Written by Alexander O. Cuaycong and Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: Detroit: Become Human
Developer: Quantic Dream
Publisher: Quantic Dream
Genre: Action, Narration
Price: $24.99
Also Available On: PS4
Gamers have long learned to be wary of releases trumpeted as "story-driven" experiences. Time and time again, these titles have proven unworthy of the hype; lacking focus in gameplay elements, they wind up being little more than amusing distractions. And such seemed to be the fate of Detroit: Become Human when it first hit store shelves in early 2018. Written by noted developer David Cage and published by Paris-based Quantic Dream (which he not coincidentally founded), it seemed consigned to suffer the same fate of other games in its genre. After all, it did fall into the same traps, showing, on the outside, an ostensible over-reliance on quick-time events (QTEs) and button prompts, a devaluation of photorealistic graphics with wonky controls, and predisposition for heavy-handed messaging.
For all the misgivings, however, Detroit: Become Human actually manages to stand out. Even as it does struggle on occasion, it delivers on its promise to keep gamers who brave its rougher edges immersed from the get-go. It certainly tells its story in compelling fashion: Androids have become widespread in use, practically serving as the titular city's workforce — albeit not without complications. Friction with humans during this tumultuous period is seen through the unique perspectives of three androids: Connor, an investigator hot on the pursuit of rogue elements; Kara, a housekeeper forced to put up with her abusive owner; and Markus, a crusader bent on freeing other androids from virtual enslavement.
Each branch of Detroit: Become Human provides a compelling vantage point: Scenarios alternate from character to character, giving gamers the opportunity to shape the stories as they please. By interacting with objects, choosing dialogue replies, and succeeding or failing in QTEs, they wind up influencing important parts of the overarching narrative; who lives, who dies, who gets hurt, and so on. It's far from a novel concept, and Quantic Dream has explored it before — in Heavy Rain, released in 2010, for example. While the gameplay is similar, however, the impact of choices now appears more pronounced and more pliable to change and interaction.
Indeed, Detroit: Become Human offers a whole swath of alternate storylines, each fully capable of leading gamers down many different, smaller paths with their own variations. It even goes out of its way to underscore the disparity in choices, showing glimpses of what could have been instead of what is. Needless to say, it winds up highlighting its immense replay value. And, in this regard, it is aided in no small measure by its oppressive atmosphere, engaging dialogues, and outstanding audio-visual presentation. As good as it may have looked and sounded when it debuted on the Sony PlayStation 4, it provides an even better experience on the personal computer. It runs at a smooth 60 frames per second, and offers both controller and keyboard support.
To be sure, Detroit: Become Human is far from perfect. In fact, it suffers from a variety of flaws that are hard to ignore. As is typical of Cage's outputs, it focuses heavily on its story and movie elements rather than gameplay, and the bias shows. While the narrative does allow for independence of action, there is a decided lack of flair and precision in execution. Most of the interaction is possible only through QTEs, or through the efforts of gamers in awkwardly nudging the particular character they're controlling against the environment until a button pops up. Neither makes for spontaneity.
Parenthetically, Detroit: Become Human can be ham-fisted. While admittedly engaging, the story suffers from a very glaring lack of subtlety. For instance, the drunken cop that Connor partners up with has about as much nuance as the abusive father and owner that Kara must serve. That's not to say that the characters aren't interesting; they do have their own arcs that depend on gamer choices while serving to further the enveloping narrative. At the same time, they bank on tropes seemingly plucked from a tome of cliches.
Still and all, Detroit: Become Human stands out as Cage's best work by far. It presents a captivating story built around oppression. Never mind its decision to chuck subtle beats in favor of maximum impact. For all its haphazard storytelling, it does an outstanding job of sucking gamers in at the outset and keeping them engrossed until the very end. And, at $24.99, it gives excellent bang for the buck as a 15-hour ride showcasing the best technology has to offer.
THE GOOD
- Great story beats with interesting characters
- A plethora of alternate dialogue and paths to take
- High replay value
THE BAD
- Fairly unimaginative gameplay, with majority based on exploration and QTEs
- Cliched characters and story set pieces
- Relatively short length
RATING: 8/10
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