ex: Mankind Divided appears to be the most ambitious and expansive entry in the series to date. The production values are stunning and it offers what looks like a strong plot with plenty of interesting characters. The gameplay is largely as we remember it, but it now offers even more options thanks to its enhanced level design. The controls are streamlined and the various combat systems gel together nicely. As a player you’re constantly faced with choices, not just in terms of the story, but also in how you handle a situation, or how you can make your way from A to B within the world.”

US Gamer

“I walked away from my demo at least confident that Eidos Montreal isn’t making Deus Ex easier. The streamlined nature and bad AI of Invisible War led to its poor reception, but Mankind Divided is matching its predecessor in the gameplay department. The same thing as Human Revolution, but improved, is all I’m really asking for from Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. We seem to be on the right track.”

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided hits Xbox One, PS4, and PC on 23 August.

More gaming features to keep you busy:

9 Video Games With Time Manipulation You Need to Play

5 Video Game Sequels We Desperately Want

5 Game Franchises That Jump Through Time

4 Violent Superhero Video Games You Should Play

5 Most Anticipated First-Person Shooters in 2016