Deus Ex Go

Last updated

Deus Ex Go
Deus ex go logo.png
Developer(s) Square Enix Montreal
Publisher(s) Square Enix
Series Deus Ex
Engine Unity [1]
Platform(s) Android, iOS, Windows, Windows 10 Mobile
ReleaseAugust 18, 2016 (2016-08-18)
Genre(s) Puzzle
Mode(s) Single-player

Deus Ex Go was a 2016 turn-based puzzle video game in the Deus Ex series by Square Enix. The player uses a touchscreen to move Adam Jensen, a protagonist from the cyberpunk-themed series, as a puzzle piece through a board game while avoiding obstacles and manipulating the environment. In-keeping with the main series, Jensen can hack environmental features such as turrets and platforms to bypass and eliminate enemies. The game follows the format of Hitman Go (2014) and Lara Croft Go (2015), in which Square Enix Montréal distilled major motifs from the games' respective series to fit turn-based, touchscreen, puzzle gameplay. New to the Go series, Deus Ex Go introduced an in-game story and puzzle creation mode. Deus Ex Go was released in August 2016, for Android and iOS platforms to generally favorable reviews. The game was later ported to Microsoft platforms. Critics wrote that the game successfully captured the cybernetic dystopia of the Deus Ex series and the brain teasing puzzles of the Go mobile game series. But compared to the other entries in the Go series, reviewers considered Deus Ex Go's to be less creative, with a lackluster story, less visually interesting aesthetic, and shorter length.

Contents

Embracer Group, following their acquisition of Square Enix Montréal, announced that Deus Ex Go would be removed from app stores with its servers shut down on January 4, 2023. [2]

Gameplay

In this screenshot of gameplay, Jensen (left) must reach the exit node without being killed by the guard. A computer terminal nearby controls a turret to help with this. Deus Ex Go screenshot.png
In this screenshot of gameplay, Jensen (left) must reach the exit node without being killed by the guard. A computer terminal nearby controls a turret to help with this.

The player touches the screen to move Adam Jensen, a protagonist from the stealth combat, cyber-dystopian Deus Ex series, between nodes on a hexagonal grid towards an exit. [3] [4] [5] If moved to a specific node, the character will stealthily take down guards, hack computers, and activate his human augmentations, such as invisibility. [3] Enemies who spot Jensen will move towards and, if they reach his node, eliminate him. Alternatively, Jensen can eliminate enemies if approaching from behind or their side. [5] In the game's story, which is set before the events of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided , [6] Jensen's sole mission is to save an important person, but is continually set back by puzzles—54 in total. [7]

The puzzles grow in complexity by adding complications to several simple mechanics. [8] Mechanical enemies and obstacles, such as gun turrets and raisable platforms, are hackable via computer terminals on nearby nodes. The player drags their finger on the touchscreen to connect the terminal's node and the hackable device. The character can store a power-up to move for two turns without detection while in an enemy's line of sight, activate terminals remotely, or use projectile attacks against guards on distant nodes. [5] The main game runs about three hours in length, [8] and the player can purchase puzzle solutions through microtransactions. [7] An additional puzzle design node—also new to the Go series—lets players make single-screen puzzles to share with others. [3] Square Enix highlights five new puzzles in a weekly rotation. [7] As part of a tie-in with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, players complete the main story and weekly puzzles in the mobile game to unlock perks in the console title. [9]

Development

Deus Ex Go follows the premise behind Square Enix Montreal's previous Go mobile series titles— Lara Croft Go (2015) and Hitman Go (2014)—in distilling the essence of the series' core gameplay for turn- and touchscreen-based puzzles. [3] The Deus Ex Go development team was split between employees who had worked on Hitman: Sniper and those who had worked on the Go series. Their combination was expected to resolve philosophical differences between the teams stemming from indie and AAA traditions of game development and pricing. [10] Throughout development, the team asked themselves whether the Go elements felt as if they belonged to the Deus Ex series. The team sampled several kinds of hacking mechanics before deciding to use terminals that modified each puzzle rather than performing single-use instrumental kills. They also decided to add a narrative—the first in the Go series—drawing from its importance in the main series. Several elements from the series did not translate well to mobile, such as player choice, which had too many possibilities to suit the game's puzzle-solving. [6] The team also invested in tools that made puzzle construction easier. Prior games took three months to make 25 puzzles, while Deus Ex Go's tool nearly tripled their output. As a result, the team planned post-release puzzles and a tool for players to create their own. [6] This new puzzle design mode released, as planned, [4] two months after the game's launch. [11] [12] Designer Étienne Giroux compared their choice to release a new daily puzzle with progressive difficulty peaking on Fridays to the regularity of The New York Times crossword puzzles. [10] Square Enix said that the game's puzzles were more difficult than those of previous games, [13] and unlike the prior two Go games, Deus Ex Go uses a hexagonal grid instead of squares. [14] Square Enix announced Deus Ex Go at a press event in advance of the June 2016 Electronic Entertainment Expo. It was released on August 18, 2016, for Android and iOS platforms on both phones and tablets. [15] The game was later ported to Windows and Windows 10 Mobile, [16] and the team later released a documentary video on their development process. [17]

Embracer Group, following their acquisition of Square Enix Montréal, announced that Deus Ex Go would be removed from app stores with its servers shut down on January 4, 2023. [18]

Reception

Prior to the game's release, Ryan McCaffrey ( IGN ) wrote that the Go series composed the "smartest" mobile entries of a high-budget, major video game series. [5] Critics who previewed the game found it to be on par with the other Go titles. [5] [14] Colin Campbell ( Polygon ) said that previews of the game matched the series' aesthetic. [4]

The game received "generally favorable" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. [19] Reviewers wrote that the game successfully captured the cybernetic dystopia of the Deus Ex series and the brain-teasing puzzles of the Go mobile game series. [8] [7] [20] [22] Compared to the other entries in the Go series, reviewers considered Deus Ex Go's added story to be lackluster, its aesthetic to be less visually interesting, and its length to be shorter. [7] [8] [21] While some reviewers tired of the Go series, [20] others thought Deus Ex Go continued the high standards of its forebears. [7]

Among the most satisfying moments in the Go series, the IGN and TouchArcade reviewers appreciated the game mechanic of determining how best to use a hack or drone to slip past enemies. [8] [21] The IGN reviewer found the game's puzzles somewhat harder than those of its predecessors, but was able to easily resolve them upon after taking brief breaks. The game's minimalism also led to some complications. Some of the solutions, he complained, were dependent on unintuitive player experimentation, such as realizing that the invisibility device also served as a projectile. Some of these visual cues were lost amidst the game's visual presentation. [8] TouchArcade wondered whether the simplified environment was an aesthetic choice or the result of efforts to save on development costs. [21] The GameSpot reviewer was disappointed to see an option for paid puzzle solutions in an otherwise short game about discovering the secret to a puzzle on one's own. [7] Compared to the main series, in which the player may stake out a building at a distance, the experimentation in Deus Ex Go is limited to finding the right answer rather than finding multiple routes to solve the same problem. [22]

IGN wrote that the game's story and environments remained in the background and were ultimately forgettable, or in the case of the former, a hindrance, [8] especially when the scenes could not be skipped on later replays. [20] By the same token, predecessors such as Lara Croft Go hid treasures in its background such that players would revisit its levels, but Deus Ex Go had little to interest players besides its primary mission. [8] [7] The game's sole challenge of completing the puzzle in the fewest moves, GameSpot explained, quickly became uninteresting. [7] Gamezebo's reviewer instead faulted the series and wrote that after three games, its formula felt repetitive. [20] TouchArcade concluded that, unlike the other Go games, Deus Ex Go was less creative overall and did not subvert the themes of its parent series quite like the others. [21]

During the 20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Deus Ex Go for "Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year". [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Square Enix</span> Japanese entertainment company

Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational holding company, video game publisher and entertainment conglomerate. It releases role-playing game franchises, such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts, among numerous others. Outside of video game publishing and development, it is also in the business of merchandise, arcade facilities, and manga publication under its Gangan Comics brand.

<i>Lumines: Puzzle Fusion</i> 2004 puzzle video game

Lumines: Puzzle Fusion is a 2004 puzzle game developed by Q Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). During the game, players must strategically arrange falling 2×2 blocks comprising two colors to form single-color 2×2 squares. A vertical "time line" sweeps across the field, erases completed squares, and awards points. Each stage features a unique skin that influences the background, block colors, accompanying music, and the time line's speed.

<i>Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions</i> 2007 video game

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). The game is an updated version of Final Fantasy Tactics made for the PlayStation, which was released in 1997.

<i>Deus Ex: Human Revolution</i> 2011 video game

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is an action role-playing game developed by Eidos-Montréal and published by Square Enix's European branch for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360 in August 2011. A version for OS X was released in April 2012. The game is a prequel to the original Deus Ex (2000) and the third installment in the Deus Ex series. The gameplay combines first-person shooter, stealth, and role-playing elements. It features exploration and combat in environments connected to multiple city-based hubs, in addition to quests that grant experience and allow customization of the main character's abilities with items called Praxis Kits. Conversations between characters feature a variety of responses, with options in conversations and at crucial story points affecting how some events play out.

<i>Crystal Defenders</i> Two tower defense video games by Square Enix

Crystal Defenders is a set of two tower defense video games developed and published by Square Enix. The games use the setting of Ivalice and design elements from Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, forming part of the wider Final Fantasy franchise. The games feature a selection of characters sporting Final Fantasy-based character classes, and play out tower defense scenarios against recurring series of monsters. The first game in the series is Crystal Guardians, which was released in three parts for Japanese mobile phones in 2008. It was adapted for iOS later that year as Square Enix's first game for the platform, and renamed Crystal Defenders. Under that name, the game was also released between 2009 and 2011 for Android, Xbox Live Arcade, WiiWare, and PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable via the PlayStation Store. It was re-released with graphical improvements for iOS as Crystal Defenders Plus in 2013. A sequel, Crystal Defenders: Vanguard Storm, was released for iOS in 2009.

<i>Yosumin!</i> 2007 video game

Yosumin! (よすみん。) is a puzzle video game released as a flash game for the personal computer. Later, it was ported to the Nintendo DS console and the Xbox 360. The game involves players manipulating a grid of "yosumin", or tiles to make color matches and eliminate a certain number before time runs out. Developed and published in Japan by Square Enix, the game was created to and brought to other platforms in an effort to expand their game portfolio and attract more casual players. The game has received mixed reviews, with some noting its originality and addictive gameplay, and others noting the game's limited nature.

<i>Deus Ex</i> Video game series

Deus Ex is a series of role-playing video games, set during the mid 21st century. Focusing on the conflict between secretive factions who wish to control the world by proxy, and the effects of transhumanistic attitudes and technologies in a dystopian near-future setting, the series also includes references to real-world conspiracy theories, historical mythologies and philosophies, and provides a commentary on capitalist values and division in society. The first two games in the series were developed by Ion Storm, and subsequent entries were developed by Eidos-Montréal, following Ion Storm's closure. The Ion Storm games were published by Eidos Interactive, and all Eidos-Montréal media was published by Square Enix until 2022, when ownership was sold to Embracer Group.

<i>Deus Ex: The Fall</i> 2013 video game

Deus Ex: The Fall is an action role-playing video game developed by N-Fusion Interactive under the supervision of Eidos-Montréal. A spin-off of the Deus Ex series, the game was published by Square Enix's European branch for iOS in 2013. Android and Windows versions released in 2014. The gameplay—combining first-person shooter, stealth and role-playing elements—features exploration and combat in Panama City and quests which grant experience and allow customization of the main character's abilities.

<i>Blek</i> 2013 video game

Blek is a 2013 puzzle video game for iOS and Android by Kunabi Brother, a team of brothers Denis and Davor Mikan. The player draws a snakelike black line that recurs in pattern and velocity across the screen to remove colored dots and avoid black dots. It is minimalist in design, features excerpts of Erin Gee, and takes inspiration from Golan Levin, the Bauhaus, and Japanese calligraphy. The brothers designed the game as a touchscreen adaptation of the Snake concept and worked on the game for over six months. It was released in December 2013 for iPad, and was later released for other iOS devices and Android.

<i>Hitman Go</i> 2014 video game

Hitman Go is a turn-based puzzle video game developed by Square Enix Montréal and published by Square Enix's European subsidiary. Announced in February 2014, the game was released for iOS in April 2014 and for Android in June 2014. Windows and Windows Phone versions were released the following year in April 2015. In February 2016, a "Definitive Edition" version was released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and on Linux and Windows via Steam. It is the first game developed by Square Enix Montréal, a studio founded in 2011. Development entered full production in 2013 and was completed by eleven people using the Unity game engine.

<i>SpellTower</i> 2011 puzzle video game

SpellTower is a 2011 word puzzle game developed by Zach Gage. In the game, the player must clear the screen before it overflows by creating words from assorted letter tiles. The game has several game modes and a multiplayer battle mode. The impetus for the game—the concept of combining elements from Tetris and Boggle in what was a prototype of the puzzle video game Puzzlejuice—inspired Gage to create SpellTower. The game was released for iOS in November 2011 to generally favorable reviews. Versions for OS X and Android followed over the next two years. In 2017 SpellTower Minutes was released. This browser-based Flash game created special "blitz" like modes not found in the mobile releases. A new iOS version released in 2017 swapped out the unnamed dictionary and began using Merriam-Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. French and Dutch language specific versions were also released. A 2020 release, SpellTower+, added new game modes, cleaner visuals, and a jazz soundtrack.

<i>Deus Ex: Mankind Divided</i> 2016 video game

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is a 2016 action role-playing game developed by Eidos-Montréal and published by Square Enix for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in August 2016. Versions for Linux and macOS systems were released in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The game is the sequel to Deus Ex: Human Revolution and the fifth installment in the Deus Ex series. The gameplay combines first-person shooter, stealth and role-playing elements. It features exploration and combat in environments connected to the main hub of Prague and quests which grant experience and allow customization of the main character's abilities with Praxis Kits. Conversations between characters have a variety of responses, with options in conversations and at crucial story points affecting how events play out. Players can complete Breach, a cyberspace-set challenge mode, in addition to the main campaign. Breach was later released as a free, standalone product.

<i>TouchTone</i> 2015 video game

TouchTone is a 2015 puzzle video game developed and published by Mikengreg, a two-person indie game development team made up of Mike Boxleiter and Greg Wohlwend. The player monitors phone calls as part of a government surveillance program to find public threats. They unlock chains of emails by completing a series of puzzles in which a beam is reflected around a room to a set destination. TouchTone's core concept grew from a two-day game jam immediately following their 2012 release of Gasketball but only found its hacker theme following the mid-2013 global surveillance disclosures of Edward Snowden. The tone of TouchTone's story grew from satirical to serious over the course of the game's development.

<i>Lara Croft Go</i> 2015 video game

Lara Croft Go is a puzzle video game developed by Square Enix Montreal and published by Square Enix. A spin-off of the Tomb Raider series. The player moves Lara Croft as a puzzle piece through a board game while avoiding obstacles and manipulating the environment. The developers distilled major series motifs, such as boulder-chases and reaction-based gameplay, to suit Lara Croft Go's time-independent gameplay. The game was developed as a spiritual successor to its 2014 Hitman Go, based on another Square Enix Europe franchise. It was released in August 2015 for Android, iOS, Windows, and Windows Phone devices. Versions for PlayStation 4 PlayStation Vita and Steam were released in December 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Square Enix Montreal</span> Canadian video game developer

Square Enix Montréal was a Canadian video game developer based in Montreal. It created the Go series of turn-based puzzle games for mobile devices based on former Eidos Interactive intellectual properties.

<i>Hitman: Sniper</i> 2015 video game

Hitman: Sniper is a 2015 mobile shooting gallery video game in the Hitman series by Square Enix Montréal. As the series' mainstay protagonist Agent 47, the player looks through a first-person sniper scope vision on their touchscreen device to assassinate several powerful figures who have assembled at a lakeside compound without alerting their associates. The player uses the environment to find creative ways to kill these targets, sometimes prompted by secondary objectives. Through mission progression, the player unlocks more powerful weapons and new weapon abilities.

References

  1. ↑ "Deus Ex GO". Made with Unity . August 22, 2016. Archived from the original on January 31, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  2. ↑ Hollister, Sean (November 23, 2022). "Embracer is ripping a beloved mobile game away from people who paid for it". The Verge . Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Machkovech, Sam (June 8, 2016). "Ars takes on new Deus Ex's "mechanical apartheid," plus two side games". Ars Technica . Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Campbell, Colin (June 8, 2016). "Deus Ex Go confirmed for later this year". Polygon . Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 McCaffrey, Ryan (June 8, 2016). "E3 2016: Deus Ex Go Is a Hack-and-Swipe Deus Ex Adventure". IGN . Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 Clark, Willie (August 4, 2016). "How Square Enix brought Deus Ex to mobile". ZAM. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Paget, Mat (August 18, 2016). "Deus Ex Go Review". GameSpot . Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dornbush, Jonathon (August 18, 2016). "Deus Ex Go Review". IGN . Archived from the original on December 6, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  9. ↑ Paget, Mat (August 18, 2016). "Earn Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Skill Points by Playing Deus Ex Go". GameSpot . Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  10. 1 2 Webster, Andrew (August 18, 2016). "Enter the studio turning Deus Ex and Lara Croft into awesome mobile games". The Verge . Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  11. ↑ Dotson, Carter (November 23, 2016). "'Deus Ex Go' Puzzle Maker Update Now Available". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on December 11, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  12. ↑ Cowan, Danny (November 21, 2016). "'Deus Ex Go' players can design maps using new level editing and sharing functionality". Digital Trends . Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  13. ↑ Makuch, Eddie. "'Deus Ex Go' Announced, Will Include Tough Puzzles and Map-Making Tool After Launch". GameSpot . Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  14. 1 2 Loveridge, Sam (June 8, 2016). "Deus Ex GO preview: another mobile game success?". Digital Spy . Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  15. ↑ Dotson, Carter (August 11, 2016). "'Deus Ex GO' Releases on August 18th". TouchArcade . Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Buy Deus Ex GO". Microsoft .
  17. ↑ Dotson, Carter (March 15, 2017). "Square Enix Montreal Releases 'Deus Ex GO' Trilogy Stories Video". TouchArcade. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  18. ↑ Hollister, Sean (November 23, 2022). "Embracer is ripping a beloved mobile game away from people who paid for it". The Verge . Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  19. 1 2 "Deus Ex GO Critic Reviews for iPhone/iPad". Metacritic . Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 Rich, Rob (August 18, 2016). "Deus Ex GO Review: Still Walking the Line". Gamezebo . Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 Dotson, Carter (August 17, 2016). "'Deus Ex GO' Review – Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?". TouchArcade . Archived from the original on December 11, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  22. 1 2 Donlan, Christian (September 1, 2016). "Deus Ex Go isn't really Deus Ex, but it understands what's great about it". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on October 31, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  23. ↑ "2017 Awards Category Details Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved November 30, 2023.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.