But every so often comes a game that’s so ambitious it aims to combine the best elements of titles across genres into an experience, and has all of those disparate additions work so well they become an entirely unique experience, and one that’s unforgettable and memorable. And while there have been some brilliant examples of such titles in recent years, there hasn’t been anything quite like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.

But why not? Yes, a few titles have come close, but they don’t scratch the particular itch that this one does. Join us as we take a look at what makes a game whose title hides the brilliant cohesion of its many systems that make it a memorable romp through a dystopian, cyberpunk-inspired world in which man and machine are increasingly becoming synonyms.

It was going to be a challenge to top the cliffhanger that Human Revolution set up, and Mankind Divided doesn’t even try to. That’s a very clever choice, allowing the developers to bring a more focused narrative to the table while managing to incorporate familiar gameplay elements from past titles, some coming with new twists.

But let’s focus on the story for now. With the augmented beings driven to extreme violence at the end of the previous instalment, Mankind Divided cleverly speeds up the clock a bit, allowing the dust to settle on those events and presenting the aftermath as a narrative vehicle for them to tackle some complex themes.

The result is a gritty, sometimes dark narrative in which returning protagonist Adam Jensen has received some handy new augmentations and is ready for another adventure in which the stakes are quite high, involving the fates of all augmented beings. This is a clever move, although it takes a while for it to become evident in the game’s story.

Its placement ensures that the stakes are immediately raised, working well with the game’s branching narrative to ensure that all of your past decisions now come into play, shaping the impact your actions have on the game’s world for better or worse. It’s a choice-based narrative that’s quite good, and perhaps even on par with the one in The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, a title that has quite a few possibilities in its story based on your decisions as Geralt.

Jensen has a similar impact as a protagonist, and the story often has narrative branches that could have you smiling with relief for having chosen the right decision according to your personal canon, or even going so far as to restart a playthrough if the consequences of your actions were too much for you to handle.

It was a level of complexity that was quite rare for games in 2016, and although the gaming world has since caught up, it isn’t easy to craft a story as riveting as the one in Mankind Divided, despite a few plot points not hitting as hard as we would have liked, thanks to the experience’s length. But then again, a longer game might have run the risk of the narrative outstaying its welcome.

But even if the story hadn’t clicked as well as it did, Mankind Divided always had its gameplay to back it up.

The very first improvement over its predecessor that quickly became evident was Mankind Divided’s refinement of the franchise’s stealth mechanics. With the option for sneaking up on enemies for either lethal or non-lethal takedowns, hiding their bodies to prevent your cover being blown, cover-to-cover movement, and hacking, Jensen had a stealth toolkit that could rival even the best in the stealth business.

These additions made Mankind Divided all the more conducive to a more subtle, silent approach than previous titles in the Deus Ex franchise, and perhaps even other games, thanks to how well-implemented the mechanics are.

It’s also a good idea to talk about level designs at this point, and how they tie in the idea of branching possibilities from the story into the gameplay. There are always multiple ways to approach a problem in the game, with those solutions often relying on specific augments that you’re likely to have if you’re leaning toward specific playstyles.

That automatically means that you’re not punished for choosing a specific character archetype, something that other RPGs don’t get right on many occasions. Yes, your hacking skills may not be up to the task of disabling that pesky security system. But if your set of augments is good enough, you could always tear it off the wall if you wish.

But it goes deeper than that. There are surely at least a few other ways around the panel, waiting for diligent players to discover them, and each one potentially leading you to stumble along a chain of side quests that are as good as the ones in the main story. No matter what you’re doing in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, there’s a very strong chance that there’s a better way to do it waiting for you to figure it out.

But that could easily get overwhelming in a game as complex as this one. However, it’s all presented so organically that choosing your augs based on the situation at hand becomes second nature. Plus, if a quiet approach doesn’t work, there’s always the option to get your guns out of their holsters for some good ol’ fashioned shooting.

And boy does this one deliver on that front. The cover system works as well for the game’s gunplay as it does for its stealth, and taking enemies out with a variety of great guns and weapons is a blast. It’s almost as if the choice between going in quietly and just kicking in the front door is among the hardest ones to make in the game.

The augments work very well as another facet of the game’s story and gameplay. They can give you mobility, combat specialities, crowd control tools, or the ability to move unseen through even the most secure facilities. You could choose to specialize, or perhaps spread out their utility to let you navigate more complex situations in the field.

Prague and its districts serve as interesting locations to explore, with the open-world sections feeling just about large enough for them not to become repetitive. It’s yet another part of a game that fits very well with the others to make it a cohesive whole that comes together to present an experience that’s both unique and entertaining.

But, you may argue, there are a ton of other games that are well put together and present an experience that’s perhaps almost as good as the one in Mankind Divided. So what sets it apart?

You could think of Mankind Divided as a title whose ambition inspired others to follow in its footsteps. Where Winds Meet is a title that immediately comes to mind, considering how Everstone has attempted to include just about anything a player can think of as a part of its wuxia-based open world.

Yes, it does have solid stealth mechanics. Its combat is quite exciting too, and the story isn’t too bad. However, it’s a different game altogether, with a completely different goal in mind. It’s built for longevity through constant additions, and not as an experience that can remain memorable despite being comparatively shorter.

For all their ambitious similarities, Where Winds Meet and Mankind Divided are very different experiences and, as such, are not really comparable. Outer Worlds 2 is another excellent, massive RPG with excellent combat, a lot of options to approach your goals in the open world, and a choice-based narrative.

However, its take on corporate greed doesn’t come close to the dark gravitas of a world in which human beings are split into factions based on how they have responded to augmentations. Once again, the two games might have similarities, but they take entirely different directions as far as the experiences they offer are concerned.

Are you beginning to see a pattern? There are a few current-gen titles that are perhaps as exciting and even fun to play in their own right. They are definitely great games, but they are not Mankind Divided. Despite the title being around nine years old at the time of writing, it continues to stand out as an example of ambition grounded in solid execution.

And that’s among its biggest strengths. There aren’t many games like it because it isn’t easy to strike a balance between the weight of its thematic inspirations and a story that justifies all the mayhem its gameplay brings to the table. It isn’t easy to craft an experience that plays as well as this one does. Mankind Divided aims for the sky and finds a well-deserved place among the clouds.

With many years of great games like it behind us, and many more to come, we hope that we get to see another title that makes us fall in love as much as this one has.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

When a user has bought a game as a gift, the recipient has 14 days to accept the gift. If the recipient already owns the gift, the purchase is automatically refunded for the original buyer. Gifts can also be rejected by recipients, which also automatically refunds the purchase. Gifts can only be sent to those already on your friends list on Epic.

Epic has also confirmed that Epic Rewards can be used to augment your Epic Games Store balance when purchasing a gift.

“Gifting is live on the Epic Games Store,” wrote Epic in the official announcement. “Players can now purchase and send games directly to friends on their Epic friends list, making it easier to celebrate special occasions, share favorite titles, or just surprise a friend with a new game.”

It is worth noting that, while most paid games, editions, add-ons and bundles can be gifted, there are a few things available on Epic Games Store that aren’t eligible. These include free-to-play games, pre-purchase offers, subscriptions, and in-game currency or other consumable items. Gifting is currently supported when using Epic Games Store through either the Launcher or through a web browser.

A major limitation of the new gifting feature on Epic Games Store is the fact that it is only available for friends in the same region. Trying to buy a gift for a friend in a different region will present an error before check-out. According to the gifting FAQ, cross-region gifting is a planned feature that will arrive in a future update. Gifts can also only be bought individually for each friend.

While progress has been slow for Epic Games Store, the online storefront has slowly been catching up to the biggest online game store for PC right now: Steam. Valve’s storefront had launched all the way back in 2003, and over time has gotten several features aside from simply purchasing games. These features have ranged from social ones, like expansive options for friends list management, game communities and the marketplace, to more behind-the-scenes features, like SteamInput ensuring most games are playable with modern controllers, and even mod support through Steam Workshop.

Steam might have a stranglehold on the PC gaming market for now, but Epic has also been trying to chip away at its competitor’s grasps. Epic Games Store, for instance, has been quite attractive to developers thanks to the smaller cut that the storefront takes for each sale of a game. Along with this, the company has also been continuously giving away major titles for free, while also funding the development of AAA games like Alan Wake 2, the PC version of which remain exclusive to Epic Games Store.

The recommended requirements include a Core i7-8700 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM and an RTX 3080 or Radeon RX 6800 XT. Of course, the installation size hasn’t been revealed, which is understandable since development is far from finished, but Windows 11 is mandatory for playing on PC.

Lords of the Fallen 2 launches in 2026 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. It takes one hundred years after its predecessor, with the Umbral breaching into the real world. You’ll still navigate the dark dimension with an Umbral Lamp, but also harness powerful new abilities. Stay tuned for more details before its release.

The Flames of Ygnium have also been revamped for “smoother, snappier” play, and Selene’s Hexes can now be infused with Olympian powers, making them much more potent. Scylla and the Sirens have new songs, and various bonds can now be further courtesy of new events. Even Narcissus finally shows his face.

You can also expect the usual balance changes and improvements, from new enemy waves spawning a little bit sooner to increased damage for the Black Coat in almost every facet. Check out a dramatic reading of the patch notes below.

Hades 2 is in early access for PC with Nintendo Switch 1 and 2 versions in the works. Version 1.0 doesn’t have a release date yet, so stay tuned for more updates and announcements.

Like any extraction shooter, players venture into Expeditions, complete quests to level up, and more. Building reputation provides improved weapons and gear alongside cosmetics and other resources. Crafting is confirmed, but you can also sell items within the “player-driven” marketplace.

You can embark solo or with duos and trios on Expeditions, investigating dungeons and battling bosses (and other players). Three maps and over 30 weapons will be available when early access goes live, and the developer promises no forced wipes, with progress persisting.

The current plan for HUNGER is to remain in early access for two years with more weapons, two new locations, six additional characters (known as Living), and eight more infected enemies (known as “Hunger). Stay tuned for more updates in the meantime.

The team will release further patches to address feedback and fix any issues arising from The Warsong Update, but it did outline some of its plans. These include hidden Aspects for the Nocturnal Arms (which will be available “next time”), enhanced regional bosses (“We want them to be able to challenge and surprise you even more”), and the rest of the story. That includes “building on various character relationships and subplots.”

While players can fully complete runs in the Underworld and Surface, Supergiant will focus on “filling out more of the game’s content categories, finishing more and more of what we started… until we’re done!”

Hades 2 is in early access for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Supergiant hasn’t confirmed whether it will come to other platforms like the first game, but that may happen once Version 1.0 plans solidify. Stay tuned for updates, and in the meantime, check out our review for early access’ launch version.

Ares’s Boons are seemingly focused on inflicting Wounds, though you can also conjure falling blades with casts and dashes. The rest of the Pantheon also has some new Boons, while others have been improved or revamped. Over 2,000 new voice lines, new events, and a brand new Familiar who provides a powerful benefit have also been added.

Other changes include a reworked Altar of Ashes (complete with new Arcana Card art), no longer having to prioritize Gathering Tools, and balance changes to the Nocturnal Arms. You can also hang out at different places in the Crossroads and share a duet with Artemis.

Hades 2 is available for PC via early access. Check out our review of the base version here. A release date for Version 1.0 hasn’t been shared but stay tuned for updates.

In a pre-Holidays Steam post, Supergiant confirmed that the next major update would arrive in early 2025 and feature the “final confrontation” of the alternate route. Another big update is coming later this year, expanding on the story and other “various parts.” However, you need to wait until Version 1.0 for the true ending.

Unfortunately, a release date will depend on “how our major updates” progress. Suffice it to say that it isn’t guaranteed for this year, though never say never. Stay tuned for updates in the meantime.

Hades 2 is available for PC early access via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Check out our review for the launch of early access, which we gave a nine out of ten and described as a “compelling, absurdly polished title that once again showcases Supergiant’s prowess in every possible way.”

The update also adds Xinth, the Black Coat, the final Nocturnal Arm, which specializes in blocking and unleashing seeking Special projectiles, complete with its own Aspects. Two new Animal Familiars and allies with new Keepsakes and Blessings also await. The Crossroads also gets a makeover with “dozens” of decorations and music to unlock.

If that weren’t enough, there’s also new art and music, around 2,500 new voice lines, and even some surprises to discover. Check out the full patch notes below in a dramatic reading by the game’s narrator.

Hades 2 early access is available for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Check out our review – we scored it a 9 out of 10 for its narrative, combat, characters, and more.

Developed in collaboration with Double Eleven, the PC version includes support for native 4K and 144 Hz monitors, keyboard and mouse functionality, Ultrawide and Super Ultrawide displays, and HDR10. Players can adjust graphical settings like shadow quality and draw distances while leveraging upscaling technologies like Nvidia DLSS 3.7 and AMD FSR 3.0. Nvidia’s DLSS Frame Generation is also supported.

Additional details will be provided in the coming days, but it’s confirmed to launch on the Rockstar Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store for PC.

Red Dead Redemption first launched for PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2010. It was re-released for Nintendo Switch and PS4 last year, and though its features came up short (check out our review), Rockstar added 60 FPS support for PS5 players in a post-launch patch. Head here for more details.