Deus Ex is one of the most highly acclaimed games of all time. Acclaim doesn't instantly mean you should run out and read it: War and Peace is acclaimed, and I think it's the literary equivalent of being beaten to death with a ham hock. But if you're not familiar with the series, it basically dumps you in the near future, where nano technology has allowed humanity to augment themselves, meaning people can repair their injuries, jump higher, run faster, punch robot dinosaurs harder, and all that other good stuff. In Deus Ex, you play J C Denton, a member of a government task force, and… well, the game was amazing. The graphics have dated terribly, but everything else - the plot, the characters, everything - are still pretty much impeccable. It also spawned a sequel, which sadly had a dodgy ending, but otherwise was pretty sound.

Deus Ex: Human revolution is a prequel, so if you have no investment in the Deus Ex universe, look at it this way: you can jump in without having to do any research. Also, if you're a fan of Blade Runner or Cyberpunk, you're in for a treat; Detroit, where the game takes place, is absolutely gorgeous to look at, to the point where you'll expect Edward James Olmos to limp up to you and offer you a paper crane. In Human Revolution, you play as Adam Jensen, head of security for Sarif Industries, and a disgraced ex-cop with a tendency towards digging for answers. After a terrible accident, your employers (who as it happens are in the augmentation business) rescue you from death. Six months later, you emerge, and begin your hunt for the truth in a new body.

First, let's have a look at the good things about Human Revolution, which are plentiful. The art design is simply gorgeous; lighting, architecture, furniture, fashion, all look stunningly avant garde, much as the clothing in Blade Runner did. The slums feel revolting, the apartments feel lived in, and the city feels like a quasi-dystopian Detroit would feel: largely empty and badly lit. The music is terrific, most notably the main theme, and the amount of in-game reading (by way of newspapers and ebooks) or viewing (there's consent news coverage on televisions and radios throughout the city) is rich without being overwhelming, and it isn't essential, so you're not punished for not keeping up. Also, the game is about two thirds detective work, meaning that if you're down with a good plot, you're in for a treat. The action sequences are highly intuitive; you can penetrate a situation in a myriad ways, ranging from subtle (i.e., entirely invisible and through air ducts) to decidedly unsubtle (i.e., I am going to shoot rockets out of my chest and god help those of you who have a problem with that).

The downsides? Well, the developers made an odd choice regarding camera modes; the game is predominantly a first person shooter, and when you seek cover or climb ladders, you get to zoom out from Adam Jensen and see how awesome he looks. But you can't pull back and play in third person outside of these finite moments, which feels limiting and fairly counter-intuitive. Besides, Mass Effect 2 (to which this game owes a great deal, right down to the opening gambit of 'killing' the protagonist) managed to fuse the accuracy of first person with the aesthetics of third person, thus proving it's not only possible to put into games, but essential, at least as an option.

The graphics are also a bit outdated, and unrealistic; simplistic textures, completely unrealistic fabric, odd modelling and body proportion issues look clumsy and can hamper the game. This issue only really applies to the characters, though, and even then, only occasionally; the environments are basically flawless. Stylised; certainly, but within those parameters; flawless. The only other beef I have with what is a damned fine piece of science fiction gaming is the sunglasses thing. There's a brief window at the start where Adam has his eyes viewable, but then, for no apparent reason other than to look badass, they fold out over his eyes, and suddenly, every cutscene becomes harder to engage with. He spends essentially the entire game with his eyes concealed. Hopefully, modders will figure out how to make the PC version of Jensen reveal his dreamy eyes more often throughout the game. Also, the voice acting is impeccable, especially from Elias Toufexis, who brings gravelly life to Adam Jensen.

Also, the game is long. This is a very, very good thing, especially in an action RPG. It's long, and it requires thought, and honestly, it'll grab you whether you're a fan of the series or not. It could do with a little less of the Namco tendency for hulking shoulders and bizarro facial hair, but these are all small complaints. Set aside a few weeks, pour yourself a scotch, and do some detective work.

Oh, and I almost forgot: you can kill people with a retractable sword. That barely happens in good detective novels.