The ending redeemed the fact I had to get through the bore-fest that was the beginning. After a few hours, the story finally picked up some pace and was actually enjoyable. Beefing out the background in the first part of the game seems absolutely necessary but takes quite a long time. The many conversations/interactions you’ll have made for a slow-building story. The way you interact with people has an influence on the story and ultimately lead you to different endings. Twin Mirror is an adventure that focuses more on social interactions as opposed to problem-solving. I would’ve loved some more emphasis on this part of the game. It’s clear Sam suffers from some sort of condition but the game never fully develops this path. Sadly this path is kept a bit too vague throughout the game. These side steps in the physiological world of Sam’s mind are what make Twin Mirror unique. These scenes are nicely presented as episodes spent in a darkened maze-like version of his Mind Palace. As these story elements get revealed, Sam’s experiencing many insecurities that lead to panic attacks. A friend who’s advice for social interactions might help you make more friends than Sam’s used to.Īs the story progresses Sam gets involved in a murder mystery that will uncover way more than he’s bargained for. The Double or Him as he’s often called is a better version of himself represented as an imaginary friend. When interacting with people, Sam also gets help from “the double”. Going in his mind helps to untangle the mysteries that’ll ensue when going further in the story. Besides memories, the Mind Palace is also a great place to go to when Sam has to use deductive reasoning. Memories are relieved through visualizations in his mind pausing reality for a moment. As a former investigating reporter, Sam has an extraordinary mind which he literary visits under the moniker Mind Palace. Twin Mirror introduces the Mind Palace feature pretty early in the game. Their relationship went haywire after Sam proposed but Anna declined. On a more personal level, there’s also the confrontation with his ex-girlfriend Anna he’s dreading. Since the town is a real Miners town, many people lost their job and are looking for a scapegoat in the personification of Sam. It turns out Sam wrote a piece on the Mine of Basswood which eventually led to it being closed. Sam’s not particularly thrilled to be back because the small rural town of Basswood isn’t fond of him anymore.
Sam Higgs is a former investigating reporter, who returns to the town of Basswood for the funeral of his best friend Nick. Twin Mirror feels familiar but by deliberately choosing a non-paranormal path this time, Twin Mirror turned out as a fresh take. All the laurels earned with Life is Strange, have made heads turn as to what the studio might attempt next. This is where you’ll find yourself feeling the most in control during the whole game, even though the choices come thick and fast, and it’s these moments of tension that are most immersive as a player.Twin Mirror is the first attempt by DONTNOD (Life is Strange, Remember Me, …) to fly solo. At one point, just before he’s about to have an anxiety attack, you get whisked to the mind palace and have to perform simple mini-game style tasks to distract Sam and calm him down. Things can get quite stressful during your investigation and Sam is not the most together person as it is, since he’s prone to blackouts and pill popping. It’s these moments when you, as a player, feel real pressure but be aware this isn’t a black and white narrative and Dontnod have managed to create something that feels much more complex than the normal binary, moral decisions. His alternative take on important situations has you questioning your instincts and sometimes your mental health. This twin, an imaginary friend from your childhood, looks like a cross between a shrink and an Armani model and regularly pops up when there’s a big decision that needs to be made. Your twin is also sitting in the back seat of the car while she’s talking, telling you if you don’t you’re a really bad person. After two years of silence, you feel you owe her some of your time and agree to investigate. Once you arrive at Nick’s wake his daughter confronts you and confides that there might be more to her father’s death than meets the eye.