How decisive are you while playing a video game? Empathy, agency and gender in playable texts

Video games serve as a dynamic platform for storytelling, immersing players in interactive narratives that challenge their ethical and moral perspectives. This study examines the illusion of choice in the video game “Detroit: Become Human” by Quantum Dreams, a narrative-driven game that explores themes of discrimination, oppression, and rebellion of androids. While the game appears to offer moral dilemmas that shape the story, its design constrains player agency, guiding them toward predetermined outcomes. Although it fosters empathy for its oppressed android characters and draws parallels to historical injustices, it largely overlooks gender inequality, reinforcing traditional gender roles instead of subverting them. By analysing how the game’s mechanics, framing, and developer biases influence moral decision-making, this paper argues that “Detroit: Become Human”, standing as an example of the medium, raises essential political and ethical questions but remains limited by its own structural constraints. The findings highlight the need for greater inclusivity and intersectional representation in gaming narratives, ensuring that discussions of power, justice, and identity go beyond surface-level engagement.