Internet Divided: Deus Ex and fiction versus reality

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, the next entry in the critically-acclaimed video game series, launches on August 23rd. It promises to continue exploring the complex themes and narrative of its predecessor, Human Revolution. Questions of humanity, playing God, man versus machine and man as machine will be raised as players explore a dark vision of our future.

Unfortunately, a public relations disaster has plunged the game into a hotbed of controversy and complaints. Shortly after a piece of concept art from the upcoming game was shared online, game news outlets and social media followers were quick to voice concern.

The artwork shows a group of protesters clashing with a a wall of riot police. Amongst the group, a banner that reads 'AUGS LIVES MATTERS' can be seen clear as day. Unless you've been comatose for the past two or three years, that seems like a reference to the very real 'Black Lives Matter'. Coined in response to various incidents of black American citizens being injured or killed at the hands of law enforcement, Black Lives Matter is just one of the many insane things happening in the world today. It's a current world issue and one that shouldn't be referenced or discussed lightly, so of course people had something to say when this image went public.

This isn't the first time Mankind Divided has provoked controversy. The concept of 'mechanical apartheid' was thrown around in promotional material, referencing the racial oppression in South Africa. Though the term is clever and clearly sets the tone for Deus Ex, it's still an uncomfortable reminder of one of the darkest periods in recent history. But these two examples raise an important question. How much reality do we want in our fictional media and how much can we handle? Clearly, some people are upset by this usage of a real world issue within the game. Manveer Heir, gameplay designer of Mass Effect: Andromeda got into a heated exchange on Twitter with Andre Vu, Deus Ex's global brand director.

When you look elsewhere, it's easy to find uncomfortable reflections of reality within videogames. Reports of racial profiling and unprovoked attacks by police officers in Grand Theft Auto V lead to an investigation by YouTube channel The Game Theorists. Though nothing could be confirmed, it seemed that police were more hostile towards the black protagonist Franklin in the lower-class areas of Los Santos, a fictionalised version of Los Angeles. Of course, LA has a documented history of police racism with the case of Rodney King and the LA Riots that followed. So how does this reflection of reality within a game make us feel?

Another example fresh in my mind would be the incredible episodic adventure Life is Strange, a time-bending tale of mystery and loss. Though the game seems lighthearted at first with its colourful art style and pleasant indie soundtrack, things quickly take a turn. The game explores a variety of disturbing themes and scenarios that emotionally devastated me as a player. But what stands out to me is how very real some parts of the game are (suicide, teacher-student relationships, drugging and abduction) despite the sci-fi elements. Maybe I was too invested in the characters to associate this darkness with real life, too immersed with the fictional setting of Arcadia Bay. By taking those scenes and removing them of context, the reality behind them is extremely uncomfortable. I won't delve into spoilers because I thoroughly recommend you play it for yourself, but there's some taboos and controversies explored in Life is Strange in very interesting ways.

But back to Deus Ex. As far as I'm concerned, even if you remove the offensive potential and loaded connotations and connections of real-world tragedy, 'Augs Lives Matter' is a creative misfire. Science fiction succeeds when it depicts reality through the lens of a world similar to our own, but distant enough to create artistic separation and allow room for criticism. By simply lifting a current issue and throwing it into the game under a different context, the creative team behind Mankind Divided come off as lazy. Though it took a couple of revisions and cuts to get there, Blade Runner tells a wonderfully complex yet vague story with the same themes and issues as Deus Ex. However, it does so totally on its own terms within its own world, rather than riffing so bluntly on events of the time. Though I really enjoy the atmosphere of Human Revolution and found its vision of Detroit to be engaging, it's nowhere near as beard-strokingly intellectual as it thinks. Here's hoping Mankind Divided strives to become a game worth discussing and exploring in detail in relation to reality, rather than a surface reflection without substance.