Yours truly didn’t truly experience what Quantic Dream had to offer until late in the Playstation 3’s lifecycle with almost back-to-back playthroughs of “Heavy Rain” and “Beyond: Two Souls” – a pair of games utilizing quick-time events as the basis of its gameplay while attempting to tell profound stories usually involving murder, featuring twists aplenty & a plot holes. Though rough around the edges from a gameplay perspective and obvious flaws from a storytelling aspect, “Heavy Rain” proved to be one of my favorite games in the PS3 library while “Beyond” just didn’t do much for me. Having an opportunity to play the demo of Quantic Dream’s first brand new Playstation 4 offering I found myself excited to experience the studio’s latest attempt at mixing video games & cinema with minimalistic gameplay and copious scenario options.
Did I Complete “Detroit: Become Human”?
Set in the year 2038, “Detroit: Become Human” is a not-so-simple tale of people living in a society where androids are not only a purchasable item, they’re responsible for keeping civilization running from an economic standpoint as androids in this reality are everything from construction workers to maids (and for those who can’t attract a mate, pleasure machines). The player is given the opportunity to control three very different androids having three very different experiences: Connor – a police investigator specifically made to hunt malfunctioning fellow androids; Markus – the personal caretaker of a famous artist who is forced to question his very existence; Kara – a maid who has to witness the disturbing actions of a drug-addicted father raising his obviously traumatized daughter.
“Detroit” is essentially a choose-your-own adventure video game where almost every action involving the player affects what happens later in the story be it major moments that can end in a character’s death (the higher of its two difficulties will offer more opportunities for character expiration to occur) or what type of collectible magazine shows up on a random park bench. After twelve or so hours I witnessed a thrilling ending that was only one of several; convincing me to go back and examine the flowchart shown after every scenario and in the main menu (the flowchart also rewards the player with points for completion to purchase various extras such as music from the soundtrack and art). Following another dozen or so hours I grabbed all the collectible magazines, witnessed all the endings, and even robbed a convenience store with a little girl while attaining a platinum trophy.
Did “Detroit: Become Human” Live Up to the Hype?
Not waiting around, Quantic Dream immediately thrusts the player into the grim reality of a world where highly intelligent machines find themselves gaining human emotions all the while being abused by those who are afraid of what the future could bring if these androids discover a mind of their own. The opening mission shown via the aforementioned demo plays out in full with Connor trying to negotiate a “deviant” (the term for malfunctioning/self-aware/woke machines) from killing a adolescent hostage alongside itself. In the first twenty or so minutes of “Detroit” the player is introduced to a majority of the game’s mechanics. By using the right analog stick the player can not only move the camera (the R1 button also switches the hard camera perspective if the original angle isn’t working), but also analyze objects, pick up items like a lost gun, and enter various destinations. Sometimes this mixture of right analog stick usage can cause moments of frustration, but it’s rarely a problem when it matters. Throughout the game each character is presented with opportunities to speak their minds and give their opinions regarding how to go about things or what to say to someone during a conversation via the controller’s face buttons; though there are times when the dialogue choices just don’t work out as one would hope due to poor phrasing.
Action sequences can mix & match the various button presses during the stereotypical quick-time events Quantic Dream games have become known for, but no game from the developer before it has seen so many actions influence what will occur after a tense moment ends. Connor & Markus have special abilities to reconstruct moments after arriving on a crime scene and performing hazardous parkour feats respectively; while all three characters can scan whatever area they are occupying to figure out where to go next and what can be interacted with via obvious yellow boxes in the distance.
While the gameplay is obviously lacking due to the style Quantic Dream has mostly perfected over the last two gaming generations, the story is full of depth. The aforementioned flowchart is the best example of how many routes a player can take to discover what can happen depending whether or not Markus stands up for himself against an android-hating bigot, or Kara accidentally steps in front of the television when her owner is trying to watch hockey. With each main character having about fifteen to thirty minutes of screen time per scenario, the three protagonists don’t wear out their welcome while the scenes usually end on a cliffhanger. Almost everything the player does feels important because the game says so; most likely convincing any gamer to give it a few more goes be it full playthroughs or jumping around the story via the “Chapter Select” option. This level of weight attached to decisions just adds to the overall themes of civil rights, illusions of slavery, abuse against both humans & artificial intelligence, and the natural trait of human nature where fear begets violence.
Unsurprisingly, the graphics are phenomenal from the perspective of character models. Quantic Dream, being one of the most renown motion capture studios in the world, topped themselves with a majority of the digital depictions of each real actor portraying these characters – be it Kara (Valorie Curry), Markus (Jesse Williams) or Connor (Bryan Dechart). Even the secondary characters and minor NPCs look fantastic. While a majority of the scenery ultimately blends together there are some memorable settings such as Markus’ initial home. The soundtrack headed by three different composers for each specific main character pays off in grand fashion as well.
Like every Quantic Dream game before it, “Detroit” satisfies those looking for an experience lacking in profound gameplay, but full of emotional storytelling and set pieces that are usually reserved for the cinema.
Should You Play “Detroit: Become Human”?
It’s been obvious for quite a while Quantic Dream is looking to blend the entertainment mediums of video games and movies to the point they could become interchangeable. While the intentions were there in regards to “Heavy Rain” and “Beyond: Two Souls”, neither reached the promise of what its developers wanted in regards to competent storytelling, memorable characters, and being visually & sonically appealing. While the presentation is mostly fantastic, the gameplay is still the weakest part of this Quantic Dream offering with so many quick-time events and the odd decision in how the player uses the right analog stick. For those who enjoyed previous Quantic Dream games this will definitely see this as the developer’s magnum opus. Fans of point & click adventures and games similar to Telltale Games’ productions will most likely love what “Detroit” has to offer, but action enthusiasts who enjoy gameplay over story should steer clear of this one.
