Deus Ex: Icarus Rising

Deus Ex: Icarus Rising was an early prototype of Deus Ex: The Fall. "Icarus Rising" was the original title for the game during its development, appearing in multiple pre-release builds of the prototype as well as in unused graphics in the game files of the released game. 
This page documents content developed for the prototype, much of which is considered to be cut content that does not appear in the released game or was heavily revised prior to the game's release.
==Development history==
Two versions of the Icarus Rising were made publicly accessible in late 2023 due to a leak associated with Apple's TestFlight service:(Dec 18, 2023), "a large database of prototype iOS applications (2010-2015) has been rediscovered, includes several unreleased games". Famiboards. Version 0.0.7 (whose file archive is dated September 5, 2012); and Version 0.6.1 (whose file archive is dated November 19, 2012). Additional information known about the prototype includes a demonstration video released in 2015 by N-Fusion Interactive, the developers of the game, depicting an unspecified version of the prototype.N-Fusion Interactive (Aug 19, 2015). "Deux Ex: The Fall (Initial Level Preview)". N-Fusion Interactive's YouTube Channel. The video is no longer available, but screenshots of it are available on this wiki. 
The title Icarus Rising was likely changed to The Fall by around March 2013, as indicated by the filing of a trademark application for The Fall on March 5, 2013,US Patent and Trademark Office data for "Deus Ex: The Fall" a few months before The Fall was publicly announced in early June 2013. Prior to the announcement of The Fall in July 2013, the name "Icarus Rising" was also reported by a Reddit user in June as the title of a playtest prototype for the NVidia Shield handheld console.(Jun 15, 2013) "I just played Deus Ex: Icarus Rising, a yet-to-be-announced title for the NVIDIA Shield (Android handheld console)" (archived), Reddit.
Icarus Rising build v0.6.1 included three major story segments: Panama City, Australia (specifically, the Zaaphire Biotech HQ), and New York City. The Panama City segment included early plot elements that were later cut or modified in the releases game, while the Australia and New York City segments were not included in the released game. At the time of The Fall's release, the Australia and New York City segments were planned to be part of the continuation for the game, but this continuation was never finished. When The Fall was released, many text descriptions and graphical assets associated with the originally planned Australia and New York City segments were still part of the game files.
==Story content==
The early version of the story, as known from the early Icarus Rising builds and cut content found in the game files, is summarized below. Due to changes to the story during the course of the game's development, the final part of the original Panama City segment and the plot of the original Australia and New York City segments have major inconsistencies with the released story. The general premise of traveling to Australia and then New York City was later adopted as canon in the novel Deus Ex: Hard Line, but specific plot elements of the original Australia and New York City segments are not mentioned in Hard Line or other Deus Ex series media. 
===Prologue and Costa Rica===
Mission data for build v0.6.1 mentions the story segments "Prologue" and "Costa Rica," along with with the mission ID "Moscow_Tutorial" for the prologue segment, However, no specific story content is known from the early builds. 
===Panama City===
:Main article: Panama City pre-release content
Based on the v0.6.1 missions data, the first half of the early version of the Panama City segment is substantially the same as the released game. The main difference in the story is that the final main mission is named "Shadow Augs" (rather than "Dark Ties" in the released game) and involves Ben discovering that has been carrying a hidden augmentation(known as the Argus Implant. This discovery is made with the help of Alvaro Machado (renamed Alvarez Araujo in the released game) and Camila Rocha (renamed Camila Cardoso in the released game), whose roles are otherwise similar to their roles in the released game.
Similar to the "Dark Ties" mission of the released game, the original "Shadow Augs" mission involves Ben investigating the status of a VIP staying at Hotel Etana at the request of a pilot that Ben meets in the local night club. This pilot appears as Kaspar Havekes in the early builds, but the v0.6.1 missions data indicates that the developers were already in the process of rewriting him as Alex Vega. However, unlike the released game, the VIP is found dead in his room, and there is no encounter with Sam Duarte and the Tyrants until the next chapter in Australia. 
Besides the differences in the final main mission, Icarus Rising v0.0.7 and v0.6.1 both depict a layout of Panama City that is different from that of the released game. For example, the boardwalk area in v0.6.1 is significantly larger than the one in the released game, suggesting that the area was reduced in size due to hardware constraints. 
===Australia - Zaaphire Biotech facility===
 
:Main article: Zaaphire Biotech facility (DXTF cut content)
The original story of the Australia segment is known from a combination of cut content in the released game, as well as from the early builds. The v0.0.7 and v0.6.1 builds both contained playable maps for the entire Australia segment. This set of the maps is designated as a "vertical slice" (a game development term for a fully playable portion of a game containing all of its gameplay systems), suggesting that they were among the first levels completed for the game. 
In the original story, Saxon heads to Australia to confront Isaac Tiven after learning that that Tiven was the creator of the Argus Implant. There, he meets Tiven, who explains to Saxon that the Argus Implant was a tracking and data gathering device used by Belltower. Tiven also explains that Zaphire has unethically accelerated the testing of Riezene in order to move it to the market more quickly, but Tiven himself is very enthusiastic in how Zaphire is "challenging" VersaLife's market share by supplanting Neuropozyne with Riezol. 
After meeting with Tiven, Saxon encounters Sam Duarte, who is still recovering from the injuries (presumably the injuries he sustained during the events of the novel Deus Ex: Icarus Effect). Sam, who now a member of the Tyrants, thinks that Saxon betrayed him. Before they can talk any further, Namir, Barret, and Federova appear, knocking Saxon unconscious. However, Saxon survives the encounter and heads to New York City together with Alex Vega.
Since the Argus Implant was cut from the released story, and Saxon's encounter with Sam was changed to take place in Panama City, an actual continuation of the game would have required revisions to the plot in order to maintain consistency with the released game. How the story was planned to be revised is not known.
===New York City === 
:Main article: New York City (DXTF cut content)
In New York City, Saxon meets with Anna Kelso, who sends him to a LIMB clinic. At the clinic, Saxon meets Dr. Tiven again, who has had a change of heart and removes the Argus Implant from Saxon's head. Anna also informs Saxon that she knows of a hacker called "Widow," operating on the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, who can access Zaaphire's records at the local Metridyne Bank. Saxon plants an uplink at the bank, and Widow begins the hack. The hack recovers evidence of VersaLife's involvement in setting up Zaaphire Biotech. However, Kelso is captured by Sam, and a Belltower strike team attacks the carrier. Saxon then confronts Sam at the rooftop of the United Global Stock Exchange, where Kelso is being held.
Few assets pertaining the New York City Segment are found in the Deus Ex: Icarus Rising early builds. Version 0.6.1 contains only two maps with partially-completed textured environments, namely "NYC Bank" and "NYC Subway," along with a blockout of what appears to be the initial arrival area. However, details on the missions are known from game files of the released game.
===References in subsequent Deus Ex series media===
The general premise of the cut story content is adopted in the novella Deus Ex: Hard Line, which mentions that "Vega became caught up in Saxon’s crusade against the conspirators, a path that took them to Australia and then back to the USA, to New York." In Hard Line, it is also mentioned that Saxon introduces Vega to Janus shortly after the events in New York.
Ben Saxon's discovery of VersaLife's involvement in Zaaphire Biotech is confirmed in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. In Mankind Divided, Alex Vega recounts to Adam Jensen that VersaLife was involved with the events that she stumbled upon while she was in Panama.Dialogue with Alex Vega during M9: Checking Out the Men in Charge. A loading screen text in Mankind Divided also confirms VersaLife's involvement; the loading screen text states: "In 2027, Vega stumbled upon a plot involving her employers and a deadly drug made by VersaLife. She had to leave Panama in a hurry." 
==Gallery==
This section includes general images only. For Images pertaining to Panama City, Australia, New York City story segments, please see the above-linked articles.
===Menus and interfaces===
DX Icarus Rising v0.6.1 title screen.jpg|v0.6.1 title screen, showing the version number at the bottom left
DX Icarus Rising v0.6.1 main menu.jpg|v0.6.1 main menu
DX Icarus Rising v0.6.1 level selection.jpg|v0.6.1 level selection interface
DX Icarus Rising - title screen.jpg|v0.0.7 title screen
===Portraits===
Portrait_Anna (pre-release).png|Anna Kelso
Portrait_Barrett.png|Barrett
Portrait_Eliza.png|Eliza
Portrait_Hardesty (pre-release).png|Hardesty
Portrait_Isaac.png|Isaac
Portrait_Janus.png|Janus
Portrait_Kaspar.png|Kaspar
Portrait_Namir.png|Namir
Portrait_Sam.png|Sam
Portrait_Widow.png|Widow
===Turntable models===
DXIR turntable Ben Saxon.jpg|Ben Saxon
DX Icarus Rising - Anna Kelso turntable.jpg|Anna Kelso
DXIR turntable Sam Duarte.jpg|Sam Duarte
DXIR turntable Adam Jensen.jpg|Adam Jensen
DXIR turntable Security Guard.jpg|Belltower Grunt
===Miscellaneous===
DX Icarus Rising - Anna Kelso model.png|Early Anna Kelso model
DX Icarus Rising early Saxon.png|Early Ben Saxon design
File:Char janus monitor d.png|Janus monitor image (Char_janus_monitor)
File:D zaphirelogoflag.png|Zaphire logo flag showing the early spelling of "Zaaphire" with one "a" 
== Selectable maps ==
The released builds for Icarus Rising use a "level selection" menu to launch playable maps. Version 0.0.7 includes the following maps that can be selected:
* Vertical Slice: VS - Rooftop Start, VS - Rooftop Helipad, VS - Executive, VS - Security, VS - Lab, VS - Confrontation
* Panama City whiteboxes: WB_PanamaBelltower, WB_PanamaCorporate, WB_PanamaDowntownHUB, WB_PanamaDrugDen, WB_PanamaHotelHobby, WB_PanamaHotelRoof, WB_PanamaHotelRooms, WB_PanamaTrainStation, WB_PanamaLimbClinic, WB_PanamaNightClub, WB_PanamaSlumsHub, WB_PanamaUndergroundDoc, WB_PanamaBoardwalkHub 
* Miscellaneous: Turn Table, Simple, SocialAug1, CivilianTest, SecurityTest1
Version 0.6.1 includes the following maps that can be selected:
* Vertical Slice: VS - Rooftop Start, VS - Rooftop Helipad, VS - Executive, VS - Security, VS - Lab, VS - Confrontation
* Panama City: Panama Belltower Base, Panama Belltower Helipad, Panama Drug Den Start, Panama Drug Den Garage, Pana Drug Den Lab, Panama Corporation, Panama Hotel Lobby, Panama Hotel Rooms, Panama Slums, Panama Downtown, Panama Boardwalk, Panama LIMB Clinic, Underground Doctor, Nightshade
* New York City: NYC Whitebox, NYC Bank, NYC Subway
* Miscellaneous: Turn Table, Enemy Test, Sneaker Den, Box Guard Test, Kris_NewHacks
==References==
Category:Deus Ex: The Fall cut content