Detroit: Become Human

The majority of the critics agree that the story of Detroit: Become Human is a strong point of the game. COGconnected praises the engaging and intriguing narratives created by David Cage and his team at Quantic Dream, while GamePro Germany commends the game for presenting ethical questions about slavery and freedom through the story of three androids. Press Start Australia also applauds the game for its thematically tied narratives that are emotionally impactful and coherent. TheSixthAxis notes that the story tackles many big subjects such as slavery, oppression, and homophobia, and that it's a story that will resonate with different people in different ways. However, some critics also point out the negatives of the story. Cheat Code Central criticizes the inconsistent storytelling, with Kara's story being stereotypical and contrived, and the more extreme moments of assault, enslavement, racism, and sexual abuse being employed in ways that make sense or are occasionally approached with some degree of tact in Connor and Markus’ routes. The Sydney Morning Herald also criticizes the story for its simplistic allegories and the way it sets up moral dilemmas with two horrible options only to twist the knife no matter which you choose. Overall, the consensus of the critics is that the story of Detroit: Become Human is a strong point of the game, with compelling and timely narratives, interesting main characters, emotionally substantial individual scenes, and a vast and branching storyline with multiple possible endings. However, some themes and messages fall flat, and the writing lacks subtlety and needs a sensitivity reader. The game encourages repeat playthroughs to see all the outcomes and rabbit holes, and it's a story that will test your moral compass to the fullest.

The critics generally agree that Detroit: Become Human's gameplay is decision-based, with quick-time events and exploration of the game world. The game offers a unique gameplay experience where the player's choices and actions influence the story. The game has diverse decision branches that are not only complex but also thoughtful, making it intriguing to see what could have been after you’ve completed each chapter. The use of the entire dualshock controller to interact with the world is challenging yet satisfying, but the movement is clumsy. The game has an impressive interwoven narrative, and the story changes dynamically depending on the player's decisions and actions. The androids can all freeze time with their Mind Palace and look around for potential actions, a trick most often used by Connor to investigate a scene and conjure up virtual reconstructions. The game mixes things up with different gameplay mechanics for each protagonist, such as detective sequences and computing plans of approach. However, some critics have pointed out that the control scheme is imprecise and cumbersome. The game relies on quick-time events and on-screen button prompts, which some reviewers found to be an encumbrance. The same awkward control scheme of using the right analog stick to perform actions is still present despite it also being used to control the camera. The game has a formula of quick-time events, multiple choice dialogues, and exploration of the game world, with some new features such as the use of time pressure to increase tension and stress levels. The constant use of limited gameplay minutes can become repetitive. Some dialogue choices have a time-limit, which requires fast thinking, and the same can be said for those who like to explore. Exploration is a bit rough on the edges and not entirely smooth as it might look. Movement isn’t very fluid, unless you’re playing as Markus, who can occasionally sprint. But if you’re playing as Kara or Connor, you’ll feel like your legs are slabs of concrete. Overall, the critics agree that the gameplay of Detroit: Become Human is not perfect, but it is enjoyable. The game offers more genuine choices, with lots of varying factors in each story, with characters doing or learning things that do impact the plot. The game has decision-driven computational choices, organic choices, and action sequences with quicktime events. The game is less linear than previous titles from the same developer, and the player's actions and performances in one scene open up choices in subsequent chapters. The game also allows for different outcomes and character deaths, which can affect the story and game length. The game is absolutely shameless in its attempts to elicit any emotion from players. The game is not mechanically dense, but it is well put together. The game is a choose-your-own-adventure-style video game, where players are promised the ability to co-write the stories. However, too often, players feel trapped on train-tracks, able to pull levers to go down different routes, but unable to jump off altogether. The game forces players to consider free will at every turn, but players repeatedly come to the conclusion that their free will is limited.

The majority of critics were extremely impressed with the graphics and visual design of Detroit: Become Human. COGconnected, Cheat Code Central, DarkStation, Easy Allies, GamePro Germany, Guardian, IGN Italia, IGN Spain, Metro Montreal, New York Daily News, Press Start Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald, TheSixthAxis, Twinfinite, Video Chums, Wccftech, and Noisy Pixel all praised the game's stunning visuals, character models, and facial animations. The environments were also praised for their attention to detail and immersive qualities. The game's visual presentation was described as vibrant, polished, and cinematic, with some critics noting that the game's visuals are on par with a movie. However, some critics did have minor criticisms regarding the graphics and visual design of the game. COGconnected noted small inconsistencies with the subtitles and white script on a white background. Easy Allies mentioned some stiffness in the lips and artificial-looking children. Twinfinite mentioned occasional issues with getting stuck behind other characters. PC Gamer noted that the PC port of the game could have benefited from deeper video settings impacting the overall graphic quality. Overall, the consensus among critics is that the graphics and visual design of Detroit: Become Human are exceptional, with many praising the game's attention to detail, stunning character models, and impressive facial animations. The game's environments were also praised for their immersive qualities. While there were some minor criticisms, the overwhelming majority of critics were impressed with the game's visuals and cinematic presentation. The game's graphics and visual design were described as among the best on any platform to date, and a technical marvel that sets a new standard for game storytelling mechanics.

The Sound Design and Music of Detroit: Become Human were praised by the majority of the critics. COGconnected commended the music for bringing the emotions to life and keeping pace with the narrative. DarkStation also praised the music, stating that it perfectly captured the mood of each character's arc. TheSixthAxis added that each protagonist had their own soundtrack, with Kara's being warmer and more emotional, Connor's having electronic bleeps and squelches emphasizing his android nature, and Markus' having a more bombastic score. Video Chums found the music to be absolutely phenomenal, with each character's story featuring a different composer. The jumping from Connor's cold electronic rhythms to Kara's warm orchestral pieces was breathtaking. However, there were some negative opinions about the Sound Design and Music of Detroit: Become Human. Cheat Code Central found Valorie Curry's performance as Kara to be bland and unmemorable, striking them as robotic, which was ironic considering the push to make her seem so human in marketing materials. Wccftech also found Connor's soundtrack to be the weakest of the three protagonists. Overall, the consensus among the critics was that the Sound Design and Music of Detroit: Become Human were very good. GamingTrend found the score to be gorgeous and moving, providing the cinematic score the game needs at just the right moments. Guardian praised the game for having some of the most impressive orchestral scores in video games. IGN Spain found the sound design and music to be well-executed and adding to the immersion of the game. Press Start Australia appreciated how each lead had their own composer scoring their chapters, giving each character a clear identity. Noisy Pixel found the audio to be impressive, with voiced dialogue worthy of the big screen. In conclusion, the Sound Design and Music of Detroit: Become Human were highly praised by the majority of the critics. The music was found to perfectly capture the mood of each character's arc, with each protagonist having their own soundtrack. However, there were some negative opinions about Valorie Curry's performance as Kara and Connor's soundtrack being the weakest of the three. Overall, the Sound Design and Music of Detroit: Become Human were considered to be very good, adding to the immersion and emotions of the game.

The majority of the critics agree that the voice acting in Detroit: Become Human is of a high standard. Cheat Code Central praises the performances of Jesse Williams and Bryan Dechart as Markus and Connor respectively, as well as Clancy Brown as Lt. Anderson. Similarly, GamingTrend lauds the all-star cast, including Williams, Valorie Curry, and Dechart, who deliver "stellar performances". TheSixthAxis also singles out Valorie Curry's portrayal of Kara as a standout performance. The actors are able to bring their characters to life, with convincing and emotional performances that make the player care about the characters and their stories. However, there are some criticisms of the voice acting. Video Chums notes that some of the voice acting is subpar, with one character even mispronouncing Kara's name. The female president's delivery is also described as slow and tedious. The Sydney Morning Herald criticizes the writing and some of the performances, stating that the characters often plainly speak their motivations and inner monologues out loud, leaving no subtext for the player to mull over. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the voice acting in Detroit: Become Human is very good. Easy Allies praises the models for capturing the performance of each actor in natural and relatable ways. Press Start Australia notes that even the supporting roles have satisfying arcs, while Twinfinite states that all of the characters, including the minor ones, are easy to like and get attached to. The actors who portray the face and voice of the characters, particularly Curry, Dechart, and Williams, do a fantastic job of bringing the cybernetic characters to life, according to Noisy Pixel. While there are some criticisms, the majority of the critics agree that the voice acting is a strong point of the game.

The PlayStation 4 version of Detroit: Become Human received mostly positive feedback from the critics. COGconnected and TheSixthAxis noted some minor technical issues such as inconsistent subtitles and occasional performance hiccups. However, GamingTrend and Wccftech praised the game's graphics and solid performance, with GamingTrend stating that there were no major technical issues. Press Start Australia also mentioned some texture pop and rendering issues but did not find them detracting from the overall experience. On the other hand, the PC version of Detroit: Become Human received mixed reviews from the critics. Noisy Pixel noted that the game required between 15 to 30 minutes for shaders to be compiled on the first startup, and the optimization was not perfect. The game suffered from stutters due to the use of Denuvo as a DRM protection, and locking the framerate at 30 solved many of the issues. PC Gamer criticized the 30 fps cap and lack of difference between low and ultra settings, suggesting a hasty PC port. SpazioGames also noted that the PC port was technically perfectible from a fluidity point of view and would have benefited from deeper video settings impacting the overall graphic quality. Overall, the critics' consensus is that Detroit: Become Human is a visually stunning game with solid performance on the PlayStation 4. The minor technical issues mentioned by some critics did not significantly impact the gameplay experience. However, the PC version of the game suffered from optimization issues, with some critics noting that it was a hasty port. Despite this, the game still received positive feedback from the critics, with many praising the game's graphics and story.

The majority of the critics agree that Detroit: Become Human has a high replay value due to the game's branching narrative and diverse decision-making options. COGconnected, Cheat Code Central, DarkStation, Easy Allies, GamePro Germany, Guardian, IGN Italia, IGN Spain, Metro Montreal, Press Start Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald, TheSixthAxis, Yahoo!, and Noisy Pixel all praise the game's ability to offer multiple storylines and outcomes based on the player's choices. The flowchart feature, which allows players to see the choices they made and the paths they didn't take, is also appreciated by many critics, including Cheat Code Central, GamingTrend, Push Square, and Yahoo!. The game's ability to encourage players to stick with their choices and create tension is also highlighted by Easy Allies. However, some critics, such as Digitally Downloaded, GameSpew, Twinfinite, Video Chums, and PC Gamer, express some reservations about the game's replay value. Digitally Downloaded and GameSpew argue that some of the game's darker and more violent endings are unlikely to be experienced by most players, which reduces the appeal of the game's branching narrative. Twinfinite suggests that the game should have offered a better system for players to alter their choices without replaying the entire game. Video Chums criticizes the game's lack of a skip feature for scenes that have already been watched, which makes discovering new paths tedious. PC Gamer notes that some of the choices players make contradict previously established motivations, and some deaths have no impact on the plot or character development. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that Detroit: Become Human has a high replay value due to its branching narrative and diverse decision-making options. The flowchart feature is also appreciated by many critics. However, some critics express reservations about the game's replay value, such as the difficulty of experiencing all the possible storylines and the lack of a skip feature. Despite these reservations, the game's ability to offer multiple storylines and outcomes based on the player's choices is widely praised.