Courtesy of quanticdream.com

As futuristic stories go, the video game Detroit: Become Human is by far one of the best.

Detroit: Become Human takes place in Detroit, Michigan during 2038 in a futuristic world, where humanoid robots called “androids” have become a common thing to see, taking over jobs and assisting those in their homes. Throughout the course of the game, a player has three different androids and their story to “become human”, and their path to sentience. 

This game stands out as unique due to the complexity of its story. Typically when stories are set in a robot-filled world, the robots are painted as villains. However, Detroit: Become Human takes a different approach. As the player plays as multiple androids, they begin to see things from their perspective, and gain empathy for the ones and zeros they’ve been taught to villainize.

Another interesting aspect is the game’s choice-driven story. Each decision the player makes greatly affects the outcome of each android’s story, leaving the game with over 40 distinct endings. Due to that feature, players tend to replay the game many times, and each one is just as enjoyable as the last. 

The symbolism that lies within Detroit: Become Human is very powerful and resonates with players. Each android has a piece of technology located on their forehead that indicates their emotions, displaying whether they are calm, on edge, or ready to take on a threat. 

As the game progresses, the androids rip off their face-technology and demand that they aren’t any different from humans, and don’t need a big symbol on their face to make them stand out. The revolt for “android-rights” shows a powerful message to players, sometimes connecting to real life.

As the game doesn’t require interaction to the level other games do, it does a good job of keeping players engaged. With the story and uniqueness of tasks alike, the game maintains each player’s attention impeccably. 

Visually, the game is enjoyable, as the graphics and overall design is very well done and high quality.

One small detail that is very appreciable is something not in the actual game, but in the home screen before one actually hits play. On the home menu, there is an android who will talk and interact with the player. Depending on how far into the game the player is, that menu android will gain sentience, just like those in the actual game.

Details like those are very intriguing and stick out to players, elevating the game to the next level. It really displays the effort that was put into the game to ensure players enjoy their experience. 

One common complaint towards the game is the writing aspect. While some outcomes writing may not be up to par, there are many different paths players can take in the game. One playthrough shouldn’t determine the whole game as there is so much outstanding content.