Detroit: Become Human (2018)

Image courtesy of Rewind

You know the feeling when you start playing a game that just connects with you in a way most games don't, and leaves you wanting more every time you stop playing? It is a battle with your inner self to stop for the day, and get back to the tasks on hand. It is an inexplicable attraction, almost magnetic in nature. 

Somewhere in the decade between being 10 and playing my first game on our first ever PC (Zuma's Revenge) to being 20 and spending all my free time closeted in my room (I tend to fixate on that a lot) playing almost exclusively story-rich games, the feeling of eager anticipation as to what a game would bring next faded over time. Partly because games quickly turned into a routine fixture in life. Though I never indulged in excessive gaming hours (I still don't, except in rare cases), it was the same thing that happens with every other object of attraction in life; too much familiarity and the magic seems to fade. Though I enjoyed every single game and still felt surprise, shock and excitement while playing, the aforementioned feeling of 'can't live without playing more' wasn't always present with every title. I can only recall a handful of games where it became impossible to get them out of my mind; I'd be thinking of them the first thing I woke up, I'd be thinking of them at school, at work and I'd be thinking of them as I drifted off to sleep. After several long years, I have finally come across another.

By now, I have realized that a game appeals to me the most when a well-written story plays out the way it would in a feature film or a TV show. Add to the mix an incredibly moving soundtrack, next-gen graphics and a futuristic setting - the game becomes an absolute delight to play. This was exactly the case with Detroit. To top it all off, there are countless choices-and-consequences scenarios and a mind-boggling number of ways a scene could play out. At this point, the question I should be asking is: could I love it any more? I am fully aware that this isn't the definitive gaming experience for many, but some days I just relish the joy of getting back from a tiring day to an enjoyable story, nothing more and nothing less. Maybe the timing of playing Detroit made me like it more than I would have otherwise; I will never know. 

The sheer production value and resources poured into the development of this game are clearly visible in the polish the final product bears. The slick visuals will capture your attention every single frame of every scene. You hold the very fate of these characters in your hands. If all of that doesn't provide you enough incentive to stay invested in the story, I doubt anything else that will. In conclusion, if you're a fan of story-rich experiences that go beyond exquisite visuals, telling an emotional and thrilling story where you are in the driving seat - this is unmissable.

Props to a German giant for giving me the opportunity to play this, or I would have had to wait quite a few years before getting around to Detroit.