Deus Ex Diary: Talk Is Not Cheap

I love video games where I can talk to people and where what my character says has real implication, real weight, a chance to change the way the game world functions and how other NPCs see me.

That's why I prefer to experience role playing games like those created by BioWare and it's a nice surprise to see that in many ways Deus Ex: Human Revolution manages to make talking a crucial part of the game experience.

I found out just how crucial conversations can be when trying to break into a police station in order to retrieve a certain object (I am vague because I am trying to avoid any important spoilers).

The only way to do this without antagonizing the entire police force is to talk to the guy manning the reception desk, who turns out to be one old partner of Adam Jensen's, one who was forced to do something pretty horrific, was blamed for his actions and then demoted.

I jumped quickly through the first few stages of the conversation, hoping to be able to bribe him to get in.

I am role playing my Jensen as a traumatized and abusive man out for revenge, one who is too hung up on his own pain and does not really care about other human beings and their own problems.

So I was harsher and harsher on my old partner, enjoying the internal turmoil I was causing while, in the back of my gamer mind, I was wondering how the developers of Human Revolution would bail me out in order to get that crucial access card I needed.

Well, after pushing him one step too far I found that I could no longer talk to the cop and I had no way of walking into the police station without being shot at.

The bailout dialog option I was looking for never materialized and I fully comprehended how important listening and thinking before talking is in Deus Ex: Human Revolution.