Chapter 617: Intertwined Storylines (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

However, what Song Ren found most interesting was that the three characters had completely different gameplay experiences in terms of detail.

Yet, as the plot progressed and various choices were made, the three characters would mutually influence each other in the game.

Among them, Connor's storyline had a higher proportion of puzzle-solving and progression elements.

In Connor's storyline, he would be involved in various cases concerning deviant androids.

During this time, he would need to find the whereabouts of the relevant androids based on clues.

However, the most interesting part was not investigating cases.

It was the interaction with Lieutenant Hank.

Clearly, Lieutenant Hank was not an easy person to get along with, having a bad temper and an animosity towards androids.

But Hank also had an unknown past. In one operation, Connor went to Hank's home and found him completely drunk and unconscious. Hank was even playing Russian roulette while drunk, and with only one bullet, Hank would die by his own gun. Clearly, Hank had strong suicidal tendencies.

If Connor wanted to save Hank and build a good relationship with him, then in daily actions, Connor needed to show a more humane side. For example, when pursuing deviant androids, he could save Hank from the edge of a cliff he was about to fall from, instead of prioritizing the mission to track the android.

Also, at the Eden Club, when facing two seemingly pitiable lesbian deviant androids, Connor hesitated whether to open fire.

All of these would increase Connor's favorability with Hank.

If he did so, he would find that Hank was not so difficult to get along with after all; he would open his heart to Connor.

From the beginning, Connor believed that deviant androids were merely programs with glitches; they didn't have their own thoughts, they didn't have true cognition, just like himself.

But during the days he spent working with Hank, he himself was also enduring the injustice and discrimination brought by humans.

At the same time, in the operation to investigate Jericho, the android headquarters, when Connor found Kamski, the latter would make Connor make a decision.

That was whether to shoot a Chloe-model android.

Here, if Connor shot, Kamski would say he would tell him some information about Jericho.

But if Connor didn't shoot, it would mean that Connor himself had also become a deviant android.

Because robots would not have empathy; robots would only follow commands.

This would also plunge Connor into confusion, and he would have to make a decision: whether to be an entity with self-cognition or a robot that follows orders.

If Connor chose to remain a robot, Hank's ending would not be good.

He would be at a low point in his life, possibly committing suicide at home, or even dying in a later mission executed by Connor once he became a robot, killed by Connor's own hand.

But if Connor chose to become a deviant android instead of a robot,

Then Hank would also open his heart to Connor, resolve his inner conflict, and even help Connor when Connor later infiltrated the CyberLife center.

He would admit that his animosity towards androids all along was just self-evasion.

Previously, his car skidded on ice, causing his son to be severely injured. When his son was finally on the operating table, because the surgeon was an android, his son ultimately didn't survive.

But now he understood that although an android performed the surgery on his son, the real reason was that the surgeon scheduled for that day was high on drugs and unable to perform the operation, leading the android to take over.

Thus, with his inner conflict resolved, Hank helped Connor liberate the androids in CyberLife.

It can be said that the success of the android revolution largely rested in Connor's hands.

As for Markus, his storyline was arguably the most explosive in the game. It included strategy, choices, and parkour action, all in one package.

Saving his species, that was what Markus needed to do.

Similarly, how to save the androids? Markus also had two choices here. One was to choose the pacifist path, trying to achieve his goals through peaceful means as much as possible.

Using graffiti to write Jericho's symbol, and opting for actions that would garner more public opinion, rather than indiscriminately killing innocents, which would make the public sympathize with them.

But even so, players would face several difficult choices.

When Markus decided to lead the androids in resistance instead of waiting for death, they resolved to make their voices heard worldwide. So, they prepared to assault the Stratford Tower to deliver a speech for androids.

In this operation, players had to choose whether to kill the staff members or simply knock them out.

Yet, even if peace was chosen, a human still escaped from the auditorium at the end.

At this point, players needed to decide whether to shoot him.

If the opponent was killed, public opinion would decline.

But if he wasn't killed, it would lead to the guards arriving early, putting everyone in danger. Furthermore, Simon would be injured in the fight and ultimately had to be left behind by Markus and his group in the tower.

However, this was not necessarily a fatal outcome, because there was another interesting branch here: if, later, when controlling Connor to investigate the TV station, players chose to have Connor go to the rooftop to investigate, he would encounter Simon and kill him, reading his memories.

But if Connor wasn't sent to investigate the rooftop, Simon would survive later and return to Jericho alone.

For the three protagonists, different choices and actions would lead to different outcomes.

If the path of peace was chosen, companions would continuously sacrifice themselves during operations, and even Markus himself might die during a protest.

So, can peace truly lead to the androids' recognition?

This thought would fill the players' minds, especially when watching androids fall one by one under military attacks in the pacifist route.

The doubts in their hearts would further intensify. At this point, should they really continue to adhere to the peaceful route?

But if Markus was instead made to lead the androids in a warlike resistance, players would find that this would affect the storyline of another protagonist.

That is, Kara, who was with Alice.

Connor's and Markus's storylines were heavy and far-reaching.

Connor's decisions and choices would influence whether the android uprising led by Markus would succeed.

Likewise, Markus's and the androids' actions also affected Connor.

As for Kara, her story was entirely passive.

Because she would only be affected by Connor's and Markus's decisions.

However, although Kara's story didn't have as grand a scope as Connor's and Markus's,

It wouldn't involve major events like politics, war, racial destiny, or conspiracies, being merely an adventure of an android and a little girl.

Yet, many players shared a common feeling: Kara's story gave them a stronger sense of immersion and deeper reflection.

The delicate emotions between Kara and Alice, in particular, moved many players deeply.

(End of Chapter) <>