Skip to main content

Political message prominent in ‘Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’ live-action trailer

The Deus Ex series has never been one to hide its political influences, with the constant struggle of augmented humans mirroring real-world apartheid, as well as Neill Blomkamp’s masterpiece District 9. The game’s latest trailer, shot in live action, paints a desolate picture of what an “augmented vs. humans” future could look like, and continues the series’ bold political message.

“This is an attack on humanity and the universal values that we share,” says secretary general Peter Roberts in the trailer as a news anchor reports that more than 9 million people have already been killed during the struggle, with the number quickly rising.

The anchor adds, however, that the people responsible for deaths were hacked and did not voluntarily commit the attacks. After an augmented woman angrily pushes her husband through a window, she looks down at her hands as if to say, “What have I done?”

“We can be politically correct, or we can be foolish,” adds senator Ross Sheldon. It doesn’t take a lot of thinking to figure out who Eidos and Square Enix want that character to represent.

News reports also indicate that a prescription medication required for augmented humans to not reject their robotic parts — and risk death– has begun to run short in supply. Something makes us think that wasn’t an accident. An “aug” activist adds that society has begun to build concentration camps as we see citizens set on fire and brutally beaten by the police.

“The separation act has been passed into law, effective immediately,” a PSA states. Protagonist Adam Jensen certainly didn’t ask for this, but he will have to stop it.

It’s all a tad on the nose and cheesy, but given the subject matter we’re dealing with in the Deus Ex universe, the tone of the trailer is close to perfect. We’ll find out if the game is as successful when it launches for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on August 23.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
The best iPhone emulators
A collage of the delta emulator.

The market for iPhone games has become so wide and diverse that it can realistically compete with most console and PC offerings. Where we once only got cheap time-wasters, we now have complete experiences that don't feel any less impressive than what the competition offers. In fact, a lot of games made for consoles are appearing on the iPhone now that it is becoming so powerful. However, older games have paradoxically been mostly absent from the app store.

That all could be about to change as emulation is now allowed on iPhone, though with some caveats that any retro fan should know about before getting too excited to play all your favorite NES games on your phone. Here's what's up with iPhone emulators, as well as our picks for a few of the best ones you can get right now.
What you need to know about emulation on iPhone
Emulators on iPhone, as well as emulation in general, are in a strange legal gray zone. Previously, the only way to get an emulator on your iPhone was through some workarounds that generally involved jailbreaking your phone. That differs from Android, which has enjoyed native emulators for years. In 2024, Apple updated its App Store guidelines to allow for emulators on its store, but with some important restrictions.

Read more
Epic Games just teased a Fallout and Fortnite crossover
Two vault-dwellers and a helmet from a set of power armor.

With Fallout being everywhere right now, it's only fair that it joins Fortnite, too. Epic Games teased on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday that the iconic open-world RPG series will be coming to Fortnite.

While there aren't any public details yet on what will be offered during this collaboration, we can expect some Fallout-themed weapons and some skins. Maybe a vault dweller suit or some power armor? Since Epic put a thumbs-up emoji in the caption, it's safe to assume that Vault Boy will be involved.

Read more
Deadlock is a new hero shooter developed by Valve, according to leaks
Three heroes lined up in green, red, and blue shades.

Valve might be more known for its Steam Deck handheld and its video game retail platform Steam these days, but according to leaks, the company is working on its next game —  a third-person, hero-based shooter known as Deadlock.

Screenshots of the game and basic details were posted on X (formerly Twitter) by noted Valve game data miner Gabe Follower and on YouTube by Tyler McVicker, who also has a proven track record of leaking Valve info. Both posted about Deadlock first on Thursday, saying it would feature teams of six battling each other on a map with four lanes. It would also feature art that looks inspired by DOTA, the company's multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) series, with steampunk mixed in for good measure.

Read more