Eerie empty streets, wastelands were once there were prosperous city centres – these incredible pictures show a vision of the future that will chill you to the core.
From the smog-enveloped buildings of central London to an Eiffel Tower overlooked by armed guards, the cities of the world have changed in images which show our globe in 2029.
But if 13 years seems scarily close, don’t fret – the slums of Blackpool and the militarisation of Berlin are not real.
The failed utopias where streets are overrun by military and unbearable poverty keeps the populace down are imagined by computer game artists.
The images are inspired by Deus Ex: Mankind Divided , a new computer game which offers a view on what happens when mechanically-augmented people all over the world suffer from psychotic delusions.
Although humans were intended to be improved upon with these additions, the catastrophic advances threaten the very fabric of society worldwide.
The story reveals that after the breakdown in 2027, millions died and hundreds of thousands more were injured and maimed – an event covered in 2011’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
The gamemakers explain: “Two years later, in 2029, society is still reeling from the tragedy referred to by many as the ‘Aug Incident’.
“In the wake of this global catastrophe, society has become divided by hatred, prejudice, and fear, with many countries now enacting harsh laws leading to a humanitarian crisis that’s spinning violently out of control.”
What they have revealed from these events is a world changed, with their vision of what Barcelona, Berlin, Blackpool, Cologne, London, Moscow, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Stockholm and Sydney would look like 2 years after the ‘Aug Incident’.
Five years in inception, the game’s tackling of social issues through the console medium offers a thought-provoking take on the human drive for perfection in their physical form – no matter what the consquences.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is out on August 23 across PlayStation4, Xbox One and Windows PC.