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Detroit: Become Human
PlayStation 4
I, For One, Welcome Our New Robotic Overlords
4/5 stars
While David Cage rubs some people the wrong way, I've always been a fan of his and Quantic Dream. From Indigo Prophecy to Heavy Rain to Beyond: Two Souls - one thing his games are is never boring, even if the narrative can get messy. Detroit: Become Human is the studios most ambitious game to date and while some notes fall flat here and there, for the most part it gets things right and is one of the most gorgeous games to grace screens this generation.
Presentation: Detroit: Become Human is certainly one of the best-looking games of this generation. Thanks to the great efforts of the studio, mo-cap and mapping and all that, I found this to be probably one of the best at presenting humans (or androids as it is) in a realistic way. The game manages to avoid that uncanny valley feel and really does an excellent job of getting emotions across - the eyes, the mouth, the hair - it is very well done, like a cut scene come to life in a way that would have been impossible a few years ago. The voice acting is also top notch with the three main character - Kara, Connor and Marcus being voiced (and acted out) by Valorie Curry, Bryan Dechart and Jesse Williams (Williams is probably best known as Dr. Jackson Avery on Grey's Anatomy, Curry has been in Veronica Mars and The Tick). But the game does a great job with their secondary characters as well, with the standout (for me) being Clancy Brown as the gruff, android-hating detective Hank Anderson - who also has the best reaction in the game when he is "sobered up" by Connor - and then proceeds to puke his guts out. The game also features Lance Henriksen, Minka Kelly, Evan Parke, Ben Lambert and Audrey Boustani in significant roles.
The game environments looks as good as the characters, from the streets of Detroit to crime scenes, the police department, a derelict ship and even a run-down amusement park. The weather effects are top-notch as well as rain and snow alike become a factor and are presented well. The music is, for the most part, pretty good with both actual artists providing some tracks along with the score. Hell, the game has a scene with an android bear - what more do you want?
Story: Cage isn't known for crafting the best stories, even if he thinks he is being all deep and Detroit, for all its beauty and wonder, is little different. The game follows three main characters: Marcus, a specialty android built for a local artist who finds himself leading a band of self-aware androids - called Deviants by the media; Kara, a maid/housekeeper who becomes deviant and does everything in her power to protect her young charge, Alice from an abusive world; and Connor, the first-of-his-kind detective, who is assigned to work with the android-hating Hank Anderson with the Detroit Police in order to investigate the ever-increasing Deviant behavior in the android population that, more often than not, leads to violent outbursts.
The story is heavy on the whole "slavery" angle, with androids, who are not considered human at all, doing most of the manual labor - leading to widespread unemployment and anti-android sentiment - but also providing everything from companionship to becoming family. Most of the people in game treat androids like objects rather than people - though there are exceptions. This is obviously meant to show how little the general populace really cares about these object despite their ever-increasing reliance on them. Even the music reflects this angle. While all three stories are compelling in their own way (Kara's especially in my eyes), they are in no way earth-shattering. They are emotional, yes, but nowhere near as deep as Cage would have you think.
Gameplay: As an interactive adventure game, Detroit: Become Human is like the previous David Cage game before it: each area lets you walk around freely in the given environment, examine objects, read magazines, search for clues, etc. while also offering some quick-time events (chasing or being chased, for example) that require some skill with the controller. Failing these events can very much lead to your death or radically change the outcome of certain story lines. There are a few puzzles scattered about here and there, but nothing that is really that difficult. Some missions are timed as well, and, of course, there are a lot of choices to make along the way.
The main crux is that your decisions and dialogue choices dictate the outcome for not just the three main characters, but the world at large. As these characters draw ever closer together, the effect of your past decisions become more pronounced. The game play is pretty simple and if you have played Heavy Rain, you know what you're getting into.
Replayability: The game lets you jump into any chapter to test out alternate paths, and there are many different paths you can take along the way. Some make little changes, some make bigger waves but there is a lot to discover. Each discovery also gives you points you can use to unlock behind-the-scenes videos, concepts art, music tracks and such - so there is some incentive to go back a few times.
Overall: While the game isn't the most subtle in its story, those who have enjoyed David Cage games in the past should fully enjoy this one too.
Presentation: 5/5
Story: 4/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Replayability: 5/5
Overall (not an average): 4/5
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