This DLC begins when Adam Jensen gains access to a Belltower Cargo ship later on in the game, though it can be triggered from the main menu to allow you to jump right in. You begin the DLC in an EMP rigged interrogation chair and Jensen has had all of his augmentations deactivated and stripped out. The badass that you once were is now reset to factory default and this provides an interesting starting point for a total rebuild of Jensen's abilities throughout the DLC.

There are once again numerous approaches and routes you can take through the DLC mission, which clocks in at roughly 5 hours worth of content for 1200 Microsoft Points. From the gung-ho (dangerous at the start with Adam's lack of augmentations and limited arsenal) to the sneaky: knocking guards out and hiding their bodies away from the patrols. The Missing Link provides a lot of options for getting the drop on your enemies to begin with and it has to be stressed that it's much harder than the core game of Deus Ex to take the less sneaky route. Patience and careful observation is the key here though a more gung-ho approach will net you some nice weapons with a slim chunk of XP compared to takedowns and stealth.

Once Adam regains his combat gear and gets some Praxis, things can play out how you want. You can pick up the weapons that complement your play style and put points in the augments that you really need. Again, hacking proves to be a great way to get extra loot and cash early on and slip past some of the more tricky security systems. The rest of the game expands the Deus Ex: HR core play style and adds sprawling big levels for you to sneak or blast your way through, packed with the kinds of challenges and shortcuts that you'd expect.

The DLC also introduces some interesting new characters, with their own motivations and goals that tie into the overall plot arc of the core game and the DLC. It will certainly make you either love or hate the new antagonists. Without giving too much of the late game away things get pretty interesting once you get off the cargo ship and end up elsewhere, where there are laser fences, laser tripwires and robots to deal with, amongst legions of patrolling guards and traps.

To facilitate the atmosphere and change to the DLC, since the first part is on a cargo ship, the developers have smoothed up the lighting system, making a weather effects engine for the game and adding wave motion to the engine too. So that you get a nice effect once you make it out of the interior of the cargo ship. I was reminded of Metal Gear Solid 2 in a good way when I first snuck out on deck during the heavy storm, watching the water rolling and crashing around the ship.

The Missing Link is a sprawling 5 hour DLC ride that certainly provides some answers, asks more questions and is worth a second or even third playthrough to discover some of the other paths the story can go. As well as trying out new tactics and new Jensen builds too. It's a great place to experiment with different play styles and weapons as well as being well written and a fitting addition to Deus Ex in general.

The price point may be a little steep, but if you're a fan of the game it's well worth getting.