Detroit: Become Human

Androids for Hire

David Cage and Quantic Dream are back with a trailer for their new game Detroit. Quantic Dream, best known for Heavy Rain, is always great at bringing the emotion and tugging at your heartstrings, and this new title looks to continue that trend. The trailer opens up to a voice over and a trip down one of Detroit’s busy freeways. We pass a billboard that reads, “Detroit: Android City”. We also pass the industrial side of town, an impoverished neighborhood and a series of actual Detroit landmarks. After a helicopter shot of downtown Detroit, they move on to the core of the trailer, showing the intricate construction of Kara, who seems to be our protagonist. The game is obviously set in the future and I really love the “Ex Machina” tone of the trailer as Kara narrates every moment, even describing the entire process of her inception. “I could feel my hands shaking, my heart pounding in my chest, life running into my veins, I wanted to live.” Kara says as robotic arms put her together piece by piece. This trailer is some serious stuff! The trailer then moves on to Kara roaming the streets completely taken by the sun, and the environment. The trailer continues on showing us the androids in public utilizing temporary parking stations, being on display for purchase like an iPod in a vending machine, and even in the streets with humans, some of which are protesting against the androids, holding up signs and even physically assaulting them. Kara talks about this world being cold and hateful as she secretly blends in with society, unseen by the humans. Kara doesn’t feel like your average robot who’s only here to obey, and handle the dirty work of humans. She feels different, she feels pain, and empathy, but most of all she feels alive. She has aspirations for feelings of love, hope and to live. As she walks past the other androids they all can feel her, and she feels them. The trailer ends with Kara stating that she is one of them, and this is their story. It’s too early to make out how exactly this game will play, but the tone is set, and the door is open for Quantic Dream to come with something noteworthy. Heavy Rain was amazing, and Beyond Two Souls was forgettable. If this game can even fall somewhere in the middle, they’ll have something special.