Despite the apparent opulence of
Deus Ex: The Fall’s world, it’s still a very dangerous place. Whether you fight back against your aggressors or sneak past them without any bloodshed is a matter of preference, but one way or another these threats will have to be dealt with. It’s the very reason we’ve put together this handy guide that includes suggestions for weapons, attachments, augmentations, and general tips that should help Ben Saxon live to get caught up in a web of corporate intrigue another day.
General Exploration and Hacking
There are lots and lots of worthwhile goodies to be found just laying around the environment, but you won’t be able to reach all of it without a little help. Oftentimes there will be a couple of different options available for getting inside of a locked room, but without the proper augmentations certain areas will be off-limits for the entire game. That’s why you may want to think about teaching Ben a few of these skills if you’re interested in scrounging every last inch of the world for gear.
Strength - Move Heavy Objects is a handy skill to have both for exploring and circumventing enemies. It boils down to shoving large boxes out of the way but it often reveals hidden access points or opens up new paths. Punch Through Walls can also be quite handy, even from a non-combat standpoint. With it Ben can essentially create his own doorways through specific points of the environment, although punching through solid concrete makes a fair bit of noise so exercise caution when using it.
Hacking - If you want to find all the hidden goodies, you’re going to need to get used to hacking. Aside from the general Capture skills that allow Ben to hack more and more advanced systems with each upgrade, he can also make use of Hacking Stealth to make him less noticeable when capturing nodes as well as Fortify to strengthen captured nodes and make a trace more difficult.
Combat Augmentation and Weapon Specializations
We can’t always avoid confrontation, and when that happens in
Deus Ex: The Fall it can quickly turn into a kill or be killed situation. Thankfully Ben has more than a fair amount of combat experience, so by focusing on certain firearms and augs he’ll be more than capable of holding his own when things get dicey.
Armor - If you plan to get into a lot of firefights, you’ll definitely want to take points in armor. Not only will it increase Ben’s toughness but after a couple of upgrades he can also learn EMP Shielding, which will nullify the effects of EMP blast from grenades and mines as well as render him immune to electrified flooring.
Strength - Punch Through Walls is great for exploring, but it’s also handy for fighting. With the proper timing Ben can easily dispatch an enemy that would otherwise be difficult to sneak past simply by reaching through the wall they’re standing by. Recoil Compensation and Aim Stabilization are also important since there’s bound to be a lot of shooting (especially once he blasts a hole in a wall with his fist) and accuracy will be very important.
Weapons - With the exception of the Stun Gun, all the firearms are lethal. The Crossbow can silently take out unarmored enemies with enough damage upgrades while the 10MM Pistol and Combat Rifle can also be fitted with sound suppressors in order to take out targets from a distance without making too much noise. If subtlety isn’t an option (or desired) there’s also the Q Tap attachment for the 10MM Pistol that adds armor piercing. Then there are all the non-so-subtle weapons like the Tactical RPG, Plasma Rifle, and Shotgun. Ben also has access to Frag Grenades and mines, both of which can be devastating if used against groups of enemies. EMP Grenades and Mines are also worth considering as they’re useful when dealing with mechanical enemies as well as augmented humans.
Stealth Augmentation and Weapon Specializations
Not everyone is looking to start a fight or kill hapless guards. In fact, it’s entirely possible to complete
Deus Ex: The Fall’s first episode in its entirety without killing anybody. It requires a lot of sneaking around and some very particular skill choices, but it’s also incredibly satisfying to pull off.
Cloaking System - Ben’s ability to cloak gives him a distinct advantage when it comes to sneaking past enemies. Its power usage is limited, but when used at the right moment it can make navigating a room full of guards a lot easier.
Multiple Take-Down - Since ammo is somewhat limited and the Stun Gun is for close range, you’re going to have to get really familiar with non-lethal take-downs. Each one uses up one of Ben’s energy bars, however, so being able to take out two guards in close proximity at the same time (and on a single charge) just makes good economic sense.
Radar System - Ben has access to the first stage of this aug right from the beginning, but upgrading it to improve its range will be very useful when it comes to planning a route through hostile territory. Although it can be tough to tell where each enemy is, exactly, since they’re only represented as little spots in an empty box.
Smart Vision - Smart Vision makes up for the radar’s shortcomings by showing enemy locations and orientations in real time. It can be tough to tell which direction the little green arrows are facing on the radar, especially when playing on the smaller iPhone screen, so being able to see exactly where each enemy is in relation to Ben through solid objects is a major help.
Energy Converter - Because so many of Ben’s essential stealth augs require energy to activate it’s important to sink some Praxis Points into this skill. Specifically the Energy Recharge Rates as the faster his batteries recharge the sooner he’ll be able to use more skills. Adding more bars through Energy Upgrades is handy, too, but it’s important to remember that Ben only naturally recharges a single bar by default. The rest have to be refilled using items. Of course with enough points in Energy Upgrades you can unlock a Recharge Capacity Upgrade which will allow Ben to refill
two bars automatically.
Cybernetic Leg Prosthesis - Ben’s legs have a few enhancements that can make sneaking around easier. Run Silently allows him to move at top speed without making noise and drawing attention, and it works in conjunction with his Movement Speed Enhancements so he can pretty much zip around without making a sound. Stealth Dash is also useful for closing the distance between cover points in a hurry without alerting every guard in the room.
Weapons - Ben has a few less options when it comes to stealth-friendly weapons, but there are still more than enough tools to work with. The Crossbow is still a very viable option and can be fitted with tranquilizer darts for non-lethal sleep shots. The Stun Gun is also a handy option for saving on battery power but it’s close range only and doesn’t reload very fast. If you don’t have a problem with killing, both the 10MM Pistol and Combat Rifle can be fitted with a silencer for more quiet long-range options. Finally, Ben can make use of Concussion Grenades and mines to stun enemies while he makes an escape or beats them to a pulp.
