Review: Detroit: Become Human is close to being a masterpiece

A scene from the Playstation game Detroit: Become Human.

What makes us human? Empathy? Morality? Love? All of those are put to the test in David Cage's neo-noir thriller, Detroit: Become Human.

I felt everything from exhilaration to sorrow playing through this intense interactive drama, where every choice you make and every action you take has a consequence. Even death.

The bleak, not so distant future of 2038, sees a robot uprising thrust into your hands. Playing as three androids, it's not hard to get emotionally invested in their intertwining tales, each powerful in their own way.

In one 10-hour run, you will feel the weight of Markus' brutal decisions, as he fights for equality. Your adrenaline will spike as Connor - a mission-driven police prototype - reconstructs evidence and chases down "deviant" androids.

And your heart will wrench as you fail Kara, who only wants to save a little girl, with the choices you made for her.

A scene from the PlayStation game Detroit: Become Human.

None of this is certain: the way this action-packed story plays out is all up to you.

After each chapter, you're given a flowchart breakdown to show you where you went and where you could have gone. Not only does this give a glimpse of the mind-blowing amount of options, outcomes and replayability Detroit has, but you also get to compare your choices to your friends and the rest of the world.

The scale and depth of Detroit is astounding. The graphics are exceptionally beautiful, from the great cityscapes to the stunning facial animation of its characters. The game is near flawless save for the occasionally awkward camera angle and finicky controls that make gameplay tricky, especially when you're under the pump.

Nevertheless, Detroit: Become Human is truly exquisite, both visually and in its rich, multi-faceted narrative, and comes close to being a masterpiece.

Detroit: Become Human

Platform: PlayStation 4
Rating: R16
Verdict: Exquisite interactive AI thriller an absolute must-play