Detroit: Become Human is a decision-based adventure video game developed by Quantic Dream and published by Sony Interactive for PlayStation 4 in 2018. It explores what it means to be human in a futuristic world where humans and androids are living together. There are three main characters with different stories that sometimes intertwine, and the player gets to control them and make decisions that’ll shape the story.

Website link: https://www.quanticdream.com/en/detroit-become-human

Story

The story follows three androids: Markus, Kara and Connor. Each of them has a unique story that follows their transformation of becoming a deviant as they acquire consciousness. The game questions whether it is possible for androids to have their own emotions and thoughts, and how the public views them. There are multiple endings to the story that depends on the character’s decisions and skills.

Aesthetics

The game has beautiful 3D graphics that includes detailed environment and character designs. The looks of all characters are based on real-life actors as their facial expressions, motions and voices are captured. The game has an incredible soundtrack that is distinguishable for each character, conveying different emotions for them. Hence, the game aesthetics make the game realistic and immersive.

Mechanics

The game is mainly based on decision-making. Thus, there aren’t many mechanics related to the character’s motions. The characters can walk, run, pick up objects and even scan the environment for clues. The main mechanic is that the story branches as the player makes decisions. The character’s knowledge about an event or a location affects the available choices too, so exploring the environment is a crucial mechanic.

Technology

The studio didn’t reveal the game engine they were using, so it is assumed that they programmed one by themselves for this game. The game was first developed for PS4, but later it was ported to PC and Vulkan API was used for this purpose.

Lens 1: Emotion

Throughout the game, there are various emotions a player can experience: sadness, joy, shock, nervousness as the story unfolds. The dialogues and connections between the characters allow the player to feel empathy towards them. All characters have personal relationships and goals that the player can relate to. Thus, the player is expected to have similar emotions with the characters. For example, there is a scene where Kara and her daughter are trying to get on the bus before the time limit to escape. The player is nervous throughout the scene as he/she wants them to escape without getting caught and is happy or sad depending on whether they accomplish this goal.

Lens 2: Problem Solving

In the game, there are various stages where the player is asked to solve a specific problem, especially with Connor’s story. He is an android detective who is assigned to trace the deviants and find their hideout, so he investigates many crime scenes where deviants have been associated with. These scenes require the player to actively think and come up with solutions to achieve a better ending. However, the game does not generate new problems, so a player who already played the game before does not face a new problem when he/she plays the game again.

Lens 3: Meaningful Choices

Perhaps the most important aspect of the game is choices. As the player makes critical decisions the story takes shape. There are generally 2 to 4 options a player can choose. A short explanation is given for each option and some of the choices have time limitations. Depending on the player’s decisions, the character’s mission might succeed or fail, the relationship between two characters can be love or hatred and even some characters might die. There are also morally questionable options that make the player think about what it means to be human. Another interesting aspect is that the player is not allowed to change his/her decision once he/she makes it. So many times the player might regret his/her choice as he/she sees its consequences.

Lens 4: Character Transformation

Depending on the player’s choice, the character goes through different transformations. Markus becomes the leader of an android revolution that can be either peaceful or violent, Kara can be a distant or a loving mother figure and most importantly Connor can become a deviant or remain as a soulless machine. These changes are portrayed with arrow signals as decisions are made. For example, if an unexpected decision is made for Connor, his software instability increases as shown in picture below. These character transformations are also communicated through the dialogues and actions of the characters.

Lens 5: Time

Reaching one ending of the main story takes around 12 hours, but the player can start over and play as many times as he/she wants. The gameplay duration is sufficient to convey the message of the game as it is not too long or too short. The player can take as much as time he/she wants to explore the areas if there’s no time limit, so each player can play the game at their own pace. The time limitations for some tasks challenge the player to think/act fast, and make the game engaging and not boring.

Conclusion

Detroit: Become Human is an emotional and philosophical journey that questions what defines humanity and how AI challenges this definition. It allows the player to explore the answer to these questions at their own pace. As a story-based game, it serves it purpose of engaging the player with the characters and the story through lenses and provides a unique experience for each player.