E3 2010: Square Enix's booth revealed that Deus Ex Human Revolution looks as good as we've been hoping, and that Dungeon Siege 3 could be a real surprise.
Square Enix used to be just a Japanese RPG company, but theirs a lot more than JRPGs coming out of them over the next year. And a lot of JRPGs, too.
Dungeon Siege 3Yes, before we get started, the team behind Dungeon Siege 3 are aware of Uwe Boll's Dungeon Siege Tale. But they don't like talking about it. Handy tip: it's not a great conversational opener with Obsidian Entertainment.
However, moving on to the new game, it's looking like it might be a pleasant surprise. Firstly, it was one of the few games we saw demoed on PC, and it's looking really good, with a very detailed, and slightly historical take on the traditional fantasy look and feel - Imagine the way The Lord of the Rings looked on screen, and you'll get the idea.
It's very much classic dungeon bashing stuff, but very polished. Combat's hack and slash, with light and heavy blows for dealing many opponents or just taking care of one, along with the ability to equip a shield. Special abilties are also on the cards, along with a deep XP-based skill system. We only saw two classes, but there will be more.
Party management's always been an important part of the game, and that's still present, but Obsidian's gone a step further to add truly drop-in-drop-out co-op play. Even the main player can drop out, and the game will still go on. It looks like it will make casual co-op really simple and easy.
Nathan Davis, the game's producer, also told us that he and his team were real PC fans, so that's always a good sign. "We're working with some hardware partners to bring some unique effects to the game," he said, but then went on to add that the console version's not being ignored, even though the UI will need some serious work. "We don't want to dumb down the gameplay, we really want to keep all the stats and playstyles, so we still want it be a powerful console experince"
Deus Ex: Human RevolutionFor a lot of people, this was already looking like the game of the show even before E3 began, and while we're still trying to decide our Best of Show, rest assured - Deus Ex did not disappoint.
We saw a live demo of the game, and it was a great intro to the detailed urban environments of the game. We followed Adam Jensen, the main character of the game, as a sleak dropship style vehicle lands him in one of the game's main cities.
These neon-lit streets might just be the most wonderfully realised cyberpunk setting we've ever seen. Trash-strewn alleys, flickering neon, towering builds, and all beautifully designed. Seriously, the industrial design in Deus Ex is up there with the most gearheaded of manga or anime. In fact, a lot of the game really does look a lot like Ghost in The Shell.
Also impressive is the level of NPC interaction. Every person on the street can be spoken to; you'll chat to them about everything from the weather, hints about missions, or even entire side quests.
This also leads into the way each mission can be completed. In proper Deus Ex style, everything's wide open. In the demo, Adam's trying to get into a bar to talk to some triad boss. He eventually bribes his way in, but Square's adamant about the open style of gameplay. He could have shot or hit the guard, or spoken to some bystanders to find the backdoor, or even gotten in via the sewers, the roof... you get the idea.
In fact, it's possible to play the game without killing anyone, just like the original. You just need to make the right choices, both in your actions and your conversations. This game is going to be big. Keep an eye out for more coverage coming in the mag soon.
Issue: 137 | June, 2012