Detroit is the Next Level Up From I, Robot
The first time I had any form of knowledge about robots, AI and the evolution of technology in our everyday lives was the 2004 film I, Robot. I was ten at the time, yes ten, and I was learning a lot of new things. Little did I know that I was really getting a blockbuster version of an entry course into what we’ll need to know in the future. I, Robot was a film that isn’t fantastic but I still think its great and what it does well is show robots going through a situation that is similar to many minorities before them. Media like I, Robot have the ability to discuss both mankind’s future and their past at the same time to a larger audience because of its blockbuster appeal. Detroit: Become Human is a game you should definitely play because of the story it tells and the gripping choices you have to make.
Detroit: Become Human is a PlayStation exclusive game developed by Quantic Dream. Quantic Dream were the developers of Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls so if you’ve played those two games then you know what Detroit: Become Human is going to be. If you haven’t then let me explain it a little. Quantic Dream creates games that are based on your own decision making and in Detroit: Become Human you control three androids who each have different backgrounds in this story set in 2038. You must control the three androids and choose their paths and learn their story or better take on their story and make the tough decisions yourself.
At the heart of Detroit, you have a story based on society and how mankind will act towards the machines they made themselves when they start to evolve into their own beings. Your three characters, Kara, Markus and Connor each have different yet similar backgrounds. Kara works for a drunk and abusive father as she is supposed to be looking after his daughter. Marcus works for an old painter who treats Marcus like his own son and tries to teach him how to appreciate life. Connor is an android cop, think a cool TV show version of Blade Runner, who has to investigate why androids are become deviants and attacking humans.
Detroit: Become Human is a beautiful game, it’s a game that you just want to stare at and appreciate and it really tests how good the PS4 really is. It also has some of the best video game music I’ve ever heard…I’m listening to it right now actually! The acting by the main cast of characters is top notch for a video game and that is really key here as you control their life like bodies. It’s the elegance and the design that really aid Detroit because it explains two things; 1. Explains how quickly technology is evolving as we’re now getting games that look this good and 2. It helps create that extra impact on you as the player as you make crucial decisions.
There are what feels like endless possibilities in this game. You can have all three of your androids die at the very start or you can be like me and make carefully made decisions for them to survive right up until you start screwing it all up. I probably couldn’t even spoil the story for you because you will have such a different experience to anyone else. That is what I liked most about Detroit and it’s one of the reasons I like I, Robot as a kid, despite the fact I still think Will Smith is cool. Detroit tests your choices, not just as a gamer playing a game but as a human being. You go through the game getting surreal questions that you might not realise are surreal but they really are.
There was a point in the game where I had destroyed some stuff and started a bit of an android uprising. As I continued playing I thought about how I would feel as a human in that situation, would I feel mad at all androids or would I feel frightened? I would feel frightened and I’d want to ensure that the people I loved are safe and as I realised this I tried to correct the choices of my android, however, it was too late. I had to continue the story living with the damage that I had done, had I ruined my chances of having peace between androids and humans and despite it being just a game you can’t help but feel how realistic that is. In between each scene, you get to see what the rest of the world chose for their choices and some of the percentages are alarming, some mean nothing but other can tell a pretty unique tale of what goes through the minds of gamers. Each player determines their own story and their world in the game is affected by that. It makes you think that situation like Detroit’s in the real world, one small decision could be the one thing that brings everyone’s world crashing down.
Of course there are moments in the game that are a little bland and there is the usual problems with a large game of this scale, problems like the fact you have to involve intense fights for the general audience. It’s in these moments that I felt a little out of control of my characters. There is a particular move the control left or right motion that can be easily mixed up with moving the analog sticks because it looks quite similar when everything is fast-paced and your Android might end up with a few bullets in the chest because of it. This is easily solved by just playing the easy, story only, game mode but where is the fun in that am I right?
Detroit: Become Human is a fantastic game that you simply should just play if you have a PS4. It’s an exclusive for the system and it tells a wise story as well. If I, Robot was what taught me about things like the four laws of robotics then Detroit: Become Human is the game that teaches me about society and why making choices right now in our society is so important and can have a profound effect on our future. Detroit: Become Human is one of my favourite games because I’ll have it in my memory for quite some time to come.