PlayStation 4's winning streak continues with
Detroit: Become Human. The dust after
God of War premiere has still not settled, and Sony's machine fans have yet another reason to be pleased, as David Cage's new game has a chance to join PS4's beloved titles such as
Bloodborne, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, The Last Guardian, and
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, but there are some glitches in the system.
The critics have a lot to say about the story set in 2030s Motor City. The game's three protagonists, Kara, Marcus, and Connor are well-written (although, revolutionist Marcus' arc is apparently underdeveloped) and they are evolving as a result of encounters and choices players make.
Detroit: Become Human learns from past Quantic Dream's games by offering more genuine decisions which factors into each story, with characters doing or learning things that impact the central plot.
Detroit's execution on the technical level also deserves an applause, as it's a beautiful, polished game that perfectly combines its impressive, enhanced in-house engine with brilliantly realized art. Of course, there are some plot-holes, wasted opportunities to tell a more "mature" story and cheap tricks to make you invested in the occurring events, but it doesn’t change the fact that a big group of critics calls
Detroit "
Quantic Dream's best work to date". Considering that the studio gave us
Heavy Rain, it goes without saying that
Detroit deserves a fair shot. Be sure to check out the game's reviews below:
Even with some little flaws, Detroit is the best game ever created by Quantic Dream. You'll really feel close to the characters. Be ready for your instincts and principles to be tested.
You could see it as a mix of old-school adventure games with unforgettable storytelling, top-notch acting, and cutting-edge graphics, and as such, it’s definitely a very successful experiment. While Detroit: Become Human is the quintessential Quantic Dream game, the additional variety and the spectacular level of craftsmanship it involves may make it intriguing even for those who aren’t part of the studio’s usual target audience. Detroit: Become Human may not be perfect, but it’s Quantic Dream‘s masterpiece.
Detroit: Become Human is a game with grand ideals, wonderful levels of polish, and tiny imperfections. It’s an ambitious, wonderfully executed piece of storytelling, and one of the most interesting games of this generation. It will split opinion, and give birth to a litany of opinion pieces - some deep and thoughtful, others half-baked and sensationalist. This spark for discussion alone makes the game a success in its own right. And, it’s likely to cause a few tears along the way too.
Detroit: Become Human really is like sitting down and playing a TV box set. It’s a technical masterpiece on PS4 with movie quality sound, lighting and camera work, which is backed up by some top quality action and a wonderfully evocative score. Detroit really worked for me; I was gripped by the story and connected with the characters, but I think some players may have a hard time relating to Kara, Markus, and Connor. That’s to be expected. After all, we’re only human.
Detroit: Become Human isn’t really a futuristic science-fiction adventure about robots any more than The Walking Dead or The Last of Us are really about zombies. Instead, it is a social revolution simulator, where most of your choices actually matter, the story and characters are engaging and moving and the amount of narrative content is incredibly massive. Personally, I can’t wait to play it for a fourth time and a fifth time and have all my family members play it as well so I can see where their choices lead them. For fans of narrative-driven video games, I can’t recommend it enough.
Shows like Westworld and games like Detroit: Become Human are sounding the warnings for us to pay attention. We may not heed the warnings, but at the very least, we should understand what these creators are trying to tell the technologists, and if we should stray from the course that is now before us. Detroit: Become Human is best when it foresees the consequences of our decisions and sets up a clear choice — or a muddy choice. It creates the illusion of the Butterfly Effect, where small actions can lead to big consequences. This is a story that we’ve seen a lot, in everything from Blade Runner to 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s becoming as common a storyline as the zombie apocalypse or superhero fantasies. In each case, the story is only as good as its execution. If the characters are believable and engaging, if the story is well told, if the context and environment broadens the story, if the acting is superb, and if the actions and choices are consequential, then it is a job well done. And that’s how I feel about Detroit: Become Human.
To say that Detroit: Become Human has some incredible character designs would be an understatement. Even as androids, the three playable characters have an impeccable sense of fashion, delving into different urban designs that could easily be spotted in the streets of modern-day Detroit. The facial capture is well executed, with just the right amount of plasticity to the machine-made characters that keep them right where they belong in the Uncanny Valley, while their human counterparts show a bit more emotion to their faces. Connor’s partner on the police force, a grizzled old officer named Hank that’s past his prime and an unmoving grudge against androids, is by far my favorite character in the whole story for their buddy cop dynamic (if by buddies, I mean considering Connor to be a tool and not actually someone to keep around as a friend, much less a robot butler). Detroit: Become Human doesn’t establish a new form of narrative away from the storytelling that Quantic Dream has become known for. Instead, Detroit refines it with a narrative that takes three different ideologies of android servitude to create one cohesive narrative story. While repeated playthroughs can reveal the programming beneath the surface and the failed promise of free will, even taking a single playthrough to create your own story makes Detroit: Become Human a worthy PlayStation 4 exclusive if but for one single night in Detroit.
Detroit: Become Human is a spectacularly crafted game that bends and branches out around the player’s choices in an astonishing and unparalleled way. Although hampered by tired central plots and some predictable, occasionally hokey storytelling, the result is a technical feat in video game development and a meticulously detailed cinematic achievement.
Detroit made me think about topics I've avoided about humanity and our future, and that's a good thing. These are hard issues to explore, and I'm glad Quantic Dream took on the challenge knowing it could result in failure. Detroit both succeeds and stumbles in that area. Its biggest assets are the relationship building and expansive branching paths. I keep coming back to explore its variations. Not only are they fascinating, but I cared about where I left these characters. The overall message about technology and our future lingers long after the credits roll, making me wonder how I'll handle my relationship with technology as it takes us to new places.
Detroit: Become Human is complicated. It’s a technological marvel with great performances and an entertaining narrative at its core. Kara, Connor and Markus are all given enough room to breathe as characters that you feel connected to all of them. I cared about where their stories would end. Unfortunately, Quantic Dream oversteps its boundaries and muddles the water with thematic elements that feel awkwardly handled. The player isn’t expected to interpret anything on their own as hamfisted messages are thrust upon them again and again. It’s hard not to feel that with a little more focus and maturity that this could have been something special.
Detroit: Become Human won’t change your mind if you belly laugh at Quantic Dream’s attempts to affect you emotionally, and will likely make some who favour the studio realise that Supermassive and Telltale have taken narrative-driven games of this ilk to greater heights in recent years. The positives are oft dulled by a frequently wonky control scheme, spiking character development that breeds indifference, and a muddled story that likes the sound of its own voice.
Enter the near-future metropolis of Detroit in 2038 – a city rejuvenated by the introduction of highly advanced androids that exist only to serve mankind. But that’s all about to change… Step into the shoes of three distinct android characters as this brave new world teeters on the brink of chaos. Your decisions dramatically alter how the game’s intense, branching narrative plays out. With thousands of choices and dozens of endings, how will you affect the future of Detroit?
Detroit: Become Human is available on PlayStation 4 NOW!