Detroit: Become Human, the latest narrative adventure game from David Cage's studio Quantic Dream, debuts this week. The developer has a history of story-heavy games with mature themes and dramatic cinematography, and Detroit is no exception. Taking place in a near-future setting where androids are treated as second-class citizens, you follow the journeys of three such automatons as they impact the coming revolution.
How does it handle this heady subject matter? Unevenly, judging by the critical response. According to our verdict, the story intertwines gracefully and captures some unforgettable moments, but it appropriates real-life events like the Civil Rights movement clumsily. Our Detroit: Become Human review also concluded that despite being built for multiple playthroughs with branching story paths, going back and seeing another possibility didn't feel fulfilling or worthwhile. Read on for a quick glance at impressions from around the industry, or go to GameSpot's sister site Metacritic for the wider consensus.
- Game: Detroit: Become Human
- Developer / Publisher: Quantic Dream / Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Platforms: PlayStation 4
- Release date: May 25
- Price: US $60 / £49 / AU $78
GameSpot -- 7/10
"Things didn't always go the way I wanted, but that was a burden I chose to bear, and the story benefitted from my commitment, flowcharts be damned. After completing the game, I tried to go back and fight my instincts to see what would happen if I chose a darker path. It never felt justified nor worthwhile. Detroit is well worth playing, but it struggles to strike the right balance between giving you freedom of choice and reminding you that it's all a game in the end. Cage and Quantic Dream are getting closer to nailing this style of game, but it's obvious that there's still room to grow.." -- Peter Brown [Full review]
GamesRadar+ -- 4.5/5
"Detroit: Become Human is a game with grand ideals, wonderful levels of polish, and tiny imperfections. It's an ambitious, wonderfully executed piece of storytelling, and one of the most interesting games of this generation. It will split opinion, and give birth to a litany of opinion pieces--some deep and thoughtful, others half-baked and sensationalist." -- Andy Hartup [Full review]
Guardian -- 4/5
"Detroit: Become Human is a spectacularly crafted game that bends and branches out around the player's choices in an astonishing and unparalleled way. Although hampered by tired central plots and some predictable, occasionally hokey storytelling, the result is a technical feat in video game development and a meticulously detailed cinematic achievement." -- Oliver Holmes [Full review]
Game Informer -- 8/10
"Detroit made me think about topics I've avoided about humanity and our future, and that's a good thing. These are hard issues to explore, and I'm glad Quantic Dream took on the challenge knowing it could result in failure. Detroit both succeeds and stumbles in that area." -- Kimberley Wallace [Full review]
IGN -- 8/10
"Detroit: Become Human is a poignantly pulpy interactive sci-fi drama where your choices can impact events to a greater and more satisfying degree than in most games of this type. Though I wish its story had been handled with a softer touch, especially considering the subtlety that can be conveyed through its tech and performances, its well-written and acted central trio were vital enough to me that I found myself feeling genuine distress when they were in danger and a sense of victory when they triumphed. Most importantly, Detroit offers a multitude of transparent branching paths that entice further playthroughs, and choices have a permanence that raise the stakes throughout." -- Lucy O'Brien [Full review]
USGamer -- 3.5/5
"Detroit: Become Human improves upon its predecessors by having a cast that you enjoy and want to spend more time around. Quantic Dream's visual craft and presentation is top-notch, but the writing hasn't quite caught up yet. It isn't subtle and some of the references to social ills are amazingly on-the-nose instead of being more unique. It's better than Beyond: Two Souls, but there's still room to grow." -- Mike Williams [Full review]
Destructoid -- 7/10
"Detroit: Become Human, like most Quantic Dream games, is filled with muddled symbolism and a spark of hope amidst its most interesting universe yet. It doesn't have anything particular new to say, but it delivers in terms of drama, to the point where I started a second playthrough shortly after my first seven hour-ish run. It's flawed, but coherent, which is an upgrade." - Chris Carter [Full review]
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