GDC 10: Deus Ex: Human Revolution Blowout
The silence is broken. Get your first in-depth details here.
March 11, 2010 - IGN recently put out the call for fans to ask questions for Eidos Montreal, the development studio behind the next Deus Ex game. In doing so, we promised something special upon the return of those questions. Well, here it is. Game Director Jean-Francois Dugas has answered a select number of questions, posed by IGN readers. The icing on the cake is the first CGI teaser trailer for Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Once you're done reading the answers to your questions, head on to the second page for an extra Q+A produced by Eidos Montreal to shed a bit more light on the trailer.
Can we be expecting a role-play game like the earlier Deus Ex games have been, or simple lineal first person shooter? - tyxor
Jean-Francois Dugas : Deus Ex: Human Revolution uses the first Deus Ex game, which perfectly married the first-person shooter and roleplaying game, as its reference point, so you can expect an experience similar to it. The goal is to deliver the perfect mix of both genres, giving players the option of choosing to play the game depending on their preferred play style. The game is built around a multi-path, multi-solution approach so you often have more than one way to pass an obstacle, and within that you have tonnes of options for character and weapon customization.
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If your preferred play style revolves around combat, there are plenty of augmentations and weapon customizations to transform you into a killing machine. If you're a strategist or a pacifist, there are several options as well to avoid confrontation through augmentations and other means. The choice is yours.
In the first two games, there was a great freedom in how you could approach each situation. With Deus Ex 3, how do you plan to expand upon that aspect of gameplay? - HeavyMetalChronus
Jean-Francois Dugas : Our initial goal was to identify the core values of Deus Ex and bring them back for a new generation of gamers. The core values were established by Warren Spector and company, so by building on top of it, I think his heritage is quite present. Of course, the first game was released several years ago; we needed to bring fresh ideas to the table but never without respecting the essence of what makes a Deus Ex game what it is. In the end, it's going to be a mix of old and new.
Staying true to the original and making a real Deus Ex game is vital to this project. Although we are a new team working on the game, we have the benefit of time and perspective to look back at the first two games and really identify the core aspects of a Deus Ex game, as well as what went right and wrong. Of course, Deus Ex 1 and 2 varied a bit in what those core aspects were -- ultimately, we decided to emulate the first game more; as mentioned, we no longer have unified ammunition and we are returning to an inventory system reminiscent of the first game. We also wanted to ensure that our levels are larger and more open than in Invisible War (i.e. Hong Kong in Deus Ex 1).
In terms of being a Deus Ex game, we keep the core gameplay essence alive: that being a hybrid of action-RPG in which the core gameplay mechanics revolve around combat, stealth, hacking, and social aspects. The gameplay is largely designed around giving the player choices which have consequences; the core values are centered on letting players play the game the way they want.
If I never played any other deus ex games before, will I be able to get into this game fully and understand what is going on? - CastorTroy89
Jean-Francois Dugas : Yes. Being a prequel to the original game, our story starts about 25 years before the start of the first game. Although Deus Ex: Human Revolution will end and segue nicely into the start of the first game, and you may meet some familiar characters along the way, the story is self-contained so players new to the franchise won't have any problem getting into the game and understanding it.
My question is why does Deus Ex need a prequel? I know you don't want to spoil things, but seriously, one of the great things about the original game was the multiple endings. I know game companies are out to make money, but is there any reason why this game tells a story that needs to be told, or are you just doing it because people will buy it? - swift_icarus
Jean-Francois Dugas : Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a prequel for several reasons. You do not need to be an old Deus Ex fan to appreciate the game – we have a new main character and supporting characters that you'll encounter during the journey. At the same time, we felt Invisible War took the franchise too far into the future and became almost sci-fi, whereas the first game used the typical gritty Cyberpunk archetype we all loved, and we wanted to get back to that.
![[IMG]](http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/107/1077019/deus-ex-3-20100311061228497-000.jpg)
One of the major aspects of our story revolves around the social conflict between augmented and non-augmented people. In our story, there are people opposed to augmenting the body, since they see it as unnatural and don't think scientists should play God. On the other side, some people think it is the natural evolution of the human race and there's no reason we shouldn't be trying things like this, if it can enhance the quality of life or extend it. The game world itself will definitely reflect these opposing views so you will see a contrast depending on where you are in the game.
Will there be multiplayer? - ponkonwon
Jean-Francois Dugas : No, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a single-player game only. Being the first project out of the new Eidos Montréal studio, and staying true to the Deus Ex legacy, the development team wanted to focus purely on the single-player experience to ensure we delivered on that front.
I remember the first game being completely open ended, If I wanted to try and kill an important character, I could do so, even if the character would probably be too powerful and kill me first. It made me feel like I had choices even when in reality i didn't. Is the game going to pursue these open ended decision making elements of the first game? If so does this mean it will be a game with multiple paths to follow such as a game like heavy rain? - TheB-Rad-G
Jean-Francois Dugas : I'm currently playing Heavy Rain and I must say this is a fantastic experience. Even though Deus Ex: Human Revolution shares similarities in terms of "choices & consequences", we offer a totally different game experience. But, yes, we want players to make choices that will affect some outcomes (story-wise and gameplay-wise).
![[IMG]](http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/107/1077019/deus-ex-3-20100311061237607-000.jpg)
The two primary gameplay styles are combat and stealth. You can basically play the entire game by going "frontal" or by going "sneaky" and/or back and forth as you please. For us, it's really about letting players express themselves the way they want. You can decide to play the game without killing anyone (minus some critical encounters), for example.
The two supporting gameplay styles are hacking and social interactions. You can expand your possibilities through these means in order to open up new paths, find new solutions to problems, acquire useful goodies or information, etc.
Open-ended gameplay allows the player to take advantage of multipath/multi-solutions to accomplish their objectives and explore the game world for side quests, hidden treasures, etc. Some RPG dialogs will be mandatory but most will be available to players in an optional form. Obviously there are benefits from a story and gameplay standpoint to talk to other characters but it's not forced. If your play style is more centered on shooting, then so be it.
This method also rewards multiple play-throughs since by choosing one method over another, you may miss some interesting things that are accessible only by attempting specific things!
The following is a question and answer session produced by Eidos Montreal in the hopes of shedding further light on Deus Ex: Human Revolution and answering a few questions the trailer might raise.
Who is the main character in the video? Can you tell us more about him?
The main character is Adam Jensen, the character you play throughout the game. Adam is a security specialist who has been handpicked to oversee the defensive needs of one of America's most experimental biotechnology firms. Adam has a rich back-story and will soon become one of the key ingredients in a vast global conspiracy.
Why is he covered in bandages? He seems to have been injured and also seems to have mechanical arms…what's going on there?
Adam is nearly killed and must become augmented to save his life. In the world of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, mechanical augmentations are commonplace and can take the form of everything from microchips implanted in the brain to fully replacing limbs. In Adam's case, he has a host of new augmentations received from a generous donor, some of which are military-grade. When we see Adam in this video, he is resting at home just days after his operation.
The main character says the line, "I never asked for this." What is he referring to?
The circumstances of Adam being critically wounded, and the impetus for his life-saving operation, are suspect. Is becoming augmented something Adam was ready for? Or wanted at all? And who supplied him with his military-grade augmentations?
What's happening at the beginning of the video? Is it a flashback to some previous event or is it a dream?
The beginning of the video is Adam's dream. In the world of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, society has mixed Renaissance elements with archetypical Cyberpunk stereotypes and the Icarus Myth weaves its way through the story of the game. The Icarus myth dealt with Icarus being given wings to fly. But the wings were made of wax and he was perhaps not ready for such a gift; so in his haste, he flew too close to the sun which melted his wings and he fell to earth and his death. This story parallels our Deus Ex universe where mankind is using mechanical augmentations but there is still much to be determined in terms of their effect on society and the ultimate direction it will lead us in.
Does that mean you will be able to fly in the game?
No, Adam can do a lot of things, but flying is not one of them.
What does the game's subtitle, Human Revolution, refer to?
The progress of technology and the advent of mechanical augmentations has offered mankind many exciting new possibilities but also many dangerous ones as well. In Deus Ex: Human Revolution, humanity will come to a tipping point where Adam Jensen will have to decide the path our society takes. It's a time of wonderful advancements but also much unrest as the general public, governments, and corporations all struggle to come to terms with the new possibilities.
What is the city in this video?
That is Adam's hometown Detroit, USA, and it is also the home to one of the world's largest and most powerful biotechnology firms. It is one of many locations across the globe that Adam's search will lead him to during the game.
Who are the enemies that we see coming for him?
Without going into too much detail, those are special ops soldiers, though their exact purpose is not revealed this teaser video.
Is Deus Ex: Human Revolution in the same universe as the previous Deus Ex games? Since the game is a prequel, does it follow the same timeline and some of the characters and link to the first game?
Deus Ex: Human Revolution takes place in 2027, 25 years before JC Denton and the start of the first game. The writers and development team have been working closely with the lead writer of the first two games, Sheldon Pacotti, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution segues nicely into the start of the first game, meeting some familiar characters along the way…
Can you tell more about the world of Deus Ex: Human Revolution? (augmented vs. non-augmented, clash tension, state of the world, etc.)
One of the major aspects of Deus Ex: Human Revolution's story revolves around the social conflict between augmented and non-augmented people. In our story, there are people opposed to augmenting the body since they see it as unnatural and don't think scientists should "play God". On the other side, some people think it is the natural evolution of the human race and there's no reason we shouldn't be trying things like this if it can enhance the quality of life or extend it. It's all about control of the marketplace, of valuable technologies, of society, of human evolution…of truth and lies.
How long does it take to produce a high quality render trailer like that (from draft to finished reel)?
Work on this trailer with our partners in Tokyo at Square Enix's Visual Works and with Vancouver's Goldtooth Creative Agency began shortly after our company integration with Square Enix. Of course, what you're seeing now is merely a "teaser" with the full trailer coming at E3 in June.
Did you use the same assets and models that we are going to see in the game?
The core assets were supplied direct from the game by the development team here in Montreal, of course changes and enhancements are made along the way in order to make sure they are suitable for a CGI trailer but the style and essence of the game is exactly the same.
How many people were involved in the production of this trailer?
Quite a lot from Eidos-Montreal, Visual Works in Tokyo and Goldtooth Creative in Vancouver.
When will the gamers out there finally see more about the game itself?
This summer at E3
Do you have a special message you want to give all the fans?
Thank you for your patience. We are incredibly proud to work on Deus Ex: Human Revolution and we are really proud of the game we are creating. We are working really working hard to meet the fan's expectations.
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