Deus Ex 3 shows promise

Reading an article about Deus Ex 3, I noticed two things that really jumped out at me; first of all, their approach to creating the world, "illustration over simulation" as they put it, and secondly their use of the Icarus myth.

"It’s more about making it credible, not like making it a simulation."

They were talking about their art direction, but I would be surprised if it doesn't bleed through into their writing too. They want stylised, they want their own style, but they want it to make sense. How this will translate is anyone's guess, but I like the idea.

<<These analogies were the Icarus myth, and the idea of a cyber-Renaissance. The Icarus Myth is easily described by the cyberpunk idea of transhumanism – people transcending humanity through physical (cybernetic) augmentation. Icarus was “tripping over transhumanism,” said Jacques-Belletete, “he’s having too much fun, he flies to close to the sun, and it burns and he falls to his death. So I thought that’s my metaphor.”>>

I am sure that Dr E. will have more to say on this, so I will be brief; classical myths are not just applicable to modern stories, but end up being retold whether you do it consciously or not. What they are doing here is citing their sources and paying homage to the cultures who created it. I approve...

Full article is at Gamasutra - http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/2764 ... ssance.php

They've recently shown a new (CGI) trailer at the GDC (available here). What I like about it is how they show that the biomechanical implants are unsightly and cumbersome. They significantly alter a person's appearance and make certain tasks difficult (as shown by the glass cracking), which was an aspect that Deus Ex focused on with the characters of Gunther Hermann and Anna Navarre (especially when explicitly contrasted with JC's augmentations). The Icarus myth is of course an excellent parallel (indulge too deeply and suffer).

I remember that during BioShock's development, it was stated that the player's humanity would suffer under repeated splicing, but in the game itself, this was quickly swept under the rug. The gruesome effects the plasmids had on the body (charred skin with Incinerate and a beehive for an arm with Insect Swarm) were temporary, and the question of "sacrificing one's humanity" was left by the wayside. I mention this because it would be interesting if Deus Ex 3 introduced this aspect in full. I like how Deus Ex subtly illustrated the stigma layed upon those who chose biomechanical implements over social acceptance. And although the above trailer shows a protagonist already rife with robotic limbs, there is nothing in the preview coverage to indicate that he starts out this way. Just because he is a "private security officer with a company that specializes in these augmentations", there's no need for him to have already dipped his pen in the company ink.

Basically, what if Deus Ex 3 were like this?

Edit: I expanded on the above here.

The comment of illustration over simulation strikes a chord with me - it is form over function, does it perform the intended task without being tied down to harsh realities. How much cheating can they do with the art and technology to get the intended effect, not limit themselves by trying to construct systems and content that must fit within an intended system and then manipulate the system to produce the intended result .

The company I worked at prior to my current job, the design of the game was dictated by the fidelity of the technical simulations proposed by design but created by programming. It was the reverse: function over form. The game's reviews were mediocre overall, and I think the gameplay suffered as the result.

The use of myths as a basis for stories is a safe choice for developers. They provide an existing structure and allegorical lesson for the player to unconsciously absorb as the story unfolds.

Side Note: I can see why they cut the Plasmid-Altering-Player-Permanently idea from Bioshock. Plasmids were far too integral a system for the player to use to survive the game to have negative feedback.

In looking over the Laputan Machine concept, this is the problem I have is a simple one and integral to the concept. The player is given no choice in whether he must take the Bio-Aug updates, he just does. This creates a thematic disconnect between the intended emotional narrative and the explicit story narrative. Based on the first level, the bionics are a fait accompli, so if concerns about Gunther's humanity are intended, then the player must choose whether or not to have them installed and, more importantly, not provide a shorter game by providing them to the player.

I would amend the concept by:
1) Give the player the choice whether or not to use bionics from the start.
2) If the player does not choose to use bionics, he is at a disadvantage in combat against mechanical enemies, but retains his humanity and gains bonuses to interacting with NPCs. This is the more difficult path.
3) If the player does chose to use bionics, combat becomes less challenging, but the loss of humanity becomes reflected in interactions with NPCs in the game world. This transition would be subtle, and take multiple levels of antipathy reflected by NPC interaction. This is the easier path.

If you want players to care about their choices, they need to be integral not only to the outcome, but over the course of gameplay. Don't think of choices strictly in a narrative context, which is how the developer above considered them, they need to be considered in a gameplay context.

Also, in order for the emotional connection to be made to the loss of humanity, the player will need time to be Gunther as a human. The outlined concept gives no such time, so, it is a forced (and more than likely EMPTY) connection.

Ironically, upon further reflection, I get the impression that that's how Deus Ex: Human Revolution will start out. What we know so far is that the protagonist, Adam Jensen, works for a company that specialises in biomechanical augmentations. The building comes under attack, and from what I can gather, Jensen will be mortally wounded in the attack, after which the biomechanical implements bring him back from the brink. There's some clues in the trailer to indicate this: the voice-over stating "I never asked for this", the melancholy background music and Jensen being depicted in bandages. Of course, this is all speculation at the moment.

I don't have a problem with foisting the state on the player, but don't force something on the player that leads to a fail state. In the provided concept, the player is forced to Bio Aug (fine) but automatically costs him a portion of his humanity (bad). If you're going to provide negative feedback to the player, which is removing his humanity, he should be given the choice whether or not to do it.