van HellSing on 2/12/2008 at 18:50

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The new issue of the polish magazine CD-action has a four-page article on Deus Ex 3, with extensive quotes from Jean-Francois Dugas, project lead. Below you can find the full translation, by yours truly ;). I tried to keep formatting more or less intact, so anything in italics is quotes from Dugas and anything bold is also bold in the article. No comments from me within the text.

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DEUS EX 3

Computer games are still light, easy and pleasant entertainment - a few hours of relaxation after a hard day at school or work. Though the average gamer's age is increasing year by year, creators of biggest hits rarely touch the great problems of the modern world. "Rarely" doesn't mean "never" though.

Possibilities offered by genetics and biotechnology are the topic of heated discussion among the greatest minds of our times - biologists and engineers, but also philosophers and ethics specialists. Wondering how far we can go in tampering with the human body, they ask what exactly is it that makes us homo sapiens, and what is the essence of humanity. These fundamental questions are one of the biggest challenges brought to our society by the rapid technological progress of recent decades. And though you would expect discussions over these topics in magazines such as "Science" or "Lancet", we mention them here in CD-Action not by chance - for they are the inspiration to developers from the Eidos Montreal studio, where Deus Ex 3 is being produced.


Bioquestions

- Modern biotechnology and all the questions it poses have long fascinated us; they are also the fundaments upon which the previous Deus Ex games were made - explains Jean-Francois Dugas, the project lead. He adds: - They were not as explicitly expressed though, since both in Deus Ex and DX: Invisible War were set in a world where the technology allowing augmentation of human abilities had already existed for a long time and doesn't create much awe or controversy. We on the other hand show another period of this alternate history of mankind, so in our game biotechnology is not only a gameplay mechanic but also weighs heavily on the story, it defines the look, style and feel of the game.

Yes, the plot of the third Deus Ex game, though set in the future as in the frevious games, happens a bit earlier, just in under 20 years from now. The game begins in the year 2027, in a period of rapid biotechnological breakthrough ( - It is a time of innovation and progress, but also chaos and clandestine conspiracies - adds Dugas). In rich societies, people start to appear who can afford to get mechanically augmented. This elevates them above the average people of the future world. Corporations specialising in these types of technology gain tremendous amounts of money, but also spend a lot on securing their research, as each new patent can give an advantage over the competition and lead to a monopoly over this lucrative market. This is where the game's protagonist comes in - Adam Jensen, security specialist employed by one of the leading biotech companies of America. One day he is faced with a conspiracy that can turn the world on its head.


Secrets and rumours

- We won't tell you the details of the plot of Deus Ex 3, because we want the players to find out themselves when they buy our game, sit comfortably in a chair and immerse themselves in our world - says Dugas. - However I'm sure that both fans of the previous games and newcomers will like what we've come up with. We're discussing crucial, exceptional matters: market control, future societies, human evolution; also lies, truth, and how difficult it is to discern between them sometimes. We show the conflict that occurs when some have access to advanced technology and revel in its possibilities; while others do not, which puts them below the priviledged ones. Already today we can see tension stemming from the fact that people are divided into those who "have" and those who "have not". In our opinion, such conflicts will become more severe in the future.

The developers try to compensate for a lack of concrete information regarding the plot by stating that they are making a game not just for fans of the originals but also for newcomers, who haven't had the chance to experience the classic first game and it's somewhat inferior sequel. This is one of the reasons Deus Ex 3 is a prequel. As Degas explains, the new iteration is set earlier due to various reasons. - Firstly, we wanted a new start to the series, so we couldn't continue the events of Invisible War. It was also our ambition to create a game which felt fresh and different not only from other franchises but also the previous Deus Ex titles. This is why we have a completely new protagonist, supporting cast and a script set in in different locations and following different events. We were also fascinated by this period in the history of the games' universe. In the first Deus Ex we discovered that there was such a period earlier when mechanically augmented people played an important part in society - nanoaugmentation, used by the protagonists of both DX and DX: IW, only appeared later on. The difference between the two technologies is substantial. Nanoaugmentations are mostly inconspicuous, while anyone can spot mechanical body parts. We came to the conclusion that this would be interesting to weave into the gameplay mechanics - we can show in a tangible, very visual way how your character changes, and how it affects his abilities. And so, there are some moments in the game (for example when you execute someone with your bare hands), when the perspective changes from first to third person ( - We show the players what exactly their character is capable of and how superior to unaugmented people he is - adds Dugas.)


Invisible War? Forget it!

The nod to newcomers shouldn't however trouble fans of the originals - before starting production, the Eidos Montreal team thouroughly analysed both Deus Ex and Invisible War. This was highgly important, as the godfather of the franchise, Warren Spector, is not involved with the making of the new addition to the cycle. The developers wanted to preserve the spirit of the previous games - We spent a lot of time discussing what makes Deus Ex what it is. - recalls Dugas. - The consensus was that it's an action game with RPG elements, with gameplay mechanics based on four elements: combat, stealth, hacking and and advanced social interaction. Additionally, freedom of choice must be offered, with various choices having their consequences, sometimes really meaningful.

For their own needs, the Eidos Montreal team have devised a set of seven key elements of the Deus Ex brand (more in the corresponding box) which decided the character of the first two games in the series. Both, though in some aspects similar, were substantially different from each other. Dugas has no doubt which one should be the more important inspiration for the team producing Deus Ex 3.

- We quickly decided that we should look that our model should be the first game - he explains. - Invisible War did have a few interesting ideas, but the proposed changes did not go in a good direction. You can notice we're inspired by the first Deus Ex on several different levels, beginning with trying to capture the atmosphere, and ending with some of the very simple, basic gameplay mechanics. Obvious example? No unified ammo like the one in Invisible War. Each weapon has it's own ammo. Even our inventory screen is much like the one from DX1.


Four paths

That's good news for PC gamers - Invisible War was primarily designed for consoles, and as such several elements were exceedingly simplified. The new game is designed to be complex and multifaceted, also in terms of plot. - The game world is built in such a way that multiple paths should be viable, and at least a handful of solutions for any problem - claims Dugas. - Basically, you could say that Deus Ex 3 offers four main playstyles, but the distinction during the game is not so clear-cut and obvious; in most situations you can progress using a combination of two or three styles. Two basic ones are combat and stealth. I guess you could complete the game either by seeking confrontation and constantly fighting enemies or by trying to discretely achieve what's necessary at the moment.

The two other playstyles are possible thanks to the ability to hack computer systems and electronic devices; and the interaction, achieved mostly through conversations with npcs. The freedom of choice allows you to shape the gameplay to your needs - of course, some conversations and situations will be mandatory, but most of the time, what you do depends only on your decisions. If you wanted to, you could go through the whole game guns a'blazing - just be prepared to miss at least half of the attractions.

And it would be a pity to do that, as the developers of Deus Ex 3 are convinced they are creating something exceptional. - You ask what currently available game ours can be compared to, but honestly , I'm unable to answer that question - says Dugas. - There's a few titles out there that touch some of the themes we concentrate on, a few similar genre hybrids combining action and RPG, but none has as complex a story and none provides as elastic plot driving possibilities. Concisely and firmly: There is no other game like Deus Ex 3. Whether that's true, we will decide march 2009.



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infoboxes:

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FUTURE

Deus Ex (2000)
The classic RPG depicting a dark, cyberpunk vision of the world of the future. It offered unprecedented nonlinearity, allowing for shaping bot of the plot and the world of the game. Another asset of the game was the way in which typical RPG elements were combined with a first person shooter. The protagonist was JC Denton - an agent for UNATCO, an organisation fighting global terrorism - who discovered a conspiracy allowing one of the corporations to rule the world. Full version can be found in the 100th issue of CD-action.


Deus Ex: Invisible War (2003)
Published primarily for the Xbox, the continuation of Deus Ex somewhat disappointed the fans of the original - a lot of the elements were simplified in hopes of making the game more accessible for console gamers. The plot took place 20 years after the original; this time the hero was Alex D., adept of the Tarsus military academy, a place training augmented special ops agents. Invisible War compensated for less complex gameplay mechanics with an interesting plot - starting with a bang (the destruction of Chicago), the story gets even more engaging when the ties to the first game become apparent. The full version of the game was also in CDA, April 2008 issue.

Project Snowblind (2005)
Unofficial addition to the Deus Ex series. The game started life as the third part of the series, with the subtitle Clan Wars - and was supposed to be centered on multiplayer and more action-like than the predecessors. Low sales of Invisible War ultimately prompted a title change. Project Snowblind still has some characteristics typical of the Deus Ex brand - a future setting (Hong Kong 2065), that you can choose multiple solutions in many situations, and gameplay which involves using nanomodifications increasing your character's abilities. This game too can be found in full on our cover CD (issue 13/06).
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Deus E...ssence

During the production of the third part of Deus Ex, the Eidos Montreal team chose seven elements crucial to preserving the core of the series. They are:

1) Choice and consequence - Deus Ex offers many options and solutions, which can be used freely by players. Each of them affects the world and changes it sometimes in subtle ways, sometimes wery noticeably.

2) Action - Deus Ex depicts dynamic, thrilling events that can be directly participated in and which sometimes demand quick, even instant decisions.

3) Role-playing - Deus Ex allows to play a character however the players imagine, offering freedom of choice and also allowing multiple modification paths and increasing of abilities of the character.

4) Open-endedness - Deus Ex has a world where the main plot is only part of the bigger picture, with additional subplots, tasks, situations to find by yourself.

5) Conspiracy theories - Deus Ex relies on an extensive, complex, multifaceted plot, dealing with important matters, and uncovering a conspiracy leading to world domination.

6) Memorable characters - Deus Ex is full of colourful, defined characters that inspire authentic emotions from the player and don't leave the player indifferent; they're the foundation the story is built upon.

7) Near future visions - Deus Ex depicts a world far from perfect, an anti-utopia set in our world's near future.
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So, that's it, hope you enjoyed reading, sorry for any typos and bad english. :)

The_Raven on 2/12/2008 at 23:40

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Why do I still get the feeling that the devs don't truly understand Deus Ex?

* From the way things were described in the bible, and shown in the game, augmented agents were still subject to a fair amount of discrimination.
* Anna's comment to the player at castle clinton showed that they didn't really consider themselves to be privileged.
* While not entirely inaccurate, I shudder when Deus Ex is primarily described as an action game.

Digital Nightfall on 3/12/2008 at 11:51

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Deus Ex is about conspiracy, not controversy. ;)

One of the 'smart' things about Deus Ex was that it had shades of Asimov - it was a detective story / political thriller with a science fiction setting as its backdrop. It was about the people and the society, not the science fiction. It sounds like DX3 will be about the science fiction.

Digital Nightfall on 3/12/2008 at 14:50

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Removing my winky face changes the entire tone of my post. ;)

Vraptor7 on 6/12/2008 at 08:27

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Thanks very much indeed for typing out the whole article.