The plot is mostly about the twins figuring out that on the night one of them killed their mother, everything that they thought happened wasn't what it seemed.
I just kinda feel like this game doesn't really have a plot.
And there it is, my worst fears for this game, realised.
I haven't p… morelayed the game myself, though I'm tangentially interested in it. The problem is, without looking up actual launch footage of Tell Me Why, I can't for the life of me figure out what the plot is. Trailers and stuff don't tell me much, and from an outsider's perspective it doesn't seem like there's any interesting plot to this game at all.
How I see it is: "Two siblings return to their hometown and must confront some issue long forgotten..." And while that sounds interesting on paper, that's not what I'm seeing from anything released of it... It just looks like... Normal life problems: the game.
Is that what the plot of this game is? Or has it been poorly communnicated so far?
Honestly have no idea what the ending was even trying to imply
It's not really made obviously clear, but at the end of episode 1, their mom yelled "I'm going to kill you!" seemingly at Tyler, now here, at the second episode's ending, she's saying this to their father, the exact same soundbite, too, which, looking back, seems misplaced at the end of 1. This is suggesting that either they themselves (or just Alyson) have altered their memories of the night, or that their father has the power to manipulate their voice/memories, which can explain the whole Tyler voice scene at the end of 2. This is can be corroborated by the fact that the scissor's Alyson was seen using to stab her mother were never recovered according to the police documents.
Well I finished episode 2 and I would still say there isnt really "much" there. I think it was overall better than episode 1, but not by a l… moreot.
I just kinda feel like this game doesn't really have a plot. Feels like a story that would better fit a 2 hour movie, not a 3 part game because the plot that is here is being stretched really thin.
Character moments and overall story feels kinda random. Honestly have no idea what the ending was even trying to imply and I'm really having no investment. I mean every other kind of game like this I always play it on sitting but this one I found myself getting bored and turning it off and then finishing it later. Not because I ran out of time to play, I just didnt want to play anymore.
I dont know. I hope it can have a pretty cool ending and pull something neat together but I'm kinda doubting that. Like I said before, this game's story just feels "floaty."
Also bold prediction:
(Spoiler)
I kinda figured it had to do with something along the lines of "not remembering correctly/memory altering" but honestly the execution was terrible. Now that you say it like that I can see that being what it is, but it really didnt translate as clear as it seems they wanted it to/thought it did.
Honestly it feels like it was missing an episode or something. The game kinda just starts and somehow is stuffed with exposition while still feeling like I'm missing something. Like it really feels like this game starts assuming that I already know and am invested in these characters and world.
It also doesn't really feel like it has anything to "say" either. Like I said before, this game's plot is stretched so thin its kinda insane. There's a lot of doing absolutely nothing and then randomly "back to finding the truth about our mother!" but a lot of the "secrets" revealed about what really happened so far have been so minimal and honestly kinda silly for the other characters in the story to be going "I cant tell you.... I cant! Its too much!" when it really isn't.
Also there are some really bad lines of dialogue. For the most part it is fine, but then comes one line thats... really just something. I really dont think Alyson crying out "WE WERE YOUR GOBLINS!!!" and breaking down hit that note they were looking for at all, at least with me lol
I don't know. So far Im a bit disappointed as I was expecting it to be somewhat on the same level as Life is Strange quality. I know people's opinions here about LIS varies but I think the LIS series is overall very well done, so it is a shame that this game really pales in comparison. Even the main menu is super dull.
What was the idea behind this game? Was it just, "we want to make an episodic choice-based game" but then not much else beyond that? I've wa… moretched Episode 1 now, and I'm less invested than LiS2. And judging by the comments here, it doesn't get much better. Why did they make this? Also I like the idea of weekly episodes, it means we can discuss and then the next one comes out, but there doesn't really seem to be much discussion. People don't seem like they're hyped about this.
I really, really enjoyed episode 1. I'm weridly more invested in this mini-series than I was for either LiS main game at their beginning, probably because I'm really in love with both main characters in this. There's something strangely relatable and real about them that wasn't all there with Max, Chloe or Sean to me.
Throughout the episode I was extremely weirded out with how much Alysson seemed to resent their mother and kept trying to forget and erase everything about her, while Tyler seemed to more receptive to the idea that there was more context to what his mom did. Little did I know those were just small characterization hints building up to the final twist that Alysson had been the one who stabbed Mary-Ann: Alyson didn't want to believe that their mother wasn't just a child murdering transphobic freak since that's probably how she made peace with stabbing her own mom in the back.
Side characters are alright but not a major focus here. I did find Tessa's character a little odd at times.
Hubs, puzzles, worldbuilding, collectibles, journals, etc: all on point as I've come to expect with DontNod's narrative games. I love the Book of Goblins and how a puzzle forced you to read an entry and think a little bit to solve it. Then you had the puzzle with the passcode at the police station, which is not unlike some we've seen in previous games, but nevertheless cool that the game forces you to explore the environment around you to unlock certain areas. (As a side note hiding decisions in a hub area (i.e. putting Dee's key back or not) is VERY COOL!!!!).
I enjoy the memory system and I find it especially neat that their memories won't always be congruent. The twins' Voice incorporating into conversations is also another highligh and I hope both these features are used more in future episodes.
Finally, what the hell was that at the police station by the end of the episode? : / At first I thought it was some bug...
Neat start, huge game as always, and the main characters are the game's highligh so far.
Hhhgh yeah I don't get the "shocking" moment at the end of episode 2 at all. Well I understand what it implies but nothing about it is really "I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS". Seems like they just needed to end the episode and try to trick the player with dramatic zoom ins and music.
Well I finished episode 2 and I would still say there isnt really "much" there. I think it was overall better than episode 1, but not by a l… moreot.
I just kinda feel like this game doesn't really have a plot. Feels like a story that would better fit a 2 hour movie, not a 3 part game because the plot that is here is being stretched really thin.
Character moments and overall story feels kinda random. Honestly have no idea what the ending was even trying to imply and I'm really having no investment. I mean every other kind of game like this I always play it on sitting but this one I found myself getting bored and turning it off and then finishing it later. Not because I ran out of time to play, I just didnt want to play anymore.
I dont know. I hope it can have a pretty cool ending and pull something neat together but I'm kinda doubting that. Like I said before, this game's story just feels "floaty."
Also bold prediction:
(Spoiler)
I actually really like the dialogue so far. The "we were your goblins" line wasn't that bad. She doesn't scream it or anything just softly cries it out before collapsing to the ground. Although the other Goblin line at the end of episode 1 was much stronger coming from a child. It's not quite as good as other narrative games, but you can actually tell this time around this wasn't written by white french dudes.
Honestly it feels like it was missing an episode or something. The game kinda just starts and somehow is stuffed with exposition while still… more feeling like I'm missing something. Like it really feels like this game starts assuming that I already know and am invested in these characters and world.
It also doesn't really feel like it has anything to "say" either. Like I said before, this game's plot is stretched so thin its kinda insane. There's a lot of doing absolutely nothing and then randomly "back to finding the truth about our mother!" but a lot of the "secrets" revealed about what really happened so far have been so minimal and honestly kinda silly for the other characters in the story to be going "I cant tell you.... I cant! Its too much!" when it really isn't.
Also there are some really bad lines of dialogue. For the most part it is fine, but then comes one line thats... really just something. I really dont think Alyson crying out … [view original content]
I think the dialogue as a whole is ok, but to me some of the lines that feel awkward stand out a lot more than other DontNod games. Like the "we were your goblins" line to me just sounded super silly coming from a grown woman.I fully understand what they are going for and why she said it but there really wasn't enough of an emotional build up for a line like that (for me) to really hit that emotional note they were going for- for me to take it seriously. Granted its not the worst and thinking about it more, it may be more so my issue with the game's direction as it seemingly acts as if I'm super invested even though it never offer muched to be invested in the first place. In turn lines like that I feel fall flat, which kinda worries me for how the game wraps up because even though Alyson and Tyler are really the only thing in this game I feel stands out and I enjoy, that's still really the only thing I have any investment in (and even then its not as much as I'd hope it be.)
Also there are some really bad lines of dialogue.
I actually really like the dialogue so far. The "we were your goblins" line wasn't… more that bad. She doesn't scream it or anything just softly cries it out before collapsing to the ground. Although the other Goblin line at the end of episode 1 was much stronger coming from a child. It's not quite as good as other narrative games, but you can actually tell this time around this wasn't written by white french dudes.
That's a fair critique. The scenes in Tell Me Why have not grabbed me nearly as much as the developers want them to. Totally agree. They expect you to likely cry or hold your mouth in shock, but unlike telltale or even life is strange there's just not nearly enough to justify these emotions, It's not bad by any means and I think I'm enjoying it a little more than others on the forum, but that seems to be the hugest critique I've seen among reviews. On the other hand this gets me really optimistic about twin mirror which feels a lot more like a full game with twist and turns. Rather than a indie drama web series, but it honestly comes out to different styles of narrative. Releasing this series weekly was the smartest call they could have made.
I think the dialogue as a whole is ok, but to me some of the lines that feel awkward stand out a lot more than other DontNod games. Like the… more "we were your goblins" line to me just sounded super silly coming from a grown woman.I fully understand what they are going for and why she said it but there really wasn't enough of an emotional build up for a line like that (for me) to really hit that emotional note they were going for- for me to take it seriously. Granted its not the worst and thinking about it more, it may be more so my issue with the game's direction as it seemingly acts as if I'm super invested even though it never offer muched to be invested in the first place. In turn lines like that I feel fall flat, which kinda worries me for how the game wraps up because even though Alyson and Tyler are really the only thing in this game I feel stands out and I enjoy, that's still really the only thing I have any investment in (and even then its not as much as I'd hope it be.)
I genuinely think Tell me Why would have been a lot more interesting if the game was split 50/50 (past/present). Experiencing these moments of trauma and getting to decide how it turned out from the eyes of a child could have made for some emotionally intense scenes. The decision to only include a small handful of cutscenes from the past and to focus solely on the present with a gimicky memory mechanic kind of hurts and shows just how little story they have to present over 3+ hr episodes.
Finished episode 3. I liked it. I wish it was better than just decent but that's all I got from it. It doesn't take any exciting risks, there's no serious overarching narrative, the conclusion doesn't leave you feeling happy or sad. It's a nice small mystery with some decent character development and writing. It's risky in premise but the safest episodic game I've played in terms of content and scope. I could see people finding this incredibly dull if they weren't interested during chapter 1. I wanted something different from this but I'm also not unsatisfied with what we got. Would have rather seen some deeper risks from this game, but it safely stayed inside its shallow kiddie pool. Farewell Ronan twins, you provided a serviceable appetizer of a mystery. Just wish I could have seen a full course meal.
Well I finished episode 3. I will say episode 3 for the most part at least kept the player agency. A big problem I felt eps 1 and 2 had was there was some long stretches in between me having any interaction in the game, episode 3 felt like I was actually involved a lot more.
Now that I've played the whole game though I think I'd have to say I'm overall kinda let down. I still feel floaty is the best way to describe this game as its kinda just "you're doing this" and then you're doing it. I also feel their memory powers and voice is still pretty weird and kinda just adds to that floaty feel. Its kinda just there, not really touched upon at all. Obviously LIS doesnt go in depth for why people have powers, but it is an important part of the narrative and is touched upon when first introduced. Here its just here, which is what I mean by the game feeling "floaty." A lot of it feels like "just go with it" as it continue to float by. Also some of the scenes feel artificial as well for drama. Start of episode 3 has Alyson and Tyler seemingly very upset with each other but episode 2 did not end with me feeling like what they argued about would lead to how they act in episode 3. Just overall it doesnt really feel like anything is happening in this story. Like freelance said, it feels like a super safe game, really not a lot of risk taken, and I honestly didnt feel like a single one of my choices did anything.
I did really like the Alaskan setting though, and the graphics as a whole are visually appealing. And I do really like the lead characters. I would also say this is probably a really good portrayal for a trans character. Can't really say I've seen a trans character represented like this before and I think it was done very well, so big ol props for that. But sadly the leads being the best part is a bit disappointing as it just makes me wish the game's story they are in was a lot more interesting.
Overall I think I'd settle on saying that it's okay. Its not bad, but its far from something like LIS. My overall take away is just wishing the story took a different direction because I think the setting and characters could work really well in a different kind of narrative.
Start of episode 3 has Alyson and Tyler seemingly very upset with each other but episode 2 did not end with me feeling like what they argued about would lead to how they act in episode 3.
Yeah! This bothered me too. A lot of the arguments in general feel very held back. I mean I don't go out of my way to spark a fight but the arguments that are there just feel so basic and non threatening. The ending of episode 2 with Allison being all "I'm done" made me think "Okay so your gonna go back to the house and lay down and talk about this more in the morning" but then suddenly she completely ditches Tyler and goes back to Eddie's, but then starts every conversation she has with a person with "we had a fight" and not even sound the least bit upset about it. They make it seem like this was a huge falling out when its really just Allison needing some space after dealing with a "huge" revelation. Maybe if every conversation wasn't so black and white it could have been a more interesting dilemma but its wrapped up so easily it almost comes off as nothing.
Well I finished episode 3. I will say episode 3 for the most part at least kept the player agency. A big problem I felt eps 1 and 2 had was … morethere was some long stretches in between me having any interaction in the game, episode 3 felt like I was actually involved a lot more.
Now that I've played the whole game though I think I'd have to say I'm overall kinda let down. I still feel floaty is the best way to describe this game as its kinda just "you're doing this" and then you're doing it. I also feel their memory powers and voice is still pretty weird and kinda just adds to that floaty feel. Its kinda just there, not really touched upon at all. Obviously LIS doesnt go in depth for why people have powers, but it is an important part of the narrative and is touched upon when first introduced. Here its just here, which is what I mean by the game feeling "floaty." A lot of it feels like "just go with it" as it continue to float by. Also some of… [view original content]
I don't know... I felt like Alyson's character was so much about putting away her trauma, bottling it up and literally hiding behind a lie to avoid it that her reaction felt more than appropriate once Tyler literally forced her to face the place where she'd killed her mother, and got her to question the one thing that she had to justify what she had done.
I don't think it was so much about the revelation that the father was involved but more the fact that Tyler forces her to face it all way too quickly when she spent half her life looking away from it and that he doesn't really let up when she starts saying it's too much.
And this might be more personal but I think the tone around this specific fight they had (not all the fights they had... some of them were definitely off) felt fine. Sometimes a simple "I'm done" is way more effective and believable than a "I'M FUCKING DONE!" or something equally dramatic.
Start of episode 3 has Alyson and Tyler seemingly very upset with each other but episode 2 did not end with me feeling like what they argued about would lead to how they act in episode 3.
(Spoiler)
What I think didnt work so well for that scene is because the aftermath is weird. Alyson keeps telling people "we got into a big fight" when they really didnt. And sure maybe she thinks of it that way, but the direction of the scene does not translate that well going into episode 3 as I was honestly really confused on why Alyson kept saying they had a big fight when it was more of just a disagreement. Even more confusing is that Tyler was ignoring her which made even less sense as he wasnt the one who was actually upset from that "fight." I dont know if it was suppose to be he couldnt talk to her with the voice because he spent the literal entire night trying to get the memory to work or what, but thats kinda why I feel the scene is handled pretty poorly with the aftermath. Because I agree sometimes its a much better scene if the character just goes "Im done" over being an over the top fight. But that said the direction was all off as it seems like it really wanted you to think "oh man the 2 characters are upset with each other, how ever will they recover!" when the events that happened before were really not adding up to that.
Finished the game and honestly it really clicked with me. I think the big theme was trauma and how much it can wrap your memory of events. For the most part, I think it was done well. I especially liked the final decision and found it quite dificult.
Episode 2 had a few issues to me, especially the constant repetition of the "believe your sibling's version of things or yours"decision. It became pretty stale to just go along with whatever the other sibling said since it became pretty clear that the consequences of not doing so were just a weakened Bond. I get that we needed these decisions spread throughout the episodes to build up to the final choice, but it became formulaic and I think they could've shaken it up.
I really liked the first act of episode 3. Alyson is without a doubt my favorite character from this and the way they handled her mental health is 90% of the reason. I've never had a panic attack yet the way they handled hers felt immersive and familiar somehow. It really had me feeling uncomfortable and on my tippy toes because some stupid ass memory could jump at any time and cuss at me. Basically I think they portrayed really well what having a really bad mental health day feels like.
Of course, everything above is cool and all but still had its shortcomings. I had Alyson come clean to Eddy about having killed Mary-Ann and, after this really emotional moment, this complete breakdown, this 10 year old lie finally out in the open... Alyson just suddenly changes her mood, tone, stops crying and just goes "visiting Sam. lol! bye!". It made me feel like I had gone through the wrong dialogue branch. This also happened (as someone else pointed out) in episode 2 if you decide to delay the house sale. Tyler and Alyson start arguing - acknowledge the good thing I did for their relationship - then go right back at it.
They need to find better ways to incorporate really different dialogue branches each with their own tones without having these blatant mood whiplashes.
I appreciated having a proper epilogue and not some stupid vague scene with music over it and no dialogue. Endings and aftermaths need to be just as fleshed out as the rest, in my opinion.
Overall I think this greatly benefited from its weekly release format. This story felt consistent - I felt like I got the story that was planned from episode 1 which is something Telltale always lacked. I hope the new Telltale goes this path and I hope DontNod also commits to it.
I don't know. It might be because I've played episode 2 a good while ago, but I remember the episode leaving me with the impression that the twins would have some significant issues. Tyler was adamant about finding the truth and Alyson was refusing him those answers, on the other hand, Alyson was getting hurt by all of it and Tyler seemed to not care at all. I think their motives to be at odds seem strong enough for me, but I don't remember if the scene really translated that. I'm gonna have to rewatch it.
Even more confusing is that Tyler was ignoring her which made even less sense as he wasnt the one who was actually upset from that "fight." I dont know if it was suppose to be he couldnt talk to her with the voice because he spent the literal entire night trying to get the memory to work or what, but thats kinda why I feel the scene is handled pretty poorly with the aftermath.
I do agree with this though, Tyler in episode 3 just feels really emotionally detached from the mother mystery and the whole thing was confusing. It's actually Alyson who plows through the whole mystery this episode while Tyler just takes a huge backseat and hardly does any investigating on his own. If I have one problem with the final choice is that it's only Alyson making it, you'd think Tyler would also want to set the record straight on whether his mom tried to kill him or not, but again, episode 3 really felt more like Alyson's emotional journey than Tyler's and it's kinda odd.
What I think didnt work so well for that scene is because the aftermath is weird. Alyson keeps telling people "we got into a big fight" when… more they really didnt. And sure maybe she thinks of it that way, but the direction of the scene does not translate that well going into episode 3 as I was honestly really confused on why Alyson kept saying they had a big fight when it was more of just a disagreement. Even more confusing is that Tyler was ignoring her which made even less sense as he wasnt the one who was actually upset from that "fight." I dont know if it was suppose to be he couldnt talk to her with the voice because he spent the literal entire night trying to get the memory to work or what, but thats kinda why I feel the scene is handled pretty poorly with the aftermath. Because I agree sometimes its a much better scene if the character just goes "Im done" over being an over the top fight. But that said the direction was all off as it seem… [view original content]
Here's the "secret" ending! Also known as "wow something must be wrong with your decisions if only 2% got the other ending". Joking aside. I kind of like it. Allison trying to cope with what she felt was right feels coldly realistic. They aren't entirely distant, but you can really tell how brief and quiet Tyler is through the phone call and how short the conversations are compared to his route of packing up. A good step up from music montage endings but still don't like how one sided the choices turned out being for this game and how they pretty much only affect the ending.
That's a pretty interesting ending but its a bit disappointing that seems like this is the only real thing that changes in the game. Also the fact only 2% got it because lets kinda face it like you said choices are a bit one sided, which is why 98% didnt get this ending. Youd have to actively try and get this rather than naturally reap what you sow.
So, now that my eyes can look at a screen without hurting every few minutes, I finished episode 3! Gotta say, enjoyed the game, but would definitely say it was a good thing it was on Gamepass, definitely wouldn't have payed forty for it on Steam. I really enjoyed the characters and interactions, felt more natural in comparison to LiS, all the characters had some nuance to them, and it was kind of fun how some minor characters only existed to have small subplots going on in the background, it was neat. I did enjoy the revelations about their memories and learning more about Marry-Ann, I would say pacing could have been picked up a lot more than it was, but I enjoy slow burns.
Also... really 0%? This a glitch? Because Tom's version of events is the only one that really makes sense, all clues were pointing to it since the start.
So, now that my eyes can look at a screen without hurting every few minutes, I finished episode 3! Gotta say, enjoyed the game, but would de… morefinitely say it was a good thing it was on Gamepass, definitely wouldn't have payed forty for it on Steam. I really enjoyed the characters and interactions, felt more natural in comparison to LiS, all the characters had some nuance to them, and it was kind of fun how some minor characters only existed to have small subplots going on in the background, it was neat. I did enjoy the revelations about their memories and learning more about Marry-Ann, I would say pacing could have been picked up a lot more than it was, but I enjoy slow burns.
(Spoiler)
I honestly thought the game had two endings which were solely based on the relationship between the twins, but apparently what decides whether or not Alyson stays behind has nothing to do with her being on good terms with Tyler or not:
The twin who’s featured in the epilogue is determined by two choices in Chapter 3: If the player confesses to Eddy about Alyson’s role in Mary-Ann’s death OR chooses to believe Tom’s memory of the murder night, then the twins will follow through on their plans to sell the house and Tyler will appear in the epilogue. Otherwise, Alyson will stay at 12 Cannery Road to process and heal from her grief in the place she knows best.
So there's still two endings, but there's an ending with Alyson at the house on good terms with Tyler and the reverse ending with Alyson in Juneau but in bad terms with Tyler which I never found on youtube and thought didn't exist!
This is still a downgrade from LiS2 in terms of choice-consequence but not as bad and linear as I believed.
Makes sense, those choices are the ones where you decide whether or not you accept Alyson's role in the death of her mother, otherwise you just repress it and she has that sense of guilt that she needs to stay at the house to make amends.
Interesting article on the Tell Me Why endings: Exploring the endings of Tell Me Why.
I honestly thought the game had two endings which w… moreere solely based on the relationship between the twins, but apparently what decides whether or not Alyson stays behind has nothing to do with her being on good terms with Tyler or not:
The twin who’s featured in the epilogue is determined by two choices in Chapter 3: If the player confesses to Eddy about Alyson’s role in Mary-Ann’s death OR chooses to believe Tom’s memory of the murder night, then the twins will follow through on their plans to sell the house and Tyler will appear in the epilogue. Otherwise, Alyson will stay at 12 Cannery Road to process and heal from her grief in the place she knows best.
So there's still two endings, but there's an ending with Alyson at the house on good terms with Tyler and the reverse ending with Alyson in Juneau but in bad terms with Tyler which I never… [view original content]
Makes sense, those choices are the ones where you decide whether or not you accept Alyson's role in the death of her mother, otherwise you just repress it and she has that sense of guilt that she needs to stay at the house to make amends.
Comments
The plot is mostly about the twins figuring out that on the night one of them killed their mother, everything that they thought happened wasn't what it seemed.
It's not really made obviously clear, but at the end of episode 1, their mom yelled "I'm going to kill you!" seemingly at Tyler, now here, at the second episode's ending, she's saying this to their father, the exact same soundbite, too, which, looking back, seems misplaced at the end of 1. This is suggesting that either they themselves (or just Alyson) have altered their memories of the night, or that their father has the power to manipulate their voice/memories, which can explain the whole Tyler voice scene at the end of 2. This is can be corroborated by the fact that the scissor's Alyson was seen using to stab her mother were never recovered according to the police documents.
I kinda figured it had to do with something along the lines of "not remembering correctly/memory altering" but honestly the execution was terrible. Now that you say it like that I can see that being what it is, but it really didnt translate as clear as it seems they wanted it to/thought it did.
Honestly it feels like it was missing an episode or something. The game kinda just starts and somehow is stuffed with exposition while still feeling like I'm missing something. Like it really feels like this game starts assuming that I already know and am invested in these characters and world.
It also doesn't really feel like it has anything to "say" either. Like I said before, this game's plot is stretched so thin its kinda insane. There's a lot of doing absolutely nothing and then randomly "back to finding the truth about our mother!" but a lot of the "secrets" revealed about what really happened so far have been so minimal and honestly kinda silly for the other characters in the story to be going "I cant tell you.... I cant! Its too much!" when it really isn't.
Also there are some really bad lines of dialogue. For the most part it is fine, but then comes one line thats... really just something. I really dont think Alyson crying out "WE WERE YOUR GOBLINS!!!" and breaking down hit that note they were looking for at all, at least with me lol
I don't know. So far Im a bit disappointed as I was expecting it to be somewhat on the same level as Life is Strange quality. I know people's opinions here about LIS varies but I think the LIS series is overall very well done, so it is a shame that this game really pales in comparison. Even the main menu is super dull.
I've only finished episode 1 so far!!
I really, really enjoyed episode 1. I'm weridly more invested in this mini-series than I was for either LiS main game at their beginning, probably because I'm really in love with both main characters in this. There's something strangely relatable and real about them that wasn't all there with Max, Chloe or Sean to me.
Throughout the episode I was extremely weirded out with how much Alysson seemed to resent their mother and kept trying to forget and erase everything about her, while Tyler seemed to more receptive to the idea that there was more context to what his mom did. Little did I know those were just small characterization hints building up to the final twist that Alysson had been the one who stabbed Mary-Ann: Alyson didn't want to believe that their mother wasn't just a child murdering transphobic freak since that's probably how she made peace with stabbing her own mom in the back.
Side characters are alright but not a major focus here. I did find Tessa's character a little odd at times.
Hubs, puzzles, worldbuilding, collectibles, journals, etc: all on point as I've come to expect with DontNod's narrative games. I love the Book of Goblins and how a puzzle forced you to read an entry and think a little bit to solve it. Then you had the puzzle with the passcode at the police station, which is not unlike some we've seen in previous games, but nevertheless cool that the game forces you to explore the environment around you to unlock certain areas. (As a side note hiding decisions in a hub area (i.e. putting Dee's key back or not) is VERY COOL!!!!).
I enjoy the memory system and I find it especially neat that their memories won't always be congruent. The twins' Voice incorporating into conversations is also another highligh and I hope both these features are used more in future episodes.
Finally, what the hell was that at the police station by the end of the episode? : / At first I thought it was some bug...
Neat start, huge game as always, and the main characters are the game's highligh so far.
Hhhgh yeah I don't get the "shocking" moment at the end of episode 2 at all. Well I understand what it implies but nothing about it is really "I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS". Seems like they just needed to end the episode and try to trick the player with dramatic zoom ins and music.
I actually really like the dialogue so far. The "we were your goblins" line wasn't that bad. She doesn't scream it or anything just softly cries it out before collapsing to the ground. Although the other Goblin line at the end of episode 1 was much stronger coming from a child. It's not quite as good as other narrative games, but you can actually tell this time around this wasn't written by white french dudes.
I think the dialogue as a whole is ok, but to me some of the lines that feel awkward stand out a lot more than other DontNod games. Like the "we were your goblins" line to me just sounded super silly coming from a grown woman.I fully understand what they are going for and why she said it but there really wasn't enough of an emotional build up for a line like that (for me) to really hit that emotional note they were going for- for me to take it seriously. Granted its not the worst and thinking about it more, it may be more so my issue with the game's direction as it seemingly acts as if I'm super invested even though it never offer muched to be invested in the first place. In turn lines like that I feel fall flat, which kinda worries me for how the game wraps up because even though Alyson and Tyler are really the only thing in this game I feel stands out and I enjoy, that's still really the only thing I have any investment in (and even then its not as much as I'd hope it be.)
That's a fair critique. The scenes in Tell Me Why have not grabbed me nearly as much as the developers want them to. Totally agree. They expect you to likely cry or hold your mouth in shock, but unlike telltale or even life is strange there's just not nearly enough to justify these emotions, It's not bad by any means and I think I'm enjoying it a little more than others on the forum, but that seems to be the hugest critique I've seen among reviews. On the other hand this gets me really optimistic about twin mirror which feels a lot more like a full game with twist and turns. Rather than a indie drama web series, but it honestly comes out to different styles of narrative. Releasing this series weekly was the smartest call they could have made.
I genuinely think Tell me Why would have been a lot more interesting if the game was split 50/50 (past/present). Experiencing these moments of trauma and getting to decide how it turned out from the eyes of a child could have made for some emotionally intense scenes. The decision to only include a small handful of cutscenes from the past and to focus solely on the present with a gimicky memory mechanic kind of hurts and shows just how little story they have to present over 3+ hr episodes.
Finished episode 3. I liked it. I wish it was better than just decent but that's all I got from it. It doesn't take any exciting risks, there's no serious overarching narrative, the conclusion doesn't leave you feeling happy or sad. It's a nice small mystery with some decent character development and writing. It's risky in premise but the safest episodic game I've played in terms of content and scope. I could see people finding this incredibly dull if they weren't interested during chapter 1. I wanted something different from this but I'm also not unsatisfied with what we got. Would have rather seen some deeper risks from this game, but it safely stayed inside its shallow kiddie pool. Farewell Ronan twins, you provided a serviceable appetizer of a mystery. Just wish I could have seen a full course meal.
Well I finished episode 3. I will say episode 3 for the most part at least kept the player agency. A big problem I felt eps 1 and 2 had was there was some long stretches in between me having any interaction in the game, episode 3 felt like I was actually involved a lot more.
Now that I've played the whole game though I think I'd have to say I'm overall kinda let down. I still feel floaty is the best way to describe this game as its kinda just "you're doing this" and then you're doing it. I also feel their memory powers and voice is still pretty weird and kinda just adds to that floaty feel. Its kinda just there, not really touched upon at all. Obviously LIS doesnt go in depth for why people have powers, but it is an important part of the narrative and is touched upon when first introduced. Here its just here, which is what I mean by the game feeling "floaty." A lot of it feels like "just go with it" as it continue to float by. Also some of the scenes feel artificial as well for drama. Start of episode 3 has Alyson and Tyler seemingly very upset with each other but episode 2 did not end with me feeling like what they argued about would lead to how they act in episode 3. Just overall it doesnt really feel like anything is happening in this story. Like freelance said, it feels like a super safe game, really not a lot of risk taken, and I honestly didnt feel like a single one of my choices did anything.
I did really like the Alaskan setting though, and the graphics as a whole are visually appealing. And I do really like the lead characters. I would also say this is probably a really good portrayal for a trans character. Can't really say I've seen a trans character represented like this before and I think it was done very well, so big ol props for that. But sadly the leads being the best part is a bit disappointing as it just makes me wish the game's story they are in was a lot more interesting.
Overall I think I'd settle on saying that it's okay. Its not bad, but its far from something like LIS. My overall take away is just wishing the story took a different direction because I think the setting and characters could work really well in a different kind of narrative.
Yeah! This bothered me too. A lot of the arguments in general feel very held back. I mean I don't go out of my way to spark a fight but the arguments that are there just feel so basic and non threatening. The ending of episode 2 with Allison being all "I'm done" made me think "Okay so your gonna go back to the house and lay down and talk about this more in the morning" but then suddenly she completely ditches Tyler and goes back to Eddie's, but then starts every conversation she has with a person with "we had a fight" and not even sound the least bit upset about it. They make it seem like this was a huge falling out when its really just Allison needing some space after dealing with a "huge" revelation. Maybe if every conversation wasn't so black and white it could have been a more interesting dilemma but its wrapped up so easily it almost comes off as nothing.
I don't know... I felt like Alyson's character was so much about putting away her trauma, bottling it up and literally hiding behind a lie to avoid it that her reaction felt more than appropriate once Tyler literally forced her to face the place where she'd killed her mother, and got her to question the one thing that she had to justify what she had done.
I don't think it was so much about the revelation that the father was involved but more the fact that Tyler forces her to face it all way too quickly when she spent half her life looking away from it and that he doesn't really let up when she starts saying it's too much.
And this might be more personal but I think the tone around this specific fight they had (not all the fights they had... some of them were definitely off) felt fine. Sometimes a simple "I'm done" is way more effective and believable than a "I'M FUCKING DONE!" or something equally dramatic.
What I think didnt work so well for that scene is because the aftermath is weird. Alyson keeps telling people "we got into a big fight" when they really didnt. And sure maybe she thinks of it that way, but the direction of the scene does not translate that well going into episode 3 as I was honestly really confused on why Alyson kept saying they had a big fight when it was more of just a disagreement. Even more confusing is that Tyler was ignoring her which made even less sense as he wasnt the one who was actually upset from that "fight." I dont know if it was suppose to be he couldnt talk to her with the voice because he spent the literal entire night trying to get the memory to work or what, but thats kinda why I feel the scene is handled pretty poorly with the aftermath. Because I agree sometimes its a much better scene if the character just goes "Im done" over being an over the top fight. But that said the direction was all off as it seems like it really wanted you to think "oh man the 2 characters are upset with each other, how ever will they recover!" when the events that happened before were really not adding up to that.
Finished the game and honestly it really clicked with me. I think the big theme was trauma and how much it can wrap your memory of events. For the most part, I think it was done well. I especially liked the final decision and found it quite dificult.
Episode 2 had a few issues to me, especially the constant repetition of the "believe your sibling's version of things or yours"decision. It became pretty stale to just go along with whatever the other sibling said since it became pretty clear that the consequences of not doing so were just a weakened Bond. I get that we needed these decisions spread throughout the episodes to build up to the final choice, but it became formulaic and I think they could've shaken it up.
I really liked the first act of episode 3. Alyson is without a doubt my favorite character from this and the way they handled her mental health is 90% of the reason. I've never had a panic attack yet the way they handled hers felt immersive and familiar somehow. It really had me feeling uncomfortable and on my tippy toes because some stupid ass memory could jump at any time and cuss at me. Basically I think they portrayed really well what having a really bad mental health day feels like.
Of course, everything above is cool and all but still had its shortcomings. I had Alyson come clean to Eddy about having killed Mary-Ann and, after this really emotional moment, this complete breakdown, this 10 year old lie finally out in the open... Alyson just suddenly changes her mood, tone, stops crying and just goes "visiting Sam. lol! bye!". It made me feel like I had gone through the wrong dialogue branch. This also happened (as someone else pointed out) in episode 2 if you decide to delay the house sale. Tyler and Alyson start arguing - acknowledge the good thing I did for their relationship - then go right back at it.
They need to find better ways to incorporate really different dialogue branches each with their own tones without having these blatant mood whiplashes.
I appreciated having a proper epilogue and not some stupid vague scene with music over it and no dialogue. Endings and aftermaths need to be just as fleshed out as the rest, in my opinion.
Overall I think this greatly benefited from its weekly release format. This story felt consistent - I felt like I got the story that was planned from episode 1 which is something Telltale always lacked. I hope the new Telltale goes this path and I hope DontNod also commits to it.
I don't know. It might be because I've played episode 2 a good while ago, but I remember the episode leaving me with the impression that the twins would have some significant issues. Tyler was adamant about finding the truth and Alyson was refusing him those answers, on the other hand, Alyson was getting hurt by all of it and Tyler seemed to not care at all. I think their motives to be at odds seem strong enough for me, but I don't remember if the scene really translated that. I'm gonna have to rewatch it.
I do agree with this though, Tyler in episode 3 just feels really emotionally detached from the mother mystery and the whole thing was confusing. It's actually Alyson who plows through the whole mystery this episode while Tyler just takes a huge backseat and hardly does any investigating on his own. If I have one problem with the final choice is that it's only Alyson making it, you'd think Tyler would also want to set the record straight on whether his mom tried to kill him or not, but again, episode 3 really felt more like Alyson's emotional journey than Tyler's and it's kinda odd.
I'm gonna do the only good thing I know to do in this forums.
Post fanarts:
That's a pretty interesting ending but its a bit disappointing that seems like this is the only real thing that changes in the game. Also the fact only 2% got it because lets kinda face it like you said choices are a bit one sided, which is why 98% didnt get this ending. Youd have to actively try and get this rather than naturally reap what you sow.
So, now that my eyes can look at a screen without hurting every few minutes, I finished episode 3! Gotta say, enjoyed the game, but would definitely say it was a good thing it was on Gamepass, definitely wouldn't have payed forty for it on Steam. I really enjoyed the characters and interactions, felt more natural in comparison to LiS, all the characters had some nuance to them, and it was kind of fun how some minor characters only existed to have small subplots going on in the background, it was neat. I did enjoy the revelations about their memories and learning more about Marry-Ann, I would say pacing could have been picked up a lot more than it was, but I enjoy slow burns.
Also... really 0%? This a glitch? Because Tom's version of events is the only one that really makes sense, all clues were pointing to it since the start.
but tom sucks and aly will hate herself forever if u believe him
My view's always been that you should never hide from the truth. Hard to put yourself back together if you keep ignoring the pieces in the corner.
Interesting article on the Tell Me Why endings: Exploring the endings of Tell Me Why.
I honestly thought the game had two endings which were solely based on the relationship between the twins, but apparently what decides whether or not Alyson stays behind has nothing to do with her being on good terms with Tyler or not:
So there's still two endings, but there's an ending with Alyson at the house on good terms with Tyler and the reverse ending with Alyson in Juneau but in bad terms with Tyler which I never found on youtube and thought didn't exist!
This is still a downgrade from LiS2 in terms of choice-consequence but not as bad and linear as I believed.
Makes sense, those choices are the ones where you decide whether or not you accept Alyson's role in the death of her mother, otherwise you just repress it and she has that sense of guilt that she needs to stay at the house to make amends.
r u shading MY DECISIONS
The entire game of Tell Me Why is available for FREE to buy on Xbox and Steam during the month of June.
https://www.eurogamer.net/tell-me-why-is-free-to-download-on-xbox-and-pc
Didn't know this released on PC, thought it was a total Xbox Game Pass exclusive.