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Deus Ex: Human Revolution Golden

Ben-Dutka 19 Comments

It's one of the most promising games of the year, and fans of the franchise have been waiting quite some time for Deus Ex to return.

Today, Square Enix and Eidos Montreal have announced that Deus Ex: Human Revolution has gone gold and will be available in North America for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on August 23. The game has been in development for over three years and everyone is anxious to see how it turns out. Said Eidos Montreal general manager Stephane D'Astous:

"We couldn’t be more excited that Deus Ex: Human Revolution has gone gold and will soon be in the hands of expectant gamers. As the first release for Eidos-Montreal, it’s impossible to express how extremely proud we are of the final product and all of the hard work that went into its creation."

Featuring the open-ended hybrid style of gameplay the fans have always loved, Human Revolution tells the story of Adam Jensen, a cybernetically-altered individual "who finds himself in the middle of a global conspiracy to which he holds the key." Like other entries, the game is set in the fictional future and boasts a slick sci-fi environment.

It's all about "how you want to play," and that's the single biggest appeal. Let's hope this one is a winner.

Related Game(s): Deus Ex: Human Revolution

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The Best Character Overhaul Award Goes To Lara Croft

Ben-Dutka 26 Comments

Reworked characters are always iffy, especially when it comes to established heroes and heroines.

Frankly, I haven't been the biggest fan of some of the character changes this generation. Although I believe Ninja Theory can produce a great Devil May Cry reboot, the new heroin-addict Dante just isn't doing it for me, and I still can't understand why they had to change Cole ( inFamous ) at all . But you know, although I'm not convinced Eidos can deliver a top-tier action/adventure game in the Tomb Raider reboot, I have to say: I dig the new Lara.

For the record, I have never been a fan of the Tomb Raider series. Honestly, I never saw the fascination in this franchise when it first arrived; I mean, let's face it, the only reason the gaming world went nuts for it is because of Lara's chest size. That's a pretty sad commentary on the state of male-dominated gaming back in the '90s but it's true. The games were always flawed and I never finished one. And although the gameplay in the new reboot looks promising, I'm not expecting an " Uncharted -killer" or anything like that.

For Lara, I'm speaking strictly from an artistic and realistic standpoint. As seen clearly in that slick CG trailer , she's no longer a cartoon. She's no longer a silly top-heavy caricature of a strong, independent female adventurer. In the trailer, we see a modern woman, still pretty but actually vulnerable, and both frightened and intrepid. The cockiness appears to be tempered (and it should be; this is the start of Lara's career as a daredevil) and she's finally a believable, sympathetic main character.

In short, maybe this time we'll actually care about her. So regardless of how the game turns out, I say bravo on this character alteration. In fact, it's an upgrade.

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Square Enix Confirms Eidos, Deus Ex Websites Hacked

Ben-Dutka 95 Comments

Someone needs to stop these people.

A few days ago, hackers evidently broke into the Eidos and Deus Ex: Human Revolution websites and placed an "Owned by Chippy1337" banner in the space. And in some IRC chat logs obtained by Washington Post reporter Brian Krebs , the hackers responsible claimed to have lifted the personal information of "at least 80,000 users." Hence, if you've registered with either of the sites in question, you might want to change your password.

Furthermore, Square Enix has become aware of the problem and issued the following statement:

"Square Enix can confirm a group of hackers gained access to parts of our Eidosmontreal.com website as well as two of our product sites. We immediately took the sites offline to assess how this had happened and what had been accessed, then took further measures to increase the security of these and all of our websites, before allowing the sites to go live again. Eidosmontreal.com does not hold any credit card information or code data, however there are resumes which are submitted to the website by people interested in jobs at the studio. Regrettably up to 350 of these resumes may have been accessed, and we are in the process of writing to each of the individuals who may have been affected to offer our sincere apologies for this situation.

In addition, we have also discovered that up to 25,000 email addresses were obtained as a result of this breach. These email addresses are not linked to any additional personal information. They were site registration email addresses provided to us for users to receive product information updates. No dissemination or misappropriation of any other personal information has been identified at this point. We take the security of our websites extremely seriously and employ strict measures, which we test regularly, to guard against this sort of incident."

Grand.

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The Complex And “Stark Emotion” Of Deus Ex’s Music

Ben-Dutka 13 Comments

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is one of our most anticipated titles; the atmosphere and style are expected to be second-to-none.

And you know what you need for that unparalleled atmosphere? You need a fantastic soundtrack that "creates a stark emotional state." Those who really appreciate great music – and all the effort that goes into the composition of such music – should definitely check out a recent update at the PlayStation Blog , where we learn how "transhumanism" influenced composer Michael McCann. We're especially interested by "the duality between acoustic and electronic instrumentation," as this series has always been about questioning humanity. Hence, the music needs to encompass two competing sides of human philosophy, religion, science, etc.

It's a great read, and don't forget about the end part-

"Although it is a prequel, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is very much its own story – with unique emotions, characters, locations, visual design, and so forth. However, what I really liked about the original game’s score is the consistency of its very stark emotional state. You can really get into a trance playing the first game, and I think that’s very much due to the music. I’ve heard people describe the experience of 'taking the game with you' after you’ve finished playing. I very much wanted that same quality in this soundtrack – so that the atmosphere created in the game affects you even after the game is turned off."

We so want this game.

Related Game(s): Deus Ex: Human Revolution

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Various Franchises Have Influenced Deus Ex Story

Ben-Dutka 6 Comments

The Deus Ex games have always featured a heavy emphasis on storyline and for the newest entry, Eidos Montreal is taking cues from very different franchises.

Eidos Montreal narrative designer and lead writer Mary DeMarle told CVG that some games really give players a great plot and characters, but we've still got "a ways to go." Even so, they believe they've got something special in store with Human Revolution . Said DeMarle:

"I think a lot of games do aspects of story well… In this game there are definitely elements of a lot of different games that do get it, you get moments where you're like, 'wow, that's really, really cool'. One thing that is often mentioned is The Darkness, which has a moment where you're playing a scene with your girlfriend in an apartment. During that you're like 'What am I doing here? I'm watching this TV with my girlfriend, this is so different.'

The atmosphere of The Darkness might tie in with Deus Ex if you really dive into the concepts and styles, but there's another series that has had an impact on DeMarle and Co., and you might've had difficulty guessing it…

"Other references I use are the Sly Cooper games; I love how they convey Sly's personality through animations, voice and character. They all combine to create a character that is so real."

DeMarle also said that one of her favorite games was Resident Evil 4 ; while the story is "very simple," she believes it featured "the exact perfect mix and depth of story that you need for that type of game." So yeah, there are plenty of different influences involved in the creation of the Deus Ex: Human Revolution story, which ought to be a definite highlight.

Related Game(s): Deus Ex: Human Revolution

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The Human Revolution Will Take About 25 Hours To Complete

Ben-Dutka 20 Comments

It's one of the first questions a gamer asks these days: "how long is it?

Those who ask typically aren't into multiplayer (at least, not for the particular title in question), and want to make sure the experience is worth the $60 investment. Well, although you'll have to wait a while for Deus Ex: Human Revolution , length won't be a negative when it arrives. In fact, it's going to be a big highlight: in speaking to PC Gamer UK , the highly anticipated Deus Ex title will take around 25 hours to complete. Added producer David Anfossi:

"So far with them playing about six hours every day, most of them don't complete the game.

The ones that are more casual gamers, who are used to more 'corridor, cut-scene, corridor, cut-scene' type of gameplay – they play it that way for a while. Then suddenly, there's this new world that opens to them, and they start getting a bit more creative."

Actually, to those who are familiar with the franchise, this doesn't come as a big surprise. As these are action/RPG hybrids with a firm focus on character building and storyline, such adventures normally last much longer than your standard action or shooter title. I believe it took me a good 30 hours to beat one of them…might have been Invisible War .

But anyway, don't you worry about length when it comes to Human Revolution . Let's just hope the gameplay itself is worthy of your money.

Related Game(s): Deus Ex: Human Revolution

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