A narrative adventure like no other

Detroit: Become Human

Detroit: Become Human was a project that began with a tech demo in 2012. Six years later, we have the developer’s best release thus far.

Playing Quantic’s latest often left me wondering if “interactive ction” is a better label for it than “video game”. Where titles such as God of War masterfully weaves an impactful narrative with engaging combat, Detroit simply chooses to emphasize storytelling. There are ghts and shootouts, but not in the way most gamers expect.

The game starts with a fantastically rendered, fourth-wall breaking greeting by Chloe, the “rst android to pass the Turing test.” It’s there to impress us with the in-game world’s tech, to irt with the possibilities of what might be, but we all know that reality is, in fact, grim.

Cue the opening sequence with Connor, the specialist android built to deal with emotional, ‘Deviant’ peers. Transition to Markus, a caretaker android at the forefront of the bubbling humanmachine conict. Segue to Kara, the housekeeper android that gives us insight on what it’s like to be on the run. Detroit’s story is told from their perspectives, all refreshingly di erent and more personal than it is heroic.

However, there’s just one glaring problem: their characters don’t resonate as androids. The world and gameplay may treat them as such, but they behave and think like persecuted humans rather than AI coming to grips with selfawareness. It’s less of an issue with Connor, as he’s partnered with a human detective who has an unreserved love for alcohol and the exact opposite for androids. That back-andforth, combined with plenty of investigative gameplay, is probably why his story turned out to be the most interesting of the lot.

Writer and director David Cage isn’t too interested in exploring the sci- questions that advancing AI brings, only the struggles and brutality of inequality. Kara’s story made it clear that this was taking cues from history, and that discrimination is the actual subject at hand.

There IS a writing team involved, multiple composers, and di erent directors of photography, all working to give the three storylines a unique look and

sound. It’s honestly mindboggling how, together with all the branching paths, that the entire production manages to be as cohesive as it is.

The bulk of the game’s entertainment comes from its penchant for crafting thrilling, cinematic encounters, moments where you’re completely spellbound and pondering Human is more a matter of personal taste.

Quantic Dream loves to incorporate interactions at the quirkiest or most mundane of times, but they’re decidedly less complex than Heavy Rain’s nger Olympics. And if you can’t be bothered about the analog stick wiggling and button mashing, there’s a simpler control scheme

Yes, there are moments of action in the game and things to do, but don’t come looking for a shooter.