Showing posts with label deus ex human revolution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label deus ex human revolution. Show all posts

Supporting Characters As Friends That Define The Protagonists

Thursday, 30 December 2021

Supporting characters are, in video games as in movies, the often unseen heroes. With the term "supporting characters", I refer to those who are less prominent, in terms of plot and screen time, than the secondary characters or the deuteragonists, but they still may play an important role in the development of the leads, albeit this may not be always obvious on first look. Many times, such characters are friends or allies of the protagonists, but the weight of the presence in their lives varies. Usually supporting characters are not offered the chance to unfold their personality in full, which is why they may be equally underrated or overrated. Their interactions with the protagonists, however, can tell us a lot of things about them if explored carefully. They sometimes affect, directly or indirectly, the emotional and intellectual development of the lead characters, although on a first level their conduct may be misleading. In this article, I will focus on interesting supporting characters from five video games that deal with different themes and the protagonists of which follow completely different paths in their individual stories, therefore the influences that they may receive are also varied.

Lyla Park in Life Is Strange 2

In spite of being a fan favorite, Lyla is, in fact, a rather dark character. Lyla appears in the first episode and her role is overall quite brief, yet you can see, even from that limited appearance, that her influence in Sean's life is not exactly a good one. Lyla is introduced as one of Sean's best friends at school and although she seems to genuinely care for him, her attitude, surprisingly, has several layers. Taking advantage, albeit subconsciously to a degree, of Sean's mild and shy temperament, she has the tendency to always push him towards doing things the way that only she thinks is the best. Lyla obviously suffers from mood swings, and can easily fall into depression, but tries to hide her insecurities behind a supposedly confident facade. In reality, though, she is authoritative, manipulative and lacks self-esteem, but puts forward a loud, seemingly careless persona in order to be able to survive. On top of that, her biggest problem seems to be the crush that she clearly has on Sean, which makes her obsession to hook him up with Jenn, his initial love interest, marginally creepy. Lyla is an extremely toxic person, and her presence in the first episode sort of represents Sean's stagnant life in the dull and depressing suburb where he lives. Sean is obviously a lot more close to his Latin heritage than the much younger Daniel; and he has an artistic side that always wants to find expression. Daniel is the one with the "obvious" diversity (his superpower), but it is in fact Sean who is the real "rebel". Lyla is, for Sean, the balancing power that keeps him collected, but at the same time she is also the chain that holds him tied down to a life that is clearly not made for him. Breaking away from this life (albeit in a tragic way), and from Lyla as well, gives him the chance to claim his freedom and find himself, no matter the cost.

Cor Leonis in Final Fantasy XV

Cor may not have a direct impact on Noctis's development but his influence is clearly defining. He has an imposing personality and an impressive (to say the least) background story. When he was just fifteen years old, he fought against a ferocious warrior and managed to come out of the battle alive, an achievement that won him the moniker "The Immortal"; yet he never ceases being down to earth, thus being the perfect mentor and instructor for Noctis and his friends. He used to be a trusted companion of Noctis's father, and he remains close to the boy as well, offering his valuable expertise and advice when needed. Noctis has grown up somewhat isolated, having only his three close friends by his side, but his rebellious character often makes him appear cold and distant towards them, although he loves them so much. However he treats Cor with respect and always listens to him and his advice. Cor is tough and brave but he is also gentle and wise. His presence in Noctis's life has only positive things to offer, especially after Noctis's father is killed. Not so much a father figure, but more like an older brother, Cor guides Noctis to face difficulties and take responsibilities, gradually making him grow into a kind and caring man, even when he is not there to openly support him. It is not random that when Noctis wakes after his long sleep inside the crystal, Cor is among the very few people from Noctis's past, along with his three friends, who is physically there to help him fight the monsters.

Sofia in Rise Of The Tomb Raider

When Lara first meets Sofia, it is not under the best circumstances; and their second meeting is also eventful. However their relationship gradually gets better and they become good friends after a while. Although Lara's character is more or less already formed and she is confident enough to not need any particular influence, still Sofia's faith and her genuine struggle to help her people offer our heroine an extra boost of inspiration to keep going. Through Sofia's bond with her father, Lara subconsciously "sees" her own relationship with the late Lord Croft, and in that sense she kind of identifies with Sofia, becoming herself, for Jacob, a daughter that will be equally willing to help him unconditionally, somehow making up for all the time that she has lost, and will be losing, after her own father died and she missed every chance to live her life by his side. In Sofia, Lara partly sees her own self and in Sofia's relationship with Jacob she sees reflected how herself and Lord Croft could have grown together, had he not lost his life so unjustly. It is more of a personal development for Lara, but it unavoidably affects her attitude as well, and her decisions that define her connections with other people.

Luis Sera in Resident Evil 4

Luis is, in the essence, more than just a supporting character, since he plays a major role in the development of the story, although his appearance is quite limited. Initially a mysterious man, obviously keeping many secrets, Luis is revealed to hold the key to Leon's infection. Leon seems to be fond of Luis right from the start, in spite of his inexplicable attitude. But Leon is known for his unerring instinct, which means that when he likes someone, it is for a good reason. Luis is a native, and his family has a long story connected to the case of the Plagas. His knowledge of the the subject and his involvement in Saddler's plan cost him his life in the end, and he literally dies in Leon's hands, but not before he manages to give him the pills with which Leon will be able to keep his infection under control until he has access to the antidote. Luis becomes a very close friend of Leon's despite the very short time that they know each other, and he functions both as Leon's life-saver, and as the cause that gives him an additional motive to want to stop Saddler, since he was obviously devastated by Luis's death. Luis kind of stands for all the partners, friends and comrades that Leon has lost, and would keep on losing in the future, during his life as an agent, and by swearing to avenge his death, Leon claims justice not only for Luis and all those lost friends, but for himself as well. 

Francis Pritchard in Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Francis is, at the beginning of the game, rather bitter towards Adam, tending to degrade and underestimate him, but as the story progresses there is a big change in their relationship. A programming and hacking expert, Francis seems to think low of Adam at first, but as Adam proves that, apart from being physically powerful, he is also very smart, he manages to gain Francis's respect and, progressively, his friendship, although Francis is too proud to openly express it with words. Francis is, in reality, probably the only absolutely clean and sincere person in Adam's environment, and he is the one to secretly guide him towards important revelations regarding either himself or Sarif on more than one occasions. While Adam is out in the world investigating or dealing with criminals, Francis is like his eyes inside the Sarif corporation. This may also have a dual interpretation since Adam has enhanced sight, which may help him see farther, but it may prevent him from identifying what is close to him. Francis has only had one optional augmentation to better his programming skills, and in that sense he can maintain his technically enhanced side and his human one in a relative balance, since his human self is almost intact. Adam's humanity is at a very high level in spite of the many augmentations that he has received, which makes him also highly perceptive of the people he interacts with, but his intimidating appearance prevents him from forming close relationships with them. Francis sort of connects him to the world, albeit discreetly and from the shadows, and his pointed, often sarcastic input acts as a reminder for Adam of human interactions that are not based almost entirely on enhanced means.

Vintage Elements In Video Games: The Gramophone

Friday, 4 June 2021

Few things are creepier than the scratching sound of a needle running on vinyl while an enchanting melody echoes through dark, haunting halls and corridors. The very essence of a gramophone is embedded in the most charming and, at the same time, terrifying way in several horror games, where this specific object may be just a passive part of the environment, or it could play a crucial role in the plot, in its own distorted, usually twisted way.

The gramophone as an item is a beautiful thing to look at. Almost always decorated with a large, flower-like pavillion, a carefully crafted manivelle and a solid-looking, impressive base, it is not only an object to admire, but also one that is automatically connected to the old times with a good deal of nostalgia. The fact that it comes from years ago yet it is still a functional item that can be operated and work properly, adds a lot to its vintage charm, as does the several imperfections that its reproductions have in the sound. Once frowned upon, the scratchings and crackings that can be heard on the vinyl as the needle runs on the record, are now considered elements of great sentimental and aesthetic value. Any kind of music can emit a completely different feel when accompanied by those.

Many times gramophones are just part of a room's setting, possibly an object of heritage or maybe expressing the house owner's love for vintage items, like the one that appears in Dr Ramusskin's living room in Gray Matter. Such gramophones are peaceful, with no creepy aura about them, and they simply add a touch of retro charm to the environments where they are found.

In Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Lara Croft spots a gramophone with a golden pavillion at the back of Renne's Pawnshop, while looking for information that will lead her to the mysterious Frenchman Bouchard. The pawnshop hosts several items that come from different eras and styles, like two old armchairs, a bicycle, or a washing machine. It is unclear whether the gramophone belongs to the owner of the store or is one of the many pawned items in there - although most likely it is the second case.

Similarly peaceful on first look, the gramophone which stands on the desk in the claustrophobic office of the Antarctica Facility in Resident Evil: Code Veronica plays no music but the overall setting of the room, which is tiny yet full of bizarre, scary details, like the bear trophy head or the framed vintage sword, makes it look rather ominous. The gramophone stands out in its bright colours, yet one more vintage object in a room where modern technology is also present in the form of a fax machine or a computer.


The setting is reproduced in "Game of Oblivion", the episode of The Darkside Chronicles which retells the Code Veronica story. The gramophone is again there, this time in the corner of the room, one more time positioned below the framed sword.


Gramophones seem to be an essential part of the environment in old villas and manors, so it is no surprise when we stumble upon one in the trap-filled yet enchanting Spencer mansion in the first Resident Evil game. Found in a small office, officially called "reading room" with several other vintage objects, said gramophone contributes to the already spooky, haunting atmosphere of the house. The record that sits on its turntable is "Jupiter", a symphony by Mozart, but we do not get a chance to listen to it.


In Thief Reboot, Garret comes across several steampunk-styled gramophones in the gloomy buildings rooms that he infiltrates. They are all identical, with a thin horn, pretty much like the one in the Spencer mansion.


In Resident Evil: Outbreak, one can be seen in the vintage-looking office which is on the upper floor of Jack's Bar. As the zombies swarm the bar and the other rooms below, the survivors start exploring the upper areas, looking for a way to escape. The gramophone is on a wooden stand, in front of a bookcase, and plays no music - it could very well be dysfunctional, used only for decoration purposes.
 

In the half-real - half-ghostly world of Murdered: Soul Suspect, gramophones look quite spooky, as they are reminders of older times by default and sometimes they are revealed as elements of past visions or parts of the real world that belong to their ghostly counterpart. They don't play any music, but this doesn't make them any less compelling.

Gramophones that play music on their own or that can be interacted with to do so are naturally much more interesting. In Tomb Raider: Reborn, the gramophone becomes an important element of the environment and its creepy atmosphere in what looks like a slaughter room filled with butchered meat and tons of garbage. The room is underground, and passing through it is unavoidable, as there seems to be no other way forward. There is a record playing on the gramophone, and the music that is heard is an eery chant that sounds like ritualistic vocals.

A much cozier and friendly gramophone can be found in Lara's library, in Rise of the Tomb Raider. Not only it is a more than fitting addition to Lara's mansion, it also plays the iconic "Venice Violins" tune from Tomb Raider 2.

One of the first scenes of The Evil Within includes a gramophone which plays Bach's "Air on a G String". Said gramophone sits on the bench of a horrifying butcher who wanders around his nightmarish "workshop", ready to slaughter and cut in pieces his potential victims. As Sebastian, the protagonist, attempts to grab the man's keys in order to escape, the melody becomes louder, and accompanies him as he stealthily makes his way to the exit door, only to stop abruptly as soon as he crosses a laser trap which alerts the butcher who immediately stops whatever he had been doing and runs after him. 

Similar gramophones can be found throughout the whole game, although the melody that can be heard from most of them is Debussy's "Claire de Lune". Strongly associated to the traumatized childhood of Ruvik, the game's antagonist, this beautiful yet haunting melody dominates most places that have somehow to do with Ruvik, both directly and indirectly. Portals leading to the safe haven, rooms in visions that reveal portions of his past, include gramophones in their space from which either of the two melodies is heard, usually distorted and broken. A few times they are just part of the decoration, sitting silently on a desk or a side-table.

Gramophones also appear in Juli Kidman's episodes, where they also convey their messages via distorted tunes.

Bach's emblematic melody through a gramophone is also present in a crucial moment in BioShock Infinite, as the hero, Booker DeWitt, begins to get deeper into his adventure in Emporia, as he enters the building of the Order of the Raven. Crow cries can be heard in the distance, as Booker approaches the exit door leading to an isolated terrace, while "Air on a G String" plays from an unidentifiable source. When Booker arrives at the terrace, ha can see a golden gramophone on the left side, from which Bach's melody plays. Moments later, a fierce type of enemy, the Crow, makes his first appearance.

 
Gramophones can be seen in several other places in the game, and they play various melodies as soon as you turn them on. Sometimes this music is contemporary, but recorded and heard in such a way as to sound like a vintage tune.


Set in a total-white, cold-looking environment, the white gramophone that Adam Jensen comes across in Megan Reed's private room in Omega Ranch in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, is in an unexpected way comforting. The whole room and its furniture look like reliefs, and the gramophone is no exception. Its solid, white pavillion is decorated with flower-like designs that seem like they are carved on it. When you interact with it, it plays a tune that resembles a familiar piece from the first games of the series.


Like almost all vintage objects in video games, the gramophones echo the past in their special way, evoking a great variety of feelings, depending on their setting and their use. It is notable that, although technology constantly evolves, and environments in video games become more and more modern and futuristic, retro items like gramophones still appear in various rooms, serving their own purpose, both for nostalgia and greatly contributing to the overall feel and atmosphere of the stories that they are part of.









 

 




Doors As Passages In Video Games

Sunday, 24 February 2019

If we examine video games as a contemporary and unique form of artistic expression - which they actually are - we could classify them as modern fairy tales. While many of them carry a good amount of realism in their plots, their stories are usually based in elements of fantasy, science fiction or post-apocalyptic theories. In the Devil May Cry universe, we may have a modern-day environment as a setting, but there are demons hiding in every corner. Or take, for example, Lara Croft's adventures: although rich with historical facts, the games of the Tomb Raider series feature a good deal of fantastic elements that are in perfect balance with their realistic aspect.

The main characters in Action games are brave heroes who fight their way through hordes of enemies and obstacles, while they must also solve several tricky puzzles. Puzzles and riddles in video games are among the strongest references to fairy tales, especially those which result in opening doors. Just like in fairy tales, doors several times open with magic means or keys - either literal keys or objects used as keys - that need to be obtained by going through generally difficult trials. Similarly, in video games doors are passages: they lead the heroes one step further, to another part of the world, where, usually, a revelation or a fight awaits.

Resident Evil HD Remaster takes place in a huge villa, the Spencer Mansion. The main characters, Chris and Jill, together with their team, seek refuge inside the house at the start of the game and it is impossible for them to get back out, as there are ominous threats awaiting. Early on, they discover an imposing metal gate at the back of the main hall, which seems to be their only way out of there. The gate is locked and requires two key items in order to open. The biggest part of the game consists in exploring the mansion, which is full of zombies, monsters and traps, so as to find said items. The door needs two identical objects made of stone and metal which can be placed on two receptacles on the metal bars, serving as keys. The first object is found in a crypt in the back yard of the mansion, but actually opening the crypt and being able to unlock the coffin that contains the object requires a lot of searching and solving more riddles. Interestingly enough, they are only able to look for the second object once they have found the first, as they have to unlock another door with it, gaining access to another huge area at the back of the mansion, which has to be explored. The second object is made of two separate components: the metal object, which is found in a locked office of the mansion, and the stone ring, which is hidden in the secret cabin of Lisa Trevor, a girl who is now roaming the grounds of the mansion in the form of a hideous monster. Once both stone and metal objects are found, they can be placed on the metal gate and now Chris and Jill are able to proceed to the eerie undergrounds of the mansion.


Opening this gate and stepping out marks the transition to a world where all the horrors that they have already met in the mansion, are now intensified. The fact alone that the keys to open this door are so hard to find is a strong indication that what lies beyond it is extremely dangerous. The powers that dominate those grounds are inconceivable, and Chris and Jill have to use both their physical and mental strength in order to survive.

In Resident Evil 2 Remake, the main characters, Leon and Claire, are trapped in a similar situation. They find themselves in the imposing and mazey Police Department of Raccoon City and, as they cannot get out on the streets that are filled with zombies, they have to look for another way. Following the notes of a deceased police officer, they find out about the existence of a secret passage that is located just beneath the huge goddess statue that decorates the main hall of the station. They need to find three medallions and place them on the pedestal of the statue so as to reveal the passage. The three medallions are locked in their receptacles on three statues that are found in equal areas of the station. The Lion statue, which holds the Lion Medallion, is on the balcony overlooking the main hall, the Unicorn statue, which holds the Unicorn Medallion, is on a lone gallery outside the Library, and the Maiden statue, which holds the Maiden Medallion, is in a secluded section of a storeroom, also next to the Library.


Finding the medallions is not a very hard task per se, but it becomes quite tough due to the several zombies and monsters that wander in the corridors of the station. Every time that a medallion is placed on the pedestal, one part of the secret opening is revealed. Once all three medallions take their place, Leon and Claire discover a small metal gate that leads to a secret round room, just beneath the statue.


What is ironic is that although this passage is supposed to lead to a way out, there are more riddles lying ahead, the danger becomes even bigger and our heroes will have to struggle a lot more before they are able to leave the station. The underground however becomes the place where both Leon ad Claire meet their allies, Ada and Sherry respectively, and from that point and on they will not be completely alone in their quest.

In Resident Evil: Code Veronica, there are several doors that need a special key or item in order to open, however it is two of them that are particularly interesting. The first is the elaborately decorated door in the Secretary's room that leads to an isolated area of the Ashford mansion. Its upper section is a huge receptacle where two identical guns, the Gold Lugers, need to be placed for it to unlock. The quest for these guns is rather complicated, and it will be a long time before Claire, the main protagonist, is able to use them on the door after she finds them. Even from their first appearance, the Gold Lugers are connected to trouble. They are found in the back room of the Armory in the mansion, and as soon as Claire takes them down, a trap activates and the room fills with poison. Being forced to place them back, she seems to have no way of retrieving them so as to open that door. A bit later, Steve, her partner for this story, finds himself in the Armory and, being attracted by the shiney pistols, takes them off the wall. The room again fills with poison but Steve panics and does not consider placing them back. Claire arrives just in time to unlock the trap from the outside, and so Steve runs out safely with the guns, which he refuses to give over to Claire. It will not be very long however before Claire offers him a pair of loaded Submachine guns in exchange with his Gold Lugers. Steve gladly makes the trade and so Claire is able to finally place the Lugers on the door and get it to open.


This door stands for a major passage in the story, as it opens to a secret office which, in turn, leads to a hidden palace where Alfred, the game's minor villain, lives a life of paranoia and illusion, playing the roles of both himself and his deceased twin sister, whom he adored. Thus it is not random that Claire needs a pair of twin guns to open the door. The world beyond the Luger door is that of a sadistic madman who impersonates his dead sister and finds extreme pleasure in making innocent people suffer. In connection to this comes the second door that stands out, which is located in the Morgue. Technically not a door, but a secret passage that is revealed beyond a raised wall, it opens by placing a glass eye on a life-size anatomy model. Claire has to kill a doctor who has become a zombie, take his glass eye and place it on the model, thus gaining access to the basement of the Morgue, where she comes across a horrifying room with torture machines.


In Resident Evil: Revelations 2, Claire finds herself before yet one more puzzle that involves a locked door and an eyeball. This time, things are more complex and the door in question has a retinal scanner which needs a specific artificial eye in order to unlock. Claire finds the eye in a trapped room inside a factory but she first needs to replace it with a glass eye so as to be able to take it without activating the trap. She must then use the eye on the retinal scanner outside the locked door so as to gain access to the nearby slaughterhouse.


What is interesting about this puzzle is that it opens the way and is connected to another puzzle that also has to do with a locked door that requires a special kind of key item. The same artificial eye has to be used on another retinal scanner outside an office, where Claire finds a liver replica. Later, in the slaughterhouse, she has to find another liver replica and use them both to open another door. While the first liver replica is in plain sight inside a corpse in the factory, the second is stuck in a bucket of blood in the gory slaughterhouse. Some kind of mincing machine above it has to be operated a few times, so that enough quantity of blood fills the bucket, allowing the liver replica to be released. The two liver replicas have to be placed then on a statue of Prometheus that blocks a door in the yard of the factory and the slaughterhouse. Doing so, causes the statue to explode, thus revealing the door that leads to another part of the factory where a tense timed event takes place.


Apart from being a passage leading closer to Alex, the story's villain, the Prometheus door has yet one more major significance. Alex uses both Prometheus and the livers as symbols, to hint at the fate of a man who turned out to be a traitor, both to her and Claire. Neil, Claire's boss and friend, secretly worked with Alex, aiding her in her evil plans, but at some point attempted to betray her, so she punished him, injecting him with a virus that turned him into a monster. In the myth, Prometheus was punished for stealing divine power, by being bound to a rock while an eagle would come every day and feed on his liver, which would grow back overnight and this torment would go on eternally. Alex identifies herself as a God and Neil as Prometheus; and the liver parts being replicas signify Neil's false faith to both Claire and Alex. Given that, soon after going through that door, Claire finally faces Neil in his monster form and has to fight with him, the passage revealed by it gains a very important symbolism, at the same time serving as a foreshadowing of what is about to happen.

In Deus Ex: Human Revolution, a door opening with a retinal scanner reveals a hidden elevator which leads straight to the lab where Burke, a very dangerous and twisted man, uses prisoners as lab rats. Adam, the protagonist, watches Burke using his augmented artificial eye on the scanner and then, following instructions, he steals a new replacement eye from Burke's office, all the while hiding from the guards who are looking for him. He then visits a technician who fits the eye on him, so that he is then able to use the retinal scanner himself and subsequently open the door.


While the passage that the door reveals brings forward a terrifying truth about the man involved, at the same time it becomes a means of salvation, as Adam then has the option to save the prisoners and the doctor who was forced by Burke to carry out the experiments on his behalf. In that sense, opening that door affects positively the lives of several people, including Adam, as he was himself a prisoner of Burke and possibly one of his potential victims.

In Resident Evil 4, Leon, the main protagonist, uses the false eye of Bitores Mendez, a minor villain, to open the gate that leads to Salazar's castle. He first must fight with Mendez in a barn and defeat him, so as to be able to take his eye and unlock the door with it. Although there are several doors in the game that open with impressive puzzles, this specific one is of a very high importance because it marks a passage from on world to another. Up to that point, Leon was wandering in the country, and the enemies he had to face were ignorant victims that had been turned into puppets in the hands of the evil Lord Saddler. By opening the castle gate and getting inside, he finds himself in a place where time seems to have stopped and from where there seems to be no obvious way out. Everything inside the castle looks like it belongs to past times, and even Salazar himself is dressed in a style that goes quite a few centuries back. Additionally the enemies, although of the same kind as the villagers, seem to have a certain level of intelligence and they are much more dangerous and bloodthirsty. The castle is full of traps and monsters and the trials become tougher in every new area.


In Resident Evil 7, Ethan, the protagonist, finds himself trapped in the house of Jack Baker's family whose members became deranged, following their infection by a degenerative virus. The exit door, which will temporarily offer him some freedom, is of course locked and needs three special items in order to open: three dog heads that are hidden in certain areas of the house. The blue head is hidden inside a book and it is the easiest to find. The white head is hidden in a grandfather clock and requires another brief puzzle to get it. The red head involves a long and dangerous exploration of several areas of the house, resulting in a terrifying boss fight with Jack Baker himself. Once all three dog heads are placed on the door, it is unlocked and Ethan can get out, although he has a long way to go before he is finally free.


The creature with the three dog heads that is depicted on the door is Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guarded the gate of Hades in ancient Greek mythology. While the Baker house is no less than Hades itself, the real nightmare begins once Ethan steps outside. Cerberus in this case is not guarding the entrance, but the exit; and in that sense, the passage that is offered to Ethan after he unlocks the exit door is one that is set up in such a way so as to lead him to his death.

In The Evil Within, Sebastian, the lead character, gets trapped inside the mind of Ruvik, a genious madman with a painful past, and finds himself wandering in places connected to his memories. The most prominent one is Ruvik's family home, where the dark secrets of his past are gradually revealed. There is a huge door in the main hall, that Sebastian has to open so as to proceed deeper inside Ruvik's mind, and to do so he has to carry out three simple Phrenology tasks. There are three Phrenology tables in the house and on each one there is a human head with the brain exposed. Sebastian has to hit a specific part of the brain with each probe, and if done correctly, blood flows away from a tube above each table, filling a similar tube on the locked gate. Once all three tubes fill with blood, the door opens.


As the story of the game has to do with mind games, it is not random that this specific gate is like a simulation of the brain: during the Phrenology tasks, Sebastian hits the sections of fear, hope and consent, which send the blood flowing in the tubes on the door. The gears on the door then start moving all together, unlocking it, just like the human emotions keep the brain's gears working. It is a concept that is as complicated as it is ingenious. The passage that is revealed beyond the door is literal: it is a long passage, a hallway, where Ruvik awaits to lure Sebastian even deeper in his memories, leading him to the root of his life's tragedy.

In The Evil Within 2, the gate that dominates as a major point of transition is not an actual door but more like an artificial barrier, made up of barbed wire and two framed photos depicting two girls in a macabre setting, that seem to be surrounded by an aura of black magic: they have flaming blood around them and they are impossible to touch. This peculiar installation is the morbid work of Stefano, a twisted photographer who is able to control Union, a virtual environment made especially for the people taking part in STEM, a nightmarish experiment aiming at controlling minds. Sebastian has to find a way to destroy the gate, in order to enter the Theater, where Stefano is hiding, and fight with him.


Stefano is like a magician; and as such, he creates illusions. Sebastian has to apply reverse magic in order to make the illusions disappear. In reality, or at least in the twisted reality of STEM, there is no tangible barrier in front of the theater. The two framed photos that block the way forming a makeshift gate are not really there. The first one is in the back room of a bar and the second is at the end of the upper corridor of a hotel. Sebastian has to locate them, literally get in their interior and destroy them from the inside. By doing this, their illusions in front of the theater shatter and disappear. The "magic" that Sebastian performs so as to fight Stefano's evil tricks is basically the opposite of what Stefano did. Simply put, Stefano made the photo artworks and Sebastian destroys them. What Sebastian does is like a voodoo process: he "kills" the essence of the photos, stabbing the frozen corpses that form them, just like a voodoo magician sticks pins on his dolls, resulting in hurting the person that those represent.


The Bizarre Futuristic Paradise of Deus Ex: Human Revolution & Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Sunday, 10 December 2017

The year is 2027. Biotechnology has achieved giant steps and now people have the chance to replace or boost parts of their body with hi-tech mechanical limbs, so that they are more effective and productive in their work and other activities. This seemingly ideal evolution however hides lots of traps because, on the one hand the robotic limbs, no matter how perfect they may be, remain machines that can go wonkers at any time, and on the other there are always people willing to take advantage of such a promising technology for their own personal gain - be it sheer ambition or desire for riches.

Although luxurious, modern Detroit has an atmosphere of abandonment

Two years later, the world is divided between the 'natural' and the 'augmented' people. This is, in a nutshell, the setting of Deus Ex, as we see it in the last two video games of the series, Human Revolution and Mankind Divided and, more specifically, through the eyes of their protaginist, agent Adam Jensen. The message that the basic story of those two games carries is more than obvious: racism, social exclusion, acceptance of diversity or lack thereof, and also about how the thoughtless use - or better, overuse - of modern technology can have devastating consequences.

The beautiful and epic Human Revolution is a grim and gloomy futuristic tale that narrates how taking advantage of technology can make you prosper or ruin your life and the world around you, while in the equally charming and immersive Mankind Divided, the damage seems to already have been done, as the ‘natural’ people are more often than not extremely suspicious – hostile, even – towards the augmented citizens.

The busy platform in Prague hosts both 'natural' and augmented citizens

A gifted and intelligent ex-cop, Adam Jensen was one of the victims of a vicious attack that caused him multiple mutilations. While he was comatose on the surgical bed, his boss, David Sarif, owner and developer of advanced prosthetic technologies, decided to replace several of his destroyed limbs with mechanical ones. Upon waking up, the new Adam has, among other things, robotic legs and arms, mechanical breathing system, improved vision, and a brain chip that allows him to ‘scan’ the character of the people he interacts with, subsequently being able to influence their course of thought and reaction.

Adam, the enigmatic David Sarif, specialized genetist Megan Reed who also happens to be Adam’s ex-girlfriend, tech guru and hacker Frank Pritchard, Jim Miller, Adam’s boss in Prague, Alex and Farida, the tough pilot girls, Vaclav Coller, (mad) scientist and Adam's doctor and friend, are all part of a different world where everything, from science and medicine to fashion and art, are viewed through a futuristic and post-apocalyptic prism.

Adam is a very charming character in all his versions

Detroit in 2027, as it is depicted in Human Revolution, seems like it comes straight out of a science fiction movie, with its aerial railways and hyper-modern apartment buildings looking compelling and mysterious in the gloomy lighting. As most of the story takes place in the afternoon and night, the light sources are mainly electric, something that adds a lot to this atmosphere of artificiality and coldness. The yellow tones dominate, coming to contrast with the dark backgrounds. There are people in the streets, but everybody is either sulky or ready for a fight.

Prague in 2029, which is the main setting of Mankind Divided, seems to have incorporated all the modern elements and combined them with its traditional ones. Which is why we see elaborate subway stations and futuristic offices, as well as scenic parks and vintage-looking houses. Here there is a lot of action taking place in plain daylight, and we can admire the bright colours in the gardens, the graffiti on walls, the blue sky, the colourful windows of the stores.

A view of a characteristic spot in Prague

However in both cases we notice that underneath the evolved surface, nothing has truly changed in the essence: drug dealers, ruthless gangs, organized crime still carry out illegal activities in the margins of society, within the limits of an underworld that has way too much in common with the one of good old yesteryears. At the same time, the ordinary world goes on with its everyday routine. Only that now, among the ‘natural’ people, exist those who have undertaken mechanical augmentations and, after some point, are considered outcasts of society. In Mankind Divided, we can see this very clearly, when Adam takes the subway train for 'natural' people by mistake: some of the passengers look at him with contempt and anger - still,  he manages to remain cool.

The passengers don't like it that Adam invaded their 'natural' space

With the supporters of this new reality on the one side, its devoted enemies, who wish for a completely purged and natural human nature, on the other, and above everyone else those who want to use the new technology to gain power and manipulate the world, Adam finds himself in a whirlwind of events that affect him in more than one ways. Adam is an augmented man and therefore belongs, technically, to the first group. His moral values, however, are in constant conflict with this, because on the one hand ‘he never asked for this’ and on the other he is not sure what kind of life he would prefer, supposing he had been given the chance to choose. Just like his namesake Adam of the Bible, Adam was created (or better, re-created) not exactly from dust but from the remains of his human self. But still, his thoughts and feelings remain 100% human, something that is constantly in debate with the almost supernatural powers that he has gained thanks to his advanced transplants and their hi-tech enhancements.

Adam is always saturnine and it feels like he can't find peace of mind

Unlike Frank (or Francis, as Adam likes to call him), who willingly and consciously chose to get his brain augmentation, or Megan, who views the whole matter from a strictly scientific aspect even if this means the impingement of anything moral, Adam is always concerned whether what he does is right or not. He is, in the essence, a marginalized anti-hero who may get compliments about his impressive looks, but he is also the target of unfair and offensive comments due to the fact that he is augmented.

It’s not easy at all for Adam to adapt to the new conditions, however in Mankind Divided we find him more stoic and cynical, something that was expected to happen anyway since in Human Revolution he had discovered that both Megan and David had taken advantage of him and had, more or less, betrayed him in a way. And although he got to a compromise with David, his relationship with Megan was never restored. It is notable that while he started off being so close with Megan and David, he ended up alienated from them, while his relationship with Frank, although it was antagonistic at first, then moved to a sui generis level of friendship and respect.

Adam and Frank like each other much more than they dare to admit

Equally, in Mankind Divided Adam’s relationship with his boss passes through thick and thin. Jim Miller, head chief of Interpol’s Task Force 29, is a tough and decisive commander and soldier, but is also a man with a tumultuous and unusual family life. Miller looks cold and insensitive, but Adam, who is able to see behind the surface, can discern and estimate all the good sides of his chief’s character. And Miller deep down always liked Adam and trusted him, both as an agent and a friend, although he did not always let it show.

Adam saves Miller's life and Jim confesses that he always trusted him

In the charming universe of the two games, the characters appear in outfits that look like contemporary ones, but are also combining both vintage and futuristic elements. Same goes for the environments and the objects that we see in them. In the apartments we can see hi-tech devices next to gramophones or old-style display cases. Megan is seen wearing very modern leather pants and boots with metallic details, but she also has a pearl pendant hanging round her neck. Men's fashion is characterized by the same fusion style, with stylish boots and vests combined with classic shirts and haircuts.

The undercover agent Arun Singh in his very trendy outfit

This mix of time and style points to the fact that modern man is afraid of and unable to handle all the knowledge and information that are received everyday and is still clinging to the past to look for ideas, inspiration or simply for something to behold, since the future, as fascinating as it may be, will always remain uncertain and vague.

The undergrounds of the cities, however, still remain the same: dark, filled with dangers and mysteries – just like the human subconscious. Secret cults, cruel mafia bosses, serial killers roam the sewers and basements, waiting for the right moment to show themselves and demonstrate all the evil that they can do. The lethal gangs of Derelict Row in Human Revolution will stop at nothing to impose themselves in Detroit and establish their ‘kingdom’. Otar Botkoveli in Mankind Divided is an old school Mafioso whom Adam is able to tame by talking to him the right way, but who will very easily go mad when Adam ignores his request and will take revenge on him in a most painful way.

Why Botkoveli's black list includes exclusively young people, remains a mystery

The politicians and their strategies are not much different from the past either: demagogy, direct or indirect mass manipulation, taking all means necessary to establish power, everything that was always happening, is still happening and is doomed to go on happening as long as there are people on this planet. The rich are richer, the poor rarely manage to make their life better, the multinational corporations are spread everywhere. And all this, under the illusive veil of fake prosperity that the abunance of material things create. This image of the future is more or less like Adam; impressive and evolved on the surface, but with an inner melancholy that has become part of its being and is almost impossible to go away.