Deus Ex Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Pre-Release Thread

[pippin]

Is that supposed to be JCD in the second thumbnail? He looks awful.

 

[jcd]

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

 

[Major_Blackhart]

You know what?

 

[Echo Mirage]

Makes me think they're gonna go back and remake DE and IW when they've finished dickless' story.

Oh they will. I have very little doubt in my mind of that.

 

[Zombra]

Oh they will. I have very little doubt in my mind of that.

You sure? Why do you think so? Speaking as someone who doesn't really follow the studio, such certainty makes me curious.

 

[Jaesun]

People making shit up, and think it is an actual fact.

Fuck people are stupid.

 

[Metro]

Wow, this is actually pretty historic. In an age where preorder and DLC bullshit is spiraling ever more out of control, it's heartening to see a marketing department take even a small step away from the brink of total insanity.

More like Squeenix is probably edging closer to bankruptcy. Early Access Hitman was the first clue. This is the second.

 

[Echo Mirage]

You sure? Why do you think so? Speaking as someone who doesn't really follow the studio, such certainty makes me curious.

EM said a long time ago about how they wanted to make the series theirs from the get go. For as long as the rebooted series is successful and EM keep advancing the story line closer towards the 2050's, linking the story as they go. They will eventually either have to either deal with, or remake the original game. I don't see them passing up such a chance. I really don't.

But as of right now they are to much in love with Jensen. After they have milked that to either its logical or illogical conclusion then we will see. Perhaps they will be smart and go with Paul Denton for a few games. But sooner or later it will have to be JC's neck on the chopping block.

 

[undecaf]

Makes me think they're gonna go back and remake DE and IW when they've finished dickless' story.

I don't see much point in that (even from their perspective). What could be semi-interesting, though, is if they cooked up a game whose story happens at the same time and just slightly collides here and there with the one in DE.

 

[Morality Games]

Why does it matter if they remake the original? The original game still exists. It isn't going anywhere, so a remake existing or not existing has about the same implications either way.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Fuck these EM douchebags and their gay corridor DX.

 

[Athelas]

Is that supposed to be JCD in the second thumbnail? He looks awful.

That would make it an accurate depiction of JC Denton.

 

[Zombra]

EM said a long time ago about how they wanted to make the series theirs from the get go. For as long as the rebooted series is successful and EM keep advancing the story line closer towards the 2050's, linking the story as they go. They will eventually either have to either deal with, or remake the original game. I don't see them passing up such a chance. I really don't.

Wow. That's flimsy to the point of being totally insubstantial. But thanks for the clarification.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

New previews:

http://www.shacknews.com/article/91654/deus-ex-humanity-divided-impressions-augmented-to-the-teeth
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/08/deus-ex-mankind-divided-preview/

 

[Infinitron]

Deus Ex Mankind Divided Hands On: “All Signs Suggest It’s An Improvement On Its Predecessor In Every Way”

I’m in the camp that thought Deus Ex: Human Revolution was a hell of a good starting point. The level design ran up against apparent technical limitations, chopped into distinct sections rather than flowing naturally from streets to interiors and back again, and the stealthy approach sometimes felt more difficult than it should have been thanks to sticky cover and too-rigid AI.

During a day of hands-on experience with follow-up Mankind Divided, it became apparent that Eidos Montreal felt similarly about their first stab at their cyberpunk revival.

As a stealth game, Mankind Divided already feels exemplary. Slight changes to visual feedback and enemy barks make AI behaviour more convincing and legible, but it’s in the level design that the game really shines.

An enormous amount of care has gone into making the theatre feel like a natural place, where vents exist as parts of the architecture, with utility and purpose, rather than convenient shortcuts. It’s almost possible to move from the beginning of the level to the end without leaving cover but such a route is reliant on clever use of Jensen’s abilities rather than opportune waist-high walls

With only a tutorial – which is admittedly a flexible and enjoyable tutorial – and a single, small area as evidence, it’s impossible to know whether this quality will hold throughout the game, but if it does, Mankind Divided might well win over even those who rejected Human Revolution entirely.

 

[Infinitron]

Here's another preview, focusing on story and choice & consequence: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...nkind-divided-choice-consequence-and-cynicism

My first impression is one of surprise, as so much about Mankind Divided feels very, very similar to Human Revolution, so much so that I wonder if Eidos have been timid about tinkering with something that has been such a big success. Creeping, hacking and blasting my way through two demonstration levels, I know exactly what's expected of me. The patient, non-lethal approach works for a certain kind of play. A crafty, gadget-wielding philosophy cuts all sorts of corners and gunplay, of course, brings all the boys to the yard, but it also kills them in the yard. And then lets you drag all their bodies into one a big pile in the yard, since subtlety clearly isn't your bag.

"You have to keep the DNA of a Deus Ex game," Proulx tells me, describing Mankind Divided as a well-considered evolution which doesn't intend to introduce a raft of new concepts or mechanics, instead presenting players with a deeper, more complex plot. There are many subtle advancements to be found, but what Eidos seems most invested in is telling a grander, grittier story with greater player choice. And telling it as well as they can.

"Early on we decided that we were going to be back with Adam Jensen," Proulx continues. "He's interesting to us because he's an outcast to everyone, both to 'naturals,' because he's augmented, but also to the augmented population, since Adam is the next level. He doesn't need Neuropozyne [the drug that prevents the body from rejecting augmentations] to sustain himself." Jensen is the perfect blank slate for players to project themselves onto, as he starts with few firm loyalties or affiliations and also experiences so many of the imperfections and alienations of his world.

However, this isn't the same Jensen who "never asked for this," in Human Revolution. Eidos is calling him "Jensen 2.0," a more confident, more assured man who, two years on, is more comfortable with who he is, more capable and better augmented than ever.

The rest of the world, however, is not doing nearly so well. After the Aug Incident of the previous game, in which countless augmented humans were driven insane by malicious manipulation of their augmentations, there's widespread distrust, even outright prejudice toward anyone augmented. "We really doubled down on what happens with that, with the theme of people being scared of what they don't know or understand." Proulx says. "We thought that this was a very strong and, unfortunately, universal theme, that of segregation and of the fear of what's different."

Continuing the plot and themes of Human Revolution doesn't bring the game that much closer to the dystopia of the original Deus Ex, but this isn't something the team are too concerned about. They want to write their own stories, rather than serve those of others and at a round table discussion, narrative designer Mary DeMarle offers a very simple solution to the problem of storytelling conflicts.

"History is written by the winners," she says. "What we 'know' in [20]52 [the year Deus Ex is set], we know in '52, but that might not actually be how it happened. We're looking at the original plot and finding ways we can reinvent it and pull it forward." It's entirely appropriate, she says, that things may not match up, even that the history recorded in Deus Ex is inaccurate, especially as much of Mankind Divided will be about "dealing with what is truth and what is not truth. Who can I believe? Who can I trust?"

As the team describe how much time has been invested in narrative development, they paint a picture of a game where choice and consequence are more important than ever, but also hopefully much more subtle in their implementation. While the player's decisions, moral, practical or whimsical, will shape and mould the story, the idea is to repeatedly surprise them with unforeseen (and even unpleasant) outcomes, to make apparently simple choices profoundly significant later on and, critically, to avoid leaving the biggest decisions to the very last moment.

"Great as Human Revolution's story arc was, you get to the end and you can just play with your saved game to choose one of the four endings," says Proulx. "This time, we wondered, what if a few of the choices you made in the first hours of the game could impact what happens at the end?"

 

[LESS T_T]

Gameplay video with an annoying loop music:



And GamesRadar did video interviews with five main developers.

Head of Studio David Anfossi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9bZRvyVLOM
Gameplay Director Patrick Fortier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDQoUXyP5Bo
Narrative Director Mary Demarle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgsZTHgmLLU
Executive Art Director Jonathan Jacques Belletette: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXF4LGyX-qc
Executive Audio Director Steve Scczepkowski: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTv0QvGjquA

 

[Infinitron]

wtf is that music

Hopefully a new official gameplay video (without the music) isn't far off.

 

[Sykar]

I will probably buy it anyway since I am such an autistic fuck who is a sucker for cyberpunk and similar genres...

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Four months after release it will be fully patched and 75% off.

 

[Lacrymas]

Too bad we are playing as Adam Jensen again. I also hate his gravelly voice so much, the same way I hate Geralt's voice, it makes them sound like pussies. We all know we aren't going to get Deus Ex: Not-popamole, so we might as well play this one.

 

[Azrael the cat]

I tell you, I'll fucking rage if they get to the original Deus Ex timeline, and don't give us the opportunity to play 'young idealistic Gunther Hernann' voluntarily sacrificing his humanity in pieces out of the desire to save the world and be a great hero, slowly becoming the cold bitter machine of Deus Ex one.

A Walter Simons game would be good too.

 

[xxxCatholicKillahxxx]

As a stealth game, Mankind Divided already feels exemplary. Slight changes to visual feedback and enemy barks make AI behaviour more convincing and legible, but it’s in the level design that the game really shines.

It took a while to make the connection between Desu Ex: HR and stealth.

So from Hyrule Castle courtyard peek-a-boo to Forgotten Fortess in one fell swoop?

 

[Alfons]

I hate the autorun to cover. From some of the previews it looks like you can do it for 40 feet, connect the dots and away you go on autopilot. Just another "design choice" of unnecessary popamoleation.

 

[Infinitron]