For Golden Week we have a week long special on the goldest game (in terms of color palette) from Square Enix. Jonathan Jacques Belletete, Art Director on Deus Ex: Human Revolution, had a candid chat with Siliconera about Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the third game, which is actually a prequel to Deus Ex.
Do you think we’ll see any characters from Deus Ex 1?
Jonathan Jacques Belletete, Art Director: I’d like to, that would be great.
If we are going to see characters, chronologically speaking, it’s possible…
Yeah were in 2027. The first one was in 2052. So, if you want pick out your favorite characters, deduct the amount of years and then if they’re in there you’ll know the age they’ll be! [Laughs.] Then you can imagine what they look like!
But, that could trick fans! Cybernetics could make them live longer.
Yeah, I think we did a big part of our homework by reading what transhumanist technologies are today and where they are gonna go. They say that our generation might live easily beyond a hundred years like that. Where medicine is going, nanotechnology, replacing organs, and all of that kind of stuff. Maybe they look way older than they look like in the first one to begin with. Maybe they’re in the third one and already in their 80s and we don’t know it.
You mentioned cybernetics, but nanotechnology was one of the key elements in Deus Ex 1. Does it exist in this world or is that technology on the cusp?
In Human Revolution, nanotechnology is there, but not implemented in the human body. They haven’t figured that out yet. We talk about it in the game. We talk about the science behind it, you talk to scientists, you read e-mails, newspapers, get TV news. For example, in terms of weaponry and technology, the way the disc-plate technology in the game are it’s all based on nanotechnology, which the way today’s stuff is starting to doing some of that.
But, since it’s a prequel it’s all cybernetetic stuff, mechanical augmentations because they haven’t figured out the nano-thing. Also, in the first one [Deus Ex], the nano-thing is just JC and Paul. They are the first ones. Even in ’52 it’s just starting. That’s why when you Gunther and Anna they are mechanically augmented they are from the old school.
We’ve talked a lot about Deux Ex 1, but was there anything you felt from Invisible War [Deus Ex 2] you took inspiration from for Human Revolution?
Do you want me to be honest?
Please.
Nah, nothing. It’s very true. Visually speaking it’s too much purple. [Laughs]
I mean it it’s a consensus really. People just did not really like it. The first one was for strong. I remember I jumped on the second one when it came out. I bought for PC and I bought it for my Xbox. I don’t know why I bought both versions. But, I was so stoked it was a new game in that universe and I just couldn’t get into it. It just didn’t have that soul anymore. That’s my personal opinion, but I’m sure it’s really spread out.
If you go on a forum, if you go on other forums, if you go anywhere, any gaming sites where people can say what they think, everything you get is, don’t do it like the second one. That’s not from me I just seeing – don’t f— this up, don’t do it like the second one, please don’t do it like the second one. It’s really what 98% of the fans think.
If you missed it we talked about the the soul of Deus Ex 1 yesterday. Tomorrow we’re going to touch on themes in Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Until then, see ya!
