Though it’s divisive, Quantic Dream’s Detroit: Become Human resonates with many. At the core of the futuristic story exists a question of morality. In some ways, such questions in this regard are easy to broach; after all, the narrative is about robots. However, players may find depth, a reason to pause and genuinely think on what Detroit asks. Are androids with artificial intelligence sentient beings? Is their sentience any more or less worthwhile if they have feelings, emotions? These curiosities and more ground the game’s experience. Interestingly, Quantic Dream will soon add a new wrinkle into the equation that reverses one of the title’s most pivotal moments.
Warning: Spoilers are ahead.
Detroit’s main menu screen is like none other. It’s not a decorative backdrop or plain select screen that greets players when the game boots up. A helpful android, that the narrative later reveals as Chloe, appears on-screen instead. At first, the encounters are uncanny, she’ll mention what day it is, or note her confusion about a decision the player makes in-game. Other instance will see her present a survey. After a while, she becomes that android that greets you whenever you start the game. You expect her; in a way she services the experience.
By the game’s end, however, Chloe’s much more than that. She has a body and a place in the game-world as a servant of Elijah Kamski, the inventor of Detroit’s androids. Thus, when she asks the player if she can leave after the credits roll, it seems that most oblige. Chloe is absent even when restarting the game for a second playthrough. She’s been set free.
Her newfound freedom is at the nexus of the current discourse surrounding the game. A recent tweet from Detroit’s official Twitter account states that an upcoming patch will allow Chloe to return.
(Spoiler) A lot of players asked us to « bring back Chloe » after her release. We decided to follow the popular vote: @Detroit_PS4’s next patch will allow you to acquire a brand new model (but your original Chloe will still be free). pic.twitter.com/FBt59FrJC2
— Detroit: Become Human (@Detroit_PS4) June 10, 2018
“Your original Chloe will still be free,” the statement notes. Meanwhile, a new Chloe model will service the player’s needs for a menu screen companion. Does this undercut the game’s overarching motif? Depending on the ending a player receives, that may be the case. Sure, it’s all in good fun. But wouldn’t Detroit: Become Human’s thought-provoking themes carry more weight had this particular player request been ignored? A subsequent tweet from the game’s Twitter account says the choice to bring her back is optional. Therefore, it truly is up to the audience to decide.
The patch’s release date is currently unknown.
