9 Great Video Games That Did Not Deserve The Hate

Mankind Divided found itself in an unfortunate situation. Caught in the micro-transaction, loot-box craze of the time and controversially comparing its Augmented/Human social dynamics to that of Apartheid, it was on the back foot even before release. Then came the lacklustre ending to the story and Mankind Divided was relegated to the discount bin.

But with consistently positive reviews from critics, it had to have done something right.

And it did.

With its highly detailed depiction of Prague ripe for exploration, Mankind Divided creates fertile ground for the signature Deus Ex freeform gameplay. Stealth is encouraged and owing to an extensive customization system, so is combat. You want to talk your way through? You can do that too.

But more than tactical freedom it is the stories you come across: from struggling artists to bored policemen, unhinged radicals and those languishing in abject poverty, all the dregs of human existence are on poignant display. Like Human Revelation, Mankind Divided’s themes lie in the questions it asks, not the statements it makes, and it is in these moments where Eidos’ ‘show, don’t tell’ philosophy is at its most powerful.

The game’s story might have stumbled at the final hurdle, but does that really matter when the journey is rewarding enough? Micro-transactions will always generate hate but here is a case where they should have been ignored. Gadgets, after all, are not really what this game is about.