![]() If less time was spent injecting Bandai Namco’s PAC-MAN into the game, maybe that would have improved matters. After such an expert handling of transgender issues in Tell Me Why, I’m left feeling that DONTNOD has dropped the ball with this one. Largely, the way that Sam is handled leaves a player uncomfortable, especially during instances when Sam’s mind-self tells… well, himself… that the way he acts isn’t right. While there are flashback scenes and some dialogue from NPCs that directly address Sam and his mindset, DONTNOD dances around any notions of a diagnosis. ![]() The downside here is that while there will be multiple endings to discover, the investigations and their single solutions will likely get repetitious the more you play. The process is quite thrilling and I’ll admit that it feels pretty good to get to the bottom of things, especially on your first pass. Sam’s able to picture a scene in his mind, working through events and seeing how they play out in various combinations before ultimately deducing what has passed. Investigations are where Twin Mirror truly shines, a two-phase effort that first requires Sam to first scour a scene looking for clues, then delve into his mind palace to piece them all together. While we were unable to play through the story multiple times to hit embargo, these choices mean there are numerous endings to be unlocked by completionists. At other important points in the narrative, Sam will have to make that same binary choice, this time with each option accompanied by an icon of Sam or his mind-self. Sam’s bespectacled mind-self will also pop up at times and remind you of how other people would act in a situation, offering you the chance to essentially pick binary options with emotional or analytical responses. Sam’s interactions with himself come in the form of dialogue choices, both with Sam’s mind-self and with others. Falling deeper and deeper into the investigation, Sam will need to deal with his mind-self, deciding whether or not to be analytical or to learn from his past and endeavor to become more personable than fact-based. While it sounds somewhat disjointed (and sometimes is), the investigations slowly begin to intertwine. What follows is a mystery essentially with an A and B plot - Sam will investigate what’s happened to Nick while players try to figure out Sam and his own mind. After a boozy wake, Sam wakes up with a nasty hangover, suffering from memory loss… and soon finds a bloody shirt in his hotel room’s bathtub. Sam agrees to look into Joan’s concerns, realising the effort will mean more time in Basswood than he’s really comfortable with. Nick’s daughter Joan quickly confides in Sam that she believes he father’s death to be foul play, despite the beliefs of the local police force. Our new hero is called back to Basswood over the death of his best friend Nick, another former co-worker (and, coincidentally, Anna’s new boyfriend). Related: Twin Mirror Preview: When you see me again, it won’t be me As much as Sam fled Basswood to avoid angry miners, he left to avoid dealing with his failed relationship. While it impacts his present, it’s certainly done the same in his past - his unique way of thinking placed strain on his romantic relationship with former co-worker Anna, and his stunted understanding of human emotions had him believe that an engagement proposal work sort things out. Sam loses track of time speaking with his mind-self, and even more when collecting and analyzing clues in his mind palace. While an amazing investigator, Sam’s talents come at the cost of social skills so much so, he’s actually created a second persona whom he talks to in order to try to fit in. ![]() Needless to say, those in the town who’ve lost their job as a result weren’t exactly thrilled with his work. An investigative journalist, he uncovered dodgy workplace practices at the local mine, leading it to file for bankruptcy and close up shop. Set in the sleepy fictional town of Basswood, protagonist Sam returns to his hometown after leaving for myriad reasons. While familiar in tone, its unique protagonist ensures a storyline with an emphasis on detective work as seen in the Batman Arkham series alongside a reliance on the mind palace, a concept that’s featured in Frogware’s Sherlock Holmes franchise. Twin Mirror is the latest from DONTNOD - the developer behind episodic titles like Life is Strange and Tell Me Why - though it diverges from its cousins by dropping a serialised format in favour of a single-instance narrative. DONTNOD drops episodic storytelling for a one-shot in a small, west coast town.
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