Imagine taking a beloved RPG franchise that hasn't been around for nearly 10 years and reviving it with an entirely different studio and team. Seems like it'd be a recipe for disaster, huh? And yet, look at "Fallout 3." It was released 10 years after "Fallout 2," developed by fans of the franchise and, bang, game of the year contender. And, wouldn't you know it, the same exact thing has happened with "Deus Ex: Human Revolution," a game which brings back all the elements people loved about the original "Deus Ex" with the addition of modern sensibilities and an actually-comprehensible story.

THE BASICS

"Deus Ex: Human Revolution" is set 25 years before the events of the first game. The year is 2027 and bio-mechanic enhancements are on the verge of becoming mainstream. You play Adam Jensen, a cop turned security specialist for Sarif Industries, one of the companies that's attempting to bring bio enhancements to the world. After a terrorist attack on Sarif's corporate headquarters, Jensen is left unconcious and near-dead. The only way to save him is to juice him up with every bio enhancement they've got lying down. By the time you wake up, you're basically Robocop and the game begins in earnest.

The gameplay of "Human Revolution" is very much open to the player's tastes. Fans of games like "Halo" and "Killzone" might opt for a run-and-gun approach, upgrading augmentations which improve armor and stamina. "Metal Gear" fans might opt for something more stealthy, with cloaking and hacking upgrades. Those choices are entirely up to you.

THE HIGHS

The Freedom To Explore

I expected the ability to choose upgrades which encourage either a stealthy or a head-on approach in a "Deus Ex" game. What I didn't expect were the number of options for completing an objective. Just about every mission in the game has at least three methods of entry, from hidden vents to rooftop skylights to a locked door behind a hackable panel. What's remarkable is how subtle these are. You'll often play through a particularly tough section, clear out all the enemies, proceed to the next room, and smack your head when you realize you could've just used your strength augmentation to move that vending machine which is hiding a hidden vent, bypassing all the enemies in the process.

This sort of exploration is rewarded with bonus items and ammo, but also with experience, so you can progress through the game and earn upgrades simply by dodging enemies.

This freedom is especially noticeable in the game's hub areas. These large city centers have numerous side missions and paths to explore, giving you free reign to go where you want.

A Unique World

The future envisioned in "Human Revolution" is probably a touch ambitious for the year 2027, but that doesn't make it any less interesting to wander around. The game is set during a turning point for human discovery, so there's this constant blending of the new (people with cyber legs) and the old (dingy Detroit slums), making each environment varied and fascinating to explore.

Best Hacking Minigame Ever!

Hacking computers has always been a big part of "Deus Ex," and it remains the case in "Human Revolution." Plenty of games, from "Bioshock" to "Fallout," have featured hacking minigames, but "Human Revolution" manages to best them all. If you want to blaze through a hack, you can usually make it without sounding an alarm, but taking risks can reward you with extra experience and money, so it's worth taking your time. Unfortunately, the hacking minigame is really poorly described in the game, so it'll be a few hours before you actually know how it works. But, once it clicks, it's dynamite!

THE LOWS

Slow To Boil

It's unfortunate that the first two hours of the game is, by far, the least interesting part of its 25-hour journey. The first mission is a relatively linear prologue sequence. That's followed by a mission that mostly takes place in a warehouse. In both cases, you have practically no enhancements, and the dull scenery doesn't really encourage you to progress further. Don't let that dissuade you, though! Once you enter the game's first hub, Detroit, things get much, much better.

Quasi-Offensive Voice Acting

The original "Deus Ex" was notorious for its terrible voice acting. I'm happy to say that "Human Revolution" is nowhere near that bad, but there are some egregious stand-outs. There's a homeless African American woman in Detroit, for example, who talks like she's in a minstrel show (or is trying out to be the next Jar Jar Binks). She's not the only case...there are a few more painful ones in the game's second hub. Bad voice acting is one thing. Quasi-racist voice acting is another thing entirely.

Telegraphed Story

I'll be the first to admit that the original "Deus Ex" storyline went over my head. Even today, reading through Wiki pages, it still makes very little sense. The story in "Human Revolution" is far more straight-forward, but in service of that, it's also lacking in surprise twists. There are attempted twists, but anyone who has seen a movie in the last 20 years will see these coming a mile away. It's not a bad story by any means, but it isn't nearly as inspired as the gameplay. It does, however, have plenty of fan service, with tons of references to characters and events from the franchise.

THE VERDICT

First of all, if you loved the original "Deus Ex," drop everything and pick this game up right now. It's hard to imagine that any fan would come away from "Deus Ex: Human Revolution" disappointed. For those who are new to the franchise, "Human Revolution" is a great place to start, as it acts as a prequel to all the events of the original game (and is far prettier). My only word of warning would be: Don't expect an action game. Even if you're playing with a run-and-gun style, you're going to find this game much slower paced than its action counterparts. It feels more like "Mass Effect" or "Metal Gear" than it does "Halo."

With all that said, "Deus Ex: Human Revolution" is easily one of the best games I've played this year and is likely the best installment in the franchise. The summer gaming drought is officially over.