Detroit: Become Human is a premium single-player action game from French writer and director David Cage. If you are not familiar with Quantic Dream, a game studio known for its interactive drama, this sci-fi-themed game is one of its notable titles.  

Detroit: Become Human follows the story of three androids as they attempt to defy the rules imposed by their human owners. It eagerly repurposes moments equating the struggles of the androids to historical events in real life. It is a game that desperately wants to convey something to you.  

The plight of the three androids 

The story of Detroit: Become Human is set in the titular Motor City in the year 2038. Advent technology has transformed society and seen androids entering every avenue of human life. In the game, these androids have replaced hired help to do tasks, such as caring for children, cleaning the streets, and even traveling to the stars during space voyages. 

Like in the previous Quantic Dream games, this title follows the independent journeys of multiple characters. This time, three androids named Markus, Kara, and Connor. Markus is a caretaker whose peaceful relationship with his elderly charge is destroyed by the outside world. Kara, on the other hand, is a household maid who bears witness to her master’s abusive relationship with his daughter. Finally, Connor is an android programmed to help the police solve Android-related crimes. 

The game has you directing the three androids as they deal with their day-to-day activities. If you are familiar with games like Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, you can see similarities in terms of gameplay tenets. The game comes with a myriad of game genres to play. Since it has multiple characters, there are various things that you can do, including investigating crime scenes, engaging in gunfights, and even solving environmental puzzles. The game presents all of these in a manner that’s both limiting and empowering. 

You control the characters much like a traditional third-person adventure. However, the game also inserts quick-time events or QTEs. With a series of button combinations, you can control the characters to do their task. In a way, this game is more about directing the characters through scenarios, with divergent storylines that pan out with every decision you make. Even if your decision ultimately leads one of the characters to die, the game continues. This makes a great reason to replay the game multiple times. 

Game mechanics, technical design, and availability in a console 

The game design intertwines the player's choices with the evolving narrative, ensuring a unique journey with each session. This means an abundant variety of trajectories and endings; even the most subtle decision can pivot the story's direction. With infinite routes to explore, no two journeys are identical—every new play promises a unique path, assuring a new encounter each time the game is undertaken. 

Visually, it boasts graphics rendered in 4K resolution and operates at a frame rate of 60 frames per second. Moreover, it acknowledges diverse player preferences by seamlessly integrating comprehensive controls for both traditional keyboard and mouse inputs, as well as gamepad interactions. Additionally, it can be played on a console, offering the same gameplay as on PC. With this, players now have no other options where they want to play this game, either on a PC or a console.  

Verdict

All in all, Detroit: Become Human is a playable game that can give you an enjoyable experience. The divergent storyline is a great way to entice players to replay the game, to see how the story turns out if they choose another option. However, regardless of the choice you make, the story remains overstuffed with scenes that stray away from the game’s main theme. There are so many topics discussed in the game that at one point, you just don’t know the story anymore. It’s as if the game is a big-budgeted visual novel rather than a full-on video game.