Regular Augmentations

Social Enhancer

This line of augmentation is expensive for what it provides. It gives you a HUD for conversations that monitors the target individual, their heart rate, and personality. This makes debates much easier. However, paying a couple points of Praxis for a line that doesn’t help often is rough in the early or mid-game. Later in the game, however, some conversations paths are only available if you have the Social Enhancer augmentation. Consider investing in this if you want every possible conversation path open to you.

Dialectic Enhancer

Hacking Capture

You start with this essential augmentation, and it allows you to break into electronic systems. Hacking is a huge part of the game, but it isn’t required beyond Level 1. Lethal players who don’t care about causing chaos are free to ignore hacking entirely, but stealth players and completionists should pursue this heavily. Hacking gets you XP, additional story information, and makes multiple encounters easier to avoid or defeat!

Hacking Capture Level 2

Hacking Capture Level 3

Hacking Capture Level 4

Hacking Capture Level 5

Camera Domination

Turret Domination

Robot Domination

Hacking Fortify

These augmentations let Jensen extend his time inside a terminal after being detected. Fortified nodes take much longer to trace, ensuring that the computer doesn’t have enough time to log him out and trigger an alarm. Though useful for hackers, this line isn’t nearly as powerful or important as both Hacking Capture and Hacking Stealth. Take this group last.

Because you can be detected when you Fortify a node, it’s best to wait and Fortify everything right after the AI starts its trace. That way, you can get as far as possible through pure stealth, and still benefit from slowing the computer if things start to go wrong.

Hacking Fortify 1.1

Hacking Fortify 1.2

Hacking Fortify 1.3

Hacking Stealth

Hacking Stealth is a huge benefit when infiltrating more complex systems. The higher level each node is, the higher a chance that you are going to be discovered when taking control of it. Stealth brings that chance down considerably, so you can defeat better and better security systems without failing and causing an alarm.

There is still an element of luck to hacking. Even with high Stealth, you can fail on your first node and end up getting logged out soon after (with an alarm being raised). That’s why even the best hackers should carry extra software, to ensure that they have some padding when things go wonky.

Code-Level Rootkit Ver. 1.0

Regenerative Rootkit Ver. 2.0

Polymorphic Rootkit Ver. 3.0

Infolink

You don’t need to invest in this line of augmentations; they’re built-in and always stay active. Jensen uses these to communicate with the other members of TF29 (and different contacts that he makes throughout the game).

Stealth Avatar

This is another built-in augmentation. It’s a tool that lets you directly see the last place where enemies spotted you, as a way to help get away from pursuers.

Retinal Imager

LiDar Mark-Tracker

Once purchased, this augmentation lets you track targets that have already been spotted. You aim directly at the person to engage the mark-tracker. This puts an icon over their heads, and the system is then able to keep them visible at range. This works even if they go behind walls.

The mark-tracker isn’t necessary for most stealth missions. If you watch your radar well, it’s easy to see where targets are patrolling. This is a modest quality of life improvement for stealthers, but nothing more. Aggressive players shouldn’t consider it, because it won’t be of substantial use to them.

Base-Grade Mark Antenna

Mid-Grade Mark Antenna

Hi-Grade Mark Antenna

Smart Vision

Using Smart Vision, a player can see through walls and figure out where enemies are walking, what they’re doing, and prepare counters to their activities. This is useful for stealth players and combative players. The more experience you have, the less this is a required investment, but it’s never a bad choice.

The farther you go into this line of augmentations, the better it gets. The high energy cost early on makes Smart Vision way too painful to rely on. Once it’s down to low energy use, it becomes very accessible.

Wall-Penetrating Imager

Rough Transmitter Tuning

Fine Transmitter Tuning

Magpie

Retinal Prosthesis

This augmentation is responsible for your HUD. It’s built-in, but has a secondary aug that can be purchased to improve the system. This isn’t particularly important, but combative players might appreciate the flash resistance you gain. Stealthers shouldn’t even worry about it.

Retinal HUD

Flash Suppressant

Wayfinder Radar System

The base level of your radar is built-in, and it’s already extremely powerful. You can see cameras, turrets, drones, robots, and people at a fairly close range around Jensen. You can even tell if they’ve been alerted or not—major benefits. You should pay attention to your radar at all times, as any type of player.

Further investment in the radar system is not mandatory, but it still helps so much. Combative players gain an edge because they can tell where enemies are looking and set up better attacks. Stealthers have an easier time sneaking around active guards and seeing how they look around as they follow their patrol routes.

Though you probably won’t invest in these augmentations in the early game, they are wonderful purchases mid-game.

Radar Alarm Timer

Topographics

Range Boost

Vision Feedback

Noise Feedback

Sentinel RX Health System

This line is a gem for combative players. With it, you get more health, better health regeneration, and less time between when you take an injury and when you start regaining health. It’s expensive to get all of these, but in time you should get all of them if you like engaging in combat. We suggest getting the Rhino Dermal Armor first if that’s your style of play because it’s cheaper and has a huge benefit for survivability. Then, come over here and make yourself into a living tank.

If you’re picking and choosing carefully, go after maximum health improvements early, and let the regeneration rate and delay wait until later. If you’re hurt but survive, you can always leave battle, hide, and get everything back even with the default augs. Thus, max health trumps both of the other lines. They’re just good to get later.

Civilian Settings Defib

Medical Settings Defib

Military Settings Defib

Angiogenesis Protein Therapy

Synthetic Growth Factors

Uninhibited Angiogenesis

Factory Regen Delay

Sentinel Regen Delay

Elite Regen Delay

Sarif Series 8 Energy Converter

No matter how you play your character, you’re likely to use energy on a regular basis. Jensen’s special weapons, Takedowns, and abilities all require energy to function. This line of augmentations gives you more energy to work with and lets it regenerate faster.

Almost everyone should get these. If you aren’t dying much and can get where you need to go, buy these early as massive quality of life improvements. If you’re dying, get some health and defense first. If you’re unable to get where you need to go, improve your hacking, jumping, lifting, etc.

Cautious Recharge Rate

Efficient Recharge Rate

Peak Recharge Rate

Standard Capacity Biocells

Enhanced Capacity Biocells

Ultra-Capacity Biocells

Safe Recharge Delay

Moderate Recharge Delay

Quick Recharge Delay

Implanted Rebreather

Gas grenades and toxic areas cause Jensen to take damage over time. This augmentation prevents that for a minor cost in energy. Useful at times, this is still not a major part of the game and can get ignored to save on Praxis. You can even use this as an aug to turn off if you’re Overclocking an experimental augmentation.

Chemical Resistance

Cybernetic Arm Prosthesis

You get several nice options from this line. Some are even built-in, so you don’t have to invest here until there are things that you really need.

These augmentations give you the ability to punch through walls, engage in instant Takedowns, throw heavy objects, and carry a huge amount of weight. The optional augs are all useful. Optimized Musculature is at the top of the list for stealth players, because they sometimes need to move heavy items when accessing hidden areas. Combative people should look more into the inventory improvements, because these players frequently need more weaponry and ammo.

Punch Through Wall

Instant Takedown

Optimized Musculature

Carry Capacity: 70 KG

Carry Capacity: 90 KG

Carry Capacity: 110 KG

Cybernetic Weapon Handling

If you’re a stealth player, then walk right by. This augmentation line is built for major combat. Aiming, recoil, and reloading are all improved with these augs. The more fighting you do, the more important this becomes. For heavy fighters, we suggest getting survivability first, these augs second, and then start to invest in fun/experimental options.

Standard Aim Stability

Marksman Aim Stability

Sharpshooter Aim Stability

Factory Recoil Compensation

Drill Recoil Compensation

Field Recoil Compensation

Base Reload Speed Dexterity

Medium Reload Speed Dexterity

High Reload Speed Dexterity

Icarus Landing

A huge quality of life improvement for Jensen. Though you can always find a safe way down in each area, this aug prevents accidental deaths, lets you get down into lower areas quickly, and even has minor combative elements. Once you can spare a couple of Praxis, this becomes a nice/fun choice.

Descent Velocity Modulator

Quicksilver Reflex Booster

Multi-Takedowns are good for XP. They also look flashy and are fun to pull off. However, you won’t get too many opportunities for these attacks, and stealth players might get nervous about setting them up. It’s easier to wait for guards to go their own way and then ambush. However, interrupting people’s conversations with instant knockouts never gets old.

If you’re willing to get Glass-Shield Cloaking and Quicksilver Reflex Booster, you can get the XP, the fun, and still score your Ghost runs.

Multiple Takedown

Typhoon

Creates a circle of destruction around Jensen. Depending on the system that you choose, this can be lethal or non-lethal. Still, we suggest that you take the lethal version of Typhoon if you invest in this augmentation at all. Typhoon is not a good stealth weapon anyway. It’s more of a dash in and take out your enemy’s augmentation. People are going to see you, so stealthers will prefer a more subtle approach.

Lethal Configuration

Stun Configuration

Munition Loadout Selection

Glass-Shield Cloaking

This is the apex of stealth augs. You gain the ability to turn invisible once you have this installed. It’s energy hungry, and you still make sound unless you also engage Leg Silencers. Despite these problems, it’s still incredible for getting you past a number of tricky spots. Areas that might take 10 minutes of careful stealth work and Takedowns can be wandered past without setting off any alarms. For combat, it’s tepid. Too costly. For stealth, though, this is heaven.

Discreet Power Processing

Improved Cloaking Energy Use

Optimized Cloaking Energy Use

Cloaked Takedown Support

Rhino Dermal Armor

Heavy combative players need to get this as soon as possible. Enemies do way too much damage throughout the game to fight openly unless you take this. It doesn’t cost any energy, and you don’t need to engage anything. This just makes you tougher to kill, hands down. It’s more powerful than health improvements, but it synergizes with them. Take this, then get more maximum health and watch as enemies lose the ability to kill you without tons of firepower and time.

Base Reduction Settings

Improved Reduction Settings

Mastered Reduction Settings

Electromagnetic Pulse Shielding

Cybernetic Leg Prosthesis

You can jump really high after you unlock this. It’s not super important for combative killers, but it’s a must-have for stealth players and explorers. There are many side routes that require you to jump high, so this is just the cost of doing business for many people.

You also get access to Leg Silencers later in the line. These allow for faster stealth work. They’re not essential because you can always crouch to minimize your sound footprint. But, Leg Silencers and Invisibility can be combined. This is a stealth dream because you’re able to sprint through areas without being noticed.

Klipspringer Jump Mod

Leg Silencers