Editorial 10 Things You Need to Know about Deus Ex: Human Revolution

[spectre]

Fun Fact: Half the kills you can do in DX HOMO REVOLUTION, like multiple takedowns, are automated cinematic kills that you sit and watch after pressing a single button.

Good, it leaves the hands free to do the fapping.

 

[commie]

Eh? Many important people from LGS took part in its development. It even had Eric BROsius with his sound being 50% of Thief's atmosphere. Thiaf doesn't have him.

Yes of course, but it was still a different company. Maybe in the DX game now there is also some arsehole that worked for them in the olden days but that doesn't mean it is Ion Storm.

System Shock 2 was done by the same people, iirc Irrational just split from LGS, but they still developed it together. Meaning it was the same team.

Yes, but again it was a 'different' group and they hired other staff that weren't all from LGS. So technically it was still some other bunch.

It was modified Unreal Engine 2 man. "Limited" only by 64 MBs of console RAM. But multiplatforms = evil yep.

Didn't know this. Hmm, now that you mention it, it does have those halmarks of that engine.

 

[Mastermind]

Re: 10 Things I Hate About You....

Ten things you need to know about Deus Ex: Human Revolution

1. It's not Deus Ex.
2. It's not being made by Ion Storm/Looking Glass.
3. Warren Spector is not a member of the development team.
4. If you post on RPGCodex... you probably won't like it.
5. It will not be possible to complete Deus Ex: Human Revolution without combat.
6. Consolised
7. Popamole
8. Dumbed down
9. Streamlined
10. turd.

I lost my inspiration after # 5, so 6/7/8/9/10 are sort of a continuous train of thought.

I'm surprised there's a codexfag who can even count to 10. Congrats.

 

[Mastermind]

Fun Fact: Half the kills you can do in DX HOMO REVOLUTION, like multiple takedowns, are automated cinematic kills that you sit and watch after pressing a single button.

So it's just like Fallout? Awesome.

 

[Scroo]

- Adam Jensen is cooler than JC Denton

The new guy has retractable blades from his arms, the ability to disable foes even if they are behind solid brick walls

Ok, now that makes him super cool of course! I mean, hey, JC was a fag, after all he didn't have retracable blades! Coolness in fact is all about retracable blades and being able to crush through walls (Aw man, what are you doing to my Deus Ex?)!

 

[Coyote]

The new guy has retractable blades from his arms, the ability to disable foes even if they are behind solid brick walls, as well as the knowledge and experience required to deal with any foe.

So, what, they decided that cover systems aren't dumbed down enough?

 

[Mangoose]

Fun Fact: Half the kills you can do in DX HOMO REVOLUTION, like multiple takedowns, are automated cinematic kills that you sit and watch after pressing a single button.

So it's just like Fallout? Awesome.

 

[Topher]

The new guy has retractable blades from his arms, the ability to disable foes even if they are behind solid brick walls, as well as the knowledge and experience required to deal with any foe.

So, what, they decided that cover systems aren't dumbed down enough?

How is this "dumbed down" I mean it might be if it's implemented poorly but it's not intrinsically a dumbed down idea.

 

[Drakron]

Because now there is no cover, well besides FOR YOU.

The issue is they are not letting do "cool things", they are making you WATCH cool things at the press of a button and things are becoming less and less interactive.

 

[Topher]

Because now there is no cover, well besides FOR YOU.

The issue is they are not letting do "cool things", they are making you WATCH cool things at the press of a button and things are becoming less and less interactive.

Really the problem is they're letting you WATCH cool things in a format that isn't typically best for just WATCHING cool things. A major complaint about turn-based is that you're only watching and not actively doing which is why so many made to switch to real-time FFP etc. The question is why not play to the strength of the format you've chosen to develop in. If you want to player to WATCH cool things then that can be better achieved in other formats.

 

[Coyote]

How is this "dumbed down"

In games with cover systems you at least have to worry about return fire (in theory, anyway). If you can disable foes through solid brick walls, then even that isn't an issue. It's the next step in the process of making games truly "popamole".

I mean it might be if it's implemented poorly but it's not intrinsically a dumbed down idea.

I guess I just can't see any way to not implement it poorly. What are you thinking a well-implemented system would look like? I can think of a few ways to make it less overpowered, but they're pretty iffy:

- You can hit enemies through walls, but the force of the impact will be weakened. This seems unlikely since they specifically said you could "disable" enemies through walls. And unless the AI is pretty good, it just means you'll have to take a few extra shots, which isn't a problem unless ammo is much rarer in this game.
- You can't see through walls, forcing you to attack blindly. If they do this, though, what's the point in implementing this augmentation at all? I suppose you could use an automatic weapon to try to weaken enemies before busting into a room.
- You can only attack enemies right next to the wall. Since they didn't specifically say that you could "shoot" enemies through walls, just disable them, I suppose this is possible. It seems like it would have very limited use in this case, though, and I doubt they would sink development time and resources into it if that's the case.
- It costs a lot of [bioelectric energy equivalent] to use the ability. Possible, but since your augmentations are supposed to be mechanical, this doesn't make much sense.
- It takes a few seconds to get through the wall, making it harder to time shots. This is probably the best option out of these, but it still raises the same issue once the player has learned to compensate for the delay.
- Most of the walls in the game are thick and made of steel. But again, why waste development resources on something that will be of extremely limited use?

 

[StrangeCase]

- Freedom to play as you want

The game's structure is still free enough to approach levels anyway players wish. During our demo we witnessed an open-ended mission structure which allowed any of four approaches, involving combat, stealth, interacting with NPCs and hacking, to be adopted.

Sounds fantastic. On paper.

- The soundtrack kicks ass!

We've all heard the fantastic score of the trailer, but the talented composer Micheal McCann will be writing all of the game's music which ensures a fantastic atmosphere during pivotal set-pieces as well as the quieter, more serene moments.

The pivotal set-piece music will kick my ass, huh? How about the quiet serene tracks, will those kick my ass too? Are you actually saying anything substantial here?

- There will be multiple endings

Eidos Montreal seem very careful not to reveal too much about Human Revolution's plot, but the studio's Communication & Marketing Director Sebestian Bach confirmed that the campaign will be shaped by player actions, which can potentially change the outcome of the story.

Oh pfff, games have been doing that since forever. Even Invisible War had that.

- Adam Jensen is cooler than JC Denton

No doubt fans of the original will be livid that we've dared to mention that Jensen is superior to Denton, but hear us out. The new guy has retractable blades from his arms, the ability to disable foes even if they are behind solid brick walls, as well as the knowledge and experience required to deal with any foe. As an agent of the successful human augmentation conglomerate Serif Industries, he's tasked with investigating a recent attack on the company's HQ which not only caused many scientists to lose their lives, but also placed Jensen in critical condition forcing his employer to save his life via drastic augmentations.

- The world is in utter turmoil

For all the original game's charms, it was hard to properly paint the picture of a drastically transformed future when relying on the Unreal Engine. Thankfully that won't be a problem any longer with the Crystal Engine and even though the game is in pre-alpha, it already looks impressive. So far Eidos Montreal has only shown one level on an island near Shanghai and it was alive with multiple NPCs going about their business with their own wants and needs, a kin to Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. As the plot is set before the first Deus Ex expect more exposition about how humanity arrived at such a politically unstable future.

The rest of the Codex has these covered, I think.

- Mechs are back...

...Well they never went away really, but it's important to note that those annoying blighters which patrolled hallways in the original game are back in some form. We witnessed spider-like robots which looked very similar to those seen in Japanese anime Ghost in a Shell, and they seemed just as dangerous with dual mini-guns atop of their bulky frames, as well as the ability to shoot out multiple rockets to decimate entire areas.

...lol? "You know those robot enemies that have been in both Deus Ex games? Well, they're in this one too." I guess it's all about preaching to the choir now, rather than convincing skeptics.

- Players don't need to kill to get through the campaign

Like the first game, players won't have to kill anyone that gets in their way. Instead talking things through will occasionally bring up peaceful solutions and when all else fails you'll be able disable foes with non-lethal takedowns.

I'd say this is an incline, and it's another great idea on paper, but I have a feeling non-lethal takedowns will be overly, if not almost exclusively, relied upon.

- Every NPC has a voice

Every person met during the campaign will be voiced and may potentially offer up side-quests or divulge new information about objectives. Players will be rewarded for exploration and often extra missions will build a greater understanding of this intriguing world.

-Every NPC has a voice

[Intelligence] Every person met during the campaign will be voiced.

Fixed. I like the idea of sidequests and rewards for exploration, but since video games picked up on this idea sometime in the 80's, some kind of novelty or proof of marvelous execution would be more credible.

- Upgradable abilities and weapons

As expected the gameplay successfully melds FPS and RPG archetypes. Players will be able to apply different upgrades to individual weapons, as well as adding to their own existing implants to help with conversations, improve agility and other improvements.

Okay, fine. I like upgrading crap, even though it's illogical and makes me all the stupider for it. Using implants (heh) to help with conversation is interesting, though.

- Eidos Montreal love the original

It's clear that the developer is more than aware of this series' proud lineage and they want to honor that by not only crafting an experience which is every bit as special as the first game, but also one that it upholds the same staples as that iconic release over a decade ago. This is by far the most important aspect of the gameplay demo we witnessed and one which gives us plenty of hope for this radical sequel.

I don't know what "more than aware" means, but it probably speaks to some mental illness, which doesn't surprise me really. I wouldn't really call the series' lineage "proud" either, seeing how IW turned out. The rest... yeah, whatever.


So... transparent hype-building is transparent. Gaming journalism at its most respectable.

 

[Topher]

- You can only attack enemies right next to the wall. Since they didn't specifically say that you could "shoot" enemies through walls, just disable them, I suppose this is possible. It seems like it would have very limited use in this case, though, and I doubt they would sink development time and resources into it if that's the case.

That seems the most likely case. It's a gimmick sure but I just didn't dumbed down was the right term.

What you've done is make it sound like it will be used for every kill/every other kill in the game, when really it just sounds like a off use gimmick. I doubt you're going to be running from cover to cover inta-killing every enemy with some "press x to kill move" that has an invulnerable attack animation.

 

[Drakron]

I'd say this is an incline, and it's another great idea on paper, but I have a feeling non-lethal takedowns will be overly, if not almost exclusively, relied upon.

Not really, you COULD not kill anyone in DX:IW as well.

People did attempted to do "non lethal" plays because it was harder, however they mistaken that as some kind of "feature" of the game but having it or not is pointless, does not make it better if guard nº763 is killed or just stunned unless you are building the entire game after the first levels of Deus Ex were that had impact and THAT I doubt.

 

[Azrael the cat]

Warren Spector barely had anything to do with the second. He was overseeing all of Ion Storm or something as a director at that point. IW was all Harvey Smith's fuckup.

All the more respect to Spector then for manning up to the criticism and shouldering the blame.

 

[SoupNazi]

Bunch of pretentious fags judging something they have no idea about or bothered doing their research. Typical Codex.

I actually agree with most of you except for the retards who think that you'll be able to just shoot through walls to kill guys lol. This "feature" is when you activate one of the see through wall augs and then another aug that strengthens the character's mechanical arms.

You basically rip through the wall with your hands and disable the opponent that way. You don't shoot through the wall, at least that's not what they're talking about.

Also: I'm pretty sure you could shoot through walls with a sniper in the original Deus Ex as well, but that might have been just the Shifter mod. Iunno.

 

[Coyote]

Well pardon me for not reviewing every article on a game I've been following loosely to avoid spoilers.

To be clear, I like most of what I've heard. Some of the elements of the setting seem out of place in it, and setting itself is off for a Deus Ex prequel, but the game boasts multiple paths, can be finished without killing, and at least the setting is pretty original for RPGs. The energy gauge works if you think of it as fatigue, and leveling up augments could be okay, depending on how it's implemented (requiring you to find upgrades and/or people with the know-how to install them would be plusses). Don't care much about graphics past a certain point, and won't judge art design and sound until playing.

If Eidos Montreal delivers on their promises, it'll be okay-to-good; maybe even great if the writing exceeds expectations.

 

[entertainer]

i only need to know one thing, it will have gears of war gameplay

 

[SoupNazi]

Well pardon me for not reviewing every article on a game I've been following loosely to avoid spoilers.

The smart thing would be not to judge a game mechanic based on loose information without really knowing anything about it. That way you end up less of a moron.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

Well pardon me for not reviewing every article on a game I've been following loosely to avoid spoilers.

The smart thing would be not to judge a game mechanic based on loose information without really knowing anything about it. That way you end up less of a moron.

Nah, the Codex has a long reputation of blasting a game before it is released, jerking it off upon release, and then a few months after release blasting it as a piece of shit. Same will happen with this game.

 

[MetalCraze]

Well pardon me for not reviewing every article on a game I've been following loosely to avoid spoilers.

Spoilers? In previews?
...eh?

 

[Carlos' Bitch1]

Well pardon me for not reviewing every article on a game I've been following loosely to avoid spoilers.

The smart thing would be not to judge a game mechanic based on loose information without really knowing anything about it. That way you end up less of a moron.

I don't know about that actually...I daresay that if I claim this game will be rubbish, I have at least a 90% chance of being correct. Care to wager the opposite?

 

[SoupNazi]

I don't know about that actually...I daresay that if I claim this game will be rubbish, I have at least a 90% chance of being correct. Care to wager the opposite?

Once you learn to read we might actually be able to communicate effectively. I don't care what people predict about the game, that's not what I was talking about.

 

[deuxhero]

Well pardon me for not reviewing every article on a game I've been following loosely to avoid spoilers.

The smart thing would be not to judge a game mechanic based on loose information without really knowing anything about it. That way you end up less of a moron.

I don't know about that actually...I daresay that if I claim this game will be rubbish, I have at least a 90% chance of being correct. Care to wager the opposite?

Rubbish? You give them too much credit. I dare say it will be worse than rubbish.

 

[Coyote]

Well pardon me for not reviewing every article on a game I've been following loosely to avoid spoilers.

The smart thing would be not to judge a game mechanic based on loose information without really knowing anything about it. That way you end up less of a moron.

The smarter thing would be not to get so bent out of shape about people opting to spend their time more productively than dissecting every piece of information that comes out about any game in which they're interested. I went with what the preview said, and the preview is ambiguous in its phrasing. I have no problem with being corrected - that's part of what's handy about, you know, discussing things - just your obnoxious way of doing so.

Preemptive response to obvious retort: Yeah, this is the Codex, but unnecessary douchebaggery in an attempt to be edgy and score KKK is a large part of the .

Spoilers? In previews?
...eh?

Ideally, no. But in practice, yes, I've seen it happen before.