Deus Ex Devolved: Why Human Revolution is no Worthy Successor to Deus Ex

David at Cloudchaser does an in-depth analysis of the new Deus Ex, and makes great points about why it does not hold up to the original.

[fluffydelusions]

I loved Human Revolution. So far my fav game this year next to Portal 2.

[anothervenue]

Did you play the first one? The second one really doesn't matter :D

[Kran]

"but rather that this is a sequel to a game that is renowned for choice and plot elasticity "

You mean Prequel? ...

Sure, people sometimes call it DX3, but its technically set before Deus Ex 1 and 2. So I call it a prequel.

[Marlowe]

I don't think the word "prequel" applies very well to videogames, since unlike in film and literature, narrative is always only a secondary aspect. Plenty of games are called sequels that don't have any story whatsoever, or only have the most trivial and brief of stories. Whether something is a sequel in videogames is thus more about mechanical and aesthetic continuity than plot, and in that context the term "prequel" is useless.

[anothervenue]

I think he mainly means that it is a game that came after a game that set some huge precedents for RPGs and FPS.

[ginsunuva]

It made a whole deal about a conspiracy that wasn't even that big.

[pctrollv4]

why you shouldnt write articles when you have no idea what the FUCK you are talking about. Thats what the title should read.

[bobrea]

So many bitchy, whiny, complain-ey articles on this site.

[Drano]

For a game this size (budget speaking, too) to survive and not be crushed by today's blockbusters, they HAD to modernize it. Yes it has been "dumbed down", I still got 52 hours on this game and you can just FEEL that the only reason the game has flaws, it is because they did not have more time.

Yes, most of the points of this article are accurate. Anyway, with today's game industry, you just KNOW there will be another Deus Ex.

[ryhanon]

While I agree with the article for the most part, I think the author paints Human Revolution in a bad light and isn't entirely fair about it. Now, I absolutely love the original game, it's one of my all time favorites (definitely in my top 5). But some of the changes made in HR vs the original game just make sense.

For example, the original game included lock picking and a very lame hacking system. The lock picking made no sense because to hack a lock you had to carry around lock picks and have the appropriate number necessary to hack said lock (hacking worked in much the same way with the multi-tools). And where did you find these lock picks? Scattered around the level, pretty much anywhere you'd look. In fact, you'd pick a lock on a desk and inside the drawer would be *more lock picks* - what kind of world does JC Denton live in where there are lock picks lying around all over the damn place? And if there really are so many lock picks lying around this world like that, why would anyone *ever* think that anything is secure by locking it up?

It just made sense that HR did away with this kind of nonsense and rolled it all together as a unique, fun, and interesting hacking mechanic (even if it did become way too simple with just a couple of upgrades).

Also, some of what was said in the article is completely inaccurate just for the sake of making HR look that much worse in comparison to the original game...

From the article:
"In Deus Ex, after a brief introductory cut-scene, you find yourself on the south pier of Liberty Island. You receive a quick brief of your mission, the choice of one of three weapons, and then you are left to your own devices. There’s no tutorial to ensure that you know how to jump and crouch in the same way that you do in every other FPS"

No. Sorry, but that's a completely inaccurate description.

The original game has a lengthy tutorial that includes explicit instructions on how to run, jump, crouch, move bodies, hack doors, move boxes, use your flashlight, place proximity mines, etc etc etc... it's completely contrived and linear (consists of room after room connected by short hallways) and has virtually nothing to do with the game or storyline as a whole. It screams "Hi! Look at me! I'm a tutorial!" and is not subtle about it in the slightest bit.

In contrast, Human Revolution has a tutorial that's actually a part of the overall storyline and serves as a nice introduction to the rest of the game. It doesn't include any explicit tutorial instructions on how to do any number of different things and leaves the player to their own devices in figuring it all out (disabling mines, for example, is something I didn't figure out how to do until nearly halfway through the game).

If you want to talk about what sucked in HR, talk about the horrible "Let's Make a Deal" style ending. *bleah*