Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

[DuskEngine]

Eidos are making another full length Deus Ex game. Adam Jensen makes a comeback, and the game takes place two years after the end of Human Revolution. Here's the trailer:

Game Informer has a cover story on it where they talk about some of the new features and the plot.
A lot of the details got summarized on GAF.
Details (has spoilers for Human Revolution):

Spoiler

There's been a backlash against transhumans since the first game. The Illuminati's signal at the end of that game caused everyone with augmentations to go crazy, so augs are being rounded up and put into ghettos now.

Jensen works for a government special group that hunts augmented terrorists. At the same time, is also working for a covert group called the Juggernaut Collective.

-One of the locations in the game is an augmented ghetto called Golem City in Prague.

Supposedly twice as many augs in the second game as the first one, and Eidos said you won't need to keep munching energy bars in the middle of combat.

Looks like the new augs include silent running, a built in PEPS gun in your hand, Tesla stun darts in your knuckles, and the ability to use Icarus to combat dash kind of like the Vanguard from Mass Effect.

Looks like they're going to combine features of all three endings a la Invisible War. The trailer shows Jensen adrift after presumably destroying Panchaea, so that's canon.

Scans from the mag:

Spoiler

This is the main antagonist, augmented terrorist Viktor Marchenko:

What do you guys think? Personally, I would have preferred a new protagonist, I think, but I'm really looking forward to this overall. Human Revolution was a fine successor to the original game, and I'm hopeful about this one.

 

[Red]

Personally, I would have preferred a new protagonist,

He never asked for this.

That aside, it looks badass. HR was a fine game, but I agree with you about a new protagonist. I always thought Adam was pretty flat but it didn't ruin the experience for me or anything. The locations in this game look really cool, and they were a really cool part of the last one, too.
Also the promo pic is awesome. I have a thing for wing metaphors.

 

[Arkangel]

I personally enjoyed Human Revolution. I even got all the stealth achievements for it on the hardest setting. I have reasonable expectations for this game as long as they keep the stealth elements within it.

 

[Watcher]

I always thought Adam was pretty flat

JC Denton was WAY flatter

Warren Spector later said JC Denton's voice actor was the only voice actor he asked to "emote less" during his career. Flat protagonists are a staple of the Deus Ex series.

Much like JC Denton Adam had a surprisingly complex backstory about his genetics and specifically why he never has to take neuropozine that's completely missable if you don't win a particular argument with Sarif and later do an extensive side quest during the second Detroit visit. I don't know if they'd expand on it that much more but it was really interesting especially since most players don't notice it.

Anyway most of my Steam contacts list has less of a problem with Adam as a character and has more of a problem with what bringing back Adam might symbolize. Namely that the game is going to be pandering and that they're intending to further turn Deus Ex into another milked franchise. That and the Crysis-style attachment screenshot they showed.

I'm personally casually optimistic but I know they could very easily fuck it up (and knowing Square's track record with recent releases it's entirely possible). Pretty much the only reason why Human Revolution was any good was because the dev team went the extra mile and made the game play so similarly to the original while also modernizing it.

That and giving Adam a proper conclusion would be nice to see considering how bad HR's endings were.

 

[Sanic]

I really hope its as good as Human Revolution and not as bad as that shitty tablet one.

 

[DuskEngine]

I really hope its as good as Human Revolution and not as bad as that shitty tablet one.

The tablet game has me worried because of the whole Deus Ex Universe concept, where they say they're trying to turn it into an overall media franchise. As @Cuddlebug pointed out, the worry here is that they'll turn it into Assassin's Creed and just keep pumping out new ones every year while also making shitty tablet/phone spinoffs and Facebook games and things like that.

The trailer and the things I've read also indicate that they plan to make combat much more viable this time around. I don't have a problem with that, but I do worry that they'll end up downplaying the stealth or exploration aspects.

That and the Crysis-style attachment screenshot they showed.

Why does that concern you?

Anyway, here are some supposed leaked screenshots

Spoiler

 

[Watcher]

Why does that concern you?

Because it could indicate they simplified or even gutted the inventory system.

I'd have to see more before I make further judgements on it but that was something I was slightly worried about as soon as I saw the leaked screenshots

The trailer and the things I've read also indicate that they plan to make combat much more viable this time around. I don't have a problem with that, but I do worry that they'll end up downplaying the stealth or exploration aspects.

The announcement trailer is very reminiscent of Human Revolution's announcement trailer. Which was also full of action segments.

Considering how popular stealth action games are now I'm more worried about the general pacing/level design quality. That and if they'll have forced combat segments like Human Revolution did with the boss fights. But considering how much shit they got over those (and how they went out of their way to fix them in the Director's cut) I'm certain they know what their fans specifically want.

 

[DuskEngine]

Because it could indicate they simplified or even gutted the inventory system.

I would honestly be fine with a slightly simplified inventory system like Dishonored's or something. Apparently that's what the new energy system is going to take its cues from as well.

Considering how popular stealth action games are now I'm more worried about the general pacing/level design quality. That and if they'll have forced combat segments like Human Revolution did with the boss fights. But considering how much shit they got over those (and how they went out of their way to fix them in the Director's cut) I'm certain they know what their fans specifically want.

As long as they don't outsource them again, I don't think there should be a problem.

 

[KingofManga420]

I totally asked for this.

 

[DuskEngine]

this B#B P-*& guy sounds like a real asshole.

Also a random thought- if they keep making these games, eventually they're going to run out of meaningful content pre-Deus Ex. How would you feel about them revisiting Invisible War at that point?

I would actually really like to see a game set during the Collapse, but not too much later than that. By the time the events of Invisible War roll around, I feel like the game is getting a little too close to post-cyberpunk more than cyberpunk, but that's just me.

 

[Stratomsk]

I really hope its as good as Human Revolution and not as bad as that shitty tablet one.

Dear lord was Deus Ex: The Fall a exceedingly terrible game. Even without the bugs the PC port was plagued with the mobile port was essentially a Human Revolution clone with a far weaker storyline and completely stilted dialogue to boot. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth to have a tutorial that forces you to do a specific thing in order to advance even during the tutorial. So many other issues with that game as well.

Square obviously doesn't have the best track record but I'm holding out hope that this game will be everything Human Revolution did but better and more of what made the series so memorable. One problem I had with Human Revolution was where it basically emphasized a stealth play-style over the alternative of killing everything in sight because you would gain fewer levels and therefore less praxis kits to gain perks. Choice to approach a situation how you desire is something that was a bit lacking when stealthing the game gave you the most optimal way to gain experience and level up. Hopefully this won't be a problem.