Deus Ex: Medical Revolution

Tomas has an article over on the Wellcome Trust's blog on the game Deus Ex: Human Revolution:

If, like me, you’re a gamer then you probably already know of the release of the hugely anticipated action game ‘Deus Ex: Human Revolution‘. If you’re not quite so geeky then let me introduce it – the game is a prequel to one of the most highly rated video games of all time, ‘Deus Ex’. Both games are a fusion of concepts; the cyberpunk ideas of William Gibson’s Neuromancer; age-old conspiracy theories; global pandemics; dystopia futures; and the upheaval of rapid technology development.

The original game received huge praise for the depth of its narrative and the excellent game that allowed players to solve problems and puzzles by means other than combat, such as stealth or dialogue. This game also featured a number of overarching biomedical themes, including a deadly virus called ‘Gray Death’ that had ravished the human population and the shortage of the vaccine that fights it.

Crucial to both the gameplay and story of Deus Ex was the idea of nanotechnologically-augmented human beings. The exploration of transhumanism and augmenting the human body far beyond our genetic heritage – with its technological ‘hows’ and the ethical ‘whys’ – are also critical elements of the current game. ...

Read the full article here.