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