Deus Ex: Insurrection early plot concepts

Early plot concepts for the third game of the Deus Ex series were created in late 2003 by Ion Storm. These early concepts were later replaced by a new game concept developed under the name Deus Ex: Insurrection. These early concepts are regarded as conceptual precursors to Deus Ex: Insurrection.

Development history
Early plot concepts for the third main title of the series (i.e., the next game after Deus Ex: Invisible War) appear in a design document titled "Plot Brainstorming." The design document is dated November 26, 2003, predating the release of Invisible War, and was described in a November 2014 Eurogamer article by Joe Martin. Martin released the full design document, along with other Ion Storm documents, in 2016. The footer of the document contains the name "Deus Ex 3," a generic name that has been used to describe multiple projects directed toward developing the third main title of the series.

By February 2004, the early plot concepts were replaced by a new plot concept developed under the name Deus Ex: Insurrection. Although the early plot concepts predate the officially given preproduction period of Insurrection (which began January 2004 ), they were developed under Art Min, lead designer for Insurrection and directly preceded Insurrection; thus, they are generally associated with Insurrection rather than a later Deus Ex 3 project. For subsequent development history, please see the article on Deus Ex: Insurrection.

The design document describes four different plot concepts, respectively titled "Save Civilization," "Foster Family," "And Then They Pull You Back In," and "Infiltrate the Cult." These plot concepts are summarized below.

"Save Civilization"
The player is a black-ops operative leading a strike team sent to investigate Area 51. The player witnesses JC Denton's destruction of the Aquinas Router, but is gravely injured when another nuclear missile hits the area. Just before the missile hits, a member of the player's strike team reveals allegiance to a certain faction that had sent the missile (this faction is noted as "Illuminati?" in the design document). The player's body is salvaged from Area 51 and rebuilt cell-by-cell to become the ultimate fighting machine. The player is the only survivor of the team, and the only one who knows what happened.

After being rebuilt cell-by-cell, the player is tasked with protecting the president, Linda Yarborough. Communications are down, cities in the U.S. are rioting, and the whole world is suffering from chaos. Yarborough has the power to avert the coming of a new dark age, but faces corruption inside her own government. Her husband seems to have access to information that she does not, while her son is being influenced by his college friend Henri DuClare. In Washington D.C., NSF forces lay siege to the White House, forcing the present to flee to Mount Weather. The player is tasked with escorting the president's family.

In Mount Weather, the player is given a stable base analogous to UNATCO in the first game, where the drama of the U.S. leadership's inner circle can unfold over time. The President fears that spies have penetrated her administration, and sends the player on missions to New York, London, Moscow, Paris, or similar locations to contact old allies and neutralize enemies. According to the draft concept, the game story would unfold as the player tries to uncover the real threat to the government and to society in general.

"Foster Family"
The player (named "Gavin Crane" if male) is a CIA agent and the adopted son or daughter of a U.S. senator. The player has a fiancé, Cari Kennedy, who has political ambitions of her own. As a CIA agent, the player undertakes tasks that become riskier and less conventional, such as stealing an ambassador's private records, transferring terrorist funds to a Swiss bank account, and laser-sighting a target for aerial assassination. As the story progresses, the player is offered various career choices, which depend on the outcome of the missions.

According to the story concept, the player is tightly bound to the other principal characters on a very personal level. The player's actions will affect his or her relationship with Cari, who is pulling the strings behind the scenes all along, and with the player's father, who can become a powerful enemy or a powerful ally.

"And Then They Pull You Back In"
The player takes the role of Xavier Gale in the 2020s or early 2030s. Gale is a mechanically augmented operative who is part of a squad called "Black Rain." After deserting from Black Rain due to its dishonorable operations, Gale is brought back to the squad to complete one last mission, or face court martial for disappearing. The mission would involve VersaLife. The company had previously captured a Black Rain member, but the leader of Black Rain secured his release by trading in Gale's daughter, who has a certain DNA characteristic of interest. During the course of the game, Gale learns who he is and who he is really working for.

"Infiltrate the Cult"
This concept includes two story separate story concepts that share similar elements. The first concept is set after Deus Ex, while the second concept is set after Deus Ex: Invisible War.

Post-Deus Ex story concept
The first story concept is set in the wake of the Collapse. The player is a member of a militia group in Nevada. The player's sister, Natalie, has joined a local quasi-religious group called the House of the Righteous. After the first mission (which would feature a visit to Area 51), the player finds that Natalie is missing, and that the House's facility has been deserted. The local militia declares the House to be hostile, and assigns the player to go under cover as a new convert at the House. The player must decide whether to use Natalie for the greater good, rescue her, or join her.

Post-Invisible War story concept
The second story concept is set after the Helios ending of Deus Ex: Invisible War and would have would have made the Helios ending canon. The player is a member of a militia group in the mountains and is trying to stay outside of JC's mind-net to retain an individual consciousness. Scientists in the militia group have developed a nanite inoculation to keep the player free from JC-Helios' whispers. The player's father is also in the militia, but the player's sister has joined a cult, called the House of the Silent Mind. The player can choose to follow one or the other, or alternatively follow a third, mysterious figure who seems to have information about both the militia and the cult.

In actuality, the militia group is controlled by the Illuminati, who is plotting to regain control of the world with the aid of a nanite inoculation design to protect the user from JC-Helios. The House of the Silent Mind is similarly developing a force impervious to JC-Helios, but is run by sociopath who wishes to assume JC's role at the top. The mysterious figure is revealed to be Paul Denton, who believes that JC has gone mad and needs to be stopped. There is also a fourth party, described as a "self-aware AI born of humankind," who wishes for a more moderate outcome. The design document also states that it is possible that JC may still be good after all, despite the opposition from the other parties.