Detroit: Become Human
PC via Epic Store
Beyond: Two Souls
PC via Epic Store

GAMERS have long learned to be wary of releases trumpeted as “story-driven” experiences. Time and time again, these titles have proven unworthy of the hype; lacking focus in gameplay elements, they wind up being little more than amusing distractions. And such seemed to be the fate of Detroit: Become Human when it first hit store shelves in early 2018. Written by noted developer David Cage and published by Paris-based Quantic Dream (which he not coincidentally founded), it seemed consigned to suffer the same fate of other games in its genre. After all, it did fall into the same traps, showing, on the outside, an ostensible over-reliance on quick-time events (QTEs) and button prompts, a devaluation of photorealistic graphics with wonky controls, and predisposition for heavy-handed messaging.

For all the misgivings, however, Detroit: Become Human actually manages to stand out. Even as it does struggle on occasion, it delivers on its promise to keep gamers who brave its rougher edges immersed from the get-go. It certainly tells its story in compelling fashion: Androids have become widespread in use, practically serving as the titular city’s workforce — albeit not without complications. Friction with humans during this tumultuous period is seen through the unique perspectives of three androids: Connor, an investigator hot on the pursuit of rogue elements; Kara, a housekeeper forced to put up with her abusive owner; and Markus, a crusader bent on freeing other androids from virtual enslavement.

Each branch of Detroit: Become Human provides a compelling vantage point: scenarios alternate from character to character, giving gamers the opportunity to shape the stories as they please. By interacting with objects, choosing dialogue replies, and succeeding or failing in QTEs, they wind up influencing important parts of the overarching narrative; who lives, who dies, who gets hurt, and so on. It’s far from a novel concept, and Quantic Dream has explored it before — in Heavy Rain, released in 2010, for example. While the gameplay is similar, however, the impact of choices now appears more pronounced and more pliable to change and interaction.

Indeed, the game offers a whole swath of alternate storylines, each fully capable of leading gamers down many different, smaller paths with their own variations. It even goes out of its way to underscore the disparity in choices, showing glimpses of what could have been instead of what is. Needless to say, it winds up highlighting its immense replay value. And, in this regard, it is aided in no small measure by its oppressive atmosphere, engaging dialogues, and outstanding audio-visual presentation. As good as it may have looked and sounded when it debuted on the Sony PlayStation 4, it provides an even better experience on the personal computer. It runs at a smooth 60 frames per second, and offers both controller and keyboard support.

To be sure, Detroit: Become Human is far from perfect. In fact, it suffers from a variety of flaws that are hard to ignore. As is typical of Cage’s outputs, it focuses heavily on its story and movie elements rather than gameplay, and the bias shows. While the narrative does allow for independence of action, there is a decided lack of flair and precision in execution. Most of the interaction is possible only through QTEs, or through the efforts of gamers in awkwardly nudging the particular character they’re controlling against the environment until a button pops up. Neither makes for spontaneity.

Parenthetically, Detroit: Become Human can be ham-fisted. While admittedly engaging, the story suffers from a very glaring lack of subtlety. For instance, the drunken cop that Connor partners up with has about as much nuance as the abusive father and owner that Kara must serve. That’s not to say that the characters aren’t interesting; they do have their own arcs that depend on gamer choices while serving to further the enveloping narrative. At the same time, they bank on tropes seemingly plucked from a tome of cliches.

Still and all, Detroit: Become Human stands out as Cage’s best work by far. It presents a captivating story built around oppression. Never mind its decision to chuck subtle beats in favor of maximum impact. For all its haphazard storytelling, it does an outstanding job of sucking gamers in at the outset and keeping them engrossed until the very end. And, at $24.99, it gives excellent bang for the buck as a 15-hour ride showcasing the best technology has to offer.

THE GOOD

• Great story beats with interesting characters

• A plethora of alternate dialogue and paths to take

• High replay value

THE BAD:

• Fairly unimaginative gameplay, with majority based on exploration and QTEs

• Cliched characters and story set pieces

• Relatively short length

RATING: 8/10

POSTSCRIPT

Cage can stir a lot of mixed emotions. Some view him as a fraud, pointing to his creations’ lack of interesting gameplay. Others consider him a visionary, praising his genius in bringing theater-quality entertainment to gamers’ homes. No matter the reactions he elicits, however, he is clearly passionate about his works; everything he does is very much a product of his own beliefs and designs. Which, perhaps, is the best way to describe Beyond: Two Souls — it’s very much the golden standard of what he presents and represents. Originally released as a PlayStation 3-exclusive title back in October of 2013, it found its way to the PS4 two years later, and now has a home on the PC through the Epic Store. At seven years old, how well does it hold up on brand-new hardware?

In the game, gamers follow the story of Jodie, a girl who makes a connection to a mysterious spirit being by the name of Aiden. Her bond with it has granted her abilities that no normal human can posses. These, in turn, make her a target, and soon she finds herself a pawn of people who both fear her power and wish to exploit it for their own ends. The premise, while interesting, works mainly because of how good the title looks. During its launch, its graphics were already quite good; on the PC, they’re absolutely stellar. It’s hard to imagine that the game is half a decade old when it renders characters and scenes so vividly.

As real as the visuals may seem, however, the story is anything but. While the premise is great, Beyond: Two Souls’ overall narrative tone proves wanting at best, lacking any subtlety in its message. Jodie’s predicament could have been explored any which way, but is instead presented sans any restraint; gamers are slammed over the head with theme after theme, allowing for little time to let any stew. Now and then, its story shows promise. After it lures you in with tales of intrigue and deception, however, its momentum falters, and its key moments tend to fall flat. Even during its most entertaining set pieces, its flaws tend to stick out. Action-filled segments try their hardest to get the blood pumping, but the payoffs don’t come close to rewarding the build-ups.

At the same time, Beyond: Two Souls relies on gameplay that is best described as the opposite of fun. Gamers get to do some QTEs, explore surrounding areas, watch a few cutscenes — and then rinse and repeat. The process isn’t flawed in and of itself. Unfortunately, the controls — whether via the controller or via a keyboard-and-mouse combination — feel floaty and unresponsive. Which is just too bad given its potential, and which makes it hard to recommend to any but the most diehard of Cage fans. It set out to be a compelling tale of a woman struggling with her marvelous, dangerous powers. It wound up becoming a reminder that implementation, of relative lack thereof, can stunt even the best of intentions. (6/10)

THE LAST WORD
Developer Obsidian last year surprised the gaming community by announcing work on Grounded. While otherwise known for its role-playing games, it indicated its intent to spread its wings by dipping its toes in the survival genre. Gamers are slated to control shrunken children aiming to overcome a backyard environment. Progress appears to be moving quickly, as its latest title now has a Steam page. Early Access release, which will feature around a fifth of the complete storyline via single and online play, is forthcoming.