Interview: Deus Ex Human Revolution With Jean-Francois Dugas

We know you’re all excited for Deus Ex Human Revolution, releasing August 23 US, August 26 UK for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC and probably have some questions about the game. We had the fortunate opportunity to conduct a brief interview with Mr. Jean-Francois Dugas, Game Director for Deus Ex Human Revolution at Eidos Montreal who shared with us his experiences in making the science fiction thriller.

MonsterVine: In the development of Human Revolution, did Eidos Montreal have any contact with any of the original Deus Ex team or consulted advice?

Dugas:

We were in touch with few of them, including Sheldon Pacotti (the writer on the first 2 games), who played an important role in reviewing and giving us ideas on the story. We think (and have heard) that the original Deus Ex team will be very pleased with where Deus Ex: Human Revolution is taking the franchise.

Adam Jensen ponders his next meal

MonsterVine: How will the game reach fans who are new to the series? What connections can old school Deus Ex players expect with the game?

Dugas:

It was really important to us to respect the core values that made the original game outstanding. With that said, we also knew that we needed to bring new ideas to the table that would elevate the experience for old fans, while adding new levels of excitement and surprise to draw newcomers into the Deus Ex world. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is going to stay true to the original game on many levels, but of course we’re coming up with new gameplay possibilities, reinforcing the choice and consequence aspect, and introducing a brand new cast of characters and storylines that will expand the Deus Ex experience for a new generation of gamers and old fans alike. As far as specific connections to the original Deus Ex games, I don’t want to spoil anything, but there will definitely be some callbacks to the original game.

MonsterVine: At what stage is Human Revolution at in terms of development towards “going gold”?

Dugas:

We’re in full debug mode and are fine tuning the gameplay. The game is at a point where we’re making sure it is stable and well balanced.

MonsterVine: How much of a role has Square-Enix played as a publisher for Deus Ex? What about conveying this game to the Japanese audience?

Dugas:

When Square-Enix bought Eidos, Deus Ex: Human Revolution was already fairly well advanced in its production cycle. As our publisher, they have been a very supportive partner. They respected what we had created before the purchase and then gave us everything we needed to make it through the end, allowing us to make the game we truly wanted to make. One of the visibly biggest (and first) roles they played in our partnership was our collaboration on the CGI trailers we did with Goldtooth. They did an amazing job!

MonsterVine: As a reboot of the franchise, what influences from media did you draw on to create the sci-fi atmosphere for Human Revolution?

Dugas:

Our inspiration comes from different places– cyberpunk material (movies, books, etc.), the Renaissance era (art, novels, opera), science books, comic book, what’s happening in the world around us, etc. We looked at everything that was relevant to what we were doing with the game. To be specific, we looked at some of the cyberpunk classics such as Blade Runner and Akira. We also looked at where technology was headed in order to anticipate what might happen 20 years from now, etc.

Don't expect to pull this off and live.

MonsterVine:What style of gameplay is Deus Ex emphasizing, in particular, can players augment themselves to play it like a first-person run n’ gun shooter or is it more tactically oriented?

Dugas:

You can totally play it with a combat-focused style, but even within that style of gameplay, it’s not a traditional “run & shoot” type of experience. If you try to play this way – in the way you might play Halo or another more arcade shooter — chances are you won’t last very long. It’s a tactical shooter. You need to survey the area, consider all of your options including finding the best spot, locating the higher ground when available, keeping abreast of your ammo count, etc., before executing your plan. You need to use cover wisely and then combine all of these elements with your equipped augmentations and weapons load-out to attack the problem strategically. It’s a game that encourages you to look at the options around you and how they can help you defeat or outsmart your opponents.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule Mr. Jean-Francois Dugas to answer our questions about Deus Ex: Human Revolution!