Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut Achievements Guide

Hi, and welcome to my guide to all achievements in Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut. In this guide, you will find all achievements from the game, both visible and secret ones. I wrote the first edition of the guide for myself, using only notes and keywords. What you will see here will be a more complete, cleaned up and easier to understand version of those notes. I also want to point out that it is indeed possible to get all achievements in Deus Ex: Human Revolution and The Missing Link DLC in one playthrough (albeit with reloading an earlier savegame to get certain achievements - no game progress will be lost, however)

Obviously, SPOILER WARNING FOR THE ENTIRE GUIDE. Do not read this guide if you want to play the game unspoiled.

In this section, you will find achievements that you have to complete throughout the complete game, or ones that you get near the game(by beating it/watching different endings/etc.).

• First Hack - hack your first electronic device. You can't miss that achievement as you will have to hack some devices to proceed through the story.
  
• Hax0r1! - hack 50 devices. Can be doors, computers, security panels - basically anything.

• First Takedown - first non-lethal Take-Down (nlTD).
  
• Opportunist - 50 nlTDs.
  
• Consciousness is Over-rated - 100 nlTDs.

• Up the Ante! - upgrade a weapon once.
  
• Gun Nut - fully upgrade a weapon. I strongly recommend to use either the Double-Barrel Shotgun, the Grenade Launcher or the Tranquilizer Rifle for this since they need only 3-4 upgrades to be upgraded completely, respectively. For example, to fully upgrade the Pistol, you'll need 19 upgrades.
  I am also listing weapon locations and upgrades locations, however only the first few and only the easiest ones to get, so don't wonder if some difficult to find locations you know about are missing in the list. If you missed some of the upgrades that are listed in the table below, check out the Deus Ex Wiki for the full list: Locations (by mod)[deusex.wikia.com]
  
  Weapon

  Weapon Location

  Upgrades Needed

  Double-Barrel Shotgun

  One can be found inside the storage area directly near the employee entrance in the Milwaukee Junction plant
  If you have missed that, another one is in one of the storage rooms around the first boss battle area (Lower levels of the FEMA internment camp in Detroit).

  2x Reload Speed, 1x Damage Upgrade

  Tranquilizer Rifle

  You get one from David Sarif if you choose the non-lethal, ranged path before the first mission

  3x Reload Speed, 1x LeadFire Targeting Suite

  Grenade Launcher

  Mission Reward for rescuing Tong Si Hung's son during your second visit to Hengsha

  2x Rate of Fire, 2x Reload Speed
  
  Double-Barrel Shotgun
  
  Reload Speed

  Reload Speed

  Damage Upgrade

  Detroit Police Station, inside the locker room near the morgue

  Highland Park, FEMA camp (floor level -4), in the security office near the elevator to level -5

  Detroit, Milwaukee Junction plant in Lab 2, storage room 3, inside a crate that a Purity First member is searching
  
  Tranquilizer Rifle
  
  Reload Speed

  Reload Speed

  Reload Speed

  LeadFire Targeting Suite

  Detroit Police Station, inside the locker room near the morgue

  Easier: Hengsha, locked behind a level 2 secured garage, left of the Hung Hua Hotel's first floor

  Highland Park, FEMA camp (floor level -4), in the security office near the elevator to level -5

  Detroit, Highland Park, can be bought from MCB Gang Leader near the helipad
  
  Grenade Launcher
  
  Reload Speed

  Reload Speed

  Rate of Fire

  Rate of Fire

  Detroit Police Station, inside the locker room near the morgue

  Highland Park, FEMA camp (floor level -4), in the security office near the elevator to level -5

  Detroit Police Station armory, behind a locked door

  Hengsha, inside The Hive's interrogation room (accessible by air vent - backdoor area of The Hive, somewhere near Tong Si Hung's Office)

• Pacifist - this achievement is listed in a separate category below because I've reached the maximum allowed length or this segment of the guide and there are many nuances to this achievement.
  
• Foxiest of the Hounds - this achievement is listed in a separate category below because I've reached the maximum allowed length or this segment of the guide and there are many nuances to this achievement.
  
• Ghost - get your first ghost bonus. Ghost Bonus is a 250XP bonus that is awarded at the end of a mission if you weren't detected during that mission.
  Being detected means: being spotted long enough for your radar to turn red (not orange: really red), physically touching an enemy, letting enemies see other enemies bodies and/or turrets/bots exploding.
  Mission in this case equals a main quest like the one in Milwaukee Junction plant; as you can't get Ghost Bonuses during side quests.
  For more information on the Ghost Bonus and detection details, visit the Deus Ex Wiki: Ghost (Bonus)[deusex.wikia.com]
  
• Transhumanist - Fully upgrade your first augmentation of choice. I suggest augmentations with a low amount of upgrades needed.
  
• Doctorate - Read all 29 unique XP books within a single playthrough. A full list of all XP books and locations needed for this achievement is at the bottom of the guide. Good luck searching!

• Deus Ex Machina - Experience all the different endings that Deus Ex: Human Revolution has to offer. There are 4 of them in total. In order to get this achievement, you will have first to help Sarif AND Taggart in Panchaea. After that, complete the game to the point where you get to choose the ending. Make a gamesave, watch one ending, reload, watch another, repeat until done.
  
• The D Project - You watched the entire credit list and saw the surprise at the end. Self-explanatory. Don't skip.
  
• Trooper - complete the game. Self-explanatory.
  
• Legend - beat the game on the hardest difficulty. You have to start your game on the hardest difficulty and are not allowed to switch the difficulty setting throughout the entire game.

You get Pacifist by completing the game without anyone dying by your hands (Boss fights do not count).

• Kill anyone with a lethal weapon - both enemies in the prologue, and in the main game
  
• Kill anyone using a lethal takedown
  
• Kill anyone using mines
  
• Destroy a wall with an enemy behind it (both using Punch Through Wall augmentation and normal weapons to destroy the wall - if an enemy leans onto a wall and the wall is destroyed, the enemy will die regardless of how you destroyed the wall)
  
• Push/throw people off rooftops
  
• Hide bodies in water (enemies drown)
  
• Turn robots against your enemies
  
• Kill enemies by making robots explode

• There are a lot of reports from players who knocked out NPCs that later died to an exploding robot. Those players still got the achievement. The game is bugged and Pacifist it not always working as intended, sadly.
  
• Tranquilizer Rifle is known to bug out and sometimes kill enemies instead of knocking them out. Always check bodied before proceeding to the next area. (Credit to Leegh for pointing this out)

• [Unconfirmed] A bug may exist where setting off an alarm and then quick-loading still breaks the achievement. It's recommended to use normal save/load functions, accessible through the pause menu. (Credit to Leegh for pointing this out)
  
• A human enemy or a civilian activates an alarm panel
  
• Camera spots the player or a body (showing as Alarmed or Hostile permanently on radar - camera getting Suspicious is OK)
  
• You destroying a camera by a weapon/explosion. EMP grenades, however, are safe to use
  
• Laser Grid gets triggered by the player or by an object
  
• Laser emitter gets damaged from weapons and EMP grenades (this is different from camera - be sure not to use any EMP grenades on laser grids)
  
• You fail a hack (the security "detects" you). Note: This is only the case in the areas where failing a hack can trigger the alarm, i.e. the hacked device is connected to an "alarm system". This is mostly the case during main quests. If you fail to hack a device when adventuring around in the Sarif building or in any house in Detroit and Hengsha, this won't trigger any alarms and therefore won't lock the achievement

• Old School Gamer - You found all the hidden story items in Megan's Office. Point-and-Click much?

  You need to interact (aim and press E) with six items inside Megan's room: An E-Book on the sofa, a toy car, a book on Megan's desk, a picture left of Megan's computer, a newspaper on the desk and the e-mails in Megan's computer. Open her computer and check and scroll down every single e-mail.

  If you're having trouble finding something, here's a video guide.
  

• The Bull - You defeated Lawrence Barrett, elite member of a secret mercenary hit squad. Can't miss it. Story achievement.

• Cloak & Daggers - complete the Cloak & Daggers quest given by Jenny Alexander.
  
• The Take - accept O'Malleys offer while doing the Cloak & Daggers quest. If you don't feel like accepting a bribe, save before the final conversation, accept his bribe to get the achievement and then reload.
  
• Lesser Evils - complete the Lesser Evils quest given by Tim Carella.
  
• Motherly Ties - complete the Motherly Ties quest given by Mrs. Reed.
  
• Sentimental Value - keep Megan's Bracelet while doing the Motherly Ties quest.

• Unforeseen Consequence - convince Zeke Sanders to let his hostage go.
  Step 1 – Empathize
  Step 2 – Empathize
  Step 3 – Reason / Empathize
  Setp 4 – Shouldn't matter as you should have already achieved the needed threshold to win the conversation
  
• The Desk Job - You convinced Wayne Haas to let you into the morgue. Try to be sympathetic and nice with him, and most importantly, convince him that he isn't to blame for the incident.
  Step 1 – Absolve
  Step 2 – Absolve / Plead
  Step 3 – Absolve
  Step 4 – Absolve / Plead
  
• Yes Boss - You had an argument with your boss, David Sarif, and won.
  Step 1 – Refocus
  Step 2 – Refocus / Defend
  Step 3 – Refocus
  Step 4 – Refocus / Defend NOTE: In order to get this conversation, you have to visit Pritchard before visiting David Sarif once you are back from the secret FEMA Facility. Pritchard will then inform you on the breach, and will suggest you to ask Sarif on the matter. The dialog "battle" will start automatically once you go to your boss's office and speak with him. After winning the dialog "battle", do not forget to visit your office once again and read all emails on your computer, as you will need it for another achievement later on (see Special: Acquaintances Forgotten below)

• Balls - score at the baseball court in Detroit. Here's a suggestion by Zeckary 〜♥: "Stack up 2 barrels by the hoop, grab the ball and jump on the barrels and then drop the ball in." Alternatively, this video could help you out:

• Rotten Business - complete the Rotten Business quest given by Mei Suen. She can be found in the Hung Hua Hotel.
  
• The Fall - Knock Diamond Chan unconscious and drop his body off the roof. WARNING: Completing this achievement will render you unable to complete the Pacifist achievement (dropping him from the roof counts as a kill), I suggest to create a save, get the achievement, and then reload and plant the drugs in his plant if you are going for Pacifist.
  
• Shanghai Justice - complete the Shanghai Justice quest given by Faridah Malik.
  
• Bar Tab - complete the Bar Tab quest given by Bobby Bao in The Hive.
  
• Guardian Angel - pay Jayas debt. In order to get this achievement, agree to help Jaya when talking to her, and offer to pay her money (5000 credits) when talking to Bobby Bao later. Doing so will grant you a Praxis Kit as a mission reward, so this is almost you buying an extra Prakis Kit for yourself, while also being a very nice guy.

• Super Sleuth - You really nailed your case against Lee Hong. Completed while doing the Shanghai Justice sidequest.
  First, you have to find 4 clues in Lee Hong's apartment: check out the answering machine next to his bed, the clock on top of the wardrobe and the baseball bat by his front door; and read his e-mails. After that, find Lee Hong in The Hive nightclub. When confronting him choose these options: Falsified, Drunk, Antique Clock, Pregnant, and Belltower.
  
• Darker Shades - win the dialog challenge against Tong Si Hung. This achievement can only be attempted after searching the hacker's apartment but before confronting the hacker in person. You must enter The Hive through the front door, so don't try to infiltrate the club. In order to enter, either bribe the bouncer or use a Membership Card that can be found on on the glass table in the room #1 on the 3rd floor of the Hung Hua Hotel. Talk to the bartender upstairs, this will initiate a "dialog challenge", which you must win to obtain the achievement.
  Step 1 – Pinpoint
  Step 2 – Pinpoint / Advise
  Step 3 – Pinpoint
  
  Alternative method: Apparently, selecting "Appease" during Step 1 will bypass the conversation all together and yield you this achievement. I haven't tested this personally, so use at your own risk and save before the conversation.

• The Mantis - You defeated Yelena Fedorova, elite member of a secret mercenary hit squad. Can't miss it. Story achievement.

• Smash the State - complete the Smash the State quest given by Officer Nicholas.
  
• Lucky Guess - While working on the Smash the State quest, disable the bomb by entering the code (0000) instead of hacking it. Automatic Unlocking Device (AUD) is confirmed to work (Aug 6th, 2023 - thanks evilmaster!).
  
• Acquaintances Forgotten - complete the Acquaintances Forgotten quest given by Frank Pritchard. Only available if you read the e-mails during your first visit to Detroit.
  
• Kevorkian Complex - You granted a dying man his final request. Simply administer Brent Radford a lethal dose of morphine (part of the Acquaintances Forgotten quest).

• The Throwdown - You convinced the smooth-talking politician Bill Taggart to tell the truth in public. Win the dialog challenge with William Taggart. His arguments are often based on his ideals rather than actual information: use this against him; be aggressive and make many accusations.
  Step 1 – Confront
  Step 2 – Confront
  Step 3 – Confront
  Step 4 – Confront

  If this doesn't work, try the alternative approach:

  Step 1 - Confront
  Step 2 - Discredit
  Step 3 - Redirect
  Step 4 - Redirect

• The Last Straw - You talked Doctor Isaias Sandoval out of suicide. Remind him that his family will support him in whatever situation.
  NOTE: This achievement is only obtainable if you win the "dialog battle" with William Taggart or if you plant evidence on Bill Taggart's computer.
  WARNING: If you chose the option to speak to William Taggart instead of hacking into his computer (=you had the dialog battle with him), DO NOT HACK ANY DEVICES IN THE BACKSTAGE AREA OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AFTER THE DIALOGUE. This will automatically turn Isaias Sandoval hostile, and prevent you from getting the Last Straw achievement. This is a well-known bug. Happened to many people, myself included.

  Step 1 – Tough Love / Empathize
  Step 2 – Tough Love / Empathize
  Step 3 – Tough Love / Empathize
  Step 4 – Should be irrelevant

• Corporate Warfare - complete the Corporate Warfare quest given by Mengyao.
  
• Ladies Man - convince Mengyao to reveal additional information on the Hyron Project. WARNING: This achievement is only obtainable if you have the fully upgraded Social Enhancer (CASIE) Augmentation. Mengyao is a beta personality type, so use the charm option on her.
  
• Talion A.D. - complete the Talion A.D. quest given by Dr. Wing. He can be found in the LIMB clinic.

• Good Soul - Against all odds, save Faridah Malik.
  The most difficult achievement in the game, if you ask me, but doable even on the hardest difficulty and completely non-lethal (I speak from my own experience). Based on my playthroughs, I developed a sort of a tactics to approach this fight. I like to have fully upgraded sprint duration/sprint speed/jump height/energy augmentations before I visit Hengsha for the second time. Bring enough energy bars and an EMP grenade to help you out in the fight (I would aim for about 15-20 energy recharges - you will be running around cloaked and keep taking enemies down by melee all the time). Also, check out this YouTube video, it shows the best path on how to take this fight on, as well as the most efficient order to take the enemies out:

• Out of the Frying Pan - complete the first story mission. Can't miss it. Story achievement.
  
• Never Stop Looking - complete The Missing Link chapter. Can't miss it. Story achievement.
  
• All of the Above - You managed to save Dr. Kavanagh and all the prisoners. There's a secret room where the gas is being contained, destroy the gas container and everyone is saved. The entrance (ventilation shaft) is blocked by a heavy box, so if you are going for Factory Zero, you'll have to get creative. One way to get rid of the crate is by throwing an explosive barrel at it - aim you need to hit the bottom of it. Alternatively, you can cheat the physics engine of the game. Use a body of a knocked out guard to move the box covering the entrance (credit: Lord of Bang), or use smaller crates to move the larger one. Here's a nice (if a bit chaotic) video on how to cheat the physics engine while attempting to get the Factory Zero achievement:
• Apex Predator - During the final boss battle, take Burke down without being detected (non-lethal or lethal take-down - both work (Thanks Kyrrelin for the info!). To do so, sneak your way on top of his office and drop down behind him through an opening in the roof.

• Good Samaritan - complete the Acceptable Losses quest. It is given to you automatically when you enter the Forward Cargo Hold on Hei Zhen Zhu.

• That Old Adage - use your CASIE Social Upgrade augmentation when talking to Quinn just before leaving the station. No matter what option you choose (alpha, beta or omega) all will fail, and you will get the achievement. For Factory Zero achievement, make a gamesave before the conversation, get the augmentation, unlock the achievement and reload the gamesave. Continue playing without the upgrade.

• Factory Zero - Complete the Missing Link Missions (Rifleman Bank Station) without unlocking any augmentations or using explosives, weapons, etc. One the toughest achievements in the game, since you will have a hard time while playing the chapter. The requirements for this achievement are as follows:
  
  • Do not allocate any Praxis points. Picking them up and keeping them until you arrive in Singapore or selling them is allowed.
    
  • Do not fire any weapon. Lethal and non-lethal takedowns are allowed. Picking them up and selling them is allowed.
    
  • Do not throw any grenades or lay down any mines. Picking them up and selling them is allowed.
    
  • Do not hit the "Fire Weapon" button, even when your weapon is holstered (Left Mouse Button). This counts as firing your weapon. Holstering and unholstering your weapon is allowed ('H' button) . With keyboard controls, the left mouse button is used both during hacking and to fire your weapon. It is very easy to accidentally unholster your weapon after hacking and lock the achievement. Due to this, it's not a bad idea to re-bind the 'fire' key to something rarely used, like for example 'Enter'. This reduces the chances of unintentionally breaking the achievement and having to reload. (Credit to Leegh for the idea)
  
  As a general rule, you can pick up any items and keep or sell them. Upgrading weapons is allowed, too. Using healing items and items that restore energy is allowed.
  If you're having trouble I suggest taking a look at the video guide to the right (1hr 22mins long)
  
• Never Forget - Find the crate that you were discovered in. It is in the container room
  that has a ladder leading to the ships deck. You will have to stack two or three crates to get there if you are trying to get the Factory Zero achievement and don't have the Cybernetic Leg Prosthesis: Jump Enhancement augmentation; alternatively, save the game, unlock the augmentation, get the achievement and reload to the previous save.
  
• Back Stage Pass - During the Long Way Home quest, you can visit Quinn's Shop for supplies. Once inside, move boxes around to access the hidden switch on the side of Quinn's Table. It will open a secret stash.
  
• The Learn'd Scholar - collect all three data-storage devices and discover the information stored on them. The devices are scattered through the entire Missing Link chapter. After you collected all of them, you have to put them on the holographic tables in the Seafloor Laboratory. The exact locations are provided in the table below.

• The Snake - You defeated Jaron Namir, Leader of Belltower's Elite Special Operations Unit. Can't miss it. Story achievement.

• Hangar 18 - read the secret message in the Hangar 18. Before taking the rocket to Panchaea you have to hack the secret terminal in the hangar. From the bottom of the steps, make a left and then another quick left. A box will be covering a little hole in the wall. Move the box, crouch down, enter the room, and hack the computer.

• The End - You defeated Zhao Yun Ru and by doing so, destroyed the Hyron Project. Can't miss it. Story achievement.

• The Final Countdown - convince Hugh Darrow to give you the code. To win the battle, you have to show him that he acted out of jealousy, since his body rejects augmentations.
  Step 1 – Extrapolate
  Step 2 – Extrapolate
  Step 3 – Critique
  Step 4 – Appeal

This section is dedicated to the Doctorate achievement.
Throughout the game, there are many eBooks scattered around levels, however 29 of them are unique - they yield 200 XP upon reading and also count towards this achievement (Note: In The Missing Link DLC there are several more such XP books. They are orange, not blue; and are not needed for this achievement). The guide is based on the Deus Ex Wiki article on this achievement, with small improvements and adjustments made by me.

You need to find all books within one single playthrough in order to obtain the achivement

• Cybernetic Arm Prosthesis: Move/Throw Heavy Objects before going to Tai Yong Medical
  
• Icarus Landing System before going to Tai Yong Medical
  
• Hacking: Capture 5 before you get to the Omega Ranch. However, I suggest getting it in Detroit (first or second visit - does not matter). Doing so will make getting 11th eBook much easier.