Detroit: Become Human

The interactive drama adventure genre is all about choice. In the best games in this genre, your actions have multiple sequences that can change the course of your adventure. In my opinion, David Cage, founder of Quantic Dream, has done the best job at executing on this. If you were to call him the master of interactive thrillers, I certainly wouldn’t say you were wrong.

So let’s take a dive into the history of Quantic Dream. I want to look at where it all started, and then talk about where the studio might be headed in the future.

Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy

Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy

Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy released in 2005 for PC, PS2, and the original Xbox, and it was a commercial and critical hit. The game features three playable characters with interconnected stories. Essentially, it’s a thrill-ride murder case where two cops are looking for clues to reach to the murderer, a man named Lucas Kane. The twist is that you play as Lucas and both cops.

The game is a rollercoaster ride — a truly engaging experience due to its storyline and sequences. The controls are quite tough, though, and the graphics are a bit plain by modern standards. But Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy is engaging enough despite its issues.

The game got favorable reviews and won several awards. A remastered version was released in 2016 for multiple platforms, including Steam and PS4.

Heavy Rain

Heavy Rain

After the positive reception to Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy, David Cage would take things to the next level with Heavy Rain, which released in 2010 as a PlayStation exclusive. It was a well-crafted video game with a fantastic storyline, great interactive scenes, and compelling character development. It was a leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor, in my opinion.

Heavy Rain won hearts all over the globe due to its emotional narrative and highly engaging gameplay. The narrative unfolds based on the choices you make and the experiences you have as you progress through the game. It feels like being completely drawn into a movie. Credit goes to the sublime direction by David Cage. Heavy Rain was a blockbuster success commercially as well as critically.

The game won several awards, including multiple BAFTA Awards. Heavy Rain was also included into the 2010 book 1,001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die. By 2018, the game had sold 5.3 million copies.

At one point, several DLC prequels called the Heavy Rain Chronicles were planned, but only one episode called The Taxidermist was actually released.

Beyond: Two Souls

Beyond: Two Souls

Beyond: Two Souls released in 2013 for PS3, and it was re-released on PS4 in 2015 and PC in 2019. The interactive-drama narrative style was similar to previous Quantic Dream games, but Beyond uses that format to tell a different kind of story.

Beyond: Two Souls has much more star power than previous games, starring Elliot Page as Jodie Holmes, the protagonist, and Willem Dafoe as Nathan Dawkins, who eventually turns out to be a villain. The characters were motion captured for the entire game.

The game was pretty good, but it didn’t meet the high expectations set by Heavy Rain. The gameplay involved quick-time events, like any other Quantic Dream game, but it was far less challenging. Beyond: Two Souls received several good reviews, but it was not as critically acclaimed as its predecessor. It did go on to sell more than 2.8 million copies.

Detroit: Become Human

Detroit: Become Human

Detroit: Become Human released for PS4 in 2018 and PC in 2019. The game revolved around the stories of androids in the year 2038. In this world, human beings are unhappy that androids are taking their jobs, as they are normally hired as servants. Androids, on the other hand, have emotions as well.

The game format is similar to previous games, in terms of multiple playable characters with intersecting storylines. The narrative does have emotional heft, but this time you’re supposed to empathize with androids rather than human beings.

The story does revolve around mysteries, with an android named Connor working with a cop named Hank Anderson to investigate and capture androids that are bypassing their programming and becoming deviant androids. Markus is a deviant android who has been a victim of unfair treatment, and after being shot by the police, he wakes up, and pieces himself together. He reaches Jericho, a hideout for deviant androids.

The narrative plays of the tension between these two very different characters. Markus becomes the leader of the deviants, while Connor, on the other hand, is determined to carry out his tasks as assigned by the authorities.

Detroit: Become Human received positive reviews and was nominated for several gaming awards. The game went on to sell more than 6 million copies, making it Quantic Dream’s bestselling video game yet.

Star Wars Eclipse

Star Wars Eclipse

Quantic Dream’s next ambitious project is Star Wars Eclipse, which is set in the Star Wars universe and is being developed in collaboration with LucasFilm Games. David Cage is extremely excited about this project, and it seems like this will be a very different style of adventure game. My fingers are crossed for this one.

Conclusion

Detroit: Become Human

There is no doubt that David Cage can be called a pioneer of interactive adventure games. With each new game, Quantic Dream is getting better and better at crafting compelling interactive narratives. However, I strongly feel that they need to revisit Heavy Rain and attempt to recapture the magic of that wonderful game. In my opinion, they still haven’t topped it, but I hope they eventually surpass even that level of quality in the future.

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