Quantic Dream releases DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN next week for PlayStation 4 and a free demo, the “Hostage,” is available for preview. Some of my viewers suggested I try it out.
Quantic Dream also developed two other Playstation exclusives, Heavy Rain (2010) and Beyond: Two Souls (2013), which I never played. The latter is free this month for Playstation+ members and I’ll be trying it out next week.
While I’m a fan of first-person point-and-click puzzle adventures like Eventide: Slavic Fable or the Mystery Case Files franchise, I don’t usually play third-person story games, like the Telltale games. When I play a video game, I want a video game, not an interactive movie. I don’t like cutscenes or quick time events. I don’t like playing in third-person. I tried Murdered: Soul Suspect last year and couldn’t get into it.
So, I wasn’t expecting much from DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN. But when I finished the scenario for the first time, successfully saving Emma, I was stoked. It felt good. I was totally engaged. The story tense, the characters compelling, the gameplay intriguing. The game showed me a branching timeline of unexplored possibilities and I eagerly played the scenario again. The second time, Connor died and I got all choked up. That’s the sign of a good game.
It remains to be seen whether the rest of DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN will be as good as the demo, but I hope so.
Rated “M” for mature audiences, for blood, intense violence, partial nudity, sexual themes, strong language and use of drugs.
~ J.L. Hilton
Connect, support, comment or contact the author here
