Mirror Mirror on the wall…
Met Heavy Rain as one of my all-time favorite games and as a huge fan of the grim vibe out, say Alan Wake, Twin Mirror immediately caught my attention. However, the developer has to look hard in the mirror …
In Twin Mirror, you control Sam Higgs, an ex-investigative journalist from the depressed mining town of Basswood. After a long absence, you return to your home village for the funeral of your colleague and friend who died in a tragic traffic accident. However, it soon becomes apparent that not everything is what it seems at first sight. I cannot describe it more cliché than this, and that has its reason. The whole story actually comes with few unique twists and spectacular twists. The lonely depressed journalist seeking solace in pills and alcohol is as stereotypical as it can be. Certainly the point where your main character blacks out and starts to question himself seems like a straight copy from Heavy Rain. Met Life is Strange We already saw that developer DONTNOD knows how to turn a unique and interesting story into game form, so the fact that they play it safe with Twin Mirror is a huge step back. During your (short) playing session you also develop no bond with the main character and actually with no other character.
Point out clues
Your job is to find out the real story, as the true journalist that you are. Sam Higgs has some unique abilities that come from his overdeveloped brain. For example, he can always dive into his “mind palace” to connect the loose ends. Most of the gameplay consists of talking to people and collecting clues. This can be disappointing for players hoping to find more action. However, if you have previously played a game such as Life is Strange of The Walking Dead (Telltale), then you know what to expect.
Sam regularly dives into his memory palace to connect the loose ends.
When talking to people you always get the option to choose between a number of answers. It makes conversations dynamic (of course your choices have consequences) and although I am an impatient gamer, I didn’t bother with the dialogues because you want to absorb as much information as possible in order to ultimately make the right decisions. Ultimately, however, it turns out that you don’t have to pay that much attention to bring the game to a successful conclusion. You are held too much by hand for that. However, a few times in the game you have to make a bigger choice on your own. Then you choose between two paths. Will you involve a confidant in your story or will you continue as the mysterious lonely soul that you are, etc.
I found searching for clues to be annoying at times. In the beginning you will find one clue after another, but eventually you have to search for 15 minutes without finding that last clue. In such a situation it would be useful for the game to point to the clue (pun intended) so that you can continue with the game instead of constantly searching. It gets even more annoying when you suddenly have to investigate something that simply wasn’t there a few ago. For example, you will look for all the clues in a shed, but only after collecting other clues will a new clue appear in a place you previously searched.
Once you have collected enough clues, Sam will dream further away in his memory palace where he tries to arrive at an acceptable hypothesis. That way you discover what really happened, instead of relying on what other people tell you. Any journalist will be able to confirm that there is no better source than your own eyes and ears. It is not possible to arrive at a wrong hypothesis. The game lets you try out different hypotheses until you find the right one. In that memory palace you can also relive previous memories in order to arrive at the full story.
Vague mini games
The standard gameplay is interspersed with some more paranormal sequences that take place when Sam’s thoughts get too restless. You then have to calm down the main character by taking part in some obscure “mini games”. For example, in one of those first parts you have to walk and avoid doors, and see that you are entering the correct door. Not only are the controls lousy during that sequence, but it also always takes a while before you realize what the intention is. And even when you have mastered the gameplay, the sequences do not exactly add value and rather cause confusion.
Your fictional doppelganger often gives his opinion without being asked and thus pushes you as a player in a certain direction.
See double
Speaking of vague elements: Sam is always in contact with his fictional doppelganger. Ah, the hallmark of excellent mental health. This is a more social version of yourself, a variant that is better at interacting with other people. Especially in dialogues with other characters, this character often (unsolicited) gives his opinion about what you should do. It all means that you as a player are pushed in a certain direction quite a bit, while this should just be a game where you get all the freedom to write your own story.
This is not the case with all dialogues. In some cases you will also have the opportunity to ask him for his advice, but it is rather rare that you will be given the choice.
No clammy hands
What I mainly blame for a psychological thriller is how exciting the experience is. In a psychological thriller you expect to be taken by the throat, as was the case with, for example Heavy Rain. In that game you had more of the feeling of a “race against time” where every hesitation could cost lives. Bee Twin Mirror the game is much more relaxed in that area, and that is exactly what you do not want from a game within this genre.
The replay value of such a game will be different for everyone. A single playthrough is enough for most players, while others want to discover all possible options and endings. If you only play the game once, know that you have finished the game after 6 hours. Fortunately, the limited playing time is reflected in the price of the game (€ 29.99). The game is quite reminiscent in terms of playing experience Murdered: Soul Suspect, namely that it is a game that you play when you are a fan of the genre, have nothing better to play and have been able to buy the game for cheap.
Conclusion
After DONTNOD with games such as Life is Strange has shown that they know how to present an interesting and unique story, it is a mortal sin that Twin Mirror plays it safe and misses its own face. The atmosphere is mostly good, but the game never gets really exciting, the story is clichéd and some gameplay mechanics are downright frustrating. The fact that the game has such a low purchase price makes up for a lot (but not everything).
| Pro | With |
| price | Uninspired story |
| Visually very beautiful | Frustrating gameplay element |
| Never gets really exciting |
Review disclosure
| How we got the product | We received a code from the publisher. |
| Involvement | The review was published without the approval of the news agency, developer or publisher. No other party has influenced the content of this piece. |
| Affiliate | This article may contain affiliate links. Gamerverse receives a commission when a product is purchased via the link. |
| Compensation from manufacturer | We were not reimbursed for this review. |
In this article
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Twin Mirror
Developer:
Dontnod Entertainment
Publisher:
Dontnod Entertainment
Platforms:
Windows
/ Xbox One
/ PlayStation 4
Release Date: 01/12/2020
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