Deus Ex - Deserves better

[HiddenX]

Couchpotato spotted an opinion piece on Exputer about the Deus Ex series:

Home/eXputer Originals/Deus Ex Deserves Better Than Being A Scapegoat For Embracer's Screw-Ups

The IP has weathered many pitfalls over the years, when will it be rewarded?

Story Highlights

• The latest misfortune in the Deus Ex journal is the cancellation of a new game by the Embracer group.
• Over the years, the series has seen many crises including canceled titles and management shifts.
• Deus Ex is a brilliant series and the last thing it deserves is being abandoned and forgotten.

Let me ask you a question. What would be your reaction if you learned that your favorite game series has gone through hell only to be abandoned? You come across a great series with 2-3 entries, and you fall in love with it over the course of going through the games. Then, when you realize its dreadful fate, what will overcome you? Frustration? Rage? Disappointment? I think it'll be all of these; it sure was for me.

You must be wondering, what series am I talking about? It's none other than Deus Ex, one of my most beloved IPs being dragged through the mud. Video games have come a long way and thus have accumulated a vibrant history. However, this period is filled with many such victims who were denied the chance to conclude the brilliant story they wished to tell. Deus Ex might be one of those, too, something it in no way deserves.

[...]

More information.

 

[Couchpotato]

Damn right it deserved better but it's not just Embracer who needs to share the blame. As Square Enix squandered the trilogy by claiming it didn't meet sale exspectations.

 

[Zloth]

What would be your reaction if you learned that your favorite game series has gone through hell only to be abandoned?

Does he mean like

• Sword of the Stars
• No One Lives Forever
• Just Cause?
• Xenosaga (well, it was allowed a conclusion, but the story was supposed to be told over something like 4 more games, not just one)
• Alternate Reality

 

[JDR13]

System Shock

 

[JFarrell71]

Does he mean like

• Sword of the Stars
• No One Lives Forever
• Just Cause?
• Xenosaga (well, it was allowed a conclusion, but the story was supposed to be told over something like 4 more games, not just one)
• Alternate Reality

No One Lives Forever is a series that deserved to continue. Those were pretty great.

Alternate Reality: The Dungeon was one of my absolute favorites as a kid. I remember they had such big plans... I think around five more games were planned besides The City and The Dungeon. Never materialized. For me, Darklands was an even bigger deal. They wanted to do a bunch more games with that engine, but that remained forever the only game in the series.

 

[SSIGuy]

A bunch of great games; enjoyed every one of them. Definitely deserved another game. If you're not going to do something with the IP, sell it to someone who will.

 

[NFLed]

I remembered being angry at some of the negative comments about Deus Ex Mankind Divided.

Tastes and preferences in games naturally vary, and to each their own, but it seemed as though many people were nit-picking way too much on this game on issues which didn't make any sense to me, and I believe that significantly impacted sales in a negative direction.

Why should I care what reviewers and the general public think about a specific game? Because this is the result, a great game and franchise abandoned due to lower-than-expected sales.

 

[JDR13]

I remembered being angry at some of the negative comments about Deus Ex Mankind Divided.

Tastes and preferences in games naturally vary, and to each their own, but it seemed as though many people were nit-picking way too much on this game on issues which didn't make any sense to me, and I believe that significantly impacted sales in a negative direction.

Why should I care what reviewers and the general public think about a specific game? Because this is the result, a great game and franchise abandoned due to lower-than-expected sales.

Mankind Divided is underrated, and yeah, it got review-bombed at first. I can't even remember exactly what the fuss was about now, but I think it had something to do with pre-order DLC or something like that? Anyways, I remember a lot of people pissing and moaning about it.

It's a really good game though. Definitely better than Human Revolution which somehow has better ratings across the board.

 

[bjon045]

I actually preferred Human Revolution but Mankind Divided was still a great game. I guess I was one of the few who actually liked the endings in both of them. I quite like an open ending as long as it makes sense. Some people wanted all the loose ends tied up and I do get that as well but it didn't bother me.

 

[SpoonFULL]

Both Human Revolution and Mankind Divided are great and the developers did a remarkable job in creating a faithful new era and generation of the original Deus Ex. I think Mankind Divided bombed due to Square's greedy decision to add microtransactions (and Denuvo).

 

[HellRazor]

ULTIMA series.

 

[sakichop]

I finished human revolution 3 times, but despite several attempts I can’t seem to get in to Mankind divided. Couldn’t really say why but I typically play for a few hours and then just don’t go back.

 

[Couchpotato]

Me as well I have played Human Revolution over eight times but finished the sequel Mankind Divided only once. Doesn't help the sequel set up a third game that will never be developed. Even the new canceleded Embracer game was a reboot.

 

[NFLed]

I enjoyed Human Revolution a bit better than Mankind Divided. Part of that might have been the newness of HR at the time but I also think it had a better overall story, plus I was hit bigtime in a positive way by the huge storyline and gameplay twist (losing a lot of powers) just before a big boss battle.

HR is in my top 10 of games all time, while MD is probably near 20th, so they are both very good in my view.

 

[Shagnak]

I liked both Deus Ex reboot games quite a lot, enough that I wish I could reach through teh internets and spine-punch Embracer. I don't think I could differentiate enough to say which one I liked better.

Re: No One Lives Forever.
It seems bizarre to me that (a) these are not available on Steam (IP ownership issues, grrr), and (b) it hasn't been revived to take advantage of the post me-too era.

 

[mercy]

I never liked the new Yellow Deus Ex. Yuck.. For me the One and Only game is the original created by a genius team!

 

[LoneWoof]

I finished human revolution 3 times, but despite several attempts I can’t seem to get in to Mankind divided. Couldn’t really say why but I typically play for a few hours and then just don’t go back.

Same here! I honestly can't put my finger on it, but while I replay DX 1 almost yearly, and Human Revolution once per 3 years, I still haven't finished Mankind Divided. In theory it has everything it should, but it just doesn't click with me.

 

[Arkadia7]

I loved the Deus Ex Human Revolution game, at first I didn't think I would like it because I didn't like the character's voice, but as I played the game I realized I was wrong. It was a great game for sure.