Interactive video games are probably part of the most underrated genre in the industry. However, a surge in interest has been felt over the past decade. This is mainly because of quality games such as Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human. The latter is also an action game, as it blends the interactive aspect as well.
It has been a success in commercial and critical reception. Due to this, there’s a fair argument for those claiming that Detroit: Become Human is the best interactive action game. And yet, there are significant low points to the title as well. That said, here are five reasons why it lives up to the claim, and five why it doesn’t.
10 Best: The Social Commentary
The theme behind the game’s storyline is to bring notice to the idea of slavery. Along with that, it’s about how life feels when people treat someone like a second class citizen. The game achieves this due to the fact that its social commentary comes across so realistically.
The choices one makes, whether bad ones or otherwise, have an impact on the player. This kind of narrative is barely ever present in video gaming. And yet, this game succeeds in communicating its message without sacrificing entertainment.
9 Fell Short: Action Is Unappealing
Although the game delivers solid protagonists, both female and male, the action is lackluster. Detroit: Become Human is known as an action interactive, but the actual action part is based on button prompts.Â
This takes away from the thrilling aspect of things. In its place, being part of intense situations is more of a conceptual mind game than being outright involved. Those who come in hoping for a hands-on experience usually walk away in disappointment. Combining the interactive theme with action just isn’t fluid in this game.
8 Best: Character Models Are Authentic
A significant amount of entertainment value is taken away if character models seem unreal. This was one of the criticisms of Heavy Rain, which felt fake to many people due to the fixed facial features and expressions. Detroit: Become Human’s protagonists look almost disturbingly lifelike.
Thanks to the fine motion capture, the emotions that these characters feel are communicated to the player incredibly well. There’s probably no interactive game out there that surpasses Detroit: Become Human’s character models, and that is mighty impressive.
7 Fell Short: It's Not Wholly Original
There’s no doubt that the story here is noteworthy on its own. However, it does carry a similar execution to that found in Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls. Because of this similarity, there’s no arguing that Detroit: Become Human isn’t totally an original concept.
It takes the concept of earlier games and improves on it, yet that feeling of freshness gamers value from a completely brand new idea is lacking. There isn’t anything revolutionary when it comes to the gameplay mechanics, and fans tend to remember far older games for introducing them.
6 Best:Â Every Scenario Is Detailed
There are so many possibilities in the game that many gamers aren’t even aware of several choices. Detroit: Become Human is superb in ticking all the storyline boxes, as even slight alterations to decisions lead to new story arcs.
This is the heart and soul of an interactive feature, as the “what if?” question is answered. Even those who might not find the story appealing initially will want to return since the impact of the multiple choice scenarios can make it feel completely different.
5 Fell Short: Noticeable Padding
Padding of a game refers to the practice of repetition or including trivial components to fill time. Detroit: Become Human is guilty of this, with a lot of segments devoted to finding items. This eventually turns into more of a chore, especially considering the game is far shorter if these sequences are removed.
Sure, multiple scenarios through in-game choices mean there’s room for replay value, but padding the same kind of gameplay reveals more flaws that don't necessarily succeed in delivering entertainment. Cutting back on investigating minor items in favor of providing more action-oriented segments would’ve been the way to go.
4 Best: Different Points Of View In The Narrative
The gaming landscape has seen interactive titles before, but Detroit: Become Human really takes the crown in presenting multiple interpretations of the same story. This brings several kinds of narrative qualities, including emotional depth and empathy for the characters.
It might be one plotline, yet the characters aren’t bogged down by what happens in another protagonist’s story. This allows the game to present itself as a mix between standalone stories and a cohesive overarching plot.
3 Fell Short: Wooden Voice Acting
One relatively solid reason Detroit: Become Human falls short of being one of the best PS4 games is due to the lower quality vocal performances. It’s the character models and story that convey the emotions, not the voices behind the characters.
At times, when a protagonist is meant to convey shock or horror, the voice acting seems far too wooden to feel authentic. In times of crisis, the voices simply don’t match with how the facial expressions are reacting.
2 Best: Fleshed Out Characterizations
A common weakness in interactive games is that the gameplay becomes the main driving factor over character development. Detroit: Become Human avoids this by not only delivering one incredibly well-realized and fully developed character, but three of them.
Connor, Kara, and Markus are all distinguishable from one another. They aren’t interchangeable in backgrounds or personalities. Instead, each character truly feels like their own person with unique characteristics. This also has the effect of extending the gameplay potential, since different personalities allow for more character growth.
1 Fell Short: Too Many Quick-Time Events
A stereotype in the gaming industry is that quick-time events are basically what interactive video games are all about. Unfortunately, Detroit: Become Human doesn’t do much to change this perception.Â
The game is riddled with frequent QTEs, as players are required to make fast decisions. The multiple choice aspect is also a variation of QTEs for the most part. Due to this, there’s a certain amount of laziness in gameplay here. The abundance of these sequences also frequently tampers with the pacing of the story in a negative way.