Warren Spector discusses Deux Ex PS2

Ion Storm's Warren Spector has provided an update on the development status of Deus Ex for the Sony PlayStation 2. Spector first addressed the general feeling among many that PC first-person shooters often don't work on console platforms, particularly when using a control scheme that is modified to fit the parameters of a controller, as opposed to a mouse and keyboard. "We knew we couldn't just use a console controller to emulate a mouse and keyboard," Spector said. "We knew we had to rework the interface completely, and that's just what we did--we ripped the PC interface right out and started from scratch. In the end, miraculously, the team was able to come up with an interface that didn't compromise any of the functionality of the PC version. When you play the PS2 version of Deus Ex, you'll find some dramatically streamlined interface screens. And you'll find controls designed specifically for the PS2 controller--controls that may even be more intuitive and easier than the PC controls. The new interface package looks like, works like, and plays like a console game because it is a console interface."

Aside from the control scheme, there are a variety of enhancements planned for the PS2 version of the game. In fact, the list of specific enhancements for the port is quite significant. According to Spector, the development team was able to increase the polygon counts on all the characters in the game and also in many of the environmental objects. In terms of presentation, brand-new cinematics were created for the game's intro sequence and all the endings. Additionally, a live orchestra was used to record a new theme song for the PS2 version of the game. "Deus Ex is up and running on a PS2, and we didn't have to make any significant compromises to make it work," Spector explained. "Not only did the team manage to bring over every location, every character, every line of dialogue, every character-development option, every conspiratorial plot twist, and every genre-bending play-style choice and problem-solving option, but we were also able to make some enhancements to the original game."

Spector wrapped up his update with a message to consumers interested in Deus Ex for the PlayStation 2. As with the PC original, Deux Ex on the PS2 combines a variety of genres--first-person shooter, stealth, adventure, and role-playing--into one comprehensive game. Adding further depth, much of the game's direction is left up to the player. "Deus Ex was, in a lot of ways, unlike any game anyone had ever played on a PC, and it's equally unlike any game anyone's played on a console," Spector said. "And that is an approach to gameplay that has nothing to do with platforms. It isn't a PC idea or a PlayStation 2 idea--it's simply a gameplay idea that we think will please players regardless of platform. And we made no compromises in bringing that idea to the PS2. None. Before we shipped the PC version, none of us knew how players would respond to such a radical new approach to gameplay. (Luckily, a lot of gamers gave us a big thumbs up!) Now, we're biting our fingernails, worrying about how a whole new audience will like it. We truly believe our approach to gameplay represents the future of gaming. Give the game a shot and tell us if we're right."