Security camera



Security camera is a thermal camera arranged in a public or private space to watch what goes on in their field of vision. They appear in Deus Ex, Deus Ex: Invisible War and Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Characteristics
They are small, rounded and their light is green when neutral. They usually swivel left and right high up on walls, often in corners where they can see everything happening in an area. Although they are green normally, when they see an enemy, they turn yellow and beep, following the target either for a few seconds or until the target can escape the camera's sight. After a few seconds of watching an enemy, it will turn red and sound an alarm, alerting all hostile humans and bots to the location.

Avoiding
Because their sight follows a predictable pattern, cameras are rather easy to avoid, so long as the player is paying attention. Ideally they should lean around corners and wait until it starts its path toward the desirable direction, then sprint out of its sight. It is also possible to quickly run and hide behind obstacles, ignoring the camera, so long as not to set off the alarm.

Disabling
The player can disable cameras through several means, such as finding the necessary terminal and turning it off, or using multitools if they are within range. Security cameras can also be destroyed through loss of integrity. If no mobile NPCs are present, the GEP gun is preferred because of its abundance of ammunition, however Sabot shells used with a shotgun or a sniper rifle (with a master skill) will work perfecty.

In Deus Ex: Human Revolution, cameras function noticeably differently. Although the basic principals are the same (including the brief warning period when the camera first spots the player), they can now detect bodies, and can be destroyed easily with any weapon (though doing so automatically activates the alarm system). They can also be disabled for a few seconds at a time with the stun gun without sounding the alarm or alerting hostiles to Jensen's location. EMP blasts also disable security cameras permanently, though EMP mines may be more effective to use than EMP grenades since they can be attached to walls, closer to the camera. Cameras can also be disabled discreetly from security hubs.

Trivia
In Deus Ex: Human Revolution, security cameras have the model name "Big Bro" printed on their side. This may be a reference to George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, where posters of the book's antagonist, a political party supposedly ruled by a figured named Big Brother, commonly displayed the words "Big Brother is watching you".

Note: this model name is the same for the cameras in the game "mirror's edge" (from DICE, edited by EA)