What is Detroit: Become Human?
Detroit: Become Human is the upcoming narrative-driven game from Quantic Dream, the developers behind Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls. Just like those two games, Detroit will allow players to make decisions that control the in-game characters’ actions. Naturally, this will result in different outcomes, as well as varying endings.
As most fans would be aware by now, Detroit is actually based on the company’s short, ‘KARA,’ which was revealed a few years ago. The developer has since expanded upon that concept, and turned it into a full-fledged video game. Quantic Dream has also announced that the game will be made with a brand new engine that features new dynamic lighting, physically-based shaders, and physical cameras.
That sounds all well and good, but what exactly is this game about? Let’s take a closer look at the game’s story, setting, and its characters.
Story and Setting
As the title suggests, Detroit: Become Human is set in a neo-noir version of Detroit, and the events of the game take place in the not-so-distant future. In this version of Detroit, humans are largely reliant on the service of androids, who take on jobs like gardeners, babysitters, teachers, and clerks. The androids look almost exactly like human beings, but they are subservient, and they are meant to serve the humans and listen to their orders.
The game kicks off when an unexplained incident occurs, causing some androids to behave strangely. Some of them have begun to disappear, some start showing signs of emotion, and they’re overall acting very oddly. No one knows the nature of this incident, or who or what has caused it. That’s probably going to the big mystery of the game that unfolds as we play through it.
Characters
So far, only two playable characters have been revealed for the cast of Detroit: Become Human, though it’s possible that there might be more to come. Firstly, we have Kara, who’s an android who has broken out of a facility. She is one of the strange androids that have started to gain a will of their own, and from all the footage we’ve seen so far, it’s implied that she’s simply curious about the world and what it has to offer. However, in the eyes of the humans, an android like her would be seen as a ‘deviant,’ and they would want to hunt her down.
The second character was revealed at Sony’s E3 conference this year. Connor is a “cold and analytical” android, and he’s an advanced prototype designed to help the police force track down deviant androids and solve cases regarding deviants as well. According to director David Cage, Connor has a very determined personality, and nothing matters more to him than getting his assigned job done.
Detroit: Become Human will allow players to take control of multiple characters and watch the story unfold from different perspectives. Just like Heavy Rain, characters can die permanently if you put them in danger, but the story will still continue to progress without them. This means that players will have to be careful with how they handle their characters if they want to bring everyone to the ending.
When is it Out?
Detroit: Become Human isn’t just about the story of the androids fighting to be free; it’s also meant to resonate with players at a more emotional level, and teach players the importance of becoming who you are. As awesome as that sounds, unfortunately the game does not have a solid release date just yet. Quantic Dream has revealed at this year’s E3 that the game will not be released in 2016, so it’s likely that we’ll see it some time in 2017 instead.
Detroit: Become Human will also be exclusive to the PS4. What are your thoughts on the game so far? Let us know in the comments down below.
Published: Jul 4, 2016 11:00 am