Detroit Become Human by Quantic Dream has and forever will be one of my favorite video games since its release in 2018, back when I was a Freshman in high school. Not just because of the impactful story or the memorable characters, but the lessons within. I’ve looked everywhere for the exact message, but it seems the messages to everyone who played the game are different. Could it be that Detroit Become Human was about being nice to the people who work for you? Or maybe, Detroit Become Human was about breaking free from the expectations forced upon us. Or perhaps the message was to not mess around with AI… regardless, the fact that multiple messages are implied within the game means the story was just that important to so many.
Personally, I believed the message was about fighting your oppressors and standing up for not only yourself but those who need a voice to speak for them. The fact that Detroit Become Human, as a video game, was able to get thousands of individuals, gaming and non-gaming alike, to talk or argue about slavery, civil rights, equality, and revolution only solidified Detroit Become Human’s role in the gaming community and proves its lasting significance.
Detroit Become Human is categorized as an adventure game but I stress it also meets the requirement of a narrative game as it is story-driven and the story is controlled by the player. When one of the playable characters makes a mistake, the revolution takes a drastically different path, or in the worst case scenario, a playable character dies… the player can always go back to change their decision resulting in a possible better outcome, just like in real life, players only realize the weight of their decisions after they’ve been made.
Detroit Become Human features the story of three different androids, human-like machines, whose paths eventually meet as they are thrown in the middle of a civil war between androids looking for liberation and humans looking to keep them subservient. Throughout the game, you play between…
- Connor, a police investigator android tasked with hunting down “deviants” who have broken free from their programming.
- Kara, a housekeeper android who gains self-awareness and must protect a young girl from her abusive father.
- Markus, a caretaker android who goes from serving his kindhearted owner to leading a full-scale revolution for android liberation.
Markus, Connor, and Kara start off happy to serve their human masters as it is their purpose, but after witnessing the human treatment of others and how humans treat androids like slaves, they decide to take action.
Though each character has a story that leads to them meeting at the end, Markus has a story most individuals can get behind. He is treated fairer than most other androids, lives a nice life, and is owned by a human who treats him like another human. It isn’t until when Markus is wrongfully accused of murdering his master he starts to wake up to the idea of freedom. Why is his life dictated by the people who need him? After being scrapped, he rebuilds himself and discovers other androids, now ownerless, who are also interested in the idea of freedom. He leads the revolution and encourages other androids to rise, take their lives for themselves, and move to Canada where they’ll have rights and freedoms. Sound familiar?
Markus takes it upon himself to become the face of the revolution. A model the oppressed can look up to.
For many working-class or marginalized Americans, we need someone to take the first leap. Markus represents something deeper than just an android protagonist, he is the embodiment of resistance. His story mirrors American revolutionaries who have been labeled as “terrorists” simply for demanding change. They decided that if their peaceful protests remained ignored, someone would throw the first brick through the window. Start the movement. And while those who rise against injustice may be silenced or punished, new leaders will emerge until true change is made.
According to Wccftech.com (Where Consumers Come First, Tech), Detroit Become Human sold over 10 million copies in 2024, meaning millions of people have experienced, analyzed, and debated its story (or at least watched someone else play the game). The game does not hide the fact that it covers politics and is an allegory for real-life issues under the guise of being an AI vs. Humanity type of story. With AI and other technological advancements on the rise, it is important to remember our mistakes of the past as we try to develop a better future. No one likes being cheated or kicked down. And no one can stay silent for long.
Detroit Become Human is a commentary on the treatment of workers and those in service roles, it’s about breaking free from societal expectations, it is a cautionary tale about artificial intelligence. Detroit Become Human isn’t just a game. It’s a reflection of the past, a warning for the present, and a lesson for our future.
Detroit Become Human is available for $40 on PC and PS4 and PS5.