Wow, what a heel turn, am I right? I made an article a few months back talking shit about David Cage and his games, and yet I start this whole event off with a David Cage game. But before I shoot myself in the balls, let’s talk about this. It has been five years since I first joined this website, and I am still going strong today. And so, to celebrate five years of being here, I want to make this series, giving a sort of review, or more rather, a list of my top 100 favorite games ever. Of all time. And we are starting with Detroit: Become Human… A David Cage game… All credibility I ever had has died today.
So, why is it that I am talking about this game in this way. Well, first off, I still think that David Cage is a hack writer and can’t write a good story to save his life. And while the game does grip you for the first two acts, the third act of the game takes such a nose dive with bad twists and dumb moments that it becomes a goddamn mess that is hard to not laugh at, like any other David Cage game. It would’ve ruined the game for me if not for a few things that actually interested me. First off, the world of Detroit: Become Human. People like to call this game a Blade Runner rip off and I can see that being the case. But the thing is, I actually really like Blade Runner. It’s my favorite sci-fi movie ever. Anything with police or hunter androids hunting other androids always interests me in some way. And this game has it. It also tells you a lot about the world thanks to magazines you can pick up, with news about how bees are extinct, how androids are replacing celebrities and athletes and how sex with androids is better than with humans. All little touches that you wouldn’t find in the game that just make the world seem more interesting.
Another thing I like about the game is the characters of Connor and Hank. These two characters make this game so much fun to play. Connor’s monotone lack of emotions and Hank who is brimming with android racism and trying his best to deal with Connor’s bullshit make this game so much more fun and gets a laugh out of me, and a genuine one. Not the awkward ironic laugh that something like Heavy Rain brings me. The voice actors for Connor and Hank are to thank for making these two so likable. Connor’s voice actor was even nominated Best Voice Performance at the awards, and I think that it was well deserved. And the other two stories following Markus and Kara are interesting as well for a few reasons. Markus is as interesting as stale bread, but the idea of an android revolution is fun enough to keep me invested, and Kara’s story to protect Alice is okay and has moments, until the twist and I want to never experience their story ever again. But it manages to have moments.
Finally, we have something that, as much as I give David Cage games shit for their story, it actually manages to one up every other game that has choices. Here choices actually matter. For once, what you do actually affects the story in some way. Sure, the story isn’t as amazing or as heartbreaking as Telltale’s The Walking Dead, but no matter what in that game, you will always end up at the same outcome each time, just with different characters. With Detroit: Become Human, you gotta actually make the right choices, or else characters will die. Even main characters like Connor, Kara, and Markus. They can die at any point, and when they do, you will end up missing the rest of their storylines cause they died. It genuinely makes you more considerate of your choices and makes you far more alert when you realize that you are on a time limit to make a choice. Okay, David Cage, I’ll give credit where credit is due. You actually managed to make me feel human emotions for your characters. You get one golf clap.
I give these games shit, but I really do love Detroit: Become Human. It’s no surprise that it is David Cage’s best work, but the fact that a David Cage game of all games was able to make it into the top 100, even if at the very bottom, at least gives it something that other Cage games don’t have (The ability to be enjoyable). So yeah, is it an amazing game. Hell no. Definitely not on the level that everyone and every Gamestop employee gives it. But it’s a great time for what you experience and highly worth your time if you want a game where choices actually matter.