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Tell Me Why also features a series of puzzles that brilliantly plays on the twins' childhood. In one case, specifically, a choice I made irked the other sibling, but it was simply water under the bridge by the next scene. It's a genius idea with my only complaint being that I don't often notice many long-term consequences from these choices. However, players must take into account that whatever memory they decide on will work towards influencing the twins' relationship near the end of the game. They can take into account a sibling's emotional state, clouded feelings, or biases before making their decision or they can operate based on their gut feeling. It's up to the player to decide on which is the "true" memory.

Sometimes Tyler and Alyson will remember events differently. However, the team later goes the extra mile and incorporates critical decision-making into some of these memories. If Dontnod had stopped there, that idea would have been great on its own.
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This allows them to fill in missing details and help further flesh out the full story. In this case, the twins' bond allows them to conjure up physical manifestations of their childhood memories, ones that both of them can see. Tell Me Why utilizes one of Dontnod's favorite plot devices, which is the idea of borderline-supernatural abilities without making the story into a science-fiction tale. Growing up twinsĭontnod takes full advantage of the twin sibling dynamic, building on the idea of twin telepathy. It's a compelling tale from start to finish. Tell Me Why is a story that keeps you guessing a lot of the time. What I thought of one character one moment would change within the hour based on new evidence. There are numerous plot twists throughout the story.
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By the end of the story, Mary-Ann's character has you thinking about things ranging from mental health, to the difficulties of single motherhood, to how to react to a child coming to terms with their gender identity.
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The unknowns surrounding Mary-Ann are a major driver of this plot and Dontnod does an amazing job of fleshing out her character even without her physical presence. Tyler gets a haircut, Mary-Ann has a psychotic reaction, points a shotgun at Tyler, and then everything is blank. There's only one piece of the puzzle made clear at the start of the game. The mystery primarily revolves around Mary-Ann, the twins' mother. These flashbacks are used towards the greater goal of filling in the missing pieces of that fateful night before Tyler is taken away. For Alyson, it means looking back at a time when she had her sibling, who was also her best friend. For Tyler, it means seeing himself before his transition.
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As much as the game is about the twins' present, there are many windows into their childhood. This extends into the gameplay, which I'll go into more detail about shortly. Some are pleasant, but others are haunting, and it's the latter memories that push the twins towards a journey to discover the truth about their last night together.įlashbacks are frequently used as a plot device in Tell Me Why, as both Tyler and Alyson encounter memories of their childhood. However, Tyler's return home drudges up memories of his childhood. Tyler and Alyson meet back up in order to help prepare their Alaska home for its eventual sale, so that the two can leave their past behind them. The reason they were separated was because Tyler was convicted for the self-defense murder of their mother, which becomes the focal point of the game's mystery. The story sees him return to Delos Crossing, Alaska and meet with sister Alyson for the first time in a decade. Tyler Ronan served seven years in a juvenile facility before spending three years working as a counselor. Tell Me Why follows the story of twin siblings reunited after a decade apart. For this review, we will be evaluating this as a full story, but we will keep this post spoiler-free. However, to get ahead of the usual disclaimer at the end of the review, Shacknews was given full access to all three chapters of Tell Me Why. And like Dontnod's most recent project, Life is Strange 2, this is a story about sibling love above everything else.īefore going any further, it should be noted that normally we would approach a game like this with a chapter-by-chapter impressions piece. While that's a major element of the narrative, Tell Me Why goes far beyond what it means to adjust to the world as a transgender male. One of its most often-mentioned qualities is that it's a story that features a transgender protagonist.

There's been a lot said about Dontnod Entertainment's latest story-based adventure.
