Human Revolution Preview - E310
E3 2010: We get to see the first live gameplay demo of the upcoming Deus Ex prequel
Undoubtedly, Deus Ex: Human Revolution was one of the hottest games to see at this year’s E3. With screenings only held behind closed doors, we had a chance to catch one of the game’s private showings while covering the show. Human Revolution is the third game in the action role-playing Deus Ex series, and a prequel to the original game. By many, the original is considered to be a classic and a defining game for both the genre and the PC as a platform. The sequel was released years later, but was heavily criticized for being simplified because of the multiplatform release, and never achieved the status of the original. With yet another developer in Eidos this time around, could the third time be the charm for the series in capturing audiences across all platforms?
The live gameplay demo that we saw was being hosted by a lead writer from the game, while a level designer was on the controls of the PS3. Human Revolution is an action RPG that is based on 4 pillars of gameplay – stealth, social gameplay, hacking and combat. The developers have decided to create the whole experience based on these pillars. Every mission in the game offers a multipath, multi-solution approach that emphasizes player choices. Players take on the role of Adam Jensen, a cybernetically enhanced private security contractor that works for a company that specializes in artificial human enhancement procedures and development. Adam witnesses an attack on his company, which leaves him horribly injured and forced to undergo augmentation to survive. Now, he must unravel the conspiracy of why his company was attacked, and he discovers that not everything is what it seems with his employer.
The demo took place relatively early in the game, as Adam investigates a possible leak in the company. A hacker has been identified as a person of interest, and the player sets off to locate him on an island that resembles New York City. For the sake of the presentation, all limitations on ammo and special abilities were removed, along with the HUD, to give the demo a more realistic feel. When we first enter the city, the game’s style shines through as cyberpunk architecture and yellow color palette dominate. The game’s visuals are still a work in progress, as low resolution textures were seen throughout. Still, the lighting was very effective and characters looked believable. It was noted that all NPCs in the game go on living their own lives – the player can talk to anyone in the game, and possibly learn vital information about alternate roots or additional details for their current objective.
As we approached an entrance to the club where the hacker might be hiding, the doorman confronted us and demanded payment. We gave up the money, though it was noted by the developers that there are many other ways to get into the club. Once inside, we made our way through the crowd to the second floor to speak with a man who apparently may have the information we need. Here, the conversation system took over and we watched the dialogue unfold in third person. The conversation system had a few standard questions and responses for the player to choose from, depending on the situation. It’s certainly nothing RPG players haven’t seen before. Having failed to convince the bartender to give up information, we headed back downstairs – but on the way, overheard two security guards talk about a lost keycard in the bathroom. Of course, we went to the restroom and found the card, then used it to access the basement. There was a guard on patrol down there. Carefully sticking into cover, the camera switched to third person view and we were able to ambush the guard as he came around the corner. We dragged his body into a dark room, and then opened the vent and proceeded inside. In the vent, we got to the private room and overheard a conversation about our person of interest – he will be at the docks tonight.
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Jun 25, 2010 12:06:52 (Jun 25, 2010 12:06)
