Detroit: Become Human - Review

I won't lie, I have been excited to play Detroit Become Human ever since I saw the short film Kara back in 2015.  Of course, at the time I had no idea the short film would develop into a full game but I always hoped.  Quantic Dream is the French Studio behind the game, at its helm is David Cage who is best known as a writer and director.  The studio has produced a number of noteworthy games including Fahrenheit, Heavy Rain, and Beyond Two Souls.


Bread rolls. That's right, that is what I'm going to use as my food analogy.  I am sure you might be thinking 'bread rolls, that's a little bland'.  Well without some context I can certainly understand why you might think that.  My mum used to make bread rolls at home and they were fantastic, especially if they had just come out the oven; a liberal application of butter and you have a little piece of warm buttery perfection.  Then, of course, there are the bread rolls you can buy in shops and heat up in the oven - they look pretty good but when it comes to taste they miss the mark every time.  Playing Detroit: Become Human I found myself asking was this like the bread rolls my mum used to make or the shop bought ones that offer a mediocre taste at best?

Story

The game is set in the not too distant future of Motor City Detroit.  The world, or rather Elijah Kamski, has created androids, and they are used as servants to either complete chores or satisfy certain desires.  Over the past nine months some androids have been running, hurting or even killing their owners and this is where our story begins.

The story focuses on three androids, Kara, Connor, and Markus.  Kara has recently been repaired after an 'accident' and is used to keep house for a delightful man called Todd along with taking care of his daughter Alice.  Connor is an advanced prototype who has been sent by Cyberlife (the company who created androids) to investigate why deviants have started appearing and stop them. He is partnered with Hank, a washed out detective who is not a big fan of androids.  Markus helps take care of kind, aging artist Carl Manfred (played by Lance Henriksen). Unfortunately, others are not quite the same as Carl and we get to see Markus experience the distrust, anger, and hate felt towards androids.

The game is filled with genuinely heartbreaking moments, tough decisions and life and death situations.  I really enjoyed getting to move between three characters and help watch their stories unfold.  Overall a fantastic and thought-provoking story.

Visuals

No matter what your thoughts are on Quantic Dream no one can argue about the quality of their visuals, and Detroit: Become Human is no exception.  There is so much attention to detail, whether it be in their character designs, background visuals or even some of the most simple items that populate the world.  The city itself has a futuristic yet dilapidated feel showing both the positive and negative effects of this new android filled world.  One of my favorite visual spectacles was watching the sunrise over a shipyard in the early part of the game.  The characters are so detailed from their clothes to the colour and movement of their eyes.

In earnest it is hard to really capture and describe how good this game looks without playing it for yourself.   Overall it is the most visually stunning game I have had the pleasure of playing so far this year. 

Music

Quantic Dream was rather ambitious when it came to creating the score for Detroit: Become Human.  They brought together three composers with very different backgrounds to try and create a great soundtrack - it paid off. 

Each of three composers helped create a different sound for each of the characters.  Philip Shepard who has worked with the likes of David Bowie, Unkle, and Jarvis Cocker made Kara's Theme.  Nima Fakhrara who composed the score for Resident Evil Revelations 2 and The Signal made Connor's Theme.  John Paesano who composed the music for Ben 10, Mass Effect Andromeda, Netflix's TV Series Daredevil and the Maze Runner films made Markus's theme.  Each character's theme is very different to the other and all help in creating a very distinct sound.  

Outside of Shepard, Fakhrara, and Paesano, additional music is provided by The Britemores, Rocket 455, White Shag and Model 500

The score runs shy of two hours and features some great pieces including, 'Kara Main Theme', 'Conor Main Theme', 'Something You've Never Seen Before', and 'Dark Night'.

Overall a great soundtrack that works well in conjuction with the story.

Gameplay

Heavy Rain presented a lot of questions that need to be answered quickly and when this wasn't happening there were quick time events.  In Beyond Two Souls there was a greater focus on exploration and interaction with the world around you. This time the best elements of both Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls have been brought together.

Other than quick thinking and fast reflexes there is another element to the gameplay which is your investigation tool.  Holding R2 brings up items of interest - it is worth checking all of them as even small things such as the magazines help give you an insight into the current state of the world.

There is a flowchart you can use that is visible in the pause menu, showing the decisions you have made and the branches where different, unspecified choices and outcomes can occur.  While this wasn't for everyone it was an element I enjoyed mostly because it made curious about what things I could have done differently.  Each chapter you complete gives you points which can be used to unlock some really good extras including, artwork, music, documentaries, and shorts.

The main menu itself was really interesting - there is an android who periodically will ask you questions, comment on actions you have taken or seek your advice.  I found this very unique and was quite engaging.

Overall fantastic gameplay and I look forward to exploring the many other decisions I didn't make in this playthrough.

I hope you will excuse me for going off on a tangent but I wanted to address some of the negative feedback I have heard and read about the game.  The most prevalent are the people and groups who commented on the use of domestic abuse towards female characters in the game.  There was some who suggested that abusers would get off on this and a quote by Andy Burrows who is part of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children stated, 'any video game the trivialises or normalises child abuse, neglect or domestic violence for entertainment is unacceptable'.  

As with many things without context, it is easy to see why people could be outraged or angered.  However, if view something in its entirety, for example, Detroit: Become Human you can understand some of the intent of the writer.  It would be both arrogant and insulting to David Cage for me think I know how his mind works, that being said the story he has created and the things he is trying to represent seem clear.  In my opinion, he put focus on child abuse and domestic violence, for two reasons, firstly to draw attention to something that many of us don't like to think about, the reality is many homes have experienced this and in some cases continue to do so.  Secondly, to draw on our emotions and help create a bond not only with those on screen but feel an anger towards those that have suffered in real life.  

If we zoom out further and look at the game it a terrifying insight into a possible future and study into humanity.  The reality is that if artificial general intelligence existed and androids created there would be anger, fear, and hatred towards them because in every conceivable way they would be better/more than us.  There would be those who would see them as lesser and abuse them because of it.  If history has taught us anything it's that 'those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it'.  Detroit: Become Human is a possible future history at best, but it does take a look at who we are as people and how some would behave in this new world.

I will finish off with a response from David Cage regarding the use of domestic abuse: 'Would I be doing my job as a creator if I was making the game you want me to make?  I don't think so - I'm creating something that I find moving and meaningful.  And I think people should see the scene, play the game and see it in context to really understand it.  The rule I give myself is to never glorify violence, to never do anything gratuitous.  It has to have a purpose, have a meaning, and create something that is hopefully meaningful for people'.

Final Thoughts 

After playing for over twenty-five hours how did I feel?  Fantastic, all the individual elements joined together to help create a perfect experience and one I looking forward to trying all over again in the future.  I feel so strongly about this game and my time playing it that I will give 5 out of 5

The Power of Three

I am not a fan of console wars, a great is a great game & it really should not matter what console it's on.  Over the years I have bought quite of few game consoles & all of them had something great to offer.  That all being said I did & still do have a tendency to favor my XBOX 360 over my Playstation 3, generally because for me I feel there were more games I liked on the XBOX 360 & loved the user interface.


The Playstation 3 has a lot to offer in terms of design; it features an in built Blu-ray drive, there is no traditional drive tray instead it just sucks in the games, the dual shock controller feels really light & comes with a charging cable & it sounds silly but I am going to say it any way I like the sound it makes when you power on the console.


The Playstation 3 boasts many great titles & I wanted to take some time out to recognise & talk about them.  As normal I have picked three titles that really stood out for me.

I want start the review by saying this game is amazing!  I am not a big hype fan & for me I thought the game could not live up to what others had told me about it - it did.  Quantic Dream the developers of the title focus on three key things essential to any truly great video game; story, visuals & gameplay.


The story focuses on four main characters: Ethan - a family man, Scott - a private investigator, Norman - a FBI profiler & Madison  - a journalist.  While their backgrounds are very different they all have one thing in common, The Origami Killer.  While all four characters have a key role to play Ethan's is probably the largest due to very early on one of his children being kidnapped.  With such a rich story I can't afford to say more without spoiling it for you, for those of you who have already played it you know what I mean.


The name Heavy Rain is not just a good title but also a big feature of the game, the rain effects look great & help add to the bleakness of the story. One of the first places you get to see is Ethan's house. It may sound strange but it feels like you're actually in someones house.  Often with games there is the world & the story, while they are two separate components they are always intertwined. For me the better the game the harder it is to distinguish one from the other. Whether you are inside or outside the world you are in always feels organic & really adds depth to the game, this is something Quantic Dream do very well.


The music used is perfect & adds another layer to an already rich game.  Often it lingers in the background subtle & unintrusive while other times it is intense & abrasive. I regularly found myself moved from a state of calm to an almost white knuckle panic, by doing this the game teaches you never to be complacent & ever ready for what might come next.


The gameplay is interesting as no matter what your play style is normally Heavy Rain forces you to adopt a new one.  Every place you are in holds importance & every action helps drives the story even if it is only in a minor way. An example of this is when you are in Ethan's House & your wife asks you to get plates out for dinner.  You have to go the cupboard, open the door, grab the plates & put them out.  If you don't do this quick enough you get told off for it.  This happened to me as I took too long to help out as I was putting some music & got a little too distracted. This is something that regularly happens in the game & with so many choices you won't get the chance to see & hear every outcome on your first play-through. Sometimes you are required to make a decision & you get little time to think about, this is not only punctuated by the music but also by the floating options that circle the character in question. This can cause you to make decisions that given more time you may not have chosen.  This adds a pressure & realism to the gameplay that really keeps you focused.


It is very difficult to find a flaw with this game & if I was forced to mention one I would say
that simple actions like opening or closing cupboards for example can feel overly complicated in regards to the analogue controls.  With the exception of the minor issue the game is fantastic & I am really looking forward to playing the remastered edition on Playstation 4.  If you have a Playstation 3 or 4 I would highly recommend purchasing a copy of this game, you wont regret it.

You might be thinking why did he pick another game from Quantic Dream? Well multiple reasons but there are few key titles I missed out on & still need to play, namely; Uncharted & Killzone. Had I played through these my selection could have been different. This game was highly underrated & while it is not as good as Heavy Rain it is like trying to compare Chinese Food & Pizza - both tasty & satisfying but in very different ways.


You take control of Jodie (played by Ellen Page) a young girl with a special friend named Aiden, he is an entity connected to her since birth.  She possesses supernatural & psychic abilities that allow her to manipulate objects, communicate with Aiden & do much more. Her father figure in the game is
Dr Dawkins (played by Willem Dafoe) a researcher at the Department of Paranormal Activity.  Even more so that Heavy Rain the game focuses on story so to save on spoilers I won't say anymore.


Visually the game is very different to Heavy Rain (see Chinese Food & Pizza). The earlier parts of the game features a research facility which looks futuristic & cool! Other areas include Africa, a military base & one of my favorite sections of the game which sees Jodie homeless. I know what you are thinking, how can someone being homeless good?  It's not that it is good but the story, visuals & characters are so well done that part really stuck with me.


The music used in the game is deep & often feels very somber.  The sound reminds me of something you would hear in a film rather than a game but this I feel was purposefully done as the game is more story driven than a lot of others.  What this means is that you take more time to listen & watch than focus on movement.


For some critics I know they felt the gameplay was an issue as it often feels like you are part of an interactive story rather than a game.  While that is a slight over simplification I liked the direction & is the same reason I really enjoyed Tell Tale's The Walking Dead (Can't wait for Season 3!). Playing as Jodie was great but I really liked playing as Aiden as it was a lot of fun manipulating objects in the game, throwing stuff around & sometimes doing it for no other reason than to scare people (muwhahahha!).  Games evolve & change just like the music that is in them & while the play style is different I don't think it is bad thing & is a welcome change.  I also really respect that Quantic Dream were willing to try & do something different especially with a triple A title. For a lot of companies out there it is less about taking risks & more about just rinsing & repeating what came before sticking a new number on the box.


While the game may have it's flaws including dialogue that sometimes feels a little clunky & some control issues, I enjoyed the experience & I know I will play the game in the future.  If you never played it because of the bad things you heard about it I would say to you march down to your local game shop & pick up a copy & try it for yourself.

I am not sure I can say anything about this game that has not already been said, being honest there is probably not a single Playstation 3 owner that has not played this title. Naughty Dog has come a long way from Crash Bandicoot & if you have told me back then they would or could create a game of this caliber I would have called you a liar - I am sorry to the fictional person I never said that too.


Outbreaks make for a great back drop for a story, I think the big reason for this is that if we were going to be brought to the brink of destruction in today's world it would be most likely from a virus or a crazy fungus.  You play as Joel a loving father just trying to escape for a crazy fungus out break with your daughter.  As bad as things are they get worse for Joel who loses his daughter.  Years on you see him working as a smuggler & through a turn of events you find your self helping to smuggle a girl called Ellie to a rebel group called the Fireflies.  Sounds simple enough until you find out Ellie is infected by the virus & might be key to curing it.  That's your lot, that is all I am telling you.


Visually the game looks amazing, when I say this I mean post apocalyptic & grim.  There are old failed check points that litter the world showing the devastation the virus caused. In some areas it feels like nature is starting to reclaim the world & presents you with some visual delights.  There is an area later in the game covered with snow that just looks beautiful & stunning.  When it comes to visuals this game does not disappoint.


In terms of music in the game it is used sparingly, while this may sound like a bad thing it is not.  If you ask most people what sound they remember hearing from the game they will mention the guitar solos, somber, poignant & more than that very fitting.  It help captures the world Joel, Ellie & the others live in; scattered, broken & isolated.


The gameplay is really fun to play, lack of ammo & a constant worrying that using a gun may attract others to you make you rely on other tactics.  The key one is take downs & using a shiv to stab those annoying fungus guys in the head or just regular crazy people.  Often it was not essential to kill everyone & everything in sight, survival is key so avoiding conflict can be advantageous. I doubt I am the only one that feels this way but there is section where you play as Ellie & to me it is almost the best section of the game.  I can't say too much on the off chance you have not played it or don't want to remember, what I will say is; snow, lots of crazy guys, creepy old guy, diner.


There is a multiplayer aspect to the game but it did not really do anything for me.  This is not that surprising as for me games are more about the single player experience, that is not say I don't occasionally enjoy playing with others but for me I play games for me.


 I had a few minor issues like sometimes when you were with people & they ran in front of patrols & were not seen but if you looked in the wrong direction you would get seen. The take down ability you get for the fungus head guys never really worked very well.  There are a few characters I was not too keen on but being honest I think most of that was done on purpose.  This being said the game was really great & well deserving of the praise it received. I can't wait to get the Playstation 4 to play the remastered edition.

The end has come again of another console/game review. There are so many great games on this console, some of which I still have to play, below is a short list of those games:

Uncharted 1-3
Killzone 1-3
Journey
Time Crisis 4
Little Big Planet (may not be great but a lot of fun)


Next up, the Nintendo 3DS!