Category: Gaming

Horizon Forbidden West PC Technology Discussion (Linux + Windows Benchmarks)

Robert Lohr2 Comments

Horizon Forbidden West was one of the most visually impressive titles on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Two years later, the same sentiment repeats on the PC. Despite no fancy raytracing features, Guerrila’s Decima Engine still produces a stunning game world and character rendering. I gushed enough about the visuals when I wrote my PS4 Pro and Burning Shores expansion reviews. Therefore, I will not elaborate further on this topic here. Instead, I will focus on the performance aspects. If you are interested in seeing a lot of screenshots, please read my reviews. The PC version is essentially the PS5 version, with a slightly higher level of detail in the distance and some PC-specific improvements, as Digital Foundry had discovered. 

The most significant benefit of this PC version is the “unlimited” performance that is unshackled from console hardware and the free choice of input peripherals. I played with a keyboard and a mouse because of RSI issues in my thumbs that operating a controller’s thumbsticks worsened. A mouse was also more accurate when aiming with the bow, but I would still have preferred a controller during traversal and combat. The proximity of all buttons to the fingers would have made coordinating the various skills and movement patterns much more effortless. Apart from that, PC’s stalwart input methods worked very well and did not hold me back much. I made up for what I lost in convenience with comfort and precision.

Unlike other modern releases that ate hardware for more or less good reasons, Horizon Forbidden West performed admirably. The YouTube channel eTeknix did enormous work testing 40 GPUs in three different resolutions. Nixxes did an excellent job making the game scalable, and Guerrilla’s initial work optimizing for the weaker consoles also paid off immensely. Even my former 3060 would have been enough to enjoy the Forbidden West with some help from DLSS upscaling.

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Uncharted – The Legacy of Thieves Collection Review (PS5 + PC)

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In my review of The Nathan Drake Collection, I hinted at wanting to play the Legacy of Thieves Collection at some point. That day has come, or rather has passed, and I have some thoughts about Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and The Lost Legacy.

Both titles were unmistakably Uncharted games and improved on many aspects of the previous trilogy. The biggest one pertained to the controls, which were more accurate in the fourth entry of the series and its spinoff. This eliminated all the unintentionally hilarious deaths I frequently endured in the first three titles. Combat also benefitted greatly from these improvements and was more precise this time around. Thanks to the PlayStation 5 overhaul, stable high framerates and the inclusion of Dual Sense controller features made for a more fluid and immersive gameplay. The PC version reached even higher framerates elevating the feel of gunplay further.

Despite all the mechanical grievances being eliminated, Uncharted 4 still contained moments of downtime. Naughty Dog’s trademark storytelling and character moments were stretched to their limits on a couple of occasions. These moments no doubt accurately captured the mood of the situation. This is undeniable. I only wished the writers would have opted for a more concise presentation to make it more delightful. Long-winded traversal and climbing sections slowed down progress and put a damper on the enjoyment more than necessary. This sentiment does not apply to the Lost Legacy, however. Its pacing was without complaint while still managing to deliver strong character moments that portrayed the human side of Chloe and Nadine and their relationship.

On the other side of that ancient coin were these high-quality character interactions emanating from this design and gameplay decision, something we have come to expect from contemporary Naughty Dog games. The tenuous relationship between Nathan and Elena, the love and admiration between the two brothers, and the friendship of the group and Sully; all were exceptionally well written. That even extended to Nadine, one of the two antagonists. In typical Uncharted fashion, the primary adversary was just a bad dude. Arrogant and spoiled. A rich douchebag. Someone to dislike.

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Are Game Discounts Bad Or Should You Pay Full Price?

Robert Lohr1 Comment

I regularly watch a YouTube channel named SkillUp and listen to several IGN podcasts for weekly video game and gaming-industry-related news and updates. Almost every week since 2024 started, the weekly shows have contained reports about layoffs throughout the gaming industry. Many were due to bad management or lackluster sales of mediocre and unsuccessful titles. Around 7000 people have already lost their jobs in the first two months of this year alone, following up the more than ten thousand last year. This is compounded by the fact that game development is becoming an ever-growing financial undertaking. From recent leaks and the legal battle between Sony and Microsoft, we know that PlayStation’s last AAA first-party masterpieces have broken through the 200 and 300-million-dollar production cost barrier.

The more I think about it, the more I ask myself whether I should be looking for deals rather than paying full price. Relying solely on discounts is incredibly hypocritical of me as I am predominantly a PC gamer. A PC gamer with a very costly gaming computer, I am sad to admit. And despite having the cash for all that fancy hardware, I constantly look for discounts rather than accepting the full price for a video game. How does that make sense? Isn’t that salt in the wounds of all those talented developers and artists who lost their livelihoods? Am I part of the problem and equally despicable like the handsomely paid CEOs who gamble with the lives of their employees in their relentless chase for a slice of that shiny live-service money? I shudder to think what will happen to Rocksteady after the unfortunate release of Suicide Squad.

I will rethink my approach to game purchases, but I alone will not even make a dent. It’s a conscience thing more than anything. It requires more people to do the same and also changes in the industry. Are development cycles that now span the typical lifetime of a console generation sustainable in the long run? Who, other than full-time game reviewers or streamers, maybe, is supposed to have the time to repeatedly spend 100 hours on every single game because the new norm for AAA releases is to be a gigantic time sink? Why do we need countless hours of filler content? Aren’t shorter, more focused games of 40 hours not more affordable and more uncomplicated to produce? I often feel bad for skipping so much side content because the main story is so engaging or because the side content is not entertaining enough. Sometimes, I want to finish a game because I have already spent so much time in its world that I am ready to move on. That means I skip on content somebody put their sweat and tears into to produce. It feels wrong, yet I want to experience more of the many great titles released yearly, not more of a single one. Maybe it is an attention span issue of mine. I do not know. All I see is budgets skyrocketing and people losing their jobs.

As a passionate gamer and a software developer, I can only hope the gaming industry reaches an equilibrium soon. These massive waves of workforce reductions and studio closures must stop. The industry needs a sustainable approach to high-quality, high-profile cinematic experiences so we can continue playing these incredible stories and even more of them. Studios also need a way to try something new, to take a risk without fear of the loss of everything. I immensely enjoyed Immortals of Aveum, but Ascendant Studios did not ascend far with their first game. If this industry only knows the two extremes of blinding success or heartbreaking disaster, it will become harder and harder for creative minds to take the plunge and dare raise funds to create something new.

Now, these thoughts mainly apply to high-profile releases. However, the concept of paying full price is even more applicable to double-A or indie productions. Smaller studios need all the money they can get without a giant publisher backing the development.

This is a complex topic with many more points I could discuss if I invested more time. Despite that, I said what I thought was necessary, and I will end this post on that note.

I apologize for the downer. These thoughts did not let me go.

Thank you for reading this sad gamer’s tale.

PS

The header image was created by Microsoft’s Copilot with a minor edit job from me using the following input:

“create an image of a video game store with a bargain bin full of discounted video games next to a stand of triple-a full price titles”

Starfield Review – Jack Of All Trades, Master Of Some (PC)

Robert Lohr1 Comment

Microsoft desperately needed a win after all the negative press surrounding its Xbox gaming brand in 2023 and the year before. 2022, in particular, needed major first-party releases as many titles were pushed further into the future. When one of those much-anticipated games finally arrived, it was a stake in the heart of a vampire. Redfall’s release in May was a disaster, and all eyes were now on Starfield, Bethesda Game Studio’s space opera and first new IP in ages. “Skyrim in space “was the most succinct description that was even given by the game’s director.

I like Skyrim, and I enjoy science fiction in space. The more Bethesda revealed about the game, especially in its Starfield Direct presentation, the more my interest was piqued. It went so far that I took advantage of AMD’s sponsorship deal that bundled a Radeon graphics card with the game’s Premium edition. It was actually the only way for any of the current-gen GPUs to be a sensible purchase. Based on early benchmarks, it also was a necessary upgrade from the RTX 3060 to get an enjoyable performance in this game. Although the performance at launch was still imperfect, it ran well most of the time outside major cities.

The game itself was, in many aspects, a typical Bethesda title, offering more of the gameplay loop that we all have come to enjoy. But Bethesda’s ambitions have been grand, vast as the depths of space, so they have added 1000 planets for players to explore. Could we be talking about illusions of grandeur instead?

Regarding scope, Bethesda’s games have always offered the player an enormous amount of content worth several hundreds of hours if you wanted to. Starfield’s 1000 planets certainly have that potential, although I doubt it would be exhilarating. Worlds only contained a low, curated (maybe randomized) number of locations of interest, and traveling between them was… a perfect opportunity to listen to space podcasts. And even those locations existed primarily for looting purposes. If you love the gameplay loop, all the power to you. If I remember correctly, I have only visited and explored planets during the events of a quest. Therefore, take my words with a grain of salt.

The big story questlines were where Starfield shined, not the number of planets or auxiliary game systems. Combined with the addictive Bethesda storytelling, looting, fantastic art design, and entertaining combat, I had a delightful time. However, it is essential to know what to expect from Starfield. It could have been a better space exploration game. But it was a terrific story-based first-person shooter with RPG elements Bethesda-style.

Performance was a mixed bag, and it still depends on the hardware. Starfield prefers AMD graphics cards and Intel processors. Big cities like New Atlantis or Akila will murder low-end CPUs, and performance dips must be expected. Indoor areas ran well, whereas outdoor regions varied based on the location (dense forest vs. barren planet surface). However, not all graphics options must be cranked to eleven to enjoy the artwork.

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Starfield PC Technology Discussion (Linux + Windows Benchmarks)

Robert Lohr1 Comment

In my game reviews, I usually include a section I call “The Nerdy Bits” to examine a game’s technology. I have decided to separate this content from the game review to keep the size manageable. My Marvel’s Midnight Suns review showed me how an expansive technology section can inflate the blog post and maybe even distract from discussing the gameplay, the content, and the story, or potentially deter and intimidate readers because of the total length.

(This blog post is dangerously close to 3000 words 😉.)

I firmly believe that technology is a crucial aspect of a video game. Still, sometimes, I can get carried away and focus too much on it. Other people may not be as interested in that or as curious as I am, and they prefer an overview of the gameplay and a brief summary of the visual fidelity.

For me, a lousy running game can break the immersion. Take Elden Ring on the PlayStation 5, for example. My sister bought the game and thinks it runs fine, like many others who believe it to be the greatest thing since sliced bread. I took a 10-second look, turned the camera around one time, and concluded it ran like crap, and I did not want to play this way. Playing for ten to fifteen more minutes solidified this initial perception. This technology discussion is for gamers like me who are also interested in the technical aspects of a video game and base their purchasing decisions on that.

With this explanation out of the way, let me discuss what I think of Starfield’s technology. I will touch on the art style, the visual fidelity and technology, audio, and performance on Windows and Linux.

Please note that this is not a Digital Foundry-level inspection. For that, click here and here.

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My Year In Video Gaming 2023 – Game Of The Year And More

Robert Lohr1 Comment

It is my third time doing a write-up of my gaming year. The third time’s the charm, right? Before I get into the games I played, I want to reflect on the year and mention and comment on a few subjects that happened throughout it.

First of all, 2023 has been an unbelievable year when looked at just in terms of high-profile releases. There have been so many great titles I cannot possibly remember them all, and as you will see later, I barely even played any of them. Despite that exciting time for game consumers, countless layoffs have shaken the gaming industry. So many people lost their livelihoods because of what often was mismanagement or just greed. This Polygon article summarizes the situation. It is an excellent and somber read.

Another sad topic, although irrelevant compared to layoffs, is the quality of PC ports. Cynical voices may call it business as usual and not any different from other years. Even if that were correct, it does not make it acceptable. This year’s worst offender is most likely Star Wars Jedi Survivor, a highly praised game overall. Although benchmarking generally shows high framerates, the moment-to-moment experience is probably not always flawless. Please note that I cannot speak from experience. I have avoided this title because of its technical issues. From what I have gathered so far, the 30fps mode on consoles might be the most consistent and fluid experience of them all. Sounds wrong now, does it? Just before I published this blog post, Digital Foundry posted their worst PC ports 2023 video summarizing what started as a bad release and was fixed and games that are still bad.

(Guess which game is still in the latter category.)

Adding to the 2023 pile of sad topics, there is no way to get around the current GPU market, and the subpar price-to-performance ratio NVIDIA and AMD have graced us with. NVIDIA is greedy, and AMD does not know how to or does not want to take advantage of the situation. Looked at in isolation, the performance of available GPUs is good to crazy fast. But products do not exist in isolation, and last year’s models in the mid-range are barely slower. Vendors have plenty of stock now, but shopping for graphics cards is still not fun. New system builders are probably better off than upgraders – depending on the hardware age, of course.

Lastly, I need help understanding the buzz around Call of Duty. How can it be that this franchise is a top seller every year? It is a short, bombastic, and action-oriented campaign of less than 10 hours, so people must be interested in the multiplayer component. But how does that warrant 60 to 70 bucks purchases every year when offshoots like CoD Warzone exist that are ongoing service games? In any case, I hope that Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard King positively affects the company’s work culture.

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How To Add Microsoft Store Games To Steam

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As a gamer, you likely prefer Steam as a game launcher over everything else, notably the Microsoft Store. Steam supports adding non-Steam games, but Microsoft makes it stupidly complicated to run their store content from anywhere else – at least if you do not like Windows shortcuts.

I wanted to add Gears of War 4 to Steam, a game only available in the Microsoft Store. Here is what I did and what should also work for other titles or applications.

First, there is no way around a shortcut. However, it is only temporary and serves as the starting point. If you are lucky, it is all you need. You can delete the shortcut after all is said and done.

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Upgrade Intel Core i5 12400F DDR4 to AMD Ryzen R5 7600 DDR5 – Worth It?

Robert Lohr4 Comments

Intel’s Core i5 12400F was and still is a capable budget gaming CPU. When I bought this chip at the end of summer 2022, DDR5 memory was still costly, and the benefit in gaming was not worth the price by a long shot. In 2023, Intel’s 13th-gen CPUs benefit significantly from faster memory, and DDR5 prices have reached their equilibrium where DDR4 was last year. I could have taken advantage of slotting in a Core-13000 model, maybe even a 14000 variant, but I am too much of a tech enthusiast to ignore the performance I could be leaving on the table with DDR4.

As you will see, I probably would not have noticed the difference and potentially benefitted the one game that triggered the upgrade thoughts. I recently took advantage of AMD’s Starfield bundles and received a new GPU with my game purchase. I knew of all the discussion around this game’s performance profile. Intel owns this game despite it being an AMD-sponsored title. Nevertheless, the 12400 had issues in the CPU-heavy areas, like New Atlantis.

(It appears that AMD or Bethesda forgot that AMD also makes CPUs, which is baffling since AMD makes the Xbox chips and Xbox owns Bethesda…)

Anyway.

The Ryzen 7600 should walk all over the 12400 with DDR4. The Intel chip is roughly equivalent to a Ryzen R5 5600X, and compared to that processor, the R5 7600 is 30% faster in games on average, according to Hardware Unboxed’s testing published on Techspot.

I performed several gaming benchmarks that compare the i5 12400F to the R5 7600 when paired with a Radeon RX 7900 XT.

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MSI B650 Tomahawk EZ Debug LED Memory and CPU Issues – Early Adopter Woes One Year Later

Robert Lohr1 Comment

I have recently treated myself to an AM5 system on an MSI B650 Tomahawk WIFI. The R5 7600 has access to 32 GB of G.Skill 6000 MT/s CL32 memory, which supports AMD’s EXPO technology. Enabling EXPO worked fine for the first hour before the trouble began.

At first, the SSD wasn’t detected anymore. I wanted to reinstall Windows because of licensing issues since I chose the wrong edition at first. Then, changing settings in BIOS did not restart the computer. The BIOS just froze up. Finally, the CPU and memory EZ Debug LEDs were both active, indicating a fried CPU and RAM.

That was a fun experience.

The Debugging

For reference, here is the layout of the debugging LEDs.

I am showing you this because the image of the error was under bad lighting conditions.

Whatever I tried, the system appeared to be dead. No more BIOS, no CMOS reset, nada. A CMOS reset had no effect even when the system would still boot into BIOS. Cutting the power… you guessed it: did nothing.

In a last hurrah, I attempted to boot with only one memory stick installed. Maybe it was just a single DIMM that unleashed hell. Lo and behold, the system booted. Testing the other stick also booted. Trying both RAM sticks again also booted. What the devil?

Changing the RAM configuration from two sticks down to one triggered something in the BIOS to reconfigure itself. A BIOS often shows a message when changes to the previously installed hardware are detected. And suddenly, a BIOS reset also worked.

The Fix

This time, I ran the RAM at 4800 MT/s while I installed Windows and tested a game for good measure. After ensuring the system was stable, I dared to perform a BIOS update.

And this was the solution to the problem. My MSI B650 Tomahawk came with BIOS version E7D75AMS.160; the latest version is E7D75AMS.170. The changelog mentions several improvements regarding RAM support.

An unreleased beta version also mentions stability improvements with EXPO enabled. I assume this also made its way into the latest release.

Since then, the system has been stable. I have run several benchmarks and played Starfield for about four hours straight without any stability problems.

The Disappointment

I am shocked that users can still run into compatibility issues like this about a year after the release of the Ryzen 7000 processors. The original installed BIOS was published in May 2023. That was already about eight months after the release of the AM5 platform, and it still had issues.

I hope this was helpful and saved you some time debugging a similar issue on the same motherboard or even a different one that behaves the same.

Thank you for reading.

The Order 1886 Review – An Underrated Game (PS5)

Robert Lohr1 Comment

If you strongly believe in video game reviews, you likely took a wide berth around The Order 1886 when it was released in 2015. Metacritic says this game is not good, scoring 63 from critics or 6.8 from user reviews. Since I did not own a PlayStation then, I knew of the game but took little notice otherwise. I was only recently reminded of its existence by John Linneman from Digital Foundry as he revisited the game’s technology in 2023. And obviously, it piqued my interest.

The Order 1886 is a 3rd-person cover shooter like the Gears franchise and is equally story-driven. It also pushed the graphical fidelity like the Gears games usually do. So why did it fail?

It admittedly had a few shortcomings, like a story that seemingly ends prematurely and plenty of cutscenes that limit the player’s agency. At least the last part is a criticism that was also directed at Final Fantasy XVI, yet most people still loved it. The story aspect appears valid, but it’s also in the eye of the beholder. It depends on your expectations going into the game – or any game at all. The Order 1886 does not explain everything and leaves many questions open. It was clearly designed to have a successor, which might have allowed the developers to establish more of the backstory. But is that such a bad thing as long as the moment-to-moment action is coherent and enjoyable? I do not think so, which is why I liked The Order 1886.

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Final Fantasy XVI Review (PS5)

Robert Lohr2 Comments

I believe this is the first time that I write an introduction to a review after all has been said and done. I don’t know where to start. It is only my second Final Fantasy game, so my expectations were simple:

  • A more fun combat than Final Fantasy VII Remake.
  • An equally good story.
  • Great visuals and music.

And all of that came to fruition. However, there is a But coming – a very stiff But.

(I better stop this metaphor before it gets out of hand.)

The technical presentation had some issues that could make side content unengaging for you despite the excellent writing. The author’s work was exceptional, and it is a shame that not all received the high-quality presentation it deserved. Did that make it a bad game? No, absolutely not! I liked Final Fantasy XVI a ton and finished it relatively quickly, given its length.

Let’s start the review before I continue beating around the bush.

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Marvel’s Midnight Suns Review – The Superhero Tactics Friendship Simulator (PS5 + PC)

Robert Lohr2 Comments

When Marvel’s Midnight Suns was revealed sometime around the summer of 2021, according to this trailer, I found it to be an interesting concept. The trailer does not say much, of course, and I based my opinions on the first gameplay reveals that are harder to dig up now. My experience with tactics games is limited to the Divinity Original Sin series from Larian Studios, so I would hardly call myself a seasoned player. One of the two gameplay-focused YouTubers I subscribe to is, though, being an X-Com veteran, and he got to show off early gameplay and character deep-dive promotional content. He was even mentioned in the game’s credits, which is so cool. Therefore, I found myself exposed more to this game than I usually would.

As I always do with games I find intriguing but am unsure if I would enjoy them: I watch on YouTube and knew just the right guy for it 😉. I am not a deck-builder gamer, the gameplay loop looked like a lot of busy work, and some of the writing appeared… questionable. So, I stuck with watching, but the idea of the game never let me go. There was a lot to like, and I ultimately purchased a copy, as it occasionally happens in situations like this. Two, in fact 😅. When I decided to play for myself, the most affordable way was on the PlayStation 5, and this is where I finished the base game. After that, I wanted to play the DLCs and their story, and at that point, the Epic Games Store offered a deal for the Legendary Edition (base game plus Season Pass), which turned out to be as much as the Season Pass on the PlayStation store. With a 25% coupon Epic randomly threw my way as part of a Mega Sale, I obtained the Legendary Edition on PC for just under 38€. I think that is a perfectly acceptable deal 😁. It also allowed me to compare the console and PC versions in terms of performance and visuals, as I noticed a few things on the PS5 that I found curious.

(Three emoji in one paragraph 🙀. What’s my age again?)

Marvel’s Midnight Suns captivated me in a way such that it became an evening routine after work, workout, and dinner. It does have its flaws, as expected. However, the positive elements outperform the downsides, and since you seem interested, I will tell you about it.

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Gamers Do Not Want to Buy AMD and NVIDIA GPUs

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It is June 2023, and gamers are still waiting for NVIDIA or AMD to release a GPU that is a no-brainer for any of the different price points of the mainstream market. I accept that the RTX 4090 and the RX 7900 XTX are halo products with an accordingly high price tag. Especially the RTX 4090 is impressive in all aspects. But what about the people who do not have over 1000 Orens to burn or do not want to spend that much? The controversy and discussions about NVIDIA’s sub-1k lineup down to the RTX 4060 Ti got me thinking. These cards would be a significant or even gigantic performance upgrade for me, yet I am not interested in them. What about AMD? Seriously, what about AMD? When are they moving their butts and joining the fray?

I am aware that it is about maintaining margins and keeping all their Scrooge McDucks happy. I also know that gaming products do not sell for as much as professional workstation- or enterprise products, with AI being the new hotness.

(Let’s hope it turns out to be more useful compared to the mining energy waste.)

How much time did NVIDIA dedicate to gaming hardware at Computex 2023? But is this really worth antagonizing a vast and vocal audience that has enabled AMD and NVIDIA to get where they are? From the looks of it: Yes. When considering a younger Jensen Huang’s statements, NVIDIA’s position is especially curious.

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Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores DLC Review – More Great Horizon (PS5)

Robert Lohr3 Comments

Of all the games I played last year, Horizon Forbidden West was my absolute favorite. I love the lore, the lead character and supporting cast, the storytelling, and the combination of action combat and adventure-like exploration and exposition. It should come as no surprise that I was very excited about the Burning Shores DLC when it was announced last year.

With that being said, expansions are usually not my thing. Most spin their own standalone tale within the framework of the main game but do not extend it or move it forward. Unless the gameplay is outstanding and the sole driver of the experience, DLCs face an uphill battle trying to convince me. And even in those gameplay-is-king cases, like Control, the expansions failed to entertain. I want more lead protagonist, more main story. Random side content that may or may not have ties to the main events rarely tickles my fancy. The issue comes down to the importance and meaningfulness of the new adventure. What could be significant enough to jump back into a game when the main objective is completed and the big bad boss is defeated?

(Rhymin’ and stealin’)

Horizon Zero Dawn’s expansion, The Frozen Wilds, was a new adventure, yet it also laid some groundwork for what would come in Horizon Forbidden West. Together with the fact that I just really enjoyed Zero Dawn, I happily played it. Forbidden West was an even better game, and I expected something similar from its DLC. In fact, it was my most anticipated “game” in 2023.

Burning Shores did not disappoint and delivered more of what made the base game an extraordinary experience: gorgeous visuals, entertaining combat, a couple of new machines, new skills, another Zenith threat, and a new side to Aloy’s character.

I immensely enjoyed my time in the destroyed and flooded future Los Angeles, and I want more Horizon because of that.

(Tomorrow, if possible. Kthxbye)

I think I can keep this review relatively short since the game’s core is still the same. We’ll see how it went when I write my famous last words 😉.

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Detroit: Become Human Review – The AI Game (PS5 + PC)

Robert Lohr1 Comment

Yes, this is a controversial title, and I am definitely playing the clickbait game. Yet, I also believe that it is not that far off the truth. Depending on your viewpoint, you can interpret “The AI Game” as a game generated by AI or as a game whose core idea revolves around artificial intelligence. Detroit: Become Human falls into the latter category.

Broadly speaking, our contemporary understanding of AI focuses on generating text or images, and attempts at creating music also exist. The results are truly astonishing and also frightening. Imagine the political damage a convincing AI-generated deep fake could cause. Leaving this discussion aside, Detroit: Become Human takes AI further and introduces Androids into a not-so-distant future version of Detroit. These Androids look and behave like human beings and are supposed to follow a specific programming for given tasks. Still, circumstances enable some to break free of their restrictions and start thinking and feeling like living beings. And at that point, the question becomes: are they living beings?

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