Deus Ex: Human Revolution Previews

Whether you’re excited, skeptical, or simply curious to see what Eidos Montreal is cooking up with their Deus Ex prequel, we have rounded up three more previews for your perusal.

We kick off things with The Escapist:

Revolution is a great looking game with a focus on shiny metal and blacks and golds. It’s a futuristic vision unlike the grey and brown ones we’ve been playing over the past five years. However, some of the character models look lifeless and strange. It’s not Fallout 3 levels of “oh god, what is wrong with that guy’s face,” but it’s not going to be mistaken for Mass Effect 3’s detailed face models. Equally impressive is the soundtrack, which sounds like the score of Inception, shifting from loud to quiet, mixed with elements of the original Deus Ex reinterpreted.

In many ways, the original Deus Ex mirrored a Zelda title in its structure. Throughout the game, you entered large cities filled with civilians, hidden areas and mission areas (read: dungeons). It worries me that the demo’s presenter pointed out Revolution’s civilian areas, as we were shown a hallway with NPCs walking about. For a next-gen sequel, I expect even larger, more detailed areas than the original – not a hallway with a couple characters ready to delivery some expository dialog. However, the demo took place during a mission, so perhaps we will see larger civilian hubs in the finished game.

Then we move on Digital Trends:

But despite the RPG elements, and despite the assertions of Eidos, DE:HR is an FPS. It moves and thinks like an FPS, albeit a smart one. There are plenty of weapons to choose from throughout the game, both lethal and non-lethal, and your loadout for each mission will be determined based on your intentions. If you plan to leave people breathing, you will be given non-lethal weapons. If you plan to become a death dealing angel of Hell, you get something slightly more powerful. You can also upgrade your weapons with new types of ammo that will suit your style.

The controls are about what you would expect from a FPS, in a good way. There is also a cover system that can help you with silent takedowns, moving without being seen, or to just give you cover from incoming bullets, which will become increasingly important as you progress. The majority of the enemies you face will be average humans, and many times you will have the option of what to do. It may be as simple as eavesdropping on them and waiting for an event you overheard, or it may be bloodier. But average humans are the least of your problems, and you will soon meet other augmented humans. Apparently, in 2027 people are a bit more cavalier with their limbs and seem to misplace them, forcing a replacement. This leads to some epic battles.

And we finish with Neoseeker, which praises the highly customizable gameplay:

Even when surrounded by armed guards and unreasonably advanced security systems, you have the freedom to play around with the situation. Some areas, like “green zones” and “red zones,” call for different tactics. Within the confines of a green zone, Adam can move around freely without problems, so long as he doesn’t draw his weapons or engage in any other sketchy behavior.

More importantly, these sections allow you to interact with other characters and glean valuable information for your current task. In this instance, Adam needs to get inside a locked room, and while a confrontation with the guards appears inevitable, you can actually discover alternate means of entry just by listening in on NPC conversations. Hey, what was that? An employee lost his key card somewhere? Excellent.