Detroit: Become Human

The story is the subject of 72% of the longer reviews, and many of those reviewers rank it among the best story-driven games they have played. They single out the opening hostage scene as a hook, the way three separate storylines come together by the end, and a near-future Detroit filled with magazines, TV reports and background characters. Some reviewers who usually skip story games say this one kept them playing for a whole sitting. Some critics of the plot also admit it kept them engaged on a first run; the arguments over how well it holds up afterwards are under the split themes below.

32% of the longer reviews talk about choices mattering, branching paths, consequences or the number of endings. Players compare it favourably with "choices matter" games where everything converges, and describe characters dying permanently because of a failed QTE or a decision made chapters earlier while the story carries on without them. The end-of-chapter flowchart, with world and friends' percentages for each choice, is praised for showing how much was missed and for pulling players into a second run. One reviewer wrote: "The flowcharts are brilliant and slightly cruel." A minority counter that many branches reconverge, as one long review put it: "The illusion is extremely well staged, but still remains an illusion."

30% of the longer reviews praise the graphics, visuals or facial animation. The motion-captured faces come up again and again, with players saying the characters look more convincing than in many newer games. Several say it still looks good on low settings and older hardware ("Even on the lowest settings, it looks very good.").

Connor or Hank is named in 20% of the longer reviews, against 13% each for Kara and Markus. Players enjoy the buddy-cop investigation chapters and the detective tools, and they describe the relationship with Hank as fragile and earned. Reviewers who pick the rest of the plot apart still make an exception for this pair; one wrote that they are "accidentally trapped inside a significantly better game." A few reviews ask for a sequel.

16% of the longer reviews call the game emotional or describe being moved by it, and some say it made them cry. Players describe constant tension, choices made under a timer, and a sense of responsibility when characters they cared about died. "Whole game felt like trying to defuse a time bomb, every quiet and happy moment still ticking away in the background."

15% of the longer reviews mention replaying. Many finished one run and started another right away to see other branches, or replayed specific chapters from the menu. Some pair this with the replay complaint in the frustrations panel: they want to replay, but not to sit through the same scenes again.

12% of the longer reviews praise the acting, voice work or cast. Bryan Dechart, Valorie Curry, Jesse Williams, Clancy Brown and Lance Henriksen are all named, and several players looked up the actors after finishing.

10% of the longer reviews praise the music or soundtrack, often noting that each of the three leads has their own composer and sound.

9% of the longer reviews bring up AI, ChatGPT or language models, usually to say the setting feels more plausible than at release ("Played this in 2026 when AI is far more prevalent."). For most of them this makes the story hit harder; a few find the premise harder to take seriously for the same reason.

Reviewers mention with affection the android host on the main menu who reacts to your progress, the unlockable behind-the-scenes extras and the in-world magazines. "The extras are fun too; they include some videos about the making of the game."

A smaller group reports smooth performance on modest PCs, laptops, Linux and handhelds such as the Steam Deck and Legion Go ("It also runs without issues on my main laptop AND the Steam Deck."). Set beside the port complaints below, the PC experience varies a lot from machine to machine.