David Anfossi of Eidos Montreal says Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a standalone title that’s “kind of a reboot” and will provide an identical experience regardless of the platform on which it’s played.
It’s not uncommon for PC and console gaming experiences to be considerably different, even across related titles. To some extent, the very nature of the hardware makes it unavoidable, and at times it’s an intentional decision on the part of developers. BioWare did just that with Dragon Age: Origins, starting it as a “core PC title,” according to Executive Producer Dan Tudge, and then doing a “true, actual conversion” of the game to take advantage of the strengths of the console platforms.
But Anfossi, the producer on Deus Ex: Human Revolution, says Eidos Montreal is taking the opposite approach. The new game is being developed in parallel on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to ensure that they’ll be identical across the board.
“The experience will be the same on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. The same mechanics – everything is the same,” Anfossi said in an interview with VG247. “For Deus Ex, we decided to work on all platforms in parallel to give players the same experience.”
“I used to work on previous games where we had lead platforms, and when we were close to the release date, we had to do a port,” he added. “And believe me, you don’t want to do that.”
He also admitted that while there’s “a lot of pressure” to live up to the legacy of the original game, surpassing it isn’t actually the goal. “For us, it’s kind of a reboot,” he said. “We respect the universe, but we’ve got a new character, a new conspiracy and a new timeline. So, this is kind of a reboot, and it’s a standalone title.”
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is scheduled for release in March 2011.
