Deus Ex: Human Revolution was one of the surprise hits of the already hectic fall release schedule. The prequel to 2000′s cult-classic, Deus Ex, DX:HR managed to rope in both PC gamers and console gamers alike with its mature story and stellar gameplay. Set in 2027, in a moody, tech-noir infused Detroit, the game sought to convey an epic struggle between those embracing technology and those who fear its inevitable next steps. While the graphics, story and characters help drive this mood, it cannot be understated that the music is what cements the feel of the game.

Composed by the relatively unknown Michael McCann, the soundtrack does exactly what a soundtrack is meant to do: convey the feeling of the game through music. From the first track, “Icarus,” the sweeping score has touches of tech-noir to it, as well as the sense of yearning and struggle within the game. It’s the type of music that stays with you for days, and that you will find yourself playing for friends and family, to share the awesome.

The “Detroit City Ambient” and “Lower Hengsha Ambient” are ambient in the right ways, meaning they are the type of tracks that are soothing, and bring to mind the soft, warm tones of the Deus Ex: Human Revolution world. It’s the type of music you want when you’re stressed out, or just need to relax.

Of course, “Hung Hua Brothel (Extended Version)” deserves special mention for its futuristic, quasi-Asian club sound. If you’ve not playing DX:HR, the song will sound like a great trance track you may have heard on the radio. If you have played the game, it will bring to mind the visuals and mature nature of Jensen’s trip to the seedy underbelly of the augment black market.

Which brings me to why this soundtrack is so great: it’s the type of music that, if you’ve played the game, you’ll find yourself reminiscing over all of the awesome things you did and saw as Adam Jensen. If you’ve not played the game, you’ll find yourself wrapped up in the seamless sound and mood created by the music. That is to say the sweeping fluidity is universal, and that’s a hell of an accomplishment for a video game soundtrack.

McCann has, in Deus Ex: Human Revolution Original Soundtrack, establish a style and sound unlike any other released this year, and maybe not even in the past decade. It is impossible to understate the power of this music, nor the enjoyability it provides. It is something that will make its way to your iPod, and is something you’ll want to share; which, at the end of the day, is all the praise you need.

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