The lead feature is Insomniac’s Resistance 3. The Chimera have really made a mess of planet Earth, but with a co-op partner, and the return of the weapon wheel loaded with some pretty cool editions, there just might be some hope left for mankind. Veronica Belmont travels back to an alternative mid-century USA to meet up with one Joseph Caplelli to preview his daunting adventure.

If you’re into the Mod-scene, as in cybernetic body Mod-ifications in the future, then you’ll enjoy Eidos’ prequel sequel Deus Ex: Human Revolution. From Montreal, the Qore team dives into this immersive world of the future to preview the ‘mod’ upgrades, variety of styles of play, and discuss creative decisions made by game director, Jean-Francois Dugas.

While in Montreal, Veronica also checks out the local geek hangouts such as the Biosphere and Foonzo in another installment of ‘On the Road with Qore.’ But, that story can’t compare to the holiday experience on the Island of Banoi – the setting for Dead Island.

Zombies in paradise prevail in this survival game and Qore learns about the character choices, story, and dynamic changes that occur as you try to survive another zombie nightmare.

And finally, annual Qore subscribers also receive an exclusive Resistance 3 theme as we begin to count down to the September 6th release date.

We hope you enjoy this month’s Qore.

When the friendly folks of the PlayStation.Blog asked if I’d like to close out their official E3 livestream with Deus Ex: Human Revolution, I said “yes” in about three-fifths of a second. We’re always eager to show what we believe is a great game, and, on a personal level, how could I resist appearing on a very cool livestream and blog?!

Speaking with host Sid Shuman was a blast. The guy’s a true fan of the series, so much in fact I was starting to get worried he’d stump me with a trivia question or random reference that I wouldn’t pick up. Thankfully, he held off on flexing his muscles and crushing me.

Demoing a game like Deus Ex: HR isn’t easy, but it also isn’t boring. As you can see in the video, sometimes our strategies don’t go as planned, so we must improvise and adapt. Adam, the man behind the controller (who coincidentally shares a first name with the game’s protagonist Adam Jensen), does just that by showing viewers multiple solutions to potential problems. Would you have played differently than Adam? Let us know below.

If you enjoyed hearing someone from Eidos-Montreal answer user-submitted questions, I recommend heading over to our tumblr page. There, members of the dev team, including myself, game director Jean-Francois Dugas, and more, read and respond to users. No question is too crazy, or too boring, so flood our inbox!

As always, thank you for your continued support. We all appreciate the comments, criticisms, and general interest, whether it’s positive OR negative, we’ve received. And I’d like to personally say it’s truly a pleasure to be the community manager for such a passionate and intelligent community.

Listen to “Icarus”

I’ve always been fascinated by video-game soundtrack composition, partly because game composers sometimes face dueling or outright contradictory objectives. For a complex, emotionally charged stealth-action game such as Deus Ex: Human Revolution the soundtrack serves multiple roles, grounding the player in the game’s rich atmosphere while staying limber enough to reflect the player’s choices, be it sweet-talking a pimp or blowing him away.

I’ve wanted to meet Composer Michael McCann ever since I heard his work in the Deus Ex: Human Revolution E3 2010 trailer. Through a series of unfortunate events, I narrowly missed meeting with him at this year’s GDC in San Francisco. Luckily, McCann jumped at the chance to share his thoughts directly with PlayStation.Blog readers, and it makes for fascinating reading whether you’re interested in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, game soundtrack creation, or none of the above.

Soundtrack Themes and “More Than Human”

Transhumanism is definitely the core theme throughout the Deus Ex series. What makes this theme so powerful is that it permeates almost every part of life – science, philosophy, art, religion, and politics. On the surface, transhumanism deals with the use of technology to push humanity beyond our physical and mental limitations – in the extreme it would be a push toward immortality. It’s obvious, especially today with the controversy behind stem cell research, that this kind of scientific advancement has consistently come into conflict with religion and politics. The power that scientific discovery ultimately yields also makes transhumanism a great foundation for conspiracy themes – another common thread throughout the Deus Ex world.

I’ve always been inspired by transhumanist themes, and there were a few ways it was represented in this score. In the game’s story there is often talk about the merits of scientific discovery – whether it’s good, moral, responsible – or in a political sense for example, whether it creates a division in classes where some people can afford access this technology while others are left behind. But out of all these themes, there is a definite struggle between the natural and the technological.

These two sides are represented in many different ways throughout the soundtrack. One key element is the duality between acoustic and electronic instrumentation – and for every cue there is a constant trade off between the two – they kind of weave in and out of each other, always fighting for priority. I also spent a lot of time manipulating the acoustic elements to sound “more than human” – editing them for perfect pitch and timing, so they become very mechanical – and often the line between acoustic and electronic is completely blurred.

Vangelis, Trent Reznor and John Carpenter

Although there is a strong Renaissance theme in the art direction (read more), most of the musical influences were modern. From the beginning, audio director Steve Szczepkowski gave me a few artists to keep in mind: Vangelis, John Carpenter, Trent Reznor and the score from the first Deus Ex. From this initial direction I needed to find a counter balance to what was predominately an electronic influence and expand into more diverse territory. To give a bunch of examples of some of the music I looked at: Dead Can Dance, Eliot Goldenthal, Vangelis, Kronos Quartet, Tangerine Dream, Cliff Martinez, Brian Eno, Ben Lukas Boysen (HECQ), Peter Gabriel, Philip Glass, Autechre, and many more.

The influence of some of these artists came more in the form of sound design within the music – basically building a very strong mood in the ambient music by mixing elements that would actually exist in the environment you’re visiting. For example, in the Hengsha section of the game, I use a lot of source recordings of traditional Asian music (folk songs, street musicians) but there are hundreds of these clips all blended together to create one large piece. If you were walking through a busy urban street, like in the Hengsha map, there would be music from bars, street musicians, cars driving by, and so on. I liked the idea of bringing in all these elements but fusing them into the actual score. In the end you have a very rich musical ambiance with rhythm, melody, and harmony, but it is built from many different unrelated sources. I think doing this also ties into the larger transhumanism theme, by incorporating very traditional forms of music but using technology to manipulate, tune, and merge them into an electronic world.

Synths were important in this score, not just because they are important to the cyber-punk world of Deus Ex, but also because they are a counterweight to the more acoustic elements in the score. I needed that balance to get the story across through the music, and synths were one of the more important electronic instruments in achieving that. Also, synths became a key way of setting a stark emotional tone, while not losing the cerebral, futuristic atmosphere we needed in many parts of the game.

Creating a “Stark Emotional State”

From very early on, Eidos Montreal (and I) were very adamant about creating an original score for Deus Ex: Human Revolution. There is one nod to a DX1 cue early in the game, but other than that it’s all new music. However, I can definitely say that tracks from the original game do appear in various ways in the game. Audio director Steve Szczepkowski created quite a few clever ways of using DX1 cues, but not in the places, or in the ways, that you’d expect.

Although it is a prequel, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is very much its own story – with unique emotions, characters, locations, visual design, and so forth. However, what I really liked about the original game’s score is the consistency of its very stark emotional state. You can really get into a trance playing the first game, and I think that’s very much due to the music. I’ve heard people describe the experience of “taking the game with you” after you’ve finished playing. I very much wanted that same quality in this soundtrack – so that the atmosphere created in the game affects you even after the game is turned off.

“It was important for us to see Deus Ex: Human Revolution as a new IP. We wanted to re-imagine this world.”

Director Jean-Francois Dugas and Producer David Anfossi are unabashed fans of Deus Ex, the cyberpunk RPG-shooter hybrid that graced the PS2 in 2002 and won more than its fair share of Game of the Year awards. But when the pair signed on with Eidos Montreal to produce a new entry in the critically acclaimed series, they opted to introduce a new story set fifteen years before the first game. “When you look at the endings of the other Deus Ex games, the future is looking pretty grim,” Director Dugas notes with a chuckle.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution depicts 2027 as a world rocked by unbridled technological advancement. Shadowy cabals and monolithic corporations rule from above with. You play as Adam Jensen, a security expert who becomes an unwilling recipient of cybernetic augmentation following a savage attack in the opening minutes of the game. Jensen is a reluctant hero, only plunging into the game’s seedy underbelly after armed thugs abduct his ex-girlfriend — a scientist holding a revolutionary genetic breakthrough.

In developing Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Dugas and Anfossi carefully analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the franchise. The atmosphere, story, characters, and RPG elements were mesmerizing; the action was merely tolerable. “The shooting was flawed because it was heavily stat-based,” Dugas observes. “Your aim could be super precise, but the game artificially penalized you, which made for a clumsy combat experience.” For Human Revolution, Dugas and Anfossi streamlined the shooting and incorporated a visceral new tactical punch: You need to consider your weapon choices carefully, use cover effectively, and prioritize enemies based on their location. The result is a sleek, muscular stealth-action game that combines the original game’s sympathetic characters and intellectual themes with the kind of fearsome combat sequences you might expect from a Metal Gear Solid 4 or a Rainbow Six: Vegas.

Except that that protagonist Adam Jensen is capable of superhuman feats far beyond those of mere mortals. He can effortlessly eviscerate foes with retractable blades that sprout from his arms, carry and hurl massive objects with bone-crushing force, or release a 360-degree fan of cluster bombs to frag any fool who dares get close. With his security background, Jensen’s also a crack shot with firearms, all of which can be upgraded with enhanced ammunition, mods and more. The weapons run the gamut from low-tech to high-tech, lethal to non-lethal. We’re talking stealthy tranquilizer rifles, punchy 10mm handguns, devastating double-barreled shotguns, grenade launchers, the works.

But depending on your interpretation of Jensen, all that fancy firepower may be overkill. Sometimes all you need is a little stealth, a silver tongue, and the right social augmentations. “You can play the entire game without killing anyone, save for the boss fights,” Dugas confirms. “It makes for a more challenging experience, but it’s very rewarding.” Anfossi agrees: “We want players to create a personalized version of Jensen and decide his approach. Some players will think, ‘This guy wouldn’t kill these people.’” Whatever your approach — lethal or nonlethal, aggression or stealth — the game meticulously tracks your tactics and dishes out consequences accordingly. And you can be certain of one thing: there will be consequences.

“I’m most excited for players to simply absorb this world. It’s like reading a great graphic novel, a page-turner,” Dugas concludes. “It’s going to be the first game for Eidos Montreal,” Anfossi adds. “We want it to be perfect.” Concerned that you need to play the original games before delving into Human Revolution? Don’t be. “The hardcore fans are going to make the connections once they analyze the game,” Dugas clarified. “The new fans won’t feel left behind, though. This game stands on its own.”

Eidos Montreal is very confident in the PS3 version. “Since the beginning, it was very important for us to not treat the PS3 version as a ‘port’ — you can trust us on that,” Producer Anfossi said. “We’ve worked that way in the past with other games, and it was crazy.” One example is the way the studio focused on tuning the PS3 version to the nuances of the DualShock 3 controller. “The analog sticks and buttons are different, and we tweaked them independently to ensure that everything is tight,” Anfossi said. “We get the best out of the controller based on its own strengths.”

Deus Ex: Human Revolution was a way for Eidos Montreal to lure top talent. “When we started Eidos Montreal, we had to build technology and hire a team,” Producer David Anfossi said. “Montreal has a lot of different game studios and a lot of talented people, but it’s very competitive.” To ensure that the fledgling studio would attract the sharpest minds possible, Anfossi’s team examined the Eidos IP portfolio carefully before greenlighting its first game. “We saw Deus Ex and we thought, “Nice!” We knew that would attract very, very talented people.” Director Jean-Francois Dugas agreed. “It was a good strategy because when they approached me about Deus Ex, my eyes opened.”

The art direction was inspired by the Renaissance. “We knew that transhumanism would be one of the main themes, so we started to dig for artistic connections,” Director Dugas explained. “Leonardo Da Vinci kept coming up.” It didn’t take long to find a connection between the massive cultural and intellectual upheaval of the Renaissance and the dawn of transhumanism in Deus Ex: Human Revolution. “During the Renaissance, humanity started to understand our nature from the inside-out as opposed to looking up at the sky and hoping for the best. We started to improve our bodies and heal ourselves more efficiently.”

Enter transhumanism, with its emphasis on surpassing human limitations by blending flesh with cutting-edge technology. “The Renaissance was a big stepping stone in our evolution,” Dugas said, “and we saw transhumanism as being the next step.” The team began integrating the architecture and visual touchstones of the Renaissance into the game, but in ways that supported the story. “The characters that have more Renaissance-inspired clothing — the collars, the patterns on the shoulders — tend to be on the pro-transhumanism side. The more conservative characters who are opposed to transhumanism wear clothing inspired by the look of Middle Age peasants.”

The rich black-and-gold color scheme is also a nod to the Renaissance, a time period when candlelight bathed rooms in golden hues. “The gold also represents the Icarus myth, getting closer to the sun. The black represents falling into the sea, people working in the shadows, the dystopian future, and conspiracies. We touch on the benefits of transhumanism, but also the potential dangers.”

The soundtrack was inspired by John Carpenter, Blade Runner, and the original Deus Ex. Lead Audio Designer Steve Szczepkowski drew soundtrack inspiration from the usual suspects, cyberpunk classics such as Blade Runner and The Matrix. “But I also went back to some favorites like Escape from New York. I really like John Carpenter films for that, always very moody without being busy.” Die-hard Deus Ex fans will also be happy to learn that the theme from the original game will be making a comeback of sorts. “I can confirm that the original theme is in the game, in all its glory,” Szczepkowski said, “just perhaps not where you may expect it.” As with the game’s artistic direction, Composer Michael McCann’s synthesizer-heavy score highlights the underlying tension in the game’s world. “Thematically, we used synthesizers versus organic instruments and played with that as a representation of the augmentation debate — pro and con,” Szczepkowski explained. “Synths are a lot of fun in that they can do so much. They can sound clean and airy or dirty and mechanical…we support the humanism side with natural instruments such as choir vocals, strings and so on.”

Conspiracy theories will abound.The original Deus Ex was a product of pre-millennial paranoia, with locations such as Area 51 and characters based on The Illuminati and the Knights Templar. Deus Ex: Human Revolution will follow suit, though the details remain appropriately murky. “It’s a fictional world, it’s a fictional conspiracy, but it’s infused with real issues to discover,” Dugas hinted tenatively. “I don’t want to go into details, but you’ll recognize things from the real world as well as fantasy elements. You might go to places that don’t exist, necessarily…but that some people believe exist.”

You want a release date? You’ve got it. Deus Ex: Human Revolution releases August 23rd in the U.S. No one is more excited to have this information out in the wild than all of us at Eidos Montreal. Okay, so maybe that’s an exaggeration. Judging by all the emails, various article comments, forum posts, Twitter responses, and Facebook comments, this is something you’ve wanted for a long, long time. But imagine spending four years on an absolute labor of love, and finally being able to tell people WHEN they can experience the fruit of your labors!

We’re always watching the aforementioned avenues of communication, and ya know what? We like to join the conversation ourselves. So until August 23rd rolls around, we welcome you to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and partake in all the lovely discussions on our very active message board. Additionally, every week we answer questions via our Ask JJB video podcast. If you have a question regarding Deus Ex: Human Revolution that you want answered, go ahead and ask!

Oh, and if you’re heading to PAX East in Boston this weekend, be sure to stop by the main theater at 2:30 PM for a very special gameplay segment and a live Q&A with members of the development team. I’ll also be wandering the showfloor with a few goodies, so if you want to be eligible, follow me on Twitter in addition to our official account. I hope to see you there!

That said, I’m nearing the end of my role on the project and putting on the final touches to the game. I wanted to reflect on the past development and give you a peek at some of the challenges the level design team had to face when developing Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

The biggest rule for us level designers, by far, was to always keep in mind the idea of “Multi-Path, Multi-Solution” for practically every challenge we wanted to lay down for the player. Basically what that entails is for every obstacle we set, there is always a variety of ways to progress past it; with some methods being more obvious than others. This is very reminiscent of the design philosophy found in the original Deus Ex … a design which promotes emergent game play.

One of the reveals from gamescom was showing the Police Station level and how there were four different ways (Combat, Hacking, Stealth, and Social) to play through it. The truth of the matter is that there are far more than just four different ways to progress through that level. There are so many different ways to progress through that I couldn’t possibly list them all; and chances are there are even methods to progress through that we haven’t even thought of! While at first glance that seems like a nightmare for a level designer, what ends up happening is our level designs promote multiple playthroughs in order to try out many different styles of play. All we have to ensure is that we’ve provided the tools and the environment for the player to just explore, imagine, and act-out their creative solutions.

The downside to this open and emergent style game play is that there are a lot paths and features that we designed that most players will never see! We hope you all try playing through the game multiple times, using different styles of approach, and exploring every nook and cranny and possible option that we’ve made available to you. Until next time… Ciao!

Hello everyone! I’m excited to share the second gameplay trailer for Deus Ex: Human Revolution on PS3! In it you’ll find more footage on combat, augmentations, in-game menus, and upgrade trees than we’ve ever publicly shown. If you pay attention, you might even sneak a peek at our hacking mini-game and a weapon modification that toys with the term “hand cannon.”

And to those of you who think you’ve seen everything after watching the leaked footage (yeah, we know it exists…), to quote legendary Canadian rock group Bachman Turner Overdrive, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

In other news, I’m pleased to announce that I and other members of the studio are presently readying content to distribute specifically to this great blog. After spending four challenging but passionate years developing a sequel to one of the most revered videogames of all-time, everyone involved can’t wait to talk. We’re very, very excited, and we hope you are too.

If you have the time, let us know what you think and what you’d like to see in future blog posts. You can reach us on Twitter, Facebook, and email, in addition to the forums at forums.eidosgames.com. See you all soon!