A Criminal Past DLC Review

I always get excited about the opportunity to learn about the back story of some of my favorite video game characters. Adam Jenson has been one of those characters. His backstory is actually fairly intriguing, and I’ve enjoyed slowly learning about what made him the man…augmented man…he is today. Enter the latest DLC which came out last month, A Criminal Past.

In A Criminal Past, players are transported back in time to when Adam infiltrates a high security prison meant to hold augmented criminals. What makes this story line more interesting is that he is implanted with a chip that disables his augments, meaning he’s without them until he can reacquire them while moving through the prison. Getting around the Penthouse is incredibly difficult, as it is full of guards, cameras, and more, all mean to keep the augments in, and someone like Adam Jenson, out.

In this DLC, Adam is working for Interpol’s Taskforce 29 and his job is to infiltrate the prison, mind a fellow undercover agent, and get some much need intel out of him. This backstory is introduced in a wonderful way. In the present, Adam is vising a local therapist and talking about his past, part of which are the events from the Penthouse. There are even moments when the conversation from the therapists office overlays the gameplay from the Penthouse. It is a wonderfully constructed narrative.

There is plenty to see, do, and accomplish in this DLC release, with over 5 hours of continues gameplay. While some of the dialogue is bad – and I mean really, REALLY bad! – the rest of the gameplay is incredibly fun. The puzzles and labyrinths spread out around the prison will take some time to figure out, but should you get to a particularly impossible section, there is generally a nice shortcut somewhere.

If you have enjoyed your time with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, grabbing A Criminal Past to add to your experience is a no brainer. The lack of augmentations early on in your time with the DLC makes the gameplay drastically different than the main story’s path, which can be frustrating or exhilarating, depending on how you look at it. Overall, we give A Criminal Past 8/10!