Detroit Become Human delves into controversial and metaphysical problems such as existentialism, slavery, and the human condition with its branching, multidimensional narrative. It’s no short of a masterpiece with an incredibly crafted transhuman world.
But all good things come to an end and if you’re still looking for a kick, check out these 8 Games like Detroit Become Human.
Heavy Rain
Release Date: February 23, 2010
Platforms: PlayStation, Microsoft Windows
JASON! Like Detroit Become Human, Heavy Rain features a multi-faceted narrative. Choices and actions in this game do bear heavy weight in regard to the ending you get. Hence, there’s an element of replayability at stake too.
So, what about the gameplay? It’s fairly simple. A bit odd at first, but you get the hang of the controls pretty fast. Like Detroit Become Human, it’s more like a movie that you play along with. In retrospect, it’s a decent experience but then you take in the animations and voice acting and they have aged like MILK.
Beyond Two Souls
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation
Beyond Two Souls is a game written by David Cage and if you know about him, you know exactly where this is going. The characters are really shallow and the game expects you to empathize with the protagonist, just because they’re the centerpiece of the story.
While it’s story-driven and features branching narratives influenced by choice, the build-up for key scenes and characters is not really there and before you know it, they’re being torn to shreds.
As for gameplay, it’s got your basic goodies of simple puzzle solving with some quick time events. At times, it feels draining because it’s much longer than a movie.
Man of Medan
Release Date: August 30, 2019
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, Xbox
Man of Medan features a daunting and thrilling adventure aboard a World War 2 Freighter where aggressive humans and ghosts are out to get you. It basically plays out like a horror movie where your actions feel directly tied to the inevitable consequences.
Like Detroit Become Human, Man of Medan is a multidimensional narrative-driven experience, but you’d have to play through it, again and again, to unlock its multi-branching storyline. This can be worked around if you decide to play in co-op mode with a friend. It’s a worthwhile 5-hour binge on the weekend with some buddies on the couch.
Life is Strange
Release Date: January 30, 2015
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Android, Xbox, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, macOS
Put simply, Life is Strange is a high school drama fueled with superpowers. It’s another story-driven narrative experience that heavily relies on choices and actions. But you can always turn back time and make peace with your conscience.
Life is Strange’s episodic release schedule wasn’t jarring. You kept waiting for the next episode. It did a lot of things right with characterization and world-building and proved me incorrect when I assumed the characters would be irrational in their decisions.
Your choices and decisions feel weighted, like Detroit Become Human, and not so much like Telltale’s illusion of choice.
Sam and Max Save The World
Release Date: August 7, 2007
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Sam and Max is a beloved Telltale series, something that we need more of. It delivers a masterfully crafted narrative and story which is not normally expected of a simple point-and-click adventure, just like Detroit Become Human.
Like Detroit, Sam and Max feature two anthropomorphic animals who are outright cheerful despite the absurdity of the situations they find themselves in. They’re somewhat indifferent to the consequences of the dangerous situations that bar them, removing the sense of any high stakes.
Despite being as old as sliced bread, Sam and Max has certainly stood the test of time with its wonderful story that offers high comedic value. If you want a toned-down detective point-and-click adventure, Sam and Max Save The World is worth the salt.
L.A Noire
Release Date: May 17, 2011
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
Like Detroit Become Human, L.A Noire is a detective game. It’s considered Rockstar’s anti-GTA considering you play from the perspective of a cop. We really haven’t seen a game like L.A Noire ever since its release. It’s an open-world game but really linear.
L.A Noire is a story-driven experience where you occasionally patrol, apprehend criminals, and indulge yourself in detective work, linking clues and figuring out cases. But the cases and investigations aren’t linear as there are multiple ways to solve a case.
L.A Noire is a standalone experience. Despite the heavy price tag nearly a decade later, you’ll still get your money’s worth out of it.
Fahrenheit Indigo Prophecy
Release Date: September 16, 2005
Platforms: Xbox, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows
Fahrenheit Indigo Prophecy reels you in right off the bat. It’s a special game nonetheless. Like Detroit, it’s a playable story-driven experience. But at its core, it’s something entirely different from what we see in the current gaming landscape.
The first half of the game is basically a thriller that grips you. But things dial up to a hundred. Dramatic scenes aren’t as immersive as the developers hoped them to be, but they’re so bad, they’re good.
Fahrenheit Indigo Prophecy is no short of a sleeper that became a hit in the gaming community. Despite the bad, the first twenty minutes are masterfully done and it does more than enough to keep you engaged till the end of the game.
Deus Ex
Release Date: June 23, 2000
Platforms: PlayStation, Linux, Microsoft Windows, Xbox, macOS
They don’t make Deus Ex games like they used to. The original Dues Ex released back in 2000 was a masterpiece despite its obvious flaws. It’s the most like Detroit Become Human, where you live in a transhumanistic dystopian future in a well-rounded heterogenous storyline where your choices mean something. And this was done back at the turn of the millennium, which speaks for itself.
The stealth was not all that great, and the gunplay and AI were really wonky but it managed to string together all the conspiracy theories of the time to fabricate a really compelling narrative.
It’s very much from its time and if you can’t appreciate the period or the aspiration behind it, Deus Ex won’t be a fit for you.
