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Deus Ex: Human Revolution PC update cuts down loading times
Fact: nobody wants to sit through long loading times. Today's PC patch for Deus Ex: Human Revolution should cut down the time. According to the patch notes on Steam, some machines have seen load times decreased by over 50%. On top of the load times, a start-up crash affecting certain AMD/ATI hardware configurations has been addressed. Mouse sensitivity has also been tweaked, which should hopefully alleviate that problem you had where you would keep running up to dudes and punching them in the face, over and over again. Oh, wait, that's how you're playing the game? Well, carry on then.
GameStop pulls Deus Ex: Human Revolution PC versions from shelves
GameStop has apparently sent another message out to its retail locations, this time asking all of its stores to pull any PC copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution from shelves, and place them in the backroom, eventually to be returned to publisher Square Enix. The email was sent after this afternoon's news that GameStop had directed its employees to pull coupons out of the boxes that offered free access to the OnLive cloud gaming service. The latest email confirms that GameStop is indeed working on a competing service with its acquisition of Spawn Labs, and that because of an "agreement" with Square Enix, all of the game's copies will be recalled back to the publisher. The one exception is reserved copies, which will still be available for purchase, according to the memo. GameStop has also pulled the PC version of the game from its website, though the console versions are still for sale. Joystiq has confirmed with local stores that the memo was received and copies were being pulled. We're also contacting GameStop corporate for an official statement on the matter.
OnLive's Deus Ex pack-in code is 'Cloud game meets physical media 1.0'
People buying new PC copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution this week have likely been delighted to find codes for the OnLive version of the game in the box (unless they bought those copies from GameStop). But you can't play the same save file between the PC and OnLive versions, making the offer more of a cool novelty than something immediately useful to players. OnLive CEO Steve Perlman told Joystiq that this offer, the "first of many," is just a tentative step by OnLive. "You can think of this as cloud game meets physical media 1.0," he said. "This first version doesn't have cross-pollination between your local PC and the cloud." The main issue preventing this from being done right now -- preventing, say, OnLive cloud saving for retail games -- might surprise you: mods. Perlman said that since OnLive uses slightly different versions of the game than the retail PC, if any kind of alteration is done to the base game, it could cause compatibility issues between the versions. Cloud saving on OnLive "can be done," he said. "It requires more thought than printing a code." He affirmed that OnLive will do that, but "that'll probably be like 2.0." OnLive is planning not only to solve that issue, but to allow for mods in the streaming versions of games. "I think if everyone wants to do multiplayer where everyone has auto-aim, that's fine, but you don't want to mix games, you know?" He describes setting up rooms in which people can choose to play with mods. "This is all work that was done many months ago," Perlman noted about the pack-in code, slyly contrasting the lead time required for a retail product with OnLive's instant-on nature. He then laughed. "Oh, my god!"
GameStop intentionally removing Deus Ex OnLive coupons from retail PC copies (update: GameStop statement and legal outlook)
[Update 8/24 8:07pm: Well, that's one way to solve the problem! GameStop has pulled all PC copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution from its shelves.] Hey, remember the free Deus Ex: Human Revolution OnLive code that comes with the retail PC version? If you bought your copy at GameStop, chances are you didn't get the code. It turns out that the retailer decided not to participate in the promotion ... by force. GameSpy is reporting that GameStop employees received notice yesterday that they were to open new PC copies of Deus Ex and remove the free OnLive token. To repeat: GameStop employees were told to open new copies and remove contents intended to be sold with the game. A GameStop representative confirmed to GameSpy that the company is removing the tokens, saying, "Square Enix packed the competitor's coupon with our DXHR product without our prior knowledge and we did pull and discard these coupons." Indeed, some of our own commenters claiming to be GameStop employees said the same thing in our post revealing the OnLive promotion yesterday. Joystiq is currently investigating the issue, including the possible legal implications of tampering with a product and selling it as new. Update: GameStop has issued an official statement on its Facebook page. We've also turned to our go-to legal guru, Mark Methenitis, for his comments. Find both after the break. [Image: GameSpy]
Deus Ex commentary compilation shows the 'net split on boss fights
It looks like our own reviewer wasn't alone in thinking the boss fights in Deus Ex: Human Revolution stood out like a sore thumb from the rest of the subtler gameplay. Nukezilla has compiled clips of commentary about the game from around the web so far, and the opinion is almost universal: The title's boss fights are unnecessary and badly designed. We say almost, in this case, because the main voice of dissent belongs to Ars Technica's Ben Kuchera, who argues that the game is simply pointing out that sometimes, violence really is necessary. Yes, most of the game lets you move along without combat, but the boss fights, in all of their stupid fury, are meant to show that in a game loaded with choices, sometimes you just don't have one. Seeing as the game just came out, y'know, today, most of us haven't been able to form our own opinions just yet. But Nukezilla's compilation at least raises a good question, and that's if the boss fights in Deus Ex: Human Revolution really belong there, or if they're there just because boss fights are what video games do.
Buy Deus Ex: Human Revolution on PC, get OnLive version free
So maybe a free OnLive MicroConsole wasn't incentive enough to pre-order Deus Ex: Human Revolution via the cloud gaming service. You, sentimentalist that you are, ordered the retail PC version. "I like having a box thank you very much," you said, to no one in particular. Well, guess what? OnLive foiled your little plan because, according to OnLiveFans.com, the PC version comes with a free pass for the OnLive version anyway. That'll show you.
This Deus Ex: Human Revolution launch trailer shows a changed man
We're not looking forward to the future, mainly because we'll never be able to afford sweet bionic arms. Lucky for us, we can play video games like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, allowing us to experience the future revolution at a fraction of the price.
Square Enix reveals Deus Ex-y new clothing line
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a giant world, an immersive experience, and all that. But what if it's not enough? The only way to immerse yourself even further into the cyberpunk world is to literally surround yourself in Deus Ex -- by wearing the official clothes. Square Enix has partnered with Musterbrand LLC, which you might remember from the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker clothing line, to create an assortment of Deus Ex-inspired garments, including a trench coat that is way too cool-looking to have any business being a licensed game tie-in. The online store will officially open tomorrow, but maybe if you have the proper augments you can hack your way in now.*%Gallery-131344% *Please don't hack Square Enix's website.
Metareview: Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Looks like Deus Ex: Human Revolution is setting a high bar for the deluge of mega-titles launching between now and the holidays. Our review called the title "an imperfect, complex and ambitious reminder of what a game can be when it's unafraid." That theme plays out in several other reviews, with the imperfections being far outweighed by the game's considerable execution and ambition. Eurogamer (90/100): "Deus Ex: Human Revolution is probably not as perfect as I'm making it sound. Some of the rules about what's interactive and not seem quite arbitrary, which is a pretty blatant failing in a game which tries so hard to make you feel like you're not being restricted, and while the level design is clever and varied, the interior design definitely is not, and there's also a lot of repetition in the incidental details." IGN (90/100): "It's a visionary, considered piece of work, and while my thoughts drift to the things that could have been and the compromises made due to the possibilities of video games in 2011, they're just as quick to consider playing through it again. Human Revolution is a smart, rewarding piece of transhumanist noir that does justice not just to Deus Ex, but to the fiction that inspired it. " GameTrailers (87/100): "Deus Ex offers a good deal of mischief to get into, and it's all backed up by a great stealth system and a solid shooting game. With its variable story, as well as how it encourages you to alter your approach to obstacles, it's also a game that rewards multiple playthroughs. The future is bleak and at times ugly, but we wouldn't have it any other way." 1UP (A): "I don't normally replay games, but there are exceptions: I've probably played through Metal Gear Solid 3 a dozen times and Deus Ex about four. I have a feeling that DEHR is going to be one of those games. I'm loving the sheer amount of choice I have because it's up to me to discover it. " %Gallery-131342%
Deus Ex: Human Revolution loading times compared
Tomorrow, Deus Ex: Human Revolution launches in North America. If you're wondering what all of the hype is about, then clearly you haven't read our review. Go ahead -- we'll wait. Done? Yeah, so if you're thinking about picking the game up, you may also be wondering which platform best suits your needs. Well, if your needs involve seeing as little loading as possible, then you should check out this video feature from IGN -- unless you're thinking about getting the game on PC, because we know your rig has, like, so many RAMs.
Deus Ex Human Revolution review: Life as spectre, post-Spector
You are a persistently bemused buffoon. Most games won't convey that opinion so indelicately, instead hiding it between the lines of text that ceaselessly tell you where to go, what to do and exactly how to do it. Deus Ex: Human Revolution isn't exempt from the clumsy tutorial crowd, but once it gets through the jarring video pop-ups, it quickly stops treating you like an imbecilic waypoint-marker addict. This game thinks you're an adult and expects you to handle your shit. While the Mass Effect series sheds its stats and inventories in favor of forging an intelligent, emotionally driven shooter, Deus Ex: Human Revolution examines and embraces the structure of Ion Storm's 11-year-old classic, Deus Ex: Didn't Have a Subtitle. Environments don't exist to funnel you through perfectly scripted events -- they're complicated, multi-tiered stacks of obvious and hidden pathways. And Adam Jensen, a stoic security manager who returns from dramatic near-death as a grumpy cyborg, can warp himself biologically to accommodate those routes. There is perhaps no greater proof that this is a role-playing game, however, than the ability to conclude just about every conversation by punching your quest giver into an unconscious rag doll.%Gallery-131342%
Deus Ex items grafted onto Team Fortress 2
The following is a paid advertisement from the Advocates for Human Purity. Friends, you've seen them at the docks, using their robotic limbs to put our organic brothers out of work. You've seen them at the bars, throwing their cyber-hootenannies, what with all the oil-drinking contests and their literal Electric Slide. That's right, we're talking about cyborgs -- and they've just gone too far. Because now, they've injected their influence into a first-person shooter, Team Fortress 2. This otherwise innocuous game, full of hardworking organics, is being sullied with cybernetic arms, futuristic weapons like the "Machina" rifle and electric sunglasses. Sure, they say it's all a harmless nod to Deus Ex: Human Revolution, but you know the truth: They've taken over your life, and now they're targeting your children (and your 20-something son who moved back in while he waits for his photography career to take off). Friends, you were stone cold silent when they got their hands on Steve Austin, you were beary quiet when Teddy Ruxpin growled at your toddlers. Isn't it time you spoke up? [Thanks, Micah]
Deus Ex: Human Revolution TV spot is fully augmented
Who wouldn't want badass robot arms? We're pretty sure that's the gist of this TV spot for Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Let us answer that question for you: boring people who don't want to bench-press cement trucks, that's who. Does that even sound like an option to you?
Deus Ex: Human Revolution dev diary describes the sound of cyberspace
Eidos Montreal devs reveal how they put the punk in the steam with a new diary explaining the intricacies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution's audio. Human Revolution balances the cyber symphonies of Deus Ex with a more mechanical Renaissance vibe -- think Vivaldi meets Thomas Savery.
Square Enix launches official digital magazine
Square Enix has launched an official, free, online magazine full of info and interviews on all of its upcoming games, aptly titled "Square Enix Magazine." The first issue, available right here, features stories on Tomb Raider, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Final Fantasy XIII-2. Finally, Square Enix has given us a place online to get information about video games. Whew.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution gets some minor cuts for Japan
Japan's version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution will feature exactly .45% less gore. Well, okay, we kind of came to that figure on our own, but trust us. Our math is sound. A cutscene, said to feature exposed human organs in the NTSC version of the game, has been altered for Japan. On top of that, a sexual object was removed from one of the game's maps. Deus Ex: Human Revolution will still carry a CERO Z rating, the Japanese equivalent to an Adults Only rating from the ESRB.
Deus Ex HD texture update enables more humane resolution, in time for Human Revolution
With the release of Deus Ex: Human Revolution just two weeks away, it's a perfect time to remind our younger readers that while it may be developer Eidos Montreal's debut project, it's not the first game in the series. That distinction belongs to 2000's Deus Ex, developed by Ion Storm Austin under the watchful eye(s) of Warren Spector (think: Epic Mickey) and Harvey Smith (think: the newly unveiled Dishonored). If you've never played it, Deus Ex: New Vision may not make that process easier, but it will make it more palatable. New Vision is a mod four years in the making, which updates Deus Ex's aging visuals (they weren't much to look at in 2000!) "with around 75% of the world textures remastered at high definition." We've got some screens in the gallery below, and a year-old video of the beta above. If you're interested, grab the mod from Mod DB at the Source link below. %Gallery-130180%
Deus Ex: Human Revolution trailer plays catch-up
Have you been busy for the last few months? Is there just no time to peruse Joystiq's veritable mountain of Deus Ex: Human Revolution coverage? Good news, then, because the latest trailer will catch you up on just about everything.
Deus Ex developers talk sneakery in new diary, 'Stealth'
Playing an FPS like a sneaky, underhanded rat will never be as rewarding as in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, according to the above developer diary, titled "Stealth." Deus Ex devs delve into the secrets behind sneakery, which include a cloaking device, x-ray vision, silenced snipers and a crossbow, and suggest players eavesdrop on guards' conversations instead of shooting them at first sight. Deus Ex already offers up to 40 hours of gameplay, but crawling on the floor and crouching behind every box you see might just bump that number up to 80. Or 800, depending on your crawl-speed.
GameStop offering downloadable PC purchases at retail
GameStop is expanding its in-store digital sales initiative, now allowing customers to use "any accepted form of payment" in order to "purchase digital PC games at their local store and access the titles immediately at launch." Exactly how this process works isn't made clear, though it would be easy enough to sell download redemption codes, similar to the way GameStop distributes DLC vouchers for console games. The highlight of the announcement would seem to be the "any accepted form of payment" bit, meaning that players can trade games for credit toward PC downloads. It's worth noting that GameStop isn't the first company to offer such a deal. Amazon also allows users to apply trade-in credit toward PC downloads (or any product on Amazon, for that matter). The first game to be offered by GameStop's "in-store digital purchase" program will be Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Those who purchase the digital version will also receive downloads of the original Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition and Deus Ex: Invisible War. Customers will also receive the "Explosive Mission" DLC and double PowerUp Rewards points. Interestingly, Human Revolution is cited as the first of "many" games for the program, meaning that GameStop's current downloadable catalog doesn't apply.
