ESRB Reveals Adam Jensen’s Dark Side In Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Eidos Montreal developed Deus Ex: Human Revolution with player choice at the core. So, while you’re controlling augmented security consultant Adam Jensen you don’t have to play good cop all the time.

I recall members of the development team saying right and wrong do not exist in Human Revolution, the game’s story is made of shades of gray. Some are darker than others and the ESRB leaked a few critical points where Adam’s dark side can come out, if you choose. Naturally, there are spoilers here so you might want to skip the text past the screenshots.

This is a first-person shooter in which players assume the role of Adam Jensen, an ex-cop who must uncover the truth behind a cybernetics company’s attack. Players complete mission-based objectives to increase their character’s skills (e.g., stealth, strength) and advance the main storyline. Players use pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, and explosives to kill a variety of human enemies (e.g., soldiers, police officers, gang members, drug dealers). Players can also use stealth attacks (e.g., choking, electrocution) to dispatch enemies at close range. Firefights are highlighted by screams of pain, realistic gunfire, explosions, and large sprays of blood that stain the surrounding environment. Players can sometimes make choices that result in the death of innocent characters: during one sequence, an injured man asks to be “put out of his misery”—the main character can then administer a morphine overdose. Civilians can also be killed directly, though this may negatively affect players’ progress. As the game progresses, alcoholic beverages (e.g., beer, vodka, cocktails) can be purchased and consumed to reduce damage, resulting in a screen-blurring effect. In one mission, players can plant “illegal drugs” in a character’s residence; marijuana products (i.e., “cigaweed”) are occasionally referenced in the dialogue. Some missions contain sexual material: a brothel room containing a sex toy on the bed; dialogue with prostitutes (e.g., “They want me to get augmentations . . . for the customer’s pleasure. It’s sick” and “[W]e can find a quiet spot . . . Do you have enough money for me, sexy?”). The words “f**k” and “sh*t” can be heard in the dialogue.

Yes, its true beer and other alcoholic drinks can restore Adam’s health, but it makes the screen blur for a second. It’s something I noticed earlier when I played Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The bits about euthanasia, planting drugs, and the brothel are new.