DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN
Analysing the odds and ends of an android abduction
Quantic Dream’s choice-led, interactive narratives have ensured we’re no strangers to the grim consequences of our actions. Hacking off fingers with hatchets in Heavy Rain; roasting a houseful of teens alive in Beyond: Two Souls… But as we watch blue blood spurt from our victim’s mouth, we feel extra guilty. We could have prevented this. That’s because there are more ways than ever to tailor the story in David Cage’s new neo-noir thriller. You play as several different characters, each with unique abilities. In our demo, we’re in the impossibly perfect skin of android detective Connor. Our task (which we’ve just bungled spectacularly)? To stop a robo-butler from throwing his owners’ kid off a roof.
On our second playthrough, we make full use of Connor’s techy superpowers. Holding i freezes time: a blue matrix appears over the now-greyscale apartment, interactive points in the room sparkling like stars. Picking up a photo reveals the abductor’s name: Daniel. The on-screen ‘probability of success’ meter rises from the initial 50% to 57%. We use Reconstruct Mode on the father’s body, pressing r to bring up an action-replay of the poor guy being shot by our hysterical perp. How a non-human has even managed to get so emotional is another question entirely – but why? A swipe of the touchpad moves our reticule over a clue and w tells all: Daniel was going to be replaced. Our success odds rise to a healthy 64%.
HUMANOID BOOGIE
Time is of the essence. If we poke about for too long, our odds will drop again. As dramatic music swells, we head outside for round two with Daniel. Button prompts float into view for us to select dialogue options. Now we’re a bit more clued up, empathetic choices unlock. We hoist our chances to 87%. Then Daniel asks for a car, we refuse to compromise and he flips his lid, headed for the edge. Hammering q pulls the girl from his arms as he falls – but Connor eats a bullet. ‘Mission successful’. Close enough?
Not for us. With myriad, narrative-altering outcomes, extra evidence to find and retries allowed, we’re itching to ease our conscience come 2017.
“BLUE BLOOD SPURTS FROM OUR VICTIM’S MOUTH… WE COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS.”