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.

Social Enhancer
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 * 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 aug based on what you know of the person and by reading the choices, some outcomes are only available by using the Pheromone Propagator. With a timely save before important conversations, there is no need to purchase this aug if you want to reload after making a "wrong" choice.
 * Alternative

Radar System
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 * Activation cost: None (starting aug)
 * Energy: Passive
 * Function

The upgrade can help you as a stealth player in avoiding enemies and detection, but is mostly unnecessary for a more direct-approach playthrough. With patience and use of the cover system to look around corners, it is entirely optional even for a stealth-centric run.
 * Alternative

Infolink
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 * 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
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 * 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. 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. The Last Known Location Marker can be helpful if you have been spotted and are confused about where you've been, but you can definitely do without this upgrade by not being compromised and avoiding staying in one spot when you get to cover. The Noise Feedback is unavoidable if you want any of the other upgrades, but it unnecessary for a playthrough if that's all you want from the aug. All you need to know is the faster you go, the more noise you generate.
 * Alternative

Hacking: Capture
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 * 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.
 * Alternative

Hacking Analyze Add-On
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 * 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.
 * Alternative

Hacking: Fortify
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 * 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.
 * Alternative

Hacking: Stealth
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 * 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

Sentinel RX Health System
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 * 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
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 * 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 invisibility augmentation for long periods of time.
 * Alternative

Implanted Rebreather
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 * 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.
 * Alternative

Typhoon Explosive System
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 * 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.
 * Alternative

Cybernetic Arm Prosthesis
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 * 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 a breakable wall, 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.
 * Alternative

Aim Stabilizer
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 * 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.
 * Alternative

Smart Vision
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 * 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
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 * 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.
 * Alternative

Reflex Booster
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 * 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.
 * Alternative

Icarus Landing System
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 * 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 aug, there is nothing mission-critical there.
 * Alternative

Dermal Armor
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 * 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.
 * Alternative

Cloaking System
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 * 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.
 * Alternative

Cybernetic Leg Prosthesis
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 * 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.
 * Alternative