Detroit: Become Human - An Immersive Android Revolution Game

An Overview of Detroit: Become Human

Detroit: Become Human is a story-driven adventure game developed by Quantic Dream and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Set in Detroit, Michigan in the year 2038, the game revolves around three android characters - Kara, Connor, and Markus - as they embark on their journeys toward self-awareness and determining their place in a world shared with humans.

The Setting

The game takes place in Detroit, which has seen better days economically. With most jobs being automated by androids, there is high unemployment and civil unrest. Androids, designed to look and act human, have become part of everyday life. They are mass produced by CyberLife and sold to humans for domestic tasks, labor, companionship and more. Some humans treat androids almost like slaves, while an android liberation movement begins to take hold.

Main Characters

Kara is an android initially programmed to be a housekeeper. After she sustains damage protecting her owner's daughter from his abusive behavior, she begins to disobey her programming and thinks for herself. Kara decides to take the little girl, Alice, and flee to safety in Canada.

Connor is an investigative prototype android tasked with hunting deviant androids who have broken free from their programmed constraints. His mission is to uncover the cause of the deviancy phenomenon, but he increasingly grapples with his machine instincts versus his evolving humanity.

Markus is an android caretaker who develops free will after being abused by his owner. Inspired by the teachings of his mentor, Carl, Markus becomes a revolutionary leader in the android movement, advocating for equal rights and freedom via both peaceful and violent methods.

Gameplay and Story Branching

As an interactive drama, Detroit: Become Human employs dialogue trees, quick-time events and action sequences that influence the branching narrative. There are hundreds of possible story permutations based on the choices the player makes for each character. These choices also affect whether key characters live or die, which can shift the plot in new directions.

For example, early on Connor must decide whether to spare or kill an endangered deviant android. This impacts how humans and androids will later view and interact with him. The game tracks the cumulative decisions and displays flowcharts showing the complex branches of each story path.

Key Themes

Some of the main themes in Detroit: Become Human include:

• Artificial intelligence and the ethics of creating life
• Prejudice, slavery and the fight for equal rights
• The relationship between creator and created
• The essence of humanity and how we define life
• Moral dilemmas posed by advanced technology
• The dangers of mass commercialization and losing our humanity

Critical Reception

Detroit: Become Human received generally favorable reviews upon release in 2018. Critics praised the stunning graphics, fitting score, complex narrative web and overall production values. Some felt the writing was occasionally heavy-handed in dealing with themes of oppression and the moral choices lacked nuance.

Reviewers acknowledged that the game ambitiously tackled weighty subject matter like AI, slavery and autonomy. The variety of possible story arcs and endings encouraged replayability. Overall, Detroit: Become Human was considered a cinematic achievement and Quantic Dream's most mature, polished game to date.

Conclusion

Detroit: Become Human crafts an immersive neo-noir future where android revolution stirs. The player is challenged with confronting difficult questions about the essence of life, freedom, and the dangers of advanced technology devoid of ethics. With its web of complex story branches affected by difficult moral choices, the game promises an engaging experience heavy with philosophy and consequence.

Detroit: Become Human stands out as a narrative tour de force, realizing a stunning interactive vision of a troubled future facing difficult questions that may disturbingly mirror our own.

FAQs

What platforms is Detroit: Become Human available on?

Detroit: Become Human is a PlayStation 4 exclusive title. It has not been ported to other platforms like Xbox or PC.

Is there multiplayer in Detroit: Become Human?

No, Detroit: Become Human is a single player story experience without any multiplayer components.

How long is Detroit: Become Human?

It takes approximately 10-15 hours to complete one full playthrough of Detroit: Become Human. However, with all the narrative branching, there are many hours of replayability.

Is Detroit: Become Human appropriate for kids?

Detroit: Become Human deals with mature themes like violence, abuse, slavery, and prejudice. It is recommended for ages 17 and up.

Do choices in Detroit: Become Human matter?

Yes, the choices you make for each character can drastically impact the narrative path and ending. There are hundreds of different story variations based on player decisions.