Deus Ex HD texture mod 'New Vision' released

If you fancy replaying Deus Ex in preparation for prequel Deus Ex: Human Revolution's launch later this month but are put off by its decade-old texturing, help is at hand. After four years of development, the first full release of HD texture mod New Vision has launched.

New Vision replaces 75% of the environment textures in Deus Ex with shiny "high definition" versions. Why only 75%? Developer 'DaveW' explains, "The other 25% isn't being redone, I don't have the time. The 75% are the vast majority of textures, the rest are generally minor detail elements."

Only world textures are replaced, mind, not weapons, characters, items, and all that jazz. The much-anticipated High Definition Texture Project is intended going to replace those other elements, but it's had a rocky development history. A beta version was released in 2006 with a few new models but little has happened since, though there are supposedly heaps more made and simply waiting on animations.

Another mod team is tarting up Deus Ex with Deus Ex: Revision, which revamps the levels to be not only prettier but also more challenging. It's still in development, but a demo version with a new Hell's Kitchen has been released.

To get the most out of Deus Ex on a modern system, whether using New Vision, HDTP, or just plain old regular, you'll want to follow this handy guide with tips on replacement renderers, custom resolutions, and more.

Download the New Vision 1.0 retexture pack here.

Hell's Kitchen in New Vision: now with even sharper squalor!