The image of the local scene in everything you do

I just came back from a friend's place. He was quite excited to show me Deus Ex Human Revolution. The graphics are stellar, the soundtrack is engaging, and the actors for the English dubs are not that bad. A video game is  like a book or a movie, it has to be interpreted according to the context in which it was developed.
As for Deus Ex, I am not sure if there are "archetypes". The characters that I have seen thus far are not that many, but the presence of homeless people, advertising and multi-cultural/ethnic reality is very, very Montreal. As much as I like the city, homelessness is rampant. There are shelters, but the migration of outcasts from the smaller towns or from other regions of Canada, the lack of affordable housing and the faltering economy makes it difficult for city and provincial planners to develop long term solutions. Then again, is there a city in North America or Australia that does not seem multicultural?
Returning to principal theme of this entry, Deus Ex also has some elements of social commentary that are being seen more and more in Québec. For example, religious extremism, corporate conspiracy, and a reduced mobility. As much as technology can offer changes in this world, it is unlikely that everybody will embrace the changes once they are possible.

The setting of Detroit does have some resemblances to Montreal. Although the effects of decay, or rustbelting has not hit Montreal as badly. There are neighborhoods where you'll have a hard time finding something to eat other than a hot dog and fries, abandoned factories and low cost housing without the infrastructure to make the place liveable. Another aspect that reflects the poverty found in Montreal is  the large number of drug trial clinics. They do have many parallels with the "limb" services available in Deus Ex.

Although the Montreal does not have incredibly dirty streets, they are far from being like anything you would see in an East Asian city(ie. Taipei, Tokyo, Hanoi, Shanghai). In Deus Ex, I found that the metro stations, and even the style of the automated parking meters made me think of Montreal.

The mix of a futuristic world with ongoing social problems does have its flaws : regarding gaming AI - hostile enemies do not follow you out or use the elevators, nor do doors do not automatically open like in any shop that you would normally go to!