After seeing Thief Remastered, I'm calling it: That doomed Deus Ex remaster should get rebooted with Nightdive in charge
Over the weekend, Nightdive Studios unveiled the first trailer for its Thief: The Dark Project remaster during the PC Gaming Show, and the vibes are undeniably positive. Nightdive has already demonstrated a strong understanding of Looking Glass' Dark Engine and the visual style that defined the original Thief games. The screenshots and trailer showcase a "how you remember it" approach, with subtle enhancements to the timeless medieval environments and a complete overhaul of the game’s famously low-poly, origami-like NPCs. The remaster also promises the customary DVD extras menu featuring art, preserved prototypes, and development footage — a hallmark of Nightdive’s remastering process.
This stands in stark contrast to Aspyr’s upcoming Deus Ex Remastered, a title of similar vintage and development lineage to Thief. Both games emerged from the late '90s gaming scene, rooted in the creative ferment of Austin, Boston, and Ion Storm. However, Aspyr’s first reveal of Deus Ex Remastered was met with skepticism. The visual changes appear to be a step backward, evoking the original Xbox-era look of Deus Ex, with a focus on dated graphical effects. It even seems to hybridize the original with the bloom-heavy, normal-mapped aesthetic of its sequel, Invisible War. While that might be an intriguing concept for a mod, Aspyr presents it as the "definitive version" of Ion Storm’s legendary cyberpunk immersive sim — a claim that feels dubious to long-time fans who continue to replay the original.
Nightdive’s work on System Shock 2 and Thief is a clear step above any HD texture or model pack I’ve seen for those games. Crucially, they’ve retained full mod compatibility, which is a major selling point for fans who enjoy customizing and extending their experiences. So far, there’s no confirmation that Deus Ex Remastered will support modding, though Aspyr has a decent track record with that feature on its Steam ports of classic Star Wars games and its Neverwinter Nights 2 remaster.
When it comes to remastering, Aspyr has previously struck the right balance. The Neverwinter Nights 2 remaster kept visuals largely untouched but added Steam Deck and controller support, priced just $10 above the existing GOG version. It also resolved longstanding bugs, performance issues, and resolution problems, making the game run smoothly on modern hardware. Deus Ex Remastered, however, doesn’t seem to offer the same value proposition. The original Deus Ex is often available for less than a dollar on Steam, and it already runs well on modern systems. Without a substantial visual upgrade or Nightdive-style extras, Deus Ex Remastered lacks a compelling reason to exist.
What’s most puzzling is that The Embracer Group, which owns the rights to both Thief and Deus Ex, has essentially A/B tested the public’s response to these projects. Thief Remastered has received universal praise and buzz online, with social media reactions ranging from excitement to nostalgia. In contrast, Deus Ex Remastered’s first trailer has a comment section that feels more like a funeral — with users openly wishing the project had been given to Nightdive instead.
I don’t mean to single out Aspyr. I’ve enjoyed its previous work, including modern ports of classic Star Wars games and the Neverwinter Nights 2 remaster. However, Deus Ex is too important to have its remaster mishandled, especially with the risk of the original game being delisted from storefronts. I’d prefer to see this project either canceled or rebooted — ideally with Nightdive taking the lead or co-developing the remaster. It’s a slim possibility, but Deus Ex Remastered has been indefinitely delayed since its initial reveal, and I still believe in the possibility of pleasant surprises.
