Deus Ex Art Director Slams Remaster: What the Heck! This Shouldnt Have Happened!

The iconic game Deus Ex from Ion Storm is set to make a comeback, yet fans are far from thrilled. The announcement of a remaster has sparked outrage due to notable changes in its visual style. Instead of the subtle atmosphere of the original, gamers were presented with bright, almost cartoonish effects and lighting, which many consider a betrayal of the spirit of the classic.

The developers at Aspyr have promised improved controls and bug fixes, but fans are primarily concerned about the look of this legendary immersive sim. Social media has been flooded with memes and complaints, with one player wryly asking, “Can I get my eyesight back?”

Upon seeing footage from the remaster, the original game’s art director, Jerry O’Flaherty, did not hold back in his criticism: “What the hell! No. This shouldn’t have happened. I apologize to everyone involved in this. Oh, well… if we’re doing it, why not? Who am I to judge?”

O’Flaherty emphasized that the original project was the result of a perfect blend of talent and technology. Led by Jay Lee, the team of artists crafted a visual style that closely matched the capabilities of the Unreal Engine, while the rest of the Ion Storm studio worked with Id Tech.

Jerry O’Flaherty

The artist noted that early 3D games required immense manual effort to achieve realism. He likened creating a visual style to painting a picture. O’Flaherty remarked that in the past, an artist could simply paint a nose and add a little white highlight, and the image would instantly come to life, appearing «realistic.» According to him, modern technology automates this process while chasing absolute realism, which diminishes expressiveness and impact.

He believes that «sometimes reality isn’t what’s needed,» as it’s important for an artist to enhance a scene slightly to make it look right. This is why, he pointed out, Hollywood pays close attention to lighting—not for accuracy, but to achieve the desired visual effect.

Fans echo O’Flaherty’s sentiment—Deus Ex certainly deserves a remaster, but not in its current form. Many recommend playing the original or its fan-enhanced version titled Deus Ex: Revision instead.

For those who aren’t put off by the new aesthetic of this classic, Deus Ex Remastered will be available on PC (Steam), Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch starting February 5, 2026. The developers have promised Russian text localization.