Deus Ex: Human Revolution

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File:Dxhr box.jpg
Developer(s)Eidos Montreal
Nixxes Software (PC)[2][3]
Additional work by:
Publisher(s)Square Enix[7]
Designer(s)Jean-François Dugas
David Anfossi
Composer(s)Michael McCann[8]
SeriesDeus Ex
EngineModified Crystal Dynamics Crystal engine[9]
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release
  • NA: 2011-08-23
  • AU: 2011-08-25
  • EU: 2011-08-26
  • JP: 2011-09-08
[1]
Genre(s)Cyberpunk Action RPG
Mode(s)Single-player

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is the third game in the Deus Ex first-person role-playing video game series, and a prequel to the original game.[11] Announced on May 27, 2007, Human Revolution was developed by Eidos Montreal and published by Square Enix. It was released in August 2011.

Human Revolution contains elements of first-person shooters and role-playing games, set in a near-future where corporations have extended their influence past the reach of global governments. The game follows Adam Jensen, the security chief for one of the game's most powerful corporations, Sarif Industries. After a devastating attack on Sarif's headquarters, Adam is forced to undergo radical surgeries that fuse his body with mechanical augmentations, and he is embroiled in the search for those responsible for the attack.

Human Revolution received critical acclaim upon its release, with many reviewers praising the open-ended nature of the game and the weight of conversations on the outcome of events. Criticisms were leveled at shortcomings such as ammo quantities, long loading times, and the inclusion of boss fights.

Gameplay

File:Dx3 newsroom.jpg
Screenshot of protagonist Adam Jensen in the "Picus TV" newsroom

The different "pillars of gameplay", as called by the developers, are "Combat", "Stealth", "Hacking", and "Social". Players can switch between these gameplay types whenever they please, and certain pillars may flow into others. For example, a failed hack may sound an alarm and start a fight, and exploration might lead to the discovery of a stealthy way past the area's enemies.

In the series, Augmentations are technological modifications to the body that allow the user to use superhuman abilities. While augmentations in the first two games were nanotech, Human Revolution is set prior to both and instead features mechanical augmentations. These Augmentations cater to each of the four gameplay types.[12] While the player character is highly capable of bringing death on his enemies, the player is never forced into acts of lethal violence, except during certain special encounters (e.g. boss fights).[13] Augmentations, while enhancing the player's performance in each of the gameplay types, also allow players to craft their own methods of play should they see fit.

Every enemy squad will have an identifiable squad leader who will direct the team's actions. If the leader is killed, the squad falls into disarray. Enemies will also react to subtle player decisions, such as a change in behaviour or weapons, etc.[12] Unlike in Invisible War, weapons will fire distinct ammunition types instead of depleting a unified pool. They can also be upgraded to better suit the player.[11]

Deviating from previous titles in the series, Human Revolution will use a regenerating health model. This change was made because the developers did not want players to get into a situation where they were unable to progress due to low health, and would be forced to "scrounge for med packs" and food.[11] They see this scrounging behavior as breaking the flow of the game when one retreats to search the entire level for medical supplies. They believe their regenerating health model will still encourage tactical and strategy forming retreats, but not to the extent where the tension and flow of the game is disrupted. Combat is highly lethal, so the regenerative health is only a major factor between fights, not during them.[14] Despite using a regenerating health model, the game will still include health restoring consumables, such as food.

Another major change seen in Deus Ex: Human Revolution is the highlighting of objects a player can interact with, explained via the in-game plot as tactical vision Augmentation. This feature can be seen in the game play preview released in March 2011.[15] This highlighting of objects can be turned off in the game options.[16] Human Revolution is primarily a first-person game, but will switch to a contextual third-person viewpoint when using the cover system, certain Augmentations, or for melee combat.[17]

Synopsis

Setting

This cyberpunk- inspired game takes place during the year 2027, 25 years before Deus Ex. Nanotechnological augmentations have yet to be developed and biomechanical augmentations are the current state of the art. The main protagonist, Adam Jensen (voiced by Elias Toufexis), is a private security officer with Sarif Industries, a leading company that specializes in human augmentations. After he witnesses a chilling attack on his company which leaves him horrifically injured and forced to undergo augmentation to survive, "the conspiracy begins."[11] The player will visit five cities over the course of the game, including Detroit, Shanghai and Montreal.[9] In addition, the protagonist will have his own apartment where he may store his secrets and collected information. The events in the game will lead to the formation of UNATCO from the original game.[12]

Characters

  • Adam Jensen - The central protagonist, Adam was a SWAT commander in the Detroit Police, but his career came to an end when he refused to follow a questionable order. Subsequently, Adam became a private security specialist for Sarif Industries, assigned to protect scientists on the verge of cutting edge breakthroughs. During what should have been a routine security detail, an ambush by a rogue black ops team, the Tyrants, leaves Adam critically injured and his charges dead. Adam awakens with cybernetic augmentations, and begins a relentless search for the truth behind the attack.
  • Dr. Megan Reed -One of the lead researchers at Sarif Industries, Dr. Reed is considered a pioneer in the field of human enhancement technologies. Her dedication to her research, and her aloof demeanor, has made it difficult for her to cultivate lasting interpersonal relationships. It is implied that Reed and Jensen were former lovers.
  • David Sarif - The founder and CEO of Sarif Industries, David is a futurist who developed an interest in machines at an early age. He is known for his forward, honest demeanor, though he has no aversion to keeping secrets when appropriate.
  • Jaron Namir - An Israeli-born mercenary, Namir is the field commander for the Tyrants and the main antagonist. Officially a senior member of the PMC Belltower Associates, he actually takes his orders from the Illuminati. A merciless combatant, yet also a devoted family man, he has had numerous cybernetic enhancements to compensate for the decline associated with advanced age.
  • Lawrence Barrett- A former marine turned mercenary, Barrett is a member of the Tyrants. Like Namir, he has augmented his already impressive physique with numerous cybernetic upgrades. He lives for the moment when he's beaten his enemy into submission, and Adam Jensen is his next target.
  • Yelena Federova- A statuesque, athletic woman of Afro-Russian descent, Yelena is one of Belltower's most elite assasins. Unlike Barrett, she favors stealth over brute force. Being one of few women in a male-dominated profession has strongly influenced her worldview, making her cautious of everything around her.

Plot

Development

Deus Ex 3 was announced on May 17, 2007, in an interview with Patrick Melchior, the director of Eidos France, on the French-Canadian television show M. Net.[18] An initial teaser trailer was released on November 26, 2007,[19] and around one year later PC Zone ran a first preview which detailed some of the game's mechanics and setting and provided the first true artwork and screenshots.[11] Several of the design decisions mentioned, most notably the introduction of regenerating health, precipitated an initial backlash amongst many fans of the original Deus Ex.[20] In November 2009 it was announced that Square Enix was to publish the game, and that the CGI sequences were to be created at its Japanese Visual Works studio with direction from Goldtooth Creative in Canada. The results of this international partnership were first seen in the teaser trailer shown at the 2010 Game Developers Conference (by which point the game's subtitle had changed to Human Revolution and its release pushed back to "early 2011"), which was expanded to a three-minute trailer at E3 2010. E3 2010 also saw a second major preview of the game, this time in PC Gamer UK, which provided engine-rendered screenshots and gameplay details.[17]

At Gamescom 2010,[21] producer David Anfossi told VG247 he was creating DLC for the game which, he says, is "an extension of Deus Ex: Human Revolution." On December 16, 2010, Square Enix announced that the game had been pushed back to their next fiscal year, which begins April 6, 2011.[22] At the Penny Arcade Expo East in March 2011, it was announced that the game was being released on August 23, 2011, in North America and August 26, 2011, in Europe. On May 31, 2011, a preview build of the game was leaked online.[23][24] The Japanese release of the game has been given a CERO Z rating, but it will have one cutscene edited because it shows a man's internal organs exposed and a sexual object.[25][26] Originally Eidos had intended to make the PC retail version of the game region locked. The reason behind this was due to DVD disc limitations which meant the languages on the game had to be split.[27] However due to negative reaction from the public, the lock wouldn't be implemented.[28]

Themes

Human Revolution deals with the ethics of transhumanism, and carries an overarching message of humanity's reach exceeding its grasp. "Mankind is using mechanical augmentations," director Jean-Francois Dugas said before the game's release, "but there is still much to be determined in terms of their effect on society and the ultimate direction it will lead us in."[9] The Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus appears in Adam Jensen's dreams as an allegory to this thought, and also—given that both Daedalus and Icarus were the names of artificial intelligences in Deus Ex—an intellectual bridge to the original game. The pace of technological development is reflected visually by a Renaissance theme.[29] Characters who support the advances of human augmentation dress themselves and decorate their homes in reinterpreted late-medieval Italian style, and the game as a whole has a sepia-tinted colour palette reminiscent of historic manuscripts. In contrast, characters who oppose or are of neutral opinion to augmentations wear clothing that is more or less current-day.[citation needed] As was the case in Deus Ex, conspiracy theories and immensely powerful corporations feature strongly,[9] but nothing is currently known about them.

Release

Special editions

An "Augmented Edition" will be released in select European countries, Australia and New Zealand. It will include a making-of documentary, motion-comic, E3 trailer, game soundtrack by Michael McCann, animated storyboard, and a 40-page Artbook. In-game, the player will receive an additional mission, weapons, and cash via the included Explosive Mission Pack and the Tactical Enhancement Pack.[30] The Augmented Edition is also available in North America, but does not include the Explosive Mission Pack or the Tactical Enhancement Pack.[30] These packs are available solely as pre-order bonuses from select retailers.[31] In addition, there will be a "Collector's Edition" which will include all the contents of the Augmented Edition as well as a Play Arts Kai figure of the game's protagonist, Adam Jensen.[32]

Reception

Deus Ex Human Revolution has received critical acclaim, gaining an aggregated score of 89 for the PC version on Metacritic.[36] Reviewers who had access to the game in February 2011 praised the open-ended experience of the game, similar to the first Deus Ex,[61][62] the importance of conversations in the missions,[63] and also the depth of the storyline.[64] PC Gamer UK gave the game a score of 94 and the Editor's Choice, describing it as a game that "puts almost everything else in the genre to shame." [58] Official Xbox Magazine UK gave the game a 10/10.[57] Official PlayStation Magazine UK gave it an 8/10, citing frustrations in ammo quantities, load times, and boss fights.[55]

Gamestop reaction

Gamestop, a video game retailer, came under fire from critics when customers discovered that content had been removed from the original packaging of the game.[65][66][67]Gamestop had instructed employees to remove coupons for a free copy of Deus Ex: Human Revolution on OnLive, an online digital distributor service. Gamestop stated that the coupon promoted a competitor of one of its subsidiaries, Spawn Labs and Impulse, which it had recently acquired in April of 2011.[65]

References

  1. ^ "Square Enix slashes outlook, delays game launch". Reuters. 16 December 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  2. ^ "Interview: Deus Ex Human Revolution game dire". Shacknews.com. 2011-03-23. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  3. ^ "‪Deus Ex: Human Revolution - The Nixxes connection explained". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  4. ^ "‪Deus Ex: Human Revolution in Autodesk's GDC 2011 Presentation, Day 1‬‏". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-06-01. Engine and toolsets first developed at Crystal Dynamics. Core tools and rendering developed at Nixxes. Other developments made jointly by both Eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics.
  5. ^ http://www.gripent.com/index_files/AboutEN.htm
  6. ^ Deus Ex: Human Revolution Bonus DVD
  7. ^ Martin, Joe (November 25, 2009). "Deus Ex 3 is Eidos and Square Enix joint effort". bit-tech. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
  8. ^ "Deus Ex: Human Revolution Features Cybernoir Score by Composer Michael McCann". IGN.
  9. ^ a b c d Bramwell, Tom (June 4, 2010). "Deus Ex: Human Revolution". Eurogamer.
  10. ^ "Deus Ex: Human Revolution system requirements announced". New Game Network. May 9, 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
  11. ^ a b c d e Robinson, Andy (October 4, 2008). "Deus Ex 3: First Details". PC Zone. Retrieved October 4, 2008.
  12. ^ a b c David Sillmen (2008-11-24). "Deus Ex 3 - do světa kyberpunku a renesance". bonusweb.idnes.cz. bonusweb.idnes.cz. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  13. ^ "Sweet Deus Ex: Human Revolution Screenshots, and Video Footage". Retrieved July 21, 2010.
  14. ^ MyImmortal (16 June 2010). "Deus Ex: Human Revolution FAQs (updated 07/06/2010)". Eidos Forums. Eidos Interactive. Retrieved 20 June 2010. (...) Going with the classic health pack system still forces players to retreat from confrontations and break the flow of the game to look for health packs when they run out of them (...) Overall, the team wants the player to stay in the events surrounding him and experience the tension indefinitely.
  15. ^ "The Latest on Deus Ex: Human Revolution". 25 March 2011.
  16. ^ "Deus Ex: Human Revolution will offer highlighting options".
  17. ^ a b Francis, Tom (June 3, 2010). "Deus Ex: Human Revolution E3 preview". PC Gamer UKTemplate:Inconsistent citations{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  18. ^ Hatfield, Daemon (May 17, 2007). "Eidos Confirms Next Deus Ex". IGN. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
  19. ^ Crecente, Brian (November 26, 2007). "Deus Ex 3 Teaser". Kotaku. Retrieved November 26, 2007.
  20. ^ Burnes, Andrew (October 4, 2008). "Deus Ex 3: First Details Make Me Sad". VE3D. Retrieved October 4, 2008.
  21. ^ Eidos Montreal confirms DLC plans for Deus Ex: Human Revolution Johnny Cullen, VG247.com. Last accessed August 18, 2010.
  22. ^ Deus Ex: Human Revolution Delayed Matthew Kato, gameinformer.com. Last accessed February 2, 2011.
  23. ^ Alex (May 31, 2011). "Deus Ex: Human Revolution preview build leaked on torrent sites". Gamepur. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  24. ^ Shane Baxtor (June 1, 2011). "12 Hour Deus Ex Human Revolution Demo out..aka Leaked Pre Build lol". TweakTown. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  25. ^ Ashcraft, Brian (2011-08-08). "In Japan, Deux Ex Is Sexual Object Free". Kotaku.
  26. ^ Spencer (2011-08-08). "Deus Ex: Human Revolution Stealth Edited For Japan". Siliconera. Retrieved 2011-08-09.
  27. ^ Serrels, Mark (2011-08-18). "Deus Ex Human Revolution On The PC Is Region Locked". Kotaku.
  28. ^ Serrels, Mark (2011-08-19). "Now Deus Ex: Human Revolution WON'T Be Region Locked On The PC". Kotaku.
  29. ^ "GDC: Creating Deus Ex 3's Unique Visual Direction". Edge Magazine. March 22, 2010.
  30. ^ a b "Deus Ex: Human Revolution Augmented Edition". www.eidosmontreal.com. 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  31. ^ "Deus Ex: Human Revolution Pre-Order". www.eidosmontreal.com. 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  32. ^ "Deus Ex: Human Revolution Collector's Edition detailed". Destructoid.com.
  33. ^ Deux Ex: Human Revolution (PC) @ GamesRanking
  34. ^ Deux Ex: Human Revolution (PS3) @ GamesRanking
  35. ^ Deux Ex: Human Revolution (Xbox 360) @ GamesRanking
  36. ^ a b "Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PC)". Metacritic. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  37. ^ "Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PS3)". Metacritic. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  38. ^ "Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Xbox 360)". Metacritic. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  39. ^ 1UP.com review
  40. ^ Computer and Video Games review
  41. ^ G4 review
  42. ^ Game Revolution review
  43. ^ Game Informer review
  44. ^ "GamePro" review
  45. ^ GameZone review
  46. ^ GamesRadar review
  47. ^ GameSpot review
  48. ^ GameSpy review
  49. ^ GamesTM review
  50. ^ Games Trailer review
  51. ^ Edge review
  52. ^ Eurogamer review
  53. ^ IGN PC review
  54. ^ IGN Xbox 360 review
  55. ^ a b Deus Ex: Human Revolution PS3 review - 8/10 in OPM - ComputerAndVideoGames.com
  56. ^ OXM review
  57. ^ a b World's first Deus Ex Xbox 360 review in new OXM
  58. ^ a b PC Gamer UK review
  59. ^ Play Magazine review
  60. ^ VideoGamer.com review
  61. ^ "Hands-on: The first mission of Deus Ex: Human Revolution". Destructoid. 2011-02-24. Retrieved 2011-02-27. It's been a long time since a first-person shooter has presented me with such a challenge that I die over and over. That's the beauty of the Deus Ex series, as it's a role-playing game hiding in a first-person shell. I had to re-wire my play style in order to adapt to the freeing, open-ended experience. I'm interested in seeing just how different I'll be able to play through this game.
  62. ^ "Deus Ex: Human Revolution Impressions Pt. 2". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. 2011-02-24. Retrieved 2011-02-27. I could have done better. I could have done it differently. All I wanted was to load up an old save and play it all over again.
  63. ^ "Deus Ex: Human Revolution Extended Hands-On Preview, Part Two". GameSpot. 2011-02-24. Retrieved 2011-02-27. We won't spoil the story outcome of this first mission, but suffice it to say that after all the engaging in stealth and dragging of bodies, you reach a point where the only weapon you have is your mind and your choice of words--and it's a conversation with at least one life on the line that carries a lasting impact throughout the story. We're excited to see more of this story in the upcoming months as we get closer to Human Revolution's release later this year.
  64. ^ "Deus Ex: Human Revolution". Eurogamer. 2011-02-24. There's a much bigger picture here than the debate between natural and man-made humans: someone, somewhere, is trying to control the destiny of both. Ah, the sweet, sweet smell of conspiracy. The game's afoot. The Deus Ex game's afoot.===
  65. ^ a b "Gamestop Confirms Removing OnLive Coupons from 'Deus Ex'". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  66. ^ "GameStop intentionally removing Deus Ex OnLive coupons from retail PC copies". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  67. ^ "GameStop opening Deus Ex boxes, removing free game code".

External links

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