Detroit: Become Human is one of the most successful offerings from Quantic Dream. Its predecessors Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls are some of the most critically acclaimed story games in history. Despite it being two years old it still manages to immerse me in its story. But how does the latest offering from the French game developer stack up against its older counterparts?
Let’s delve into the detailed world of this amazing game with five reasons why you should play, or even replay, Detroit: Become Human.
Choose your own story
There’s not much to complain about when it comes to the story aspect of DBH. It’s multi-layered narratives make you feel like you’re three different people at the same time. You take the role of three “Androids”, who do pretty much everything for humans. They carry your shopping, clean your house and even walk your dog – these artificial human beings are everywhere. The story covers the lives of three androids who face multiple moral dilemmas and rely on the player to make those important decisions.
The more immoral and human-like choices you make, the more the android’s deviency increases. The deviancy in an android means that they have developed a conscience of their own and rebel against human control. You can choose whether the androids are perceived as aggressive or peaceful, each will numerous outcomes at the end. You could play this game ten times and have ten different outcomes. This is a narrative tailored to you.
Steeped in developer heritage
When Quantic Dream announced this game’s release, many of us were reminded of the previous games to come from Quantic Dream. Games like Nomad Soul are quite nostalgic and especially Heavy Rain, which has become a cult classic. And now, even two years after the release of Detroit: Become Human, people are still in love with the game for its amazing graphics and gameplay. Gone are the days where you have to use multiple buttons just to take down an enemy. DBH uses the simplest of controls to minimise distraction from this beautiful game.
Unique yet relatable concepts
I often laugh when I watch 1980s films like Back To The Future where they thought that we’d have flying cars by 2015. Detroit: Become Human however has based their concept off something real and tangible. The concept of the androids was inspired by the 2012 tech demo that qUantic Dream led, titled Kara which is also the name of one of the protagonists. The idea was further developed by visiting Detroit, Michigan, where the game is set.
The significance making the setting Detroit is simple. Detroit was once the most richest city in the world thanks to the might of iis manufacturing sector. However, in the last few decades, the decline of Detroit has been unimaginable to the point where it is now one of America’s most deprived cities. The game aims to put Detroit back into the center of the manufacturing hub again.
Expert acting
With the wonders of face-tracking technology, Detroit: Become Human makes the characters look very real. Almost too real. Bryan Dechart, Valorie Curry and Jesse Williams star as the main protagonists. They have amassed a huge following on social media with many fan accounts established. Clancy Brown, who is the voice actor for Spongebob’s Mr Krabs, features as a regular in the game. The actors did a very good job acting within their role and context of the narrative. Perhaps we may see them in later Quantic Dream releases?
Hours of fun
Detroit: Become Human isn’t all doom and gloom. It’s supposed to be a heartwarming story that promotes a message of unity and equality. Something the world needs right now in 2020. After two years, the game still manages to find its way to people who are looking for a beautifully put-together narrative or even just a boredom buster. With it being on PS4 from 2018 and available on PC from December 2019, I suspect that Detroit: Become Human is set to be a future classic of the games world.
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