Stealth is the name of the game in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, available now for PS4, Xbox One and PC. Oh, don’t get me wrong: You can beat the whole game guns blazing, shooting off Typhoons and leaving your enemy in ruins. But so much of the game’s level design is built around stealth that you’d be remiss not to give it a shot. Or maybe, like this writer, you’re just rubbish at shooters and need to stealth. Either way, here are some tips on how to sneak around in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Stealth Tips: A Guide To Going Unseen
Get The Augments That Get You Around… But Not All Of Them
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’s level design is built for sneaking, and there’s always some kind of a path to get around quietly—if not to exactly where you want, then at least close to it. But there are obstacles along the way that you’ll need augments to take care of. Here’s some of the problems you’ll run into along the way that you’ll need augments to solve: Heavy objects. Poison gas. Deep pits. High jumps. Locked doors. That’s a lot of praxis points.
But here’s the thing: you don’t need to take all of the augments for getting around better. Often, there are multiple paths. The shortest one may require a high jump… but another, equally serviceable, may need poison gas protection, strong hacking ability or simply a keycard. Praxis points are scarce—don’t waste them. Spend a little time to find another way around and specialize instead.
Invest In Information
Information is critical to stealth. The augment that shows you line of sight for guards and cameras is far and away the most critical, and will make your life much easier. Other augments show how much noise you’re making (or simply eliminate much of that noise) or expand the range of enemies you can see on your minimap radar. The more information you know, the better decisions you can make.
Pay Close Attention To Your Environment
It sounds obvious, but to be any good at sneaking, you’re going to need to pay close attention to where you’re going and what’s going on. First off, you can spot a lot of things with your smart vision… but you still need to know what to do with this information. For instance, a lot of office buildings have computers you need to hack directly in the line of sight of guards or cameras walking through hallways. But a lot of offices have a button in them that makes the windows opaque, so nothing outside can see in. Also keep an eye on your minimap for threats like security robots and laser grids, as well as for opportunities like biocell-powered trucks that can raise you to higher ground. And you’ll really have to pay attention to find all the key cards, pocket secretaries and triangle codes lying around the world of Deus Ex.
It’s not all a matter of finding rewards, either. You need to pay close attention to threats. Guards are obvious, but watch out for cameras and other objects that can expose you.
Avoid Takedowns In Public
Let’s talk about guards. You want to avoid them. It’s a pretty elementary part of sneaking! If you can’t avoid them, takedowns can knock them out of commission… but it only works well if you’re somewhere private, away from other guards. Takedowns are quiet, but often leave you or the body in plain sight. Avoid them when possible, unless the guard is truly isolated, and then be sure to stash the body. Use cloaking liberally instead (note: You can also cloak through laser grids).
Vents!
Just like in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, vents are your best friends in Mankind Divided. Ventilation ducts, now augmented (heh heh) by cable ducts, which are functionally identical but at least look different, are scattered liberally throughout most buildings and usually go somewhere useful or interesting… often right near where you need to go. The easiest way to find ducts is with your smart vision, so you can easily tell when they’re hidden behind a heavy object or a pile of boxes.
But here’s why vents are straight up overpowered: They not only let you get around without running into enemies and connect areas that aren’t otherwise connected, but enemies will forget about you if you stay in a vent for long enough. If you get spotted, retreat to a vent. They’ll shoot at you while you stand in the entrance, but if you can go a little deeper in it, out of the range of grenades, go get yourself a soda pop and come back in five minutes. The guards will have forgotten you were up there. It’s so foolproof it almost feels ridiculous, but hey, take advantage.
Invest In Hacking
To really be able to beat Deus Ex the stealthy way, you’re going to need to be able to hack effectively. Our hacking guide goes into great detail on how to hack effectively. Invest in hacking augments… including the experimental augment that lets you hack from a distance. Often, computers will give you codes for doors, or let you remotely deactivate cameras, turrets, laser grids and other such obstacles. You aren’t going to get very far as a silent, stealthy warrior if you can’t break into computers along the way.
Accept That It Takes Longer
Ultimately, the key to stealth in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is patience. This approach simply takes longer than fighting your way through every situation… but it’s a very satisfying approach, whether you’re taking a non-lethal approach to the game or not. But you need to give yourself time… time for guards to move along while you hide, time to ferret out alternate routes, time to wait out guards who spot you. It’s a slow and steady effort, but it’s a lot of fun.
