It is a bad game though, when compared with DX1.
Its on par with Invisible War, good enough for a play through but nothing more.
Nigga, please.
Even if other stuff was equal (and it is not) it has no universal ammo, no completely derpy in-universe excuse for universal ammo, levels larger than a closet, satisfactory gunplay and no guido douchebag for protagonist which already makes it infinity times better (no "AAH! AAH! I'M COOKED!" either).
DX was truly a fantastic game. The plot was deep and intelligent
For a collage of nearly all available conspiracy theories it was skillfully done. If only because it offered a good semblance of consistence.
If you meant backplot and general speculative fiction "what if", then yeah, pretty inteligent, but that's not main plot.
I'm a retard, but please bare with me: WHERE IS THE LINK BETWEEN THESE POINTS AND THE STEALTH GAMEPLAY? Let me guess. There is none.
Because I'm currently playing as a tough guy ramboid hacker ....
Good for you. The argument was about the stealth path.
Your argument hinges on stealth being the only valid playstyle and stealth game sucking as stealth game (DX:HR), as opposed to open approach game sucking as stealth game (DX1).
The problem is that stealth is not the only valid playstyle and game accommodates them all - it has nifty arsenal of often loud, spectacular weapons, typhoon, ability to hack security hubs and make automated defences run amok and slaughter everyone, which is not exactly conductive for stealth, environment traversal augs, improvised weapons (throwing heavy shit), destructible walls, traps (mines) and so on.
Also, regarding popamole, cover mechanics is not essential for either combat or stealth, as a matter of fact it's even less useful for combat, than stealth, because while unforgiving combat doesn't really hinge on enemy not seeing you for a split second, so fitting tight behind cover isn't as important - just remember to not pop out in the same spot if you neglect sticky cover buton. Of course, not using sticky cover makes smart vision all the more desirable upgrade.
Gross exaggeration to call the plot in DX 'deep and intelligent' -- it was rife with cliches and conspiracy theory jargon. You probably think the plot in Bioshock was 'deep and intelligent,' too. And, again, IW was utter shit. To claim HR is no better displays either willful ignorance or blatant trolling.
To be fair, Deus Ex was thematically deep, if not deep in terms of plot. Its conspiracy-laden story was an excellent vehicle for discussing political and social questions, such as the ideal manner of governance and social organization, and the inclusion of cyberpunk staples like AI also led to interesting ideas about consciousness, religion, and so on all coming up as well. When people talk about Deus Ex being "intelligent" it's usually for that stuff, not because the story itself is anything special.
By comparison, Human Revolution is simplistic and basically stuck on a single note. The "what does it mean to be human?" question is interesting but it's only explored in fairly superficial means and boiled down to "augmentations are good because they let me walk again/augmentations are bad because they're unnatural and turn you into a zombie!" It could have been so much more interesting, and could have got at questions like at what point a person stops being who they are because of all the implants they have, the nature of the soul, the relative value of human life in a world which arguably is no longer even human, etc. Deus Ex was a game that openly broke out into philosophical and political discussion; Human Revolution only ever alludes to its more complicated themes.
Well, DX:HR is not really in position to pose a big huge question like "how should humanity govern itself", if only because it's a prequel.
Though, yeah, the problem with HR isn't that it's devoid of deeper issues, but that it neglects to focus on them, opting to focus on often derpy stuff instead.