Unpacking Deus Ex: Mankind Divided's convoluted "augment your pre-order" program
I never asked for this.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided deals with the theme of human augmentation in a slick, Bladerunner-esque sci-fi world.
But in the here and now, in the real world, the game's publisher Square Enix is dealing in the business of "augmented pre-orders".
"In the spirit of choice", Square Enix has put together a special program called "Augment your Pre-order".
This lets you choose the digital pre-order bonuses you want to get for your Day One edition of the game, selected from five - five - different tiers which unlock progressively.
Each tier includes between one and three rewards. The first tier is automatically unlocked, but all subsequent tiers are unlocked based on predetermined (and secret) global pre-order goals for the game. "Overcome the division of mankind and unite to fully unlock and Augment Your Pre-order!" is the marketing blurb.
If you participate (pre-order the game), you get to choose one reward from each tier. The rewards within each tier include in-game item packs, digital books and music, as well as an in-game mission.
The last tier is an early release of the game, four days prior to the planned 23rd February 2016 launch.
Meanwhile, if you can't be bothered with the pre-order program but want everything it has to offer, the Collector's Edition includes all the in-game content and rewards from the Augment your Pre-order program, as well as physical items that were decided by a community vote.
These items include a 48-page artbook created with Titan Books, a 9" Adam Jensen figurine, a steelbook and the Day One edition of the game, which all come in exclusive packaging.
That's your lot, then, for Deus Ex pre-orders. As Square Enix says, "your augmented future awaits". I can't wait.
