Human Rights Act

Lore & Background

The source establishes that two years after Human Revolution, in 2029, augmented people were segregated due to the 'Aug Incident,' a chaotic event in 2027 where Hugh Darrow broadcast a signal from the Heron Project facility on Panchaea driving mechanically augmented individuals insane. This trauma led to 'mechanical apartheid,' where society imposed strict isolation on those with augmentations. The story explores themes of transhumanism and discrimination within this setting. Key factions include Task Force 29 (TF29), an Interpol-run anti-terrorist unit in Prague, and the Augmented Rights Coalition (ARC), which began as a peaceful advocacy group that radicalized after the Aug Incident into a controversial militant organization opposing the abuse of augmented people. The Illuminati orchestrated events behind the scenes to maintain control, while the Juggernaut Collective, led by Janus, worked as hacktivists to expose them. The legislation passed after the Aug Incident is canonically known as the 'Human Restoration Act' or 'Augmentation Restriction Act,' not the 'Human Rights Act.'

In Their Own Story

Adam Jensen, presumed dead after Panchaea's destruction, was secretly rescued and implanted with advanced augmentations. In 2029, he serves as a double agent for the Juggernaut Collective while embedded in TF29 in Prague. His mission is to expose the Illuminati, who are orchestrating the events causing social division. Jensen possesses a unique genetic trait allowing him to accept augmentations without the scarce drug Neuropozyne, placing him between mistrusting humans and those whose augmentations decay without it. The narrative takes players through environments connected to the main hub of Prague, with additional events in Dubai and London. Players navigate conversations where choices affect outcomes, sometimes using a 'social' augmentation to read NPC expressions. Jensen can choose violent or stealthy approaches, utilizing lethal and non-lethal weapons, while managing energy levels for his augmentations.

Reader's Guide

The gameplay combines first-person shooter, stealth, and role-playing elements set in 2029. Players control Adam Jensen, upgrading abilities with Praxis Kits earned through experience points (EXP) from quests or hidden areas. Exploration involves navigating environments connected to the Prague hub, finding vendors for equipment, and crafting components using blueprints found in the overworld. Combat allows for lethal takedowns or non-lethal subduing, with the option to hide enemy bodies to prevent alarms. Hacking is divided into two modes: a minigame for static devices like computers and a graph-based challenge for security robots and traps. Beyond the main campaign, players can access Breach, a standalone cyberspace challenge mode where they infiltrate Palisade Bank as an avatar with unique augmentations to retrieve data within time limits.

Did You Know?

• Versions for Linux and macOS systems were released in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
• Breach was later released as a free, standalone product separate from the main campaign.
• The game's color range is subdued compared to the previous title due to a focus on realism and darker themes.
• Human Revolution composer Michael McCann returned to write the score alongside newcomers Sascha Dikiciyan and Ed Harrison.
• As of 2026, no subsequent Deus Ex games have been produced following Mankind Divided.