Detroit: Become Human review: When robots revolt

Detroit: Become Human is a highly-anticipated game developed by Quantic Dream that takes place in the near future where androids are commonplace.

The year is 2038. There’s a looming war between the United States and Russia over the Arctic Circle. Unemployment in the U.S. is over 30 percent. Autonomous cars are everywhere. Androids handle all boring and repetitive tasks, freeing up human time.

Story

Detroit: Become Human follows three androids and the struggles they go through with self-realization.

Kara, a housekeeper and caretaker model, has been recently repaired and rebooted. She’s owned by Todd Williams, a drug-addicted father with a little girl named Alice. Kara is the first android to become a “deviant” — the in-game term used for androids that gain free will — when she witnesses Todd hitting Alice. Kara runs away with Alice and the rest of their story is how they avoid getting caught as well as form a family.

Connor is a special prototype police android that’s sent by CyberLife (the corporation that created androids) to work with alcoholic police lieutenant Hank Anderson. Connor’s specific mission is to hunt down deviants and ultimately figure out why they suddenly go rogue.

The third android the story revolves around is Markus who takes care of an elderly painter named Carl. After returning home one night, the pair discovers someone has broken into their home. It ends up being Carl’s estranged son and a fight ensues that ends up with Markus getting shot. Markus then wakes up in a landfill, pieces himself together, and ultimately becomes the leader of the android revolution.

Graphics

Even without a PS4 Pro or 4k TV, the graphics are absolutely stunning and easily the best I’ve seen to date. The character models look amazingly real and often times it’s easy to forget they’re animated. The textures and environments are rich and highly detailed, helping build the realism of this possible future. Like a lot of games these days, the cutscenes flow seamlessly into gameplay.

Gameplay

The gameplay is very similar to Quantic Dream’s other popular games, Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls. The game is played through third-person movement, interacting with objects, and quick time events. It’s one of the first games I’ve played that actually uses the DualShock controller’s touchpad and the usage is clever and fun.

As with the studio’s previous games, the decisions you make alter the plot and end of each chapter and end of the game. Unlike the previous two games, however, Detroit: Become Human actually shows you a flowchart with all the possible branches with paths you didn’t choose being greyed out so no spoilers are revealed.

Another improvement over the older games is the ability to replay from certain checkpoints after a chapter. This way, a player can alter the outcome instead of having to replay the game from the beginning.

Final thoughts

The characters are genuine, realistic, and evoke strong emotions. Some of the decisions that the game forces you to make are truly difficult and make you think hard about your morals. Lastly, the plot is strong and relatable, dealing heavily with discrimination and identity. With the truly massive decision trees, there’s a certain level of replayability as well.

Another strong contender for Game of the Year, this is a title you definitely need to pick up.

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