The Missing Link DLC for Human Revolution has gotten quite a lot of hype since it was first announced. The opportunity to find out what really happened to Adam Jensen between the events where he was in Hengsha and Singapore is here for a measly $15. Now that the DLC is now available on all platforms, a lot of gamers were wondering if shelling out $15 on the DLC for the game they already finished is worth getting back to just to fill in the missing pieces in the Deus Ex: Human Revolution story.
Let’s take a look on what’s HOT and what’s NOT in our review of The Missing Link DLC for Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
HOT
Find out the Missing Link!
One of my favorite aspects in Human Revolution was the story and conspiracies that we got to uncover as I played through it. In the Missing Link, the DLC has a story good enough to engage you and keep playing until the very end. ‘Missing Link’ starts off in a scene where Jensen is being interrogated in the Belltower cargo ship by two operatives. Even for a man with super-human abilities, his augmented abilities are being contained due to the strap EMP chair that he’s in. While the two Belltower operatives are interrogating Jensen, they will ask several questions and depending on your answer, that will be the type of equipment you’ll get. An example of this is when you choose the aggressive response, you’ll end up with a gear with guns later in the DLC.
As soon as the two operatives leave the room, the chair unshackles Jensen allowing him to escape. From this point on, you must do what Jensen does best; going in silent via stealth or use guns to go aggressive on the enemies. In my playthrough, I went all the way sneaking up.
Your Choice Still Matters
What makes Human Revolution great is the freedom you get when it comes to deciding which path to go, the choices you make and the way you want to pursue the objectives. In the Missing Link, you will get to do all of these things all over again. With the decent amount of NPCs that you will get to meet, expect a lot of conversations where you will have to decide which options suits you most.
Playing through the Missing Link DLC can be quite challenging, as with so many paths to take, it’s hard to know which one is the best one. Similar to the main game, gamers should always look for a not-so-obvious path. Remember that one of the ways to avoid the enemies head-on is by finding the vents that litter the place. Before you start the DLC, decide right away which approach you would like to do; stealth or aggression.
If you are looking for sidequests, there are two that are available in the DLC. One of them will have you do a lot of backtracking while the other will make you gather parts for the weapon the merchant wants to give you.
New Environments
Of course there will be new environments in the Missing Link. If you are used to open areas where you can explore freely, you will not find it here. In the first half of the DLC, you will be on a cargo ship where the areas you will have to walk through are hallways that may seem very claustrophobic. Even though the areas are small, expect that there are hidden passages that you can go through.
Following the cargo ship, you will then go to the Belltower Base. The layout of this base is the ones you would’ve seen from the main game where you’re in a big warehouse and enemies are all over the place.
Start from Scratch
The DLC is accessible via the Downloadable Content menu of the main screen. From there you can start a New Game. Please take note that none of your items or stats will be transferred to the Missing Link. As soon as you start the DLC, the stats of Jensen and the gear that you will get to have will be reset. This also includes the augmentations that you will get back in the DLC. Even after you finished the DLC, it’s not possible to bring those items over to the main game. It’s best if you use those Praxis points right before the boss fight.
Decent Boss Finale
A lot of gamers complained about the boss fights in Human Revolution where it was too easy and just senseless. In the Missing Link, players will face a challenge and it’s good enough to be the finale of the DLC. Instead of doing a traditional one-on-one boss fight, you will face multiple enemies along with the boss. It’s rather challenging and it will give you something to think of, as having smart strategy is a must before taking on the boss.
NOT
Not Long Enough
For the $15 price point, I wasn’t satisfied enough on the length of the DLC. On the normal difficulty level, anyone can finish the DLC in about close to five hours and that’s including multiple deaths. Once the DLC is done, it’s done and the only time you will go back and play it again is if you want to unlock all of those available achievement points or trophies. For the length of the game, a $9.99 price point would have been more suitable.
Nothing New At All
The DLC feels like a story that should’ve been originally included in the main game. Players who are looking for something “new” and “unique” on the DLC will not find it here. What makes it really disappointing is the fact that none of the items will be brought over to the main playthrough, when the DLC is a bridge to the main storyline of Human Revolution.
VERDICT
Overall, the Missing Link is an add-on that Deus Ex fans might consider purchasing if they have $15 to spare. It has a great storyline and plenty of options or choices to make along the way that lives up to what Deus Ex is all about. Even though the add-on is something that should have been included in the main storyline of Human Revolution, it’s something that fans need to play.
[Editor’s Note: The Missing Link was reviewed on the Xbox 360 hardware. The DLC was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]