According to a recent interview, composer Nima Fakhrara was given all the freedom he needed to create the soundtrack for Connor in Detroit: Become Human. Fakhrara appeared on the WSHU Public Radio’s Music Respawn podcast to discuss his process. When it came to creating the score for Connor, Fakhrara’s guiding question was, “How would an android compose music?… it’s supposed to be mathematical.” He went on to say, “It’s supposed to be really complex and sometimes it doesn’t make sense, but it’s what Connor is.”
Connor’s main theme was created on a vintage synthesizer, and it was the first song Fakhrara wrote for the project. He opted for the old school option, because vintage synthesizers have an unpredictability that analog ones just don’t have. He felt this calculated chaos fit perfectly for Connor’s character. The music has a pulsing melody that creates tension, while highlighting the robotic nature of Connor.
The need to depict Connor as the least human of the playable characters is what caused Fakhrara to reject traditional instrument choices. While violins and violas were used, amplifiers were not. This lack of resonance created a sense of emotional detachment.
As a composer, Fakhrara is known for building his own custom instruments. The Detroit: Become Human project was no exception. Fakhrara crafted a sort of “guitar” to create Connor’s portion of the soundtrack. The instrument is a twenty foot apparatus consisting of piano strings, metal piping, and contact microphones. The result is a chilling, sawing sound.
But when Fakhrara initially crafted the instrument, no sound came out of it at all. It seemed like it was back to the drawing board, but he was able to salvage the experiment and create something wonderful. He reflected on the moment:
The reason I built the instrument was to get those feeling[s] in your chest… I realized, ‘Oh, this has to be sub-harmonics.’ So I connected contact mics to the piping, [which is] hollow, and captured the sound through the actual instrument, rather [than] the air. It’s amplified that way, in order for it to be even heard.
Anyone who has played Detroit: Become Human, or is at least familiar with it, knows there are a many choices and endings. Rather than trying to compose music for each possible scenario, Fakhrara was asked to capture emotions/adjectives. He said he thought of it more in terms of composing for “Deviant level 1…2…3,” rather than specific scenes.
You can take a close look at some of the instruments Fakhrar used when composing songs for Detroit: Become Human here:
Rather than have a team of composers working directly together, each of the three composers were assigned to one of Detroit: Become Human’s playable characters. Here’s a look into the process:
Be sure to check out our review of Detroit: Become Human. Maybe we’ll even see more of the androids, since a sequel hasn’t been completely ruled out.
[Source: WSHU Public Radio]
Detroit Become Human Everything You Need to Know
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2012 Kara Tech Demo
Back in 2012, we got a PS3 tech demo from Quantic Dream that showed an android, Kara, being built and then gaining sentience. This tech demo set the stage for what would become Detroit.
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Detroit: Become Human Announced in 2015
It wouldn't be until late 2015 that Detroit: Become Human was finally announced. It was a long three and a half years since that first Kara tech demo had been shown off.
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How Long is It?
The studio estimates that the game is anywhere from 8 to 10 hours long, with length varying depending on your choices. There's a lot of replayability to check out different story paths, though!
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Most Complex Quantic Dream Game
Detroit: Become Human is the most complex game that Quantic Dream has ever made, and that shows in the final product. There are countless story paths leading to multiple conclusions, all of which explore deep themes and taboo topics.
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There are Deleted Scenes
Despite exploring some pretty touchy subject matter, there are additional deleted scenes that David Cage felt were too sensitive and played with actual real world events too much.
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That Child Abuse Scene
Back at PGW 2017, Quantic Dream showed off a scene from Detroit that featured blatant child abuse. Many were quick to call this out as bad marketing, while others understood that the game would provide more context.
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Visual Downgrade? Nope
Though Detroit does look noticeably better on the PS4 Pro, there has not been any kind of significant visual downgrade in its development. A surfaced trailer claiming this turned out to be false, just an over compressed video file that washed out the details.
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Fun Facts and Stats
Learn about Detroit: Become Human by the numbers, including number of pages in the script and number of actors it took to portray every character in the game.
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Big Budget
A report earlier this year suggested that the budget for Detroit was more than 30 million euro. That's more than any previous Quantic Dream game.
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Meet the Cast
To portray androids portraying humans, Quantic Dream had to hire an excellent cast. You can meet each of them and learn a little bit more about them in this short video.
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PS4 Pro Enhanced
Yup, Detroit does come with its share of PS4 Pro enhancements, which we noted make a noticeable difference when playing it versus a standard PS4.
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The First Three Hours
We went hands-on with the first three hours before the game launched and were moved enough to write nearly 2000 words about that short segment alone. It's well worth a read to find out what the opening of Detroit sets up the rest of the game to become.
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There's a Demo Available
In a rare move these days, there is a demo available on the PlayStation Store. Featuring the first scene in the game, you can see all the different ways it can play out while you make the choice to buy the game.
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Difficulty Options
There are two different difficulty options, mostly affecting big action scenes with fast-paced QTEs. If you don't want to risk your characters dying because of a missed button press, choose the easier option.
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Quantic Dream Lawsuit
Allegations have been lobbied against the French developer for harassment and poor conditions in the workplace, but Quantic Dream vehemently denies these claims. In fact, they've sued the publications that first published the allegations against them.
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Unlock Bonus Content
Want to get a look at concept art, character models, watch short videos, and listen to the soundtrack? Use the points obtained for completing nodes in each scene to unlock bonus content in the game.
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Moderate Sales Estimates
Analysts think Detroit is actually more of a niche title, and while they say it will do well, they aren't certain it will do truly amazing numbers.
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Here's the Launch Trailer
If you haven't been able to pick Detroit: Become Human up quite yet, or you're still stuck at work instead of at home playing it, enjoy the launch trailer to get you hyped up.
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Detroit: Become Human Review
Launch is mere hours away and we've already issued a review for the Detroit! Check out what we thought of the full game by reading our complete review.
