Detroit: Become Human

Detroit: Become Human is an interactive adventure with a third-person view, from the creators of Fahrenheit and Heavy Rain. Players can expect an outstanding game in the cyberpunk genre. The action takes place in future Detroit, where all residents actively use the services of robots. You will play as androids who are trying to fight for robot rights in the human world of the future. The game features several characters, each of whom will become the main protagonist in their episodes. At the same time, the wide variability of the passage is spread over the entire story as a whole.

Detroit: Become Human is a single-player PS4-exclusive third-person game in a cyberpunk setting, in the genre of interactive cinema with elements of detective, thriller, and action, released in 2018. Developed by Quantic Dream — the authors of Fahrenheit and Heavy Rain — it combines the studio's familiar elements: a branching, intriguing plot, multiple characters, and non-linear storytelling.

Skillfully managing genres and cinematic techniques, David Cage set a high bar by telling the fate of android-slaves who became aware of themselves and their status in future Detroit. A significant role in this is played by the new engine, optimized for PS4 and pleasing players with excellent visual quality, natural animation created using numerous motion capture sensors, as well as the beauty of a futuristic city, as if it came off a picture.

The action of Become Human takes place in 2038, but instead of science fiction, players are greeted with a well-thought-out world of a realistic future. Alongside high technology, electric transport, and ubiquitous internet, humanoid androids — biomechanical machines endowed with physical power and high intelligence, capable of solving any task, skillfully portraying a personality but not possessing it in essence — play a significant role in human society.

And although people can no longer live without the help of androids, most do not welcome "improved versions of themselves" and treat them with contempt. Due to a malfunction, some robots identify themselves as individuals and are dissatisfied with their low status. They also show emotions, character, attachment to some people, and dislike for others. Hence the conflict, which the player views from three sides.

The first of them is the android Kara, bought to help a single father raise a young girl. The father shows harshness towards the child, and Kara betrays her owner, escaping from his house with the girl, traveling and surviving on the streets and slums of Detroit.

The second side of the Become Human plot is the android detective Connor, who protects and saves people from malfunctioning androids. For this, he has a "detective" mode, persuasion power, and, as a last resort, a weapon. Due to the latter, Connor's storyline is filled with difficult decisions and unexpected endings.

The last of the trio is the revolutionary Markus, who "awakened" after the death of his elderly owner. The latter taught him to think and live independently, and Markus, striving to free his people, can use different methods — peaceful protests, rebellious struggle, and something in between.

The campaign of Detroit: Become Human поделена на эпизоды, в которых действует один из персонажей. Сюжет максимально приближен к жизни за счет показа людских пороков, жестокости и насилия, борьбы логики и эмоций, проблем морального и этического свойства. Сюжетных развилок в Become Human в три раза больше, чем в Heavy Rain, поэтому проходить её можно неоднократно с разным результатом.

Игрок сам строит повествование, выбирая те или иные варианты диалогов, действий и реакций при прохождении каждого эпизода, получая одну из нескольких концовок (всего их от 6 до 8). Чтобы добиться подобной инвариантности студия много работала с мелочами и добавила информацию по каждому вопросу. Сложности добавляют проблемы андроидов — Кара не знает, как жить, Коннор борется между своей сущностью и долгом, а Маркус не понимает, какой путь — насилия или диалога — приведет его к победе.

Несмотря на центральную линию общего сценария, повествование ведется нелинейно, итог эпизода оказывает влияние на последующие события, а сюжет получается уникальным, поскольку его сообща рассказывают несколько андроидов. По традиции Quantic Dream, герой может погибнуть и тогда повествование продолжится без него. Обычное прохождение Detroit: Become Human занимает 15 часов, а выяснить альтернативные концовки можно еще за 10-15.