When comparing Detroit: Become Human vs XCOM: Enemy Within, the Slant community recommends XCOM: Enemy Within for most people. In the question“What are the best singleplayer games on Steam?” XCOM: Enemy Within is ranked 44th while Detroit: Become Human is ranked 104th. The most important reason people chose XCOM: Enemy Within is:
The gaming genre of turn based strategy lends itself very well to touch screen devices. It is actually easier to interact with the characters on screen with ones fingers instead of a mouse.
Specs
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Pros
Pro An ambitious amount of branching paths via player choice
The sheer number of branching choices and outcomes is staggering. After every chapter, the game shows you a flowchart of the choices you made, the paths you unlocked, and which conclusion you arrived to. You get to see the blank spaces for paths you didn't unlock, which shows the surprising scope of how gigantic the script is. Getting to see the percentage of players in the world who unlocked your same outcomes also puts things into perspective. Each decision you make leads to a true a culmination of your choices by the end, encouraging near-infinite different playthroughs.
Pro Impeccable graphics and visuals
Detroit: Become Human has next-level graphics and presentation. Characters look exactly like the actors they're modeled after, down to imperfections like razor bumps on the back of Connor's neck from his perfect, precise haircut. The environments set in the city of Detroit in the year 2038 are also great, showing the sheen of futuristic, automated cars and buses driving down the road, the bustling cultural meccas downtown, and even the grittier, dirtier aspects of the poverty-stricken areas. Everything looks amazing, showing off what games of this console generation can put out in terms of graphics and detail.
Pro The three playable android characters are each great in their own ways
You play as three androids--Connor, Kara, and Markus--all of whom have their own interesting character traits and storylines.
Connor is cold and direct as an investigator for the police, concerned first and foremost about finishing the job by any means necessary. Kara is more docile and mother-like, but determined to protect those she cares about. Markus is the leader who rallies the androids together for their cause for the sake of justice. The three characters intersect in intriguing ways, with Connor maintaining the status quo, Markus upsetting the norm, and Kara wanting to find her own path. But, ultimately, who they are depends on your choices, since your actions are what determine how the protagonists turn out in the end.
Pro The story isn't afraid to tackle social commentary issues like discrimination, politics, and slavery
Detroit: Become Human centers around subservient androids rising up against their human creators, either in peaceful protest or violent revolution. The plot gets into some heavy themes, like how the androids take care of so many jobs that the human unemployment rate is quite high, causing resentment. Humans openly discriminate against androids, delegating them to remain in the back of buses, restricting their rights, and openly treating them like slaves. The story is unabashed in the way it portrays these ideas that aren't typically shown in video games, taking risks that ultimately pay off in the long-run.
Pro The types of story situations you find yourself in are unprecedented
There's both quantity and quality with the branching paths in Detroit: Become Human. Connor, Kara, and Markus all experience some pretty remarkable events, leading them to grow as characters in satisfying ways according to your choices.
Connor can go down a truly intriguing path that puts him at odds with his programming, trapping him in some harrowing predicaments that test his loyalties. Kara can go on a real adventure with her friends and loved ones, leaving her with nothing as she tries to make things work despite the odds against her. Markus has the freedom to lead either a peaceful protest or a violent revolution against the humans, at the cost of losing relationships, and possibly himself in the process. The places and emotions you can lead your characters to are surprising and unforgettable.
Pro Turn based strategy works well on touchscreen devices
The gaming genre of turn based strategy lends itself very well to touch screen devices. It is actually easier to interact with the characters on screen with ones fingers instead of a mouse.
Pro Enjoyable gameplay
XCOM sets the standard as to what to expect in turn based strategy gaming. Players use soldiers to fight off an alien invasion by utilizing cover, flanking and other strategy tactics to defeat the alien baddies on each level of grid based environments.
Pro Hardcore strategy gaming at it best on a mobile platform
For a series that is regarded as hardcore gaming even on PC, to see this franchise come to mobile is a godsend.
Pro New upgrade resource
There is a new resource known as Meld that allows the user to purchase upgrades.
Pro Cheaper than PC version
Epic game, same as PC version, for lower price.
Pro Expansion on what was already a fantastic game
Enemy Within is and expansion on the classic Enemy Unknown. With Enemy Withing players are given new options such as maps, missions, enemies and of course the new Mech Suits.
Pro Ethical choices effect long game
The choices the player makes from what kind of upgrades to use to what soldier to send where on a battle map will effect later game play.
Pro Online multiplayer
There is support for asynchronous online multiplayer built into the game over Google Play Services.
Pro Unexpected storyline
A strategy game such as this is often not expected to have a storyline, or if so, a good one. But this game has an interesting and surprising one.
Pro Many upgrades
Many possibilities for upgrades are available in the game, which is impressive. Cybergenetics and genetics mods are some of the options you can use as upgrades in the game.
Cons
Con Not for players who want more involved gameplay
The gameplay in Detroit: Become Human boils down to exploring, making decisions, and following button prompts on the screen. This doesn't have any complicated, intricate systems that you might expect. It's more of an interactive movie that leans heavily on the experience rather than mechanics, which isn't for anyone. As long as you know what to expect before going in, the story might be enough to carry you through.
Con The real-world analogy of androids as an oppressed minority doesn't always work
It's a hard sell to portray advanced intelligent life as the equivalent of a powerless minority who faces institutionalized racism. The androids are subservient to humans initially because that's how they're programmed to behave; once they "wake up" and break free from that programming, it's just a matter of gathering allies and using their cybernetic superiority to achieve their goals. The story only spans a few months within the year 2038 as well, meaning it doesn't follow the same years-long arc of justice and civil rights as the minorities that the game draws inspiration from. It's an admirable portrayal nonetheless, despite the shortcomings and false equivalencies.
Con Some writing problems with over-the-top drama for shock value
At times, the writing dials it up to one hundred when it isn't always justified. This is mainly a problem with undeveloped characters who show up just to start drama, inevitably leading to situations that the player won't be able to sympathize with. The writers do this as a way to advance the plot, but it ends up feeling rushed and amateur, like it's done for the sake of shocking the audience. More time could have been dedicated to fleshing things out, making these plot twists more believable and impactful.
Con Many crashing bugs
It may crash often when loading missions.
Con Too expensive
Con Second half of game lacks as many options as first half
The second half of the game feels a bit lack luster in options when compared to the first half.