Detroit: Become Human is an adventure game made by Quantic Dream, the creators of Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls. It follows three androids — Connor, Kara and Markus as they struggle to meet their individual goals in a world where their kind is enslaved and discriminated against.
If you’re new to the genre, in games developed by Quantic Dream every mission feels like an elaborate puzzle. You are required to carefully examine the surroundings, take note of all the options available to you, pay attention to the relationship between the characters and often perform QTEs and utilise motion controls in order to complete your objective in the safest and most efficient manner.
Connor is assisting Lieutenant Hank Anderson with the investigation of homicide cases by deviant androids and a major chunk of his story revolves around finding clues and chasing culprits. Kara is on the run with a little girl named Alice, and her missions involve hiding and getting away from danger. Markus was working as a servant for an old artist, before certain events made him realise that he must fight for his rights.
Detroit: Become Human’s biggest strength is in the execution of its choice and consequences system as well as the seemingly astounding number of branching paths. Much like Heavy Rain, any of the characters can die and the game will continue without them. You must carefully make every decision, as even the tiniest of details can have devastating effects on the story and gameplay. Most choices, big and small, must be made within a few seconds, giving you barely any time to think and forcing you to trust your instincts. This adds several layers of tension that are missing from other games in this genre, and it also turns every action sequence into a thrilling encounter of life or death. As expected, it is entirely possible to miss out on hours of content if you lose a character or two.
Every choice can radically alter not only what happens in the remainder of the mission, but also play a crucial role in storylines many hours later into the game. Every available player reaction is accounted for, and it has been organically strung together with the rest of the game. This also adds replayability, as two playthroughs will rarely ever be the same. At the end of each mission, you can access a flowchart which shows all of branching paths, making it much easier to get the other endings.
Managing relationships forms the other key pillar of Detroit. You can choose to act however you want, which will either deepen or worsen your relationship with the other characters. This can unlock new paths to good endings or result in expected and unexpected deaths. The interactions between Connor and Hank were an absolute highlight, and while the game is generally well acted, their relationship elevated it.
Detroit: Become Human is the best game Quantic Dream has made. It is exactly what the fans of Heavy Rain, and adventure games in general wanted; a game where all of your choices are integrated into a massive web of endless possibilities.
