It's been more than a decade since the original Deus Ex was released for the PC to much acclaim. However, in the decade since a lot has changed for the Deus Ex series. While the second iteration received positive reviews from critics, fans were definitely split as to the success of the game, especially in terms of the overarching narrative. In the time since the second game, Warren Spector has left the series and Eidos Montreal has taken over the reins. By all accounts, this sounds like bad news for the series. However, we recently got a chance to watch Deus Ex: Human Revolution demoed live, and though some reservations may linger, the game is definitely looking good.

The game's story begins 25 years before the events of the original series and follows new lead Adam Jensen. Jensen has a pretty ordinary life as a security officer until (predictably) a life-altering event occurs that requires him to have his body modified by the company he works for. His modifications include cybernetic extremities that allow him to use super-human powers that include invisibility and super strength.

However, unlike previous Deus Ex games, Human Revolution will not rely on combat alone. Although you certainly can use your fighting skills to get out of most situations, the developers have taken great care to make the world of Deus Ex 3 a living, breathing universe where you can use multiple approaches to solve a problem or complete an objective. This system has been described as the "four pillars" system, which allows for players to take up to four different approaches to any given problem: combat, stealth, technology and social.

One of the things that is most striking about this system is that there are no pre-set limits in regards to how you can use the different approaches. We were told right off the bad that if you prefer to play stealthily, you can sneak around most problems and you don't have to kill anyone (with the exception of bosses) in order to beat the game. Of course, if you thrive off action-based gameplay, killing everything around you is also an option. You can also use environmental elements to create distractions or survey the environment to create a more puzzle-style experience.

However, f you do decide to use your combat skills, you are in for a treat. From what we saw in the demo, the combat in Deus Ex: Human Revolution is going to seriously up the ante in terms of the sheer magnitude of combat possibilities. In one pivotal scene, we were able to watch as the main character smash through walls to snap the necks of unsuspecting baddies as well as perform ruthless cinematic takedown moves that didn't skimp on the gore. One of the initial worries I had about the takedown system is that with many titles using the same handful of takedowns can get repetitive and take the immersion level way down. However, we were assured by several members of the development team that the takedowns would be dynamically created and would be created depending on several variables unique to each situation.

During the demo we were also shown what the world of Deus Ex 3 would look like. The game will see the hero jet-setting around the globe to places like Detroit, Shanghai, and Montreal. However, since the game takes place in 2027, the world looks a lot different. We were able to watch some extensive gameplay in the Shanghai setting, and from the looks of it, overcrowding has become quite an issue. The cityscape is dingy, there are people everywhere, and even the "high-class" nightclub our character was charged with infiltrating had a dark and grimy feel to it.

Though we weren't able to get any hands-on time with Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the game does look like it is coming along quite well. We were very impressed with the game's takedown system and the multiple approaches that were presented for completing the game's objectives. Although we still don't know much about the game's story or the main character, I'd bet that there will be more information about these elements released closer to the game's launch next year. Only time will tell if Deus Ex 3 can live up to the reputation of its predecessors. But thus far, it is looking like Deus Ex will be a blockbuster action game that will introduce plenty of new fans to the franchise.

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Staff Contributor