Deus Ex: Human Revolution Preview
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The augmentation "skill tree" is broken out into seven different categories - cranium, torso, arm, eye, back, skin, and leg - and each category houses 2-4 different augmentations. For example, the skin augmentation category includes Dermal Armor and a Cloaking System. If you allocate two Praxis Points to Dermal Armor, you'll receive the Damage Reduction 1 upgrade with it. From there, you can allocate three more Praxis Points to pick up Damage Reduction 2, Damage Reduction 3, and EMP Shielding. Some of these obviously have prerequisites, meaning that you'll have to pick up the Damage Reduction upgrades in order and you'll have to have access to Damage Reduction 2 before you can grab EMP Shielding. As another example, the arm augmentation category includes the Cybernetic Arm Prosthesis and the Aim Stabilizer. Choose to spend your points on the Cybernetic Arm Prosthesis and you'll be able to make a selection between the Instant Take-down, Punch Through Wall, Recoil Compensation 1/2, Move/Throw Heavy Objects, and Carrying Capacity 1/2/3 upgrades. To make use of some of these augmentations (though not all), Adam will need to expend energy. He has access to two power cells at the beginning of the game, but if you're willing to spend some Praxis Points on the upgrades below the Sarif Series 8 Energy Converter augmentation, you can bump that amount to as many as five. When you make use of an augmentation that requires energy, a power cell will be drained and will slowly begin to recharge (of course, upgrades beneath the previously mentioned augmentation will also increase the recharge rate). Therefore, if you're not careful, there will be times when you're completely overwhelmed with enemies and unable to make use of your favorite augmentation-enabled attack. Limited ammunition can also be an issue with particular augmentations, such as the impressive Typhoon Explosive System that you've most likely seen in screenshots and gameplay trailers.
With the absence of the skill system we saw in the original Deus Ex, augmentations will serve as your sole source of character development. There are a considerable number of choices to be made within them, however, so a number of possible character builds are clearly possible. Spend your Praxis Points properly, and you could become a stealthy takedown specialist, a lethal sniper with x-ray vision, or a vending machine-hurling, damage-soaking brute.
Combat and Stealth
So now that you've made a decision about which augmentation route you want to take, how is it all going to play out? There are no melee weapons to speak of, but Adam is automatically proficient with any ranged weapon he acquires via rewards, scavenging, or merchants. These weapons are divided into both lethal and non-lethal types, allowing you to take either a bloodthirsty or pacifist approach to each of the game's missions. I don't have a firm number of total weapons in the game, but I did get a chance to use a 10mm Pistol, Machine Pistol, and Combat Rifle on the lethal side and a Stun Gun and Tranquilizer Rifle when going for a non-lethal approach.
You can also make use of some fairly spectacular takedown moves if you're able to get within melee range of an enemy. These are executed automatically at the push of a button, with the amount of time that you hold the button down determining whether or not your takedown will be of a lethal of non-lethal variety. Performing a takedown requires the expenditure of one of Adam's energy cells so, again, you could find yourself in a position where there are multiple guards firing at you but you're only able to incapacitate a few of them before being forced to draw a weapon or run for cover. Trust me, this happened on more than a few occasions.
