Dontnod's newest narrative mystery Twin Mirror releases today. Unfortunately, it could be because Dontnod's attention was split between two games that Twin Mirror doesn't feel like the game it was meant to be, according to the critics reviewing it.
Earlier this year, Dontnod released Tell Me Why, a progressive and heart-wrenching story of two twins uncovering the mysteries shrouding the history of their late mother. The game was generally well-received by critics and the gaming community, who accredited the title for its excellent representation—an asset that Dontnod is usually known for—of trans people and those struggling with mental illness. Twin Mirror, on the other hand, doesn't seem to follow in the same successful footsteps and unfortunately, rings a bit hollow, according to critics.
The player assumes the role of protagonist Sam, a former investigative reporter who is back in town to attend his best friend Nick's funeral. After waking up following a bar brawl, this leads to him finding out about and investigating Nick's murder. The goal of the game is to find evidence of the killing and connect the dots, which may seem like an entertaining chain of events, but it's the poor writing execution that gets in Twin Mirror's way of being a fun experience.
IGN (Tristan Ogilvie)
"...developer Dontnod’s latest adventure initially seems less like a whodunnit and more like a you done it. Unfortunately, that’s about as suspenseful things ever get. While there’s no shortage of intrigue at its outset, Twin Mirror’s lean running time leaves little room to flesh out all the characters in its small town setting or introduce any form of misdirection to its mystery, robbing the reveals in its closing chapters of any real weight or surprise as a result."
Score: 5/10
Eurogamer (Malindy Hetfeld)
"Dontnod never commits to giving Sam's behaviour a name, but it reads like an attempt to depict someone on the autistic spectrum. As a developer with a strong record of tackling mental and socio-political issues in their games, Dontnod does itself no favours with being noncommittal, but it also becomes painfully obvious that this was likely the better choice in Twin Mirror's case because to me it feels like no research went into the portrayal of a neurodivergent person."
Score: Unscored
Destructoid (Brett Makedonski)
"It feels like a game that was meant to be significantly larger, but production or budget constraints forced a truncated product. Even after the final showdown, I was convinced there had to be a third, more sinister act upcoming. The story had to unfold into even more drama, because all the conclusions had been reached too hastily to be a proper ending. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Twin Mirror is the rare game where I love the world, premise, and characters, but can't actually professionally recommend it."
Score: 6/10
PC Gamer (Rachel Watts)
"Twin Mirror feels like a string of scenes sewn together with thin narrative threads, and is ultimately a game that says nothing, lacking any sort of commitment to subjects that it coyly alludes to. For a studio whose voice is celebrated for being loud and clear about improving representation in games, Twin Mirror a misstep for Dontnod."
Score: 52/100
PCGamesN (Gina Lees)
"Even leaving aside questions of accuracy in depicting mental health, Twin Mirror doesn’t leave itself enough room to explore Sam’s mental state thoughtfully, depicting him as living with a number of mental health conditions and as a person for whom logic and social skills are not only mutually exclusive but also a choice. It’s nonsensical and insensitive, and borne of Twin Mirror trying to cover far too much turf in six short hours."
Score: 7/10
In terms of graphics and artistic design, however, Dontnod has come a long way. Between Tell Me Why's portrayal of the Alaskan mountains and now the visualization of Sam's Mind Palace, Dontnod has established itself as a visually stunning developer to support its relaxed gameplay style and tension-building storylines.
Screen Rant (Rob Gordon)
"One of the best elements of Twin Mirror is how visually striking it can be. The Mind Palace's abstract existence has been fully exploited by Dontnod through its polygonal structures and physics-defying moments. It flickers between Max Payne's dream sequences, the unnerving locations of fellow Remedy property Control, and even the bizarre dark pools of Under The Skin."
Score: 3/5
Based on these reviews, while the game doesn't seem all bad, the price of $29.99 can seem a bit hefty for a lackluster experience. Perhaps Twin Mirror could be a fun way to fill the time until bigger, delayed releases come out this month, but players shouldn't get their hopes up for a typical Dontnod emotional rollercoaster.
Twin Mirror is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
