Deus Ex: Human Revolution Q&A
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You chose to revisit the fiction's past, with its rudimentary tech. Did you feel the series had already taken future tech as far as it could go?
JFD: The choice was motivated by several things. But we noticed that the 2020s saw an explosion of human enhancement through mechanical or nanotech means, and we found it interesting to draw a contrast between people who could afford nanotech enhancements that are invisible compared to mechanical ones, that were very visible. The theme of transhumanism was very appealing indeed.
JBB: The tech was already too advanced in the first Deus Ex. Of course, people would obviously go for an enhancement that wouldn't affect their appearance as human beings. But as a gaming experience, we thought a human with mechanical parts would have a more powerful aesthetic impact. So an early period was a better choice; as art director, this gave me a lot more possibilities.
JFD: Making the enhancement visual with mechanical means allows us to keep the game's core theme of human enhancements very present throughout the experience. It also gives a sense of tragedy as people are losing their humanity. We've integrated the things you see in current wars with generations of veterans coming back home with prosthetic limbs. These aren't enhancements as such, but visually our game echoes those images.
