Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Eidos Montreal Declares Lesson Learned From Deus Ex Boss Fights
In a recent interview, Deus Ex: Human Revolution lead Jean-François Dugas discusses the negative reaction to the game's outsourced boss battles, stating the company has learned its lesson.
Speaking with Rock Paper Shotgun, Dugas explained the studio's intentions behind the boss battles. "When we started, the goal was to have those boss fights with the same design and rules as the rest of the game," Dugas said. "We had our pillars of stealth, of non-lethal actions, and everything else, and we wanted to make sure that was reflected in the bosses, but in the end it was not. ...I think the biggest weakness there wasn't the concept of having boss fights, it's just that our boss fights are not Deus Ex boss fights and that's why people are complaining about them. I guess we live and learn."
Dugas went on to state that the team didn't realize how frustrating the ill-advised boss encounters would be for players. "The biggest surprise, actually, was having released the game and finding that people thought they were frustrating. Not just that they weren't that interesting, but that they were frustrating. The playtesters internally gave us a lot of good feedback for the game, and on the bosses they felt that the fights were entertaining and making you use what you had learned. They didn't say they were frustrating. We knew it was not in step with the rest of the game, but the surprise for us was that the playtesting was correct everywhere but the boss fights. So lesson learned."
It's unfortunate that the boss battles mar an otherwise well-received return for the Deus Ex series, but it sounds like Eidos Montreal won't make the same mistake again, so here's hoping the developer can continue to improve the franchise.
[via PC Gamer]
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
