Human Revolution's Ending

[Soviet Heavy]

Is frikking genius. It actually gives you a reason to realize that nothing you did will change the fact that Deus Ex 1 will still happen.

Spoiler: Allow Me To Explain

In the game, David Sariff is always talking about how everything is a conspiracy or a front to cover up true motives. That is more true than he realizes. The entire game was just part of a bigger plan.

The entire game was a distraction.

Regardless of whether you choose to destroy Panchaea, or put out Taggart, Sariff or Darrow's message, nothing will change, because it wasn't meant to change anything. The only thing that mattered was that Bob Page got Megan and her research. That was all he wanted, so he could begin developing the Grey Death virus.

The biochip conspiracy, the mass insanity and the attacks on human augmentation were all put in action to draw attention elsewhere. In essence, Jensen's entire quest was all orchestrated by Page to grab the world's attention and allow him to work in privacy.

Everything you did was covering the true conspiracy, and nobody even noticed.

It's brilliant. In the same way that Bioshock made a commentary on the illusion of choice in games, Human Revolution has done the same, all without contradicting the themes and messages of the series, and staying completely in line with what came before and after.

Well played, Eidos.

 

[Saviordd1]

Hmmm, interesting way to look at it.

 

[AJax_21]

You know, I never thought of it this way. Still my problem with the whole third part of the game was the lack of a build up to Darrow as a villain. I would've loved to see Eidos go with their original design plan of having two more hub worlds, Upper Hengsha and Montreal. That would've definitely helped with negating the rushed feel of the ending and give the writers more leeway.

This reminds me that I really have to go finish Deus Ex 1.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Well played, Eidos.

It was actually rushed. And they even admitted that. No one is saying that DE:HR ending doesn't make sense. It does. It makes perfect sense. The problem is that we didn't get any character closure. The game just ended. Players wanted to see what happened with characters after you made the choice.

Obviously, I don't have that problem. I know what happened after. Hell. I know which choice is canon. And I'm not telling.

 

[K84]

Well played, Eidos.

It was actually rushed. And they even admitted that. No one is saying that DE:HR doesn't make sense. It does. It makes perfect sense. The problem is that we didn't get any character closure. The game just ended. Players wanted to see what happened with characters after you made the choice.

Uhuh, i really wanted to see the confrontation between Adam and Megan.
Man, that would have been something, after all the manipulations, secrets and whatnots...
But alas, no such luck.

I hope Eidos revisits the world of Deus Ex again in the near future.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Well played, Eidos.

It was actually rushed. And they even admitted that. No one is saying that DE:HR ending doesn't make sense. It does. It makes perfect sense. The problem is that we didn't get any character closure. The game just ended. Players wanted to see what happened with characters after you made the choice.

Obviously, I don't have that problem. I know what happened after. Hell. I know which choice is canon. And I'm not telling.

I didn't say it didn't make sense. I said that it totally fit with the concepts the game had been throwing at us the entire time. Would it have been great to see an aftermath, and Upper Hengsha and Montreal? Of course, but I'm just trying to say that, even with the rushed ending, it still has the brilliant twist that whatever you do becomes inconsequential anyways.

Even with an epilogue, all your actions were just a distraction for Page to get what he wanted.

 

[TheOneBearded]

Well played, Eidos.

It was actually rushed. And they even admitted that. No one is saying that DE:HR ending doesn't make sense. It does. It makes perfect sense. The problem is that we didn't get any character closure. The game just ended. Players wanted to see what happened with characters after you made the choice.

Obviously, I don't have that problem. I know what happened after. Hell. I know which choice is canon. And I'm not telling.

Just between you and me, option 4 is the only way for the game to be "canon" ,right?

 

[octafish]

Well played, Eidos.

It was actually rushed. And they even admitted that. No one is saying that DE:HR ending doesn't make sense. It does. It makes perfect sense. The problem is that we didn't get any character closure. The game just ended. Players wanted to see what happened with characters after you made the choice.

Obviously, I don't have that problem. I know what happened after. Hell. I know which choice is canon. And I'm not telling.

Just between you and me, option 4 is the only way for the game to be "canon" ,right?

You'll know if there is an extra epilogue and you get a *sigh* achievement when you sit through it.

 

[DEAD34345]

It's strange... considering the different endings were literally decided by 4 different buttons, and all you get afterwards is a cheap-ass clip show regardless, I should have hated that ending. As it happens though I was quite satisfied, and I don't really know why. I didn't even notice what you're pointing out in the OP since my knowledge of Deus Ex lore isn't exactly great, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

It's strange... considering the different endings were literally decided by 4 different buttons, and all you get afterwards is a cheap-ass clip show regardless, I should have hated that ending. As it happens though I was quite satisfied, and I don't really know why. I didn't even notice what you're pointing out in the OP since my knowledge of Deus Ex lore isn't exactly great, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

In the original Deus Ex, most of the world population was wiped out by a virus called the Grey Death.

Spoiler

The character in the opening cinematic of Human Revolution talking with the Illuminati is Bob Page, the main antagonist of the original Deus Ex. He was the one responsible for developing and administering the virus as part of his take over the world/become immortal god scheme.

At the end of Human Revolution's credits, Page is heard talking to Megan Reed about certain tests involving Adam Jensen's DNA. Several hints are dropped in the dialogue that this research will eventually be used to create the Grey Death virus.

In essence, all Bob Page really needed in the whole game was Megan and her research. Everything else was just a cover to keep the public occupied while he worked on his plague.

 

[Deadyawn]

I...geuss that makes sense. It's still pretty horrible from a narrative perspective though.

 

[Shocksplicer]

It's strange... considering the different endings were literally decided by 4 different buttons, and all you get afterwards is a cheap-ass clip show regardless, I should have hated that ending. As it happens though I was quite satisfied, and I don't really know why. I didn't even notice what you're pointing out in the OP since my knowledge of Deus Ex lore isn't exactly great, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

In the original Deus Ex, most of the world population was wiped out by a virus called the Grey Death.

Spoiler

The character in the opening cinematic of Human Revolution talking with the Illuminati is Bob Page, the main antagonist of the original Deus Ex. He was the one responsible for developing and administering the virus as part of his take over the world/become immortal god scheme.

At the end of Human Revolution's credits, Page is heard talking to Megan Reed about certain tests involving Adam Jensen's DNA. Several hints are dropped in the dialogue that this research will eventually be used to create the Grey Death virus.

In essence, all Bob Page really needed in the whole game was Megan and her research. Everything else was just a cover to keep the public occupied while he worked on his plague.

I'm pretty sure the dialogue between Megan and Page at the end of HR was actually about the Denton brothers, but still. That was a part of his greater plans.

OT: That's the way I've always thought of the ending.
And anyone who says that the ending lacks closure on Jensen i just wrong. That's entirely what the ending is. The fact that Deus Ex happens is proof that Jensens' choice doesn't really matter. The ending you choose isn't about what you want to happen to the world, it's about your/Jensens' philosophical views, after everything he's seen.

 

[NeutralDrow]

The ending you choose isn't about what you want to happen to the world, it's about your/Jensens' philosophical views, after everything he's seen.

That certainly is what I liked about it. And that's why it took me ten minutes to figure out whether I should let my commitment to truth, political beliefs, conviction in technology, or faith in humanity reign supreme.

But as with all Deus Ex decisions, I have always been on the side of humanity as a whole.

You <color=aliceblue>blew up the station, too? That was my eventual decision. Hell, I even liked the clipshow at the end. No less because Jensen then laid out more-or-less my exact reasoning for making that choice.

Does the original have anything like this? I've only played HR, and I've been warned to stay away from IW.

It's brilliant. In the same way that Bioshock made a commentary on the illusion of choice in games, Human Revolution has done the same, all without contradicting the themes and messages of the series, and staying completely in line with what came before and after.

Except unlike with Bioshock, where I had to be told by people after the fact about the meta commentary because it never occurred to me playing (and it makes no sense even after people tried to explain it to me), Human Revolution actually succeeded. As someone who plays a ton of visual novels, it was both comfortably familiar and incredibly engaging.

 

[Animyr]

Hmm, I still find the ending disappointing. All that build up and the abrupt payoff is a room full of buttons and a loose tie-in to the predecessor that's going to play out the same no matter what. Yay. I liked Jensen's monologues, don't get me wrong, and I understand that the world would have turned out the same way no matter what choice you make, but I kind of wished we got more in relation to individual characters like Sarif and Malic and Pritchard. Oh, and Megan, the person the entire plot and Jensen's character revolved around. See how our choices play out, etc.

Shame, considering the rest of the game was pretty well paced. Not that I can't think of worse endings (ME cough cough) but I'm still not a fan of that last five minutes.

Also, were the minority report people part of the previous games? I was confused about that.

 

[Doom972]

I think id would've been better if they just gave it a single ending with slight variations based on your actions. Four different choices resulting in some stock footage felt rushed, especially after that cheap zombie level.

 

[veloper]

I think the OP is seeing more in DXHR than is really there.


** more spoilers **


Megan could have died just as easily, or ended up with Sarif industries or their chinese competitor.

So the schemers, who include a bunch of competing CEOs with various motives, send a bunch of troopers and 3 meathead augs to kill every scientist - minus 5 at Sarif HQ and burn the place down.
The chinese CEO with her own personal plans for world domination, will be the one to hold the 5 scientists captive.
Against all odds she dies in the end or that would have been the fundamental flaw in Bob's master plan from day 1.

The meatheads get lucky and don't shoot the wrong egg heads. Then Megan nearly gets killed as Adam and the aug crash through the wall of her hiding place. She interferes in the fight and everything gets covered in green acid goo.
The following destruction of the lab isn't complete. Adam barely survives. Also one other witness, who just might aswell have been anyone, manages to hide and survives.
Lucky for the bad guys they still manage to get to him before he's fully questioned and brainwash the guy.

Later Adam mounts a succesful rescue and 4 scientists fly back to Sarif, who depending on the ending, may be on top of the world now.
Had he failed, then the four would probably be in China before the conclusion.

There's also an ending with the illuminati(Taggart) in control and they oppose Bob Page in DX.

Seems more luck for things to turn out as DX, than a good plan.