- This article is about the augmentation in Deus Ex: Human Revolution. For the augmentation in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, see Smart Vision (DXMD).
Smart Vision
Smart Vision is an augmentation in Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Overview[]
Costing two Praxis points, Smart Vision's main purpose is to enable the player to spot enemies even if they are hidden from normal view behind walls, on a higher or lower floor level, behind other obstacles, or even invisible[citation needed]. Depending on an individual's style of playing, Smart Vision can be a very useful augmentation.
Usage[]
When activated, Smart Vision makes hidden enemies visible by highlighting them in a bright yellow color. Since this is done regardless of whether or not an enemy actually is hidden behind an obstacle, this may lead inattentive players to believe that an opponent is still blocked from normal view even though this is no longer the case, and can result in the player being spotted by that enemy.
Aside from enemies, Smart Vision also highlights various items and other objects, thus making them visible to the player. These objects are:
- weapons and ammunition
- consumable items such as Painkillers, energy bars, Praxis kits, cans and bottles of beer and other liquors, etc.
- computer workstations, security hubs, keypads, and alarm and laser panels
- security cameras and turrets
- undeployed (i.e. "unfolded") Boxguards and idle security bots
Objects that are not highlighted by Smart Vision are:
- eBooks, pocket secretaries, and newspapers
- doors and ventilation shaft covers
- desk and cabinet drawers
- boxes and crates, trash bins, fire extinguishers and other objects the player can pick up and throw
Smart Vision has an effective range of 19 meters, at which point the highlight effect on an enemy or object will start to fade quickly until it's gone at a distance of 20 meters.
Synergy with Weapons and Other Augmentations[]
A player using Smart Vision and armed with the laser rifle, which can fire through walls and other obstacles, can easily dispose of enemies without having to reveal himself. This can also be achieved when relying on "blind-fire", i.e. shooting without exposing oneself to aim while taking cover, because of the laser rifle's perfect accuracy.
Likewise, a player wielding a machine pistol or combat rifle upgraded with the Target-Seeking System weapon modification can use Smart Vision to lock onto a target without having to expose himself to enemy fire.
Players not using the upgraded radar, which doesn't show enemies and security cameras until the player has seen them or is within a certain range, can use Smart Vision to detect such enemies, at which point they will also appear on the radar. Likewise, Smart Vision also allows players to mark targets with the Mark and Track function of the Stealth Enhancer augmentation while they are still hidden behind walls and other obstacles.
Smart Vision also allows a player to determine whether or not there is an enemy on the other side of a breakable wall through which he can break with the Punch Through Walls upgrade. However, unlike with normal walls, Smart Vision does not highlight items and other objects behind a breakable wall; only enemies will be visible when using Smart Vision. This is contrary to information given in the game, specifically by the female hobo Letitia who tells Adam Jensen about items in "secret stashes" that he should find easily with "one of them look-through-walls" augmentations. This means that such breakable walls can not be found by looking for items highlighted by Smart Vision, but only by searching for the distinctive cracks in the walls, or acquiring the Punch-Through-Walls upgrade which will then highlight the breakable parts of the walls themselves.
Bugs[]
- Occasionally this Augmentation may stop working (Pressing down on the D-Pad will not activate Smart Vision) - the only known way to fix this is to save the game, quit to the main menu, eject and reinsert the disk and then reload your save.
- As mentioned above, Smart Vision does not highlight items and other objects (only enemies) when looking through breakable walls. Considering that this is not only illogical (a breakable wall is still a wall, and enemies can still be seen regardless) but also contradicts information given in the game itself, this behavior can and should be considered a bug.