Games

The excellent 2011 cyber-stealth RPG Deus Ex: Human Revolution is headed for the big screen . CBS Films have picked up the rights to develop the game as a film, apparently impressed by the game's sales of 2.5 million copies to date. Human Revolution was a prequel to two earlier games in the series: Deus Ex (2000), which is frequently-cited as the best RPG (if not the best game) of all time, and Deus Ex: Invisible War (2003), which is not. The game is set in Detroit in 2027, where a former SWAT team member, Adam Jensen, is rebuilt with 'augments', cybernetic implants and limbs which allow him to function after suffering near-fatal injuries. The plot of the game, and presumably the movie, revolves around the tensions over the differences between augmented people and 'normal' citizens, against a backdrop of the rising power of international corporations. The game was highly acclaimed upon release. Producer Roy Lee encouragingly worked on last year's well-receiv...

Yup, it's that time of year again :-) Best Novels 1. The Islanders by Christopher Priest Priest's first novel in a decade may not be quite his best, but it is still an impressive achievement. Taking the form of a gazetteer to a fictional archipelago of islands, this was a short story collection, novel and worldbuilding guidebook (but also very much a deconstruction of the notion of worldbuilding) all wrapped into one compelling whole. Especially notable for showcasing Priest's not-very-often-aired sense of humour. Inventive and rewarding. 2. The White Luck Warrior by R. Scott Bakker Bakker's Second Apocalypse fantasy sequence (of which this is the fifth volume, and the second volume of the second of three trilogies set in the world of Earwa) passes its mid-point with Bakker's customary intellectual vigour, foreboding atmosphere and memorable scenes (the finale is stunning). He also brings back the massive battle sequences and more successfully manages the politics...

Detroit, 2027. The human race is changing, with nanotech research and cybernetics technology making 'augmented' humans stronger, faster and smarter than their 'normal' forebears. Numerous groups are opposed to augmentation on ethical and religious grounds. Adam Jensen, chief of security at Sarif Industries, one of the leaders in augmentation research, is severely wounded when terrorists attack and destroy one of Sarif's labs. Saved by augmentation, Adam must investigate the attack, discover the motives of those seeking to destroy Sarif Industries and, ultimately, decided which side of the argument is the 'right' one. Human Revolution is the third game in the Deus Ex franchise, serving as a prequel to the events of the original Deus Ex and its lacklustre sequel, Invisible War . Set twenty-five years before the first game, Human Revolution helps show how that world of nanotech and enhanced humans came into existence. As a prequel, Human Revolution require...