In the first two games, there was a great freedom in how you could approach each situation. With Deus Ex 3, how do you plan to expand upon that aspect of gameplay? - HeavyMetalChronus
Jean-Francois Dugas : Our initial goal was to identify the core values of Deus Ex and bring them back for a new generation of gamers. The core values were established by Warren Spector and company, so by building on top of it, I think his heritage is quite present. Of course, the first game was released several years ago; we needed to bring fresh ideas to the table but never without respecting the essence of what makes a Deus Ex game what it is. In the end, it's going to be a mix of old and new.
Staying true to the original and making a real Deus Ex game is vital to this project. Although we are a new team working on the game, we have the benefit of time and perspective to look back at the first two games and really identify the core aspects of a Deus Ex game, as well as what went right and wrong. Of course, Deus Ex 1 and 2 varied a bit in what those core aspects were -- ultimately, we decided to emulate the first game more; as mentioned, we no longer have unified ammunition and we are returning to an inventory system reminiscent of the first game. We also wanted to ensure that our levels are larger and more open than in Invisible War (i.e. Hong Kong in Deus Ex 1).
In terms of being a Deus Ex game, we keep the core gameplay essence alive: that being a hybrid of action-RPG in which the core gameplay mechanics revolve around combat, stealth, hacking, and social aspects. The gameplay is largely designed around giving the player choices which have consequences; the core values are centered on letting players play the game the way they want.
I remember the first game being completely open ended, If I wanted to try and kill an important character, I could do so, even if the character would probably be too powerful and kill me first. It made me feel like I had choices even when in reality i didn't. Is the game going to pursue these open ended decision making elements of the first game? If so does this mean it will be a game with multiple paths to follow such as a game like heavy rain? - TheB-Rad-G
Jean-Francois Dugas : I'm currently playing Heavy Rain and I must say this is a fantastic experience. Even though Deus Ex: Human Revolution shares similarities in terms of "choices & consequences", we offer a totally different game experience. But, yes, we want players to make choices that will affect some outcomes (story-wise and gameplay-wise).
Like the first game, our game world is designed around a multi-path, multi-solution approach so any objective can be approached in different ways. Whether you like action, stealth, hacking, or interacting with characters, you can complete objectives in different ways.
The two primary gameplay styles are combat and stealth. You can basically play the entire game by going "frontal" or by going "sneaky" and/or back and forth as you please. For us, it's really about letting players express themselves the way they want. You can decide to play the game without killing anyone (minus some critical encounters), for example.
The two supporting gameplay styles are hacking and social interactions. You can expand your possibilities through these means in order to open up new paths, find new solutions to problems, acquire useful goodies or information, etc.
Open-ended gameplay allows the player to take advantage of multipath/multi-solutions to accomplish their objectives and explore the game world for side quests, hidden treasures, etc. Some RPG dialogs will be mandatory but most will be available to players in an optional form. Obviously there are benefits from a story and gameplay standpoint to talk to other characters but it's not forced. If your play style is more centered on shooting, then so be it.
This method also rewards multiple play-throughs since by choosing one method over another, you may miss some interesting things that are accessible only by attempting specific things!
