Twin Mirror

The gameplay is occasionally wonky, some of the more elaborate storytelling devices don’t land, and Sam is (deliberately) unlikable. However, Twin Mirror has a powerful story and it puts you in direct control of where it leads. If you play your narrative adventures for the narrative, Twin Mirror has the plotline for you.

Twin Mirror is Dontnod's most mature and psychological game. His story and Sam's background are able to keep us until the end to know what the conclusion will be.

Ambitious and extremely intelligent in creating a playful and narrative system that is always coherent, Twin Mirror proved to be a fascinating title.

Twin Mirror is, so far, the sum of all Dontnod's strengths: it develops and extends major elements from Life is Strange, Remember Me and Vampyr, merging them altogether to deliver a fine thriller.

Dontnod Entertainment delivers a great adventure based on the same elements we loved in Life is Strange or Tell Me Why; a good story, full of complex characters and adult themes. The main addition to the formula, The mind palace, works great for mystery solving.

Twin Mirror won't win any awards for creativity or interesting narrative choices, but it's strong themes that tie the entire experience together make it well worth the price of admission.

DONTNOD’s self-publishing debut is a worthwhile experience. Twin Mirror is anchored by a fascinating, unraveling mystery and its complex relationships between characters. Though our protagonist feels a bit generic, his unique abilities add a solid spice to gameplay. DONTNOD continues to be an expert at crafting unique and engaging stories.

Twin Mirror is a fun, pulp detective story filled with interesting plot beats and characters, hampered only by the inclusion of strange mini-games and a really boring central character.

Twin Mirror tries to improve the formula that Dontnod has previously provided with success through works of the caliber of Life is Strange or Tell Me Why. The gameplay follows closely everything the developer has already done many times before, and it will undoubtedly convince fans of the genre, although its length and predictability do harm it overall.

Twin Mirror is an interesting twist It has fabulous ideas such as the metaphorical and visual representation of the character's mental problems, Without the episodic format ends up offering a very run-down story in which more restraint is needed to delve into the characters and their relationships.

Quotation forthcoming.

In all aspects it’s a run-of-the-mill adventure game, but there’s one thing to be said for it: it’s not a pamphlet. For once, Dontnod stopped talking about politics and focused on making a detective game. [Issue#251, p.58]

Twin Mirror is a good adventure, albeit with its flaws. Even without infusing its new IP with the same depth of character development shown in past works, DONTNOD still managed to create a well done self-contained story and enrich it with interesting additional mechanics. But despite all this, Twin Mirror’s story feels like it could have used a few more hours.

Twin Mirror is another interesting experiment by Dontnod, committed to transferring its concerns about human and social issues through the medium, which on this occasion it does not achieve with such mastery due to a somewhat rushed development, but still continues to be fun and stimulating.

Twin Mirror is a lot, and I mean a lot, of fun. If you're looking for a visually stimulating and, at select points, an intellectually invigorating game with the makings of a modern Agatha Christie novel, this is absolutely for you. It's for point-and-click lovers, mystery admirers, and those who just want an good gaming story that comes in at under 10 hours. Is it perfect? Not at all, but it's another quality release from DONTNOD which bodes well for future projects.

The building tension and well-written characters make this small town mystery captivating, but it bites off more than it can chew in its rushed depiction of a man struggling with his mental health.

Twin Mirror has interesting new mechanics, well-realized characters, and a good understanding of what makes exploration rewarding. It's just a shame that the pacing undercuts so much of what makes it work.

Twin Mirror is a good psychological thriller that knows how to tease player's curiosity. Too bad the project is not so ambitious, with underdeveloped gameplay mechanics and too many forced choices.

Relying on great narrative ideas, Twin Mirror turns out to be less compelling on the gameplay side, especially during the investigation sequences. The main plot is not very captivating as the real focus of the game is put on the moral dilemmas of Sam, with the Double and the Mind Palace, manifestations of its mental wanderings.

A dramatic, emotive and affecting interactive drama that shows Dontnod are still the masters of branching narrative and serious-minded storytelling.

Its brevity aside, Twin Mirror is an investigative thriller worth playing. A more grown-up story than Dontnod’s other narrative endeavours, it’ll keep you glued to your screen as you unravel its dark mysteries. Sam is an intriguing and complex protagonist, and the people he meets along the way are equally rich and realistic. It’s just hard to shake that feeling of disappointment, though, when it all gets wrapped up a bit too quickly.

As DONTNOD’s first self-published game, the effort that’s gone into Twin Mirror’s world building should be commended. Between the added gameplay elements introduced by The Double and Sam’s Mind Palace, not to mention the colourful cast of characters living in Basswood, Twin Mirror had my attention from the get-go, but its short length prevents it from delivering an emotional journey comparable with anything the studio has done before.

Twin Mirror is in many ways the natural evolution of the Dontnod narrative adventure. It combines the reconstruction aspect from their debut, Remember Me, with the cinematic and narrative focus of Life is Strange. It is a very polished game, but it left me wanting more in a few areas and I didn't feel like I was having a true impact on the story's outcome. It will definitely appeal to genre fans but it never quite develops its own clear identity. Ironically enough, it feels like a hazy reflection of what it could have been.

Twin Mirror is not Dontnod's most daring project. Even the most innovative gameplay elements deviate little from the beaten track or only partially succeed. As a shorter, more streamlined adventure with a grim atmosphere, it's also a great snack.

Twin Mirror is DONTNOD's most experimental work in a long time, though it also pales in comparison to previous outings.

Twin Mirror is a psychological thriller with a pleasant gameplay and excellent characters but which, unfortunately, suffers from a too hasty and superficial script.

Those who played Life Is Strange will surely feel similar vibes in Dontnod’s latest release. However, this game has even more sluggish pace and although I enjoyed reconstructing events in the mind palace, I was annoyed with the fact that I had to find every single piece of a puzzle even if the solution was already obvious. The story is decent, but some of its potential was wasted and the characters are not as well-written as in Dontnod’s previous games. [02/2021, p.32]

A Dontnod game without signature episodes and supernatural powers, but with an intriguing murder-mystery and tensions between all involved as protagonist Sam returns to his hometown to visit the funeral of his best friend - and his partner, Sam's ex-girlfriend. Dontnod introduces some interesting new concepts like the mind palace, but they are not fleshed out enough to be memorable.

Sadly Twin Mirror gives us the feeling that Dontnod has a shortage of ideas, as the game feels like another iteration on Life is Strange's concept. The narrative isn't special anymore, the few dialogue options are way too shallow, and the few puzzles can't make up for the lot. It's not a bad game overall, but it feels like the Xerox machine has done most of the work.

Dontnod needs to take a break and look at what made Life is Strange great. Twin Mirror is a game that feels empty, that merely tells a story that we’ve seen a thousand times.

Without being unpleasant to follow, the escapade in the psychological thriller of Twin Mirror does not manage to engage the player enough in its stakes to be completely unforgettable, even if the amateurs of the genre should still find what they are looking for.

Twin Mirror is a teaser for an exciting adventure that it never delivers. There are some good ideas here, like the interesting Mind Palace world and a helpful imaginary twin, but they needed to be expanded. Ultimately it has a short and bland story, with minimal interaction, limited player choice, and a lack of memorable characters.

Not everything about the game is great. There are boring parts, where you’ll wonder why you’re searching for that final clue. While the West Virginia setting is beautiful, the human animations aren’t perfect, and the action is pretty slow. Critics of “walking simulator” games should stay away, especially if all you want from a game is action. If you’re a fan of Dontnod games, however, this one is worth picking up.

Finishing Twin Mirror takes about 6 to 8 hours. With a completed save, you can go back to specific chapters to try new choices, but there are only a few moments that feel worth such experimentation. Even though cracking the case is pretty straightforward, the more traditional aspects of investigating Basswood and talking to the people that live there end up being more interesting than traits like Sam’s mind palace and alter-ego. There’s still enough to appreciate here, but it feels underdeveloped. Like two voices in one head, Twin Mirror has a tendency to get in its own way.

Just when you got invested in the beautiful world of Basswood and started to learn more about the great characters, the moment you feel like the very interesting story is about to take off, the game abruptly ends, rushing to tie up just a few of the many loose ends. The player is left staring at the screen, awaiting the last part of a game that will unfortunately never arrive, leaving a bittersweet taste in the mouth for something that could have been great, not simply good.

If you're looking for a psychological thriller to sink your teeth into, you could definitely do worse than Twin Mirror, but it's honestly only worth checking out if you're strapped for choices.

An annoying protagonist and a moralising undertone that prevents the player from making real decisions themselves undercut an otherwise thrilling story.

Twin Mirror is the rare game where I love the world, premise, and characters, but can't actually professionally recommend it. The foundation was laid, but a good story needs more than just the building blocks. In hindsight, following Life is Strange's episodic model might've worked wonders here, as it would've bought Dontnod extra development time along the way. All throughout Twin Mirror, people complain that Higgs abandoned Basswood and won't spend any time there. As it turns out, we need to spend more time in Basswood too.

Twin Mirror is something of a mixed bag. Dontnod has introduced some great concepts and strong visuals, and there's certainly potential within its characters and mechanics. However, it's let down by its lack of depth, a problem exacerbated by its compacted run time and occasionally awkward dialogue.

A lackluster detective story which has nothing to hook you with is not what I was expecting from Dontnod Entertainment.

Twin Mirror is the inferior Dontnod offering of 2020, and probably one of their most disappointing games yet. It is mediocre in every sense, failing to live up to the potential of its concept and the reputation of its developer.

Twin Mirror begins with an intriguing set-up but, disappointingly, ends up going nowhere.

As the final credits rolled on “Twin Mirror,” I was baffled, having witnessed five hours of an uneven, dull mystery that never finds its footing.

It was a valiant effort by Dontnod, but it missed the mark. Graphically beautiful but mechanically messy, Twin Mirror is a failed attempt at a psychological thriller. The worst disappointment, however, is that the game made me want to visit Basswood, which...doesn’t exist.

I wish I could give this a better rating than I did; Twin Mirror is definitely one of Dontnod’s weaker efforts that I can remember. It is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Twin Mirror fails to intrigue with its narrative even though it has the assets to present a compelling story. You won't miss anything if you skip this experience.

Twin Mirror is a frustratingly uneven adventure that left me with surprisingly little to reflect on.

While Twin Mirror is Dontnod’s worst game so far, it’s still a somewhat enjoyable experience, especially for fans of their work. It’s a game that feels like it needs a redo, because while it presents interesting concepts, it doesn’t flesh out any of them.

Twin Mirror is DONTNOD’s attempt to do something outside of their usual wheelhouse, but its poorly executed story, tedious investigation process and excruciatingly uninteresting main character prevent the game from meeting the standard of quality audiences have come to expect from the studio.