Important Notes

Important Notes for Detroit: Become Human

Warnings and Pitfalls

• Quick Time Events (QTEs) Can Kill Characters Instantly: Many intense action sequences require precise QTE inputs. Missing a prompt can lead to immediate character death, which is often permanent in the same playthrough. Increase QTE difficulty in settings if you struggle (or decrease it for accessibility).


• No Auto-Save During Decisions: The game saves only at checkpoints and after major chapters. If you quit during a chapter, you lose progress since the last checkpoint. Manual saves are available via the menu, but they overwrite previous manual saves unless you use multiple slots.


• Consequences Are Not Always Immediate: Some choices have delayed repercussions. A seemingly minor decision in Chapter 1 might affect a character's survival 10 chapters later. Do not assume a safe choice now has no future impact.


• Flowchart Can Mislead About "100%": The flowchart for each chapter shows branches you have seen, but 100% on one path does not mean you have seen all content. The game tracks individual choices and outcomes, not just chapter completion.


• Android Abilities Are Contextual: While scanning crime scenes or analyzing environments, you must "scan" every interactive object. Missing a key clue can lock you out of optimal resolutions.


• Dialogue Timers: Some dialogue choices have a countdown. If you do not choose in time, the game defaults to silence or inaction, which can be worse than any explicit choice.


• Preconceptions from Trailers/Media: Avoid spoilers! The narrative is strongest when experienced blind. Community discussions may spoil key twists.




Irreversible Choices



• Character Deaths: Most permanent deaths happen during action sequences or critical plot points. Once a major character dies (e.g., Markus, Connor, Kara, Alice, Luther), they are gone for the rest of that playthrough. There is no revive mechanic. Starting over or loading a previous save is the only way to get them back.


• Key Relationship Turning Points: Major decisions that shift a character's personality (e.g., Markus choosing violent vs. peaceful protest; Connor being deviant vs. machine) are often irreversible. The narrative branches strongly from these points.


• Chapter Flowchart Can Only Be Rewound After Completion: You can replay chapters via the flowchart menu, but only after you have finished the game at least once (or if you have a save at the chapter select screen). In-progress playthroughs cannot jump backward to redo a choice without restarting from a manual save.


• Certain Collectibles Are Locked After Progression: Magazines, clues, and special items tied to specific chapters may become inaccessible if you advance past the chapter without collecting them. You must replay the chapter from the flowchart (post-game) to gather them.


• Kara's Storyline Has Pivotal Moments: For example, choosing to trust or hide from the police at the bus station sets her on drastically different paths. Some paths lead to early death or separation from Alice/Luther.




Missable Content



• Magazines (Trophies/Achievements): There are 37 magazines hidden across chapters. Many appear only in specific paths or if certain conditions are met (e.g., Connor must be alive, or a character must take a specific route). Consult a guide after first playthrough to avoid spoiling story choices.


• Alternate Dialogues and Scenes: Many conversations have hidden lines that only appear if you have previously done something else. For example, Markus can mention a previous encounter with Connor if Connor survived and met him before.


• Connor's Journal Entries: Connor can unlock entries by scanning objects and making observations. Some entries are tied to specific crime scene analyses that can be missed if you rush.


• Kara's Safe House Endings: Depending on your choices at the Squat (the abandoned house), you can unlock a safe haven ending for Kara and Alice. Missing the right sequence of actions locks this ending.


• Markus's Paintings (Internal Museum): In Jericho, Markus can create paintings on walls. Some paintings only appear if you have seen certain events or have specific relationships with characters.


• Trophies/Achievements Tied to Multiple Playthroughs: Many trophies require seeing all branches (e.g., "I'll Be Back" for Connor's deaths). You cannot get all in one playthrough.




Difficulty Spikes



• Chapter 19: "Capitol Park" (Markus): This is one of the first major action sequences with multiple QTEs and branching paths. If you chose a violent approach, the difficulty spikes as police confront you. Be ready for rapid QTE chains.


• Chapter 22: "On the Run" (Kara): Escaping the police car chase involves extremely fast QTE sequences. One mistake can kill Kara and Alice. Consider lowering QTE difficulty temporarily.


• Chapter 27: "Crossroads" (All Characters): The climax of the game features simultaneous action for all three protagonists. If any character is not fully prepared (e.g., low relationship with key allies), they may die easily.


• Chapter 31: "Battle for Detroit": The final chapter has multiple endings, but the action sequences are intense. If Connor is a machine, his QTEs are even more demanding.




Grinding Traps (None in Traditional Sense)



• No XP or Level Grinding: This is a story-driven game with no experience points or leveling. You do not grind for stats. The only "grind" is replaying chapters to see alternate outcomes or collect missed items. This is intentional and not a trap.


• Replay Fatigue: Trying to unlock 100% flowchart completion can become tedious because you may need to replay entire chapters many times, making similar choices. The flowchart saves branches, but you still must sit through cutscenes and QTEs each time. Be mindful of burnout.




Online Etiquette and Anti-Cheat (Single-Player; No Multiplayer)



• No Online Multiplayer: Detroit: Become Human is strictly single-player. There are no online leaderboards, competitive modes, or communication with other players within the game. Therefore, anti-cheat is irrelevant. However, the community uses forums and social media to discuss choices.


• Spoiler Etiquette: When discussing the game online, use spoiler tags for at least the first year after release. Key twists like the identity of Alice, the real orchestrator, and character deaths are major. Avoid spoiling in titles.


• Modding on PC: The game has no official mod support, but some users have created mods for cosmetic changes or script edits. Modifying game files may break achievements/trophies on Steam (VAC not used, but EOS anti-cheat for Epic? Actually, PC version uses Epic Online Services for cloud saves, not anti-cheat. Modding is at your own risk; Valve does not ban for single-player mods, but cloud sync may cause save corruption).




Save Management Advice



• Use Multiple Manual Save Slots: The game allows up to three manual save slots. Use them wisely. Save before major decisions (especially before starting a new chapter). If you regret a choice, you can reload from that manual save. The autosave overwrites frequently, but manual saves are persistent.


• Create a "Before Point of No Return" Save: Before the final chapter (Chapter 31: "Battle for Detroit"), make a manual save. The game end screen may lock you into the final outcome. Having a save here lets you see different endings without replaying the entire game.


• Save After Each Chapter: After completing a chapter, the game autosaves. But you can also manually save. This protects against accidental quits.


• Cloud Saves (PC/PS5): Ensure cloud sync is enabled to backup saves. On PC, if you reinstall the OS, you can restore saves from Steam Cloud or Epic Cloud. On PS4/PS5, PlayStation Plus cloud storage works.


• Flowchart Chapter Replay: After finishing the game once, you can replay individual chapters from the main menu flowchart. Your choices in that chapter can be changed, and the new outcome will be saved to your save file. However, this only modifies the current save; it does not create a separate file. You can revert back by replaying the chapter again with original choices.




Things Players Commonly Regret Not Knowing Earlier



• You Can Pause During Cutscenes: Yes, you can press the pause button (Escape on PC, Options on PS) to pause any cutscene, including QTEs. This gives you time to breathe or look away. QTEs still pause; the timer freezes.


• The Main Menu Flowchart Is Accessible During a Playthrough: You do not need to finish the game to see the flowchart for completed chapters. From the pause menu, you can select "Flowchart" to review your branch choices for chapters you have already finished. You cannot change choices mid-playthrough, but you can see what you missed.


• Autosave Icon Indicates Save Point: When you see a spinning white circle in the bottom-right corner (or a small icon on PC), the game is autosaving. Wait for it to finish before closing the game to prevent loss.


• Connor's Deaths Are Story-Integrated: Connor is an android who can "die" and return as a new model. However, every death changes his relationship with Hank and may affect later events. Some deaths are scripted, but many are avoidable. Do not treat his deaths as purely cosmetic.


• You Can Change QTE Difficulty Mid-Game: Go to Settings > Gameplay > Quick Time Event Difficulty. You can switch between Normal and Casual at any time, even during a chapter. Use this if you get stuck on a tough sequence.


• In-Game Timeline (Journal) Tracks Decisions: Each character has a journal (accessible via touchpad on PS or via menu on PC) that logs their thoughts and key decisions. This helps recall what you did earlier, especially for branching paths.


• The Game Has No "Manual Aiming": You do not aim guns yourself; QTEs handle aiming and shooting. Do not expect traditional shooter controls.


• Kara's Survival Depends on Alice: Many players do not realize early that Alice is a crucial factor in Kara's story. Neglecting Alice or making choices that put her at risk often leads to both dying.


• Markus's Leadership Style Determines Ending: His approach (militant vs. pacifist) affects public opinion, android deaths, and final outcome. Switching too late can lead to failure.


• You Can Replay Chapters Without Affecting Later Ones (Post-Game): After finishing the game once, replaying a chapter from the flowchart will change that chapter's outcome, but it will also ripple changes to all subsequent chapters (if your save file continues from that point). This is how you get multiple endings on one save.

_This comprehensive note section aims to prepare you for the intricate narrative web of Detroit: Become Human. Save often, think carefully, and embrace the consequences—that is the heart of the experience._