Review - Detroit: Become Human

What does it mean to be human? While I write my review for this game, I want you to ponder this in the back of your mind. Think on it, dwell on the meaningfulness of your life. Pause as you read my words and reflect on you, right here and now. Take a moment from this time granted and think about everything that has lead you to this moment and will drive you to the next.
Because that is what Detroit: Become Human has done to me.

David Cage is infamous in gaming culture; Fahrenheit, Beyond: Two Souls, Heavy Rain, games that have and continue to live on in a legacy of their own making. Detroit: Become Human was a game that snuck up on me and something I went in to with very little knowledge of.
This game, also referred to in the game itself simply as Detroit, is a story driven dialogue of three main protagonist in city of Detroit circa 2038. Technology has boomed and Androids now serve humanity in menial tasks such as laborers, carers and so on. But these roles have lead to scrutiny: androids are mistreated, beaten, harmed and worse in many cases, and the protagonists will slowly be swallowed whole in the upcoming war.
Connor, a Cyberlife detective, is a top-of-the-line machine investigating the cases of Deviants, Androids who have broken away from their programming and become sentient. Kara is a caretaker for a man and his daughter, slowly discovering how twisted humans can be against her kind and even their own. Markus is a carer for an elderly man, slowly exploring the way humans work as he sees the injustice and mistreatment around him, and when he loses all he holds dear, everything comes apart.
While some characters are flawed more than others, each takes a shot at portraying these multiple sides of humanity, showing how different things can be from a simple question to an action, which brings me to the gameplay.

The gameplay is easy to pick up, and is best suited for any casual fan of gaming, while old hats should pick it up instantaneously. Detroit does offer a decent amount of exploration, puzzle solving by finding items and morality checks in getting them, it remains linear in most missions, resulting in Quick Time Events taking the majority of gameplay. Surprisingly, this does not detract from the gameplay aspect, as almost every mission holds a chance for the characters around you, and your protagonists to die. Miss a QTE, your friends are killed. Choose the wrong reply, you're killed. While it can make the gameplay rushed in certain missions, it adds a real sense of urgency to what you do with what time you have.
A high point I must add is the utterly beautiful graphics. The four years of development were definitely spent on the look and polish of the game, and each character looks incredible. Even on a base PS4, pores can be seen on characters faces! The background, lighting, each mission looks incredible and every character is phenomenally realistic. I also want to mention the soundtrack and musical score which was just as beautiful, resulting in a few tears now and again.
Voice acting was very well done, with the main cast doing a great job. The heart-to-heart between Carl and Markus, the growing conflict with Connor, Kara and Alice, Luther, North, Simon, almost every side character has a purpose in the story and each are very well done in their performance. Some scenes did come across somewhat stiff, but were quickly forgotten.

Finally the storyline; Each character's story takes place roughly at the same time until they begin to overlap or mingle within one another, but each has a point to their story. While personally I resonated with Connor and Markus more, Kara's story didn't have as much growth or development as theirs did. Connor's story is about the discovery of what it means to be a being, whether that being is a machine or human. Markus' story is how all people deserve freedom and the choices people make in order to achieve that freedom and its consequences. Kara's story begins and ends with protecting Alice, and while that doesn't detract from the other themes of her story, it certainly hinders it after a 30-40 hour run time.
Lastly I would like to mention the main menu; from start to finish you are assisted by Chloe; the very first android model. She talks to you about your experiences, quotes famous people and generally banters as your screen goes idle. Outside of this, you earn points the more you play the game, having the ability to unlock character models, cinematic trailers and behind the scenes, gallery stock photos and more. The reason I'm touching on this is the final option of the extras, that being a survey. The game asks you simple questions; would you let an android perform surgery on you, do you believe technology can become a threat, and so on. I enjoyed this little detail because you can see the stats of the player's choices and this made a nice little throwback to what the game is all about. Choices and their consequences. Which brings me back to my first statement.

Have you thought about my first question? Here is my reply, to both it and the developers behind Detroit; We are the protagonists of our own stories, stories that may never be told and many will fade away as time continues on. Each of us have made choices that have directly or indirectly affected our lives and the lives around us, never knowing what the other outcomes could have been. How many people have wondered what those other outcomes were, and if they'd have been worth it?
What does it mean to be human? Humans empathise. They are kind, thoughtful, and caring for one another. Even when the worst comes out in us, morphing us into horrible, irredeemable people, so long as that spark remains in one of us, our humanity remains.
Detroit: Become Human made me question my humanity, and while this game has its flaws in its storytelling, there is certainly enough here for a few playthroughs and exploring that topic for yourself.

Detroit: Become Human - 8/10