Despite the problems, Cyberpunk 2077 could lead to a resurgence of Deus Ex

The release of Cyberpunk 2077 will be remembered for a long time in the gaming industry, some for brilliant marketing, others for problems with console versions. There is no doubt that a lot of gamers are upset with the game for one reason or another. However, where there is discontent, there are new opportunities.

Original publication: PCGamer

In 2013, when EA released the reboot of SimCity, the game included some interesting ideas, but the gameplay was overshadowed by a number of dire design decisions. Two years after that, Colossal Order released Cities: Skylines. Based on SimCity, avoiding the mistakes of its predecessor and fixing problems, the result is the best city-building simulator in the history of the industry.



And such opportunities appear against the background of Cyberpunk 2077. Moreover, there is already a well-known and beloved series that is ideal for the continuation - Deus Ex. The franchise published by Square Enix has been on a freeze since 2016 after Mankind Divided failed to reach expected sales. However, the massive attention and commercial success of Cyberpunk 2077, combined with significant challenges, opens the door for the return of Deus Ex.

And to some extent, this is ironic, because Deus Ex became the foundation for Cyberpunk 2077, using the same gameplay mechanics that combine shooting, stealth, hacking computer systems and augmentation. Not to mention plot features like corporate conspiracies. At its core, Deus Ex is cyberpunk. But it was never advertised in this form. When the original game came out, the focus was on innovative structure and systems. When the 2011 relaunch came out, the variety of approaches and mechanics again became the main feature. After all, cyberpunk is only a tool for shaping the world, not something interesting in itself.

This does not mean that Deus Ex should offer itself as an analogue of Cyberpunk 2077. If it comes to that, the obtrusive, somewhere even aggressive marketing policy of CD Projekt RED has become one of the reasons why some gamers are disappointed with the game. After the release, the developers even changed the description from an action-RPG to an action-adventure game. However, Deus Ex can be portrayed as more than just cyberpunk. Moreover, the existing games in the series are already like that.

Deus Ex's superiority is particularly evident in the role-playing component of both games. Bugs and technical flaws aside, one of the main problems with Cyberpunk 2077 is that the game's RPG systems are either poorly implemented or simply don't work. And this is in view of the fact that CD Projekt RED has already gone through difficulties with the development of characters. Even in The Witcher 3, the leveling system remains one of the weak links. Fortunately, there are modifications for this on the PC. However, in The Witcher, this was not that important, as the game did not rely on these systems for immersion in the world.


Against this background, Cyberpunk 2077 is much more system-dependent, so the mechanics' flaws become especially obvious. When you look at the perks, they look impressive at first, however, almost all upgrades are limited by the percentage increase in abstract units, such as accuracy or damage. In the stealth tree, only the ability to throw knives can be considered the most interesting upgrade. Cyberimplant improvements are a little less than completely boring. Particularly disappointing are the mantis blades that CD Projekt RED highlighted in their presentations. They look cool, but in practice they hardly change the melee. The analogue of such blades from Adam Jensen is much more pleasant to use, and it looks much exciting, albeit limited by a number of animations.

Against the backdrop of Cyberpunk 2077, the Deus Ex augmentation really matters and can dramatically affect the character. While the ideas of the original game sound trite now, two decades ago the ability to see enemies through walls, lift three times your weight, and run silently were revolutionary. Square Enix's prequels allowed us to punch through walls, hide from enemies, and release explosives from Jensen's body. Almost every upgrade looks cool, useful, or both. Because of this, the addition of new augmentation and the discovery of Praxis was of great importance.

Feeling the importance of the event is another side that Cyberpunk 2077 faces. It might sound absurd considering how beautiful the game looks, but this is not about the visual performance, but the approach to the design of levels and missions. Each Deus Ex mission is inherently similar to an advanced heist, from the tutorial on the island to the infiltration of Area 51. Each goal was reflected in the format "here's an impossible task for you, go solve it." The remakes followed this concept. Example - The Mankind Divided bank raid featured some of the best moments in the series.


Cyberpunk 2077 also has such moments. Unsurprisingly, these are some of the best situations in the game. Examples include the parade and the last mission. However, they are so reluctant to give us the reins of government that they look more like a clipping from another Call of Duty, and not an RPG. Side quests often have open endings, but most of them develop in a rather commonplace environment. It's okay if the game systems allow us to experiment and have fun, but more often than not, the vast world of Cyberpunk 2077 quickly slips into repetition.

With all this in mind, the release of a new Deus Ex game would be incredibly successful in the coming years. Eidos Montreal already knows how to work with this universe, and Mankind Divided has shown that the studio is capable of experimenting with the open world. The question is, will the developers be able to incorporate past experience, the bugs of Cyberpunk 2077, and would Square Enix be interested in doing so?

Unfortunately, there is currently no indication that the publisher may unfreeze the episode. Recently, the company has tried its hand at games-services, but the result is not yet impressive. Since the release of Mankind Divided, Eidos Montreal has been working on Marvel's Avengers, which has also disappointed with sales. Should someone in the Square Enix office be looking at the frantic numbers of Cyberpunk 2077 and drawing a parallel with Deus Ex?