Deus Ex: Human Revolution CGI Q&A

Following yesterday’s release of a brand new CGI trailer for the highly-anticipated Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Square Enix and Eidos Montreal sent over a Q&A discussing the meaning of the events and images shown, as well as some details on how it ties into the game and the way it was made. Check out the trailer, linked above, and then read on.Who is the main character in the video? Can you tell us more about him?

The main character is Adam Jensen, the character you play throughout the game. Adam is a security specialist who has been handpicked to oversee the defensive needs of one of America’s most experimental biotechnology firms. Adam has a rich back-story and will soon become one of the key ingredients in a vast global conspiracy.Why is he covered in bandages? He seems to have been injured and also seems to have mechanical arms… what’s going on there?Adam is nearly killed and must become augmented to save his life. In the world of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, mechanical augmentations are commonplace and can take the form of everything from microchips implanted in the brain to fully replacing limbs. In Adam’s case, he has a host of new augmentations received from a generous donor, some of which are military-grade. When we see Adam in this video, he is resting at home just days after his operation.The main character says the line, “I never asked for this.” What is he referring to?The circumstances of Adam being critically wounded, and the impetus for his life-saving operation, are suspect. Is becoming augmented something Adam was ready for? Or wanted at all? And who supplied him with his military-grade augmentations?What’s happening at the beginning of the video? Is it a flashback to some previous event or is it a dream?The beginning of the video is Adam’s dream. In the world of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, society has mixed Renaissance elements with archetypical Cyberpunk stereotypes and the Icarus Myth weaves its way through the story of the game. The Icarus myth dealt with Icarus being given wings to fly. But the wings were made of wax and he was perhaps not ready for such a gift; so in his haste, he flew too close to the sun which melted his wings and he fell to earth and his death. This story parallels our Deus Ex universe where mankind is using mechanical augmentations but there is still much to be determined in terms of their effect on society and the ultimate direction it will lead us in.Does that mean you will be able to fly in the game?No, Adam can do a lot of things, but flying is not one of them.What does the game’s subtitle, Human Revolution, refer to?The progress of technology and the advent of mechanical augmentations has offered mankind many exciting new possibilities but also many dangerous ones as well. In Deus Ex: Human Revolution, humanity will come to a tipping point where Adam Jensen will have to decide the path our society takes. It’s a time of wonderful advancements but also much unrest as the general public, governments, and corporations all struggle to come to terms with the new possibilities.{PAGE TITLE=Deus Ex: Human Revolution CGI Q&A Page 2}What is the city in this video?That is Adam’s hometown Detroit, USA, and it is also the home to one of the world’s largest and most powerful biotechnology firms. It is one of many locations across the globe that Adam’s search will lead him to during the game.Who are the enemies that we see coming for him?Without going into too much detail, those are special ops soldiers, though their exact purpose is not revealed in this teaser video.Is Deus Ex: Human Revolution in the same universe as the previous Deus Ex games? Since the game is a prequel, does it follow the same timeline and some of the characters and link to the first game?Deus Ex: Human Revolution takes place in 2027, 25 years before JC Denton and the start of the first game. The writers and development team have been working closely with the lead writer of the first two games, Sheldon Pacotti, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution segues nicely into the start of the first game, meeting some familiar characters along the way…Can you tell more about the world of Deus Ex: Human Revolution? (augmented vs. non-augmented, clash tension, state of the world, etc.)One of the major aspects of Deus Ex: Human Revolution’s story revolves around the social conflict between augmented and non-augmented people. In our story, there are people opposed to augmenting the body since they see it as unnatural and don’t think scientists should “play God”. On the other side, some people think it is the natural evolution of the human race and there’s no reason we shouldn’t be trying things like this if it can enhance the quality of life or extend it. It’s all about control of the marketplace, of valuable technologies, of society, of human evolution…of truth and lies.How long does it take to produce a high quality render trailer like that (from draft to finished reel?)Work on this trailer with our partners in Tokyo at Square Enix’s Visual Works and with Vancouver’s Goldtooth Creative Agency began shortly after our company integration with Square Enix. Of course, what you’re seeing now is the “teaser” with the full trailer coming at E3 in June.Did you use the same assets and models that we are going to see in the game?The core assets were supplied direct from the game by the development team here in Montreal, of course changes and enhancements are made along the way in order to make sure they are suitable for a CGI trailer but the style and essence of the game is exactly the same.How many people were involved in the production of this trailer?Quite a lot from Eidos-Montreal, Visual Works in Tokyo and Goldtooth Creative in Vancouver. When will the gamers out there finally see more about the game itself?This summer at E3.