Deus Ex: Human Revolution/Augmentations

When Adam Jensen was hospitalized after an attack on Sarif Industries, it was necessary to heavily augment his destroyed body to save his life. Due to the extent of his injuries, it was unknown which portions of his body would need special stimulation to assist in his recuperation, so every part of his body was fitted with augmentation upgrade capabilities. Now that Jensen has made a full recovery, he can upgrade his different body parts at will, extending the utility of existing functions and allowing him to activate dormant powers.

Augmentation upgrading is performed by spending Praxis points, which can be gained through the accumulation of experience points or by finding them throughout the game. Praxis points can be found in the game world like other items or they can be given to you by people as a reward for performing certain tasks. Additionally, a Praxis point will be added to your inventory automatically after every 5,000 experience points you earn.

You can spend Praxis points in the Augmentations tab of the menu. Augmentations are split up into sections by body part, and each augmentation can be a single upgrade or a tree of upgrades. For trees, you must purchase the upgrades in order to unlock the next level. Each augmentation has an activation cost of one or two Praxis points (except for the augs you start with), and once activated, all subsequent upgrades in that augmentation tree cost a single Praxis point.

Note: to have or not to have? Despite your style preferences, you'll inevitably be able to upgrade all your augmentations, making your job a lot easier when it comes to hacking, shooting, or the impossible-like jump or punch through the wall. You can carry all of the upgrades from the last game to the "New Game Plus".

However, the "Missing Link" automatically disables back to your starting augmented upgrades (which is available as part of the download or as a package to "Director's Cut") forcing you to upgrade whatever needs to survive on a detour. Once you finish this detour mission, remember to get back your praxis kits in the package before you get on the pod to get yourself back on the main mission.

Social Enhancer
The Social Enhancer, or CASIE aug, displays emotional analysis data during conversations and allows you to release pheromones to influence people. During certain conversations where you can choose your dialog, you will see the Optical Polygraph, Personality Analyzer and Synthetic Pheromones Propagator.
 * Activation cost: 2 Praxis
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

As you select dialog choices, the dotted line running across the top of the Optical Polygraph will rise or fall indicating your success in achieving a beneficial outcome. Below it will flash one to three bars under Alpha, Beta or Omega depending on the person's mood and personality and these indicators can help you choose the right option when attempting to use your pheromones. If your persuasion level is high enough, you will be prompted during the conversation to release your pheromones and choose a dialog option. The correct choice is the one corresponding to the trait under which the most bars flashed during the conversation. Since they normally alternate, choosing the last one to flash is a fairly reliable method as well. In the Personality Analyzer on the right, you can read what is motivating the person and use this information to inform your dialog choices.

While you can still correctly navigate the dialog tree without this augmentation based on what you know of the person and by reading the choices, some outcomes are only available by using the Pheromone Propagator. Also certain people in the side quest is immune to this augmentation. It's worth getting it but only on humans and not on augmented people.
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Radar System
Your Wayfinder Radar System will show people, bots, turrets and cameras displayed in relation to your position. You start with the first level of this augmentation, and initially it has a range of 25 meters and you must spot each unit before they will be added to the HUD. With the upgrade, the distance expands to 50 meters and elements are added to your display automatically without needing to be seen first.
 * Activation cost: None (starting aug)
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

The upgrade can help you as a stealth player in avoiding enemies and detection, but it can be useful for a more direct-approach playthrough. With patience and use of the cover system to look around corners, it helps you from getting into an ambush when you plan your way through the game.
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Infolink
The Infolink Telecommunications Package is a standard communication device that allows anyone who knows your frequency to send you digital video, audio and data signals. The transmissions you receive are inaudible to others, and the augmentation includes an implant along your jaw allowing for subvocal outbound communication. This is the normal way Sarif personnel keep in contact and update you with objectives. However, others you come in contact with throughout the game will also use the Infolink to talk to you and add objective markers to your HUD.
 * Activation cost: None (starting aug)
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

This is one of the two fully upgraded augmentations you start with, so you don't have to find an alternative method of communication.
 * Alternative

Stealth Enhancer
The Stealth Enhancer provides feedback to your HUD to help you be stealthy and avoid detection. Upon activation, you will be able to see the distance at which noise you generate while moving travels. Further upgrades will add enemy units' cones of vision to the HUD to more easily assess when you can break cover, and a utility to determine when enemies have lost sight of you with a marker indicating where they are looking. The Mark & Track upgrades allow you to tag up from three to seven enemies for tracking purposes up to 100m away.
 * Activation cost: 2 Praxis
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

In general, enemies that move out of range of your normal or upgraded radar will be too far away to spot you, so the Mark & Track upgrades have the least utility in the aug unless you need to track a person for a particular reason. Cones of Vision is the most useful upgrade if you are attempting a stealthy resolution, especially with multiple enemies in an area, but you can also look at the direction they're facing on the radar for a rough approximation of the same information.
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The Last Known Location Marker can be helpful if you have been spotted and are confused about where you've been, giving you a chance to find another cover until the enemies give up on you. The Noise Feedback is unavoidable if you want any of the other upgrades. All you need to know is the faster you go, the more noise you generate.

Hacking: Capture
The Hacking Device gives you additional CPU clock cycles necessary to penetrate computer security systems of increasing robustness. Computers, door/safe locks and alarm/security panels can all be hacked, and they all have a security rating from one to five. You need the corresponding capture level to even attempt to hack a computer system. In addition to standard interface hacking, this augmentation can also provide the capability to control cameras, turrets and bots from a security computer terminal. You start with the first level of augmentation, allowing you to hack Security Level 1 systems and control cameras. Cameras can simply be activated and deactivated, while turrets and bots can additionally be set to attack your enemies.
 * Activation cost: None (starting aug)
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

You can complete the game without ever upgrading this augmentation, although it is one of few augs that will severely limit your gameplay experience if you keep it at its lowest level. Not being able to control turrets and bots won't keep you out of any areas, but a low Capture level will bar you from some areas, which affects the loot (including Praxis points), experience and achievements/trophies you can obtain. As an alternative, there are usually many ways to get into most areas, especially the main ones, such as air ducts, codes obtained from pocket secretaries and computers or drawing enemies out through locked doors.
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Nevertheless it would be wise to upgrade it if you're into hacking, since you are bound by so many places to get into and having turrets and bots on your side can turn the tide of battle for players who is into combat.

Hacking Analyze Add-On
The Network Scout Electronic Systems Analysis Augmentation provides information on node security and the contents of datastores. Upon activation, you will be able to see the chance success for hacking any node in the system regardless of how many links away it is. Fully upgraded, it allows you to see what's in datastores before you attempt to hack them.
 * Activation cost: 1 Praxis
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

This augmentation is essentially useless, especially if you have the Stealth hacking upgrades. All nodes already display a numeric security level next to their icons, so you should know your chances of being detected without needing to hover. There is never anything bad in a datastore, and in general you should be trying to access them all, so foreknowledge of their contents is also unnecessary. Your hacking route should be planned before you attempt the first node, and a save before hacking a tough system will be more than adequate to ensure you get everything from the hack.
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But if you like being a hacker, this upgrade is worth your time so you can think quicker on what info you want.

Hacking: Fortify
The Costikyan Neural Optics Node Fortifier downloads software to captured nodes, increasing the time it takes the host security program to recapture them. This is really to shield the node to buy you time to capture other nodes.
 * Activation cost: None (starting aug)
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

This is another unnecessary hacking augmentation, especially if you have the superior Stealth hacking upgrades. Most security programs are located on the opposite side of the node structure from you, so they will mainly be fortifying the uncaptured nodes you have to go through, rather than ones behind you. With the Stealth hacking upgrades and some of the plentiful Nuke programs, you should be able to get far enough into the nodes without being detected to render this augmentation completely useless.
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But for hackers, using this can help you in terms of how much time you need to get all those info as the hacking maze gets more complex.

Hacking: Stealth
The MHD-995SH Informational Warfare Obfuscation Augmentation floods the system with random information packets, overloading the security system and reducing the chance you'll be detected while capturing a node. Each successive upgrade reduces your chance of detection by 15%, 30% or 45% down to a minimum 15% chance.
 * Activation cost: 1 Praxis
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

A save beforehand and use of Nukes and Stop! viruses can assist you in taking over security systems if you don't want to upgrade this aug. Of all the hacking upgrades however, this one and the Capture upgrades that let you into harder systems are the most useful.
 * Alternative

Hackers would enjoy a head start before the system tracks you down and boots you out.

Sentinel RX Health System
The Sentinel RX Health System contains devices which monitor the condition of all areas of your body as well as deploy electric shocks and chemicals to speed the body's natural healing process.
 * Activation cost: None (starting aug)
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

This is the other fully upgraded augmentation you start with, so no alternative is available.
 * Alternative

Sarif Series 8 Energy Converter
The Energy Level and Recharge Rate upgrades allow you to add additional energy cells and recharge them faster, respectively.
 * Activation cost: None (starting aug)
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

Most augmentations don't require energy, and your first energy cell will always recharge to full. Nothing requires using two energy cells at once, so if you have patience, you can get by on just your first energy cell's unlimited recharge. In a given scenario, there are usually a number of ways to proceed, and with proper planning you can use a combination of items, weapons, stealth and distractions instead of anything that requires more energy. If you do want to commit some Praxis points to the augmentation, the Recharge Rate upgrades are more useful for the reasons above, unless you want to use the cloaking augmentation for long periods of time or wish to follow a cloak immediately with a take-down or other augmentation that requires expenditure of a full energy cell.
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If you own "Director's Cut", two energy cells will recharge to full instead of one.

Implanted Rebreather
The rebreather outfits you with components that will cleanse the air you breathe in and help propagate oxygen throughout your bloodstream. This allows you to breathe in gas and poison without taking damage and will let you sprint for longer distances without needing rest.
 * Activation cost: 2 Praxis
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

In the entire game, there is only one room you need this augmentation to enter, and there is nothing critical in there to be missed. Likewise, you can easily go the whole game without ever sprinting, let alone needing to sprint long distances. Although there are many routes blocked by poison gas, there are always alternate routes you can take, and the game doesn't include any underwater swimming and it would be extremely rare for an enemy to use gas on you.
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Still, it's ideal to have this upgrade because the gas drains your health quickly. Also because in the gang territory with the antenna, there's the gas tunnel you need to go through for more experience. Along with the Hive through the tunnel. Lastly, enemies will throw gas grenades at you, forcing you to move out to the open. This upgrade can save you from moving from one spot to another.

Typhoon Explosive System
The Typhoon turns you into a 360° claymore mine. When activated, you will crouch down and numerous ball bearings will be shot out of your body, taking out enemies and bots around you. During this time, you will also not take any damage. At the first level, this augmentation will take out human enemies at fairly close range, while knocking down people farther away. Fully upgraded, it is capable of killing even the largest bots. This augmentation can make boss fights trivial as well as certain times in the game where enemies are grouped together. The Typhoon takes one energy cell and a Typhoon ammo pack for each use. The ammo for the Typhoon is relatively rare, but can be purchased at LIMB clinics.
 * Activation cost: 2 Praxis
 * Energy: 1 Energy Cell
 * Function

There are plenty of alternatives, from using different weapons to avoiding combat all together. Although it can make tough boss fights easier, there are alternative ways to fight bosses, even if you are more non-lethal oriented in your gameplay. But if you're impatient in boss fights, the typhoon can be a time saver. Also if you encounter too many people, use this as a last resort as you can die easily in an all out gun fight (that's if you're a troublemaker, meaning shooting cops and bodyguards).
 * Alternative

Cybernetic Arm Prosthesis
The arm augmentations have a variety of uses, and you start the game with it activated, allowing you to perform takedowns on a single target. Throughout the game there are walls you can punch through, which are marked with a hairline crack, and these lead to otherwise inaccessible rooms or routes. This augmentation is worth getting, since there is a Praxis kit behind one of these walls, meaning it pays for itself. The other upgrade that takes energy is moving heavy objects, and this will allow you to move large crates and dumpsters to reveal passages or help you over tall fences. If you like to throw things at enemies, this will make your ammunition more lethal. The recoil compensation upgrades are useful if you use weapons like the heavy machinegun or shotgun, and this augmentation also includes three upgrades to your inventory capacity, each one adding two columns of space.
 * Activation cost: None (starting aug)
 * Energy
 * Punch Through Wall: 1 Energy Cell
 * Instant Take-Down: 1 Energy Cell
 * Move/Throw Heavy Objects: Low
 * Function

Nothing will stop you from completing the game without punching through walls or moving heavy objects, but you will miss out on some experience and items. Since you get a Praxis kit behind two breakable walls, the punch through walls upgrade shouldn't be avoided. The rest of the upgrades are convenience upgrades, allowing bigger inventory and making it easier to shoot some weapons.
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Aim Stabilizer
This augmentation stops the aiming reticule from moving around so much while you're stationary or moving. This is most noticeable in weapons like the sniper rifle, tranquilizer rifle and laser rifle, which all have scopes.
 * Activation cost: 2 Praxis
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

If you don't use weapons or can deal with the reticule movement, this is an unnecessary augmentation unless you are inexperienced with long range weapons.
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Smart Vision
Smart Vision gives you the Wall-Penetrating Imager, which allows you to see through walls. You can see people, computers, cameras, bots and turrets through walls for short distances. This is useful to quickly flip on before entering rooms to ensure no one is waiting for you or that they're at least facing away.
 * Activation cost: 2 Praxis
 * Energy: Low
 * Function

This is a convenience augmentation that reduces the risk in certain situations. Patience and keen observation will give you the information you need to progress through the game.
 * Alternative

Retinal Prosthesis
The Eye-Know Retinal Prosthesis gives you the HUD used in the game, and is active from the start. It can be upgraded with Flash Suppressant so you're not blinded by concussion grenades and mines (including your own), and with the Cooldown Timer that displays how long until enemies revert from alerted status back to relaxed. If you are taking a more direct approach to the game, which can lead to more combat situations, you may find the Flash Suppressant useful to keep your vision when enemies through concussion grenades at you.
 * Activation cost: None (starting aug)
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

All concussion grenades and mines can be avoided by avoiding combat and being careful around mines. Concussion blasts don't hurt you, you just need to take cover and wait for your vision to clear. The Cooldown Timer is for show only—you still have to wait the same amount of time for enemies to relax. Should you confront the concussion blast, this upgrade will help you recover faster. But it's worth the upgrade since you won't know how the tough situation calls off before you approach the scene.
 * Alternative

Reflex Booster
The Quicksilver Reflex Booster lets you perform takedowns on two enemies at once, if they are close enough together. Note that this upgrade doesn't work on sitting targets.
 * Activation cost: 2 Praxis
 * Energy: 1 Energy Cell
 * Function

There are plenty of times in the game where this is a useful ability, where two enemies are purposely standing together. However, the same effect can be achieved by stunning/killing one of them with conventional weaponry and using the single-target takedown on the other. It is fast enough you can zap one enemy with the stun gun and immediately taking down the next without either of them going into the alarmed state. It will be useful at the very last level, although you can go through it with lots of practice.
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Icarus Landing System
With this augmentation, you can safely fall from any height by deploying an electromagnetic field that pushes against the Earth's magnetosphere as you descend. There are many places in the game where this will speed up navigation and make jumping around safer, and the Doctorate achievement/trophy requires use of this augmentation.
 * Activation cost: 2 Praxis
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

Being careful is the alternative to this augmentation. While there are a few places you won't be able to reach without this augmentation, there is nothing mission-critical there. You will need it if you accidentally fall off a long distance without knowing how much health you're going to lose.
 * Alternative

Dermal Armor
The Rhino Dermal Armor, which can be seen covering your cybernetic arms, is a thin material containing a fluid that thickens when kinetic energy is applied to it. The damage reduction upgrades will reduce the effects of combat damage by 15–45% and the EMP Shielding will fully protect you from EMP grenades and electrical damage. This is helpful against enemies that throw EMP grenades and in electrically charged environments.
 * Activation cost: 2 Praxis
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

Avoiding combat is the easiest alternative, as is staying behind cover. When you're not being shot at, your health will regenerate. Some areas and routes are protected by electrified puddles, but many times the source electricity can be turned off, and there is almost always an alternate route. You will need it to make it easier to get through electric puddles and keep yourself from dying early in one of the boss fights.
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Cloaking System
The GlassShield Cloaking System generates an electromagnetic field that bends light around you, rendering you nearly invisible. This works against humans, machines and even laser beams. A very effective augmentation, the Cloaking System uses a high amount of energy, going from 3 to 5 to 7 seconds of use per energy cell as it is upgraded. This is a helpful augmentation for moving through hostile territory unseen and escaping detection when alerted enemies or bots come to investigate after you've been spotted.
 * Activation cost: 2 Praxis
 * Energy: High
 * Function

Using alternate routes, vents and the cover system you can traverse most spaces unseen if you are careful and patient. Likewise, laser beam grids can be avoided or hacked and shut off. Use this augmentation as the last resort if you are in great danger of losing health. But be quick because the energy cell does run out quickly.
 * Alternative

Cybernetic Leg Prosthesis
The leg enhancements have a variety of upgrades, from enhanced jumping and running speed, to silencing your movements. Upon activation, you will be able to jump higher, allowing you to reach some places that are inaccessible otherwise. One upgrade will increase the speed at which you sprint, and the others allow you to walk, run and land silently with successive upgrades. Using your silent movement upgrade will slowly drain your energy while it is on.
 * Activation cost: 2 Praxis
 * Energy
 * Run, Sprint, Jump/Land Silently: Low
 * Function

Of all the upgrades, enhanced jumping is the most useful and it's the first one you get when activating the augmentation. Even so, there are alternate routes that don't require jumping and it is unnecessary for completing the game. The other upgrades are just convenience luxuries you can do without. Running faster or silently can be replaced with running at normal speed or going slower to reduce noise. However, the "Missing Link" has areas for you to jump to acquire items from the ship full of compartments to the dock area with the secret area.
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