Deus Ex GO Review

Following the original success of Hitman GO and its Lara flavoured follow-up, Adam Jensen now carries the torch as Square Enix Montreal looks to distil yet another popular Eidos franchise for smartphones and tablets.

Effortlessly slick and stylish, Deus Ex GO inherits its good looks from the series’ recent reboot as well as its soon-to-launch sequel, Mankind Divided. From state of the art robotics labs to plush office suites, each locale is its own hexagonal patchwork infused with both sci-fi and classical motifs.

There’s an inescapable sense of minimalism there too – a chief aspect that welcomely works its way into how the game plays.

Needless to say, those familiar with Lara Croft GO or Agent 47’s previous puzzling antics will feel mostly at home. Despite some new tricks up its sleeve, the GO template remains largely the same as players move their character from one tile to the next, reacting to various elements strewn across each stage.

In order to reach the extraction point will often mean weaving your way through guard patrols. Much of the game hinges on players attempting to dupe hostiles, luring them in one direction as Jensen swings his way in behind. In that respect, it feels very similar to Hitman GO, though there’s a bit of Lara in there too. In lieu of ancient traps, Deus Ex sports a number of lethal contraptions, including stationary turrets.

This is where the game’s augments come into play. Certain tiles will trigger Jensen’s unique powers, allowing him to turn invisible and even manipulate his surroundings. Pathways can be opened and blocked with sentries able to turn on enemies within their line of sight.

The deeper you go, the more these mechanics will gradually overlap, creating a greater sense of challenge. With only a finite number of hints available, finding the solution to some of these puzzles will require a fair amount of trial and error with some added brainwork.

For some, that lack of guidance will prove frustrating. Despite the huge sense of reward at the end, there’s nothing fun about banging one’s head against a certain puzzle for fifteen minutes, unable to detect where things are going wrong.

Of course, players can cough up real cash to have the solution spelled out for them. However, with the game selling at £3.99, this hand-holding service can rack up eye-watering sums of money if used is regularly.

It leaves quite the bad taste though, with time, there will be a plethora of user guides to lean on if the going gets tough.

For those who manage to conquer the game’s more advanced tier, Square Enix Montreal will be rolling out a regular feed of weekly challenges and live events, adding a degree of staying power both Hitman and Lara Croft admittedly lacked.

Those who have loved this mobile-centred series so far shouldn’t hesitate in downloading Deus Ex GO right away. As challenging as it is gorgeous, you couldn’t ask for a better tie-in to accompany Mankind Divided.

Compared to Lara Croft GO, however, it doesn’t have quite the same lasting impact. This is mainly due to its heavy reliance on trial and error, reacting to the movements and positioning of hostile elements instead of empowering Jensen with a more robust toolset, thereby making the game a smidgen less taxing.

Score: 7/10

Version Tested: iPhone 6