Mission 1:
Moscow
A 3D representation of New York appears as Bob Page discusses a conspiracy with a group of unknown individuals. After he finishes speaking with them, he switches to a secure channel and speaks with Jaron Namir, the leader of the Tyrants.
Page asks if their "new recruit" is ready, and Namir replies in the affirmative. Page then asks about "the two that got away", and Namir promises that he will kill them himself if they interfere...
In their Costa Rica safehouse, Ben Saxon and Anna Kelso are listening to Eliza Cassan delivering a report about Versalife's production of the Neuropyzyne drug. Saxon asks Kelso if she's alright, and mentions how he knows that she hasn't been sleeping well. She responds that she's still paranoid that the Tyrants are out there looking for them. She tells him that they should look for evidence to expose the Illuminati, but Saxon replies in the negative and says the only way is to kill them first.
She asks what he remembers about the Tyrants when he worked for them, and Saxon flashes back to his first mission in Moscow...
Saxon is working with the Tyrants to take down a Russian minister named Kontarsky who was responsible for the operation that killed Saxon's former military unit in Australia. Namir orders Saxon to terminate the mobster with extreme prejudice, and the Tyrants leap out of the plane. Saxon and Barrett follow suit and the Icarus Landing System guides them to a safe landing.
As they infiltrate the building where the mobster is located, Saxon jams the building's communications. Once they enter, he dispatches several goons and makes his way to the maintenance floor after disabling a thermal shielding device. He eventually arrives at Kontarsky's office and enters.
Saxon orders Kontarsky to not move as the latter sits at his desk and is speaking with an anonymous individual. Kontarsky begs to finish what he started, and Saxon threatens to kill him while the anonymous individual orders him to complete his upload and send data on both the Tyrants and "The Killing Floor". Saxon presses for more information, but Kontarsky claims that he never heard of what the mercenary is talking about. The anonymous individual, who Kontarsky refers to as Janus, tells Saxon that he is being used as a pawn by the Tyrants.
Saxon chooses to capture Kontarsky, but the Tyrants snipe the minister through a nearby window...
In the present, Saxon tells Kelso that the Tyrants were prone to using lies and manipulation to get what they wanted. He tells her that he realized something was wrong after the Moscow mission, and discovered that the Tyrants were operating from a mobile base in a jetliner...
Tropes:
- Air-Vent Passageway: The Tyrants infiltrate the building where Kontarsky is holed up by accessing the ventilation system on the roof.
- As You Know: The forced tutorial takes you through every aspect of control, gameplay and combat, despite the fact that Saxon is an augmented mercenary who is well aware of his movements and skillset.
- Big Entrance: The first mission begins proper with all of the Tyrants leaping out of an airplane over Russian airspace and reaching the ground safely with the Icarus Landing System.
- Boom, Headshot!: Kontarsky's death.
- Call-Back: The introduction to the game is more-or-less the same as Human Revolution, with a conversation between Bob Page and other conspirators seguing into two characters watching a news report by Eliza Cassan.
- Call-Forward:
- Eliza's broadcast mentions that Versalife is having trouble keeping up with the demand for neuropyzyne.
- Janus also appears, several months before he would go on to speak with Quinn after Adam Jensen leaves Rifleman Bank Station.
- Continuity Nod: Seeing as the game is a sequel to the book Deus Ex: Icarus Effect, Saxon and Kelso's actions in Geneva are referenced several times, both by themselves and the Illuminati.
- Gorn: Unlike Human Revolution, which had a Gory Discretion Shot whenever a major character shot themselves, Kontarksy's death by headshot is shown in full view as blood and brain matter shoots out from the front of his head.
- Hope Spot: The game makes it seem as though you have the option to capture Kontarsky (after listening to his and Janus' explanation) instead of killing him. However, his relief is all for naught as he gets shot in the head a few seconds later by Namir.
- Instant Sedation: Guards immediately go down after being hit with a single tranquilizer dart, regardless of where it hits on their bodies.
- Laser Hallway: On the approach to Kontarsky's penthouse.
- Late-Arrival Spoiler: For Icarus Effect, as both Saxon and Kelso mention their previous experiences.
- The Mafiya: Kontarsky's goons.
- Mission Control: Namir oversees this role, although he directly takes part in combat as well.
- Mythology Gag: Just like the original game and Human Revolution, one of the keycodes for a door is 0451.
- Precision F-Strike: One of the emails found on the level (written by one of the guards) distinctly mentions "feral cats fucking" during his regular duty shift (and as a way to emphasize how paranoid his employers are).
- Properly Paranoid: One of the emails you find is from a guard complaining that Kontarsky is way too paranoid, and wants to install cameras throughout his building when the only disturbances are rats and enterprising teenagers looking for a good time. It soon becomes clear that Kontarsky's fears are completely justified when Saxon confronts him.
- Stealth Hi/Bye: Federova disappears in this way when the Tyrants land on the building. Lampshaded later on - when they meet back up, Saxon asks where Federova is. Barrett simply replies, "She's around."
- A Taste of Power: You can unlock the stealth augmentation (which lets you pass through lasers undetected) for free, but the player has to save up Praxis Points to unlock it again afterwards.
- Whole Episode Flashback
- Writing Around Trademarks: One of the advertisements seen on the skyline during the flashback is a clear parallel to Heineken beer, instead called "Heinekroken". It even has a suspiciously similar logo.
