A Charming, if Bittersweet, Adventure in Nowhere, USA

Don't Nod Studio is a name you might recognize from gamers - they're the developers behind Life is Strange, its sequels and prequels, the vampire action game Vampyr, the RPG Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, and a few other titles. Twin Mirror is essentially a spiritual successor to Life is Strange, blending interactive cinema with adventure game elements and a dash of detective work and psychological thriller vibes.

SUBJECTI recently found myself back in my hometown of Basswood, a place I hadn't set foot in for two years. The reason for my return was a somber one - the funeral of my best friend, Nick. We hadn't been close in the years leading up to his passing, but I felt compelled to come back and pay my respects.

The locals weren't exactly thrilled to see me, though. You see, I'd written an exposé about the shady dealings at the local mines, which ultimately led to their closure. The townsfolk blamed me for their loss of income and the decline of the town. To make matters worse, I'd never been the most outgoing guy, so my social circle was pretty limited. Nick, his daughter Jo, and my ex-girlfriend Anna were basically the only people I'd consider friends.

As I stood outside the bar, lost in thought and memories of the good old days, I found myself running late for the funeral. I arrived just in time for the wake, where I quickly got a taste of the town's opinion of me. I had a few too many drinks, and the next morning, I woke up in my hotel room with a pounding headache, a memory gap, and a bloody shirt in the bathtub. To make things even more surreal, I'd run into Jo the night before, and she'd seemed convinced that something wasn't quite right about Nick's death. The official story was that he'd died in a car accident, but Jo seemed to think there was more to it.

My visit to Basswood ended up being a lot longer than I'd anticipated.

CHARACTERSLet's start with the protagonist, Sam.

I've found that Sam struggles to maintain relationships, fights for justice, and can come across as a bit too straightforward at times. But what's really interesting is that he's got this imaginary friend in his head who represents his more positive qualities and helps him deal with loneliness and self-doubt - a trait that's been with him since childhood, when he couldn't find real friends to turn to. Sam's a logic guy, always looking for explanations and explanations, and he's super observant with a vivid imagination. We'll need to dive into his thoughts a few times during the game, reliving memories or analyzing events. It's a bit like being a mini-Sherlock.

In his flashbacks, Sam comes across as more alive and carefree. It's like he's given up on people and resigned himself to never finding happiness. Sometimes, Sam gets a bit unhinged due to external events, and his mind starts to malfunction, making the game a bit of a psychological thriller.

The other characters that stand out to me are Anna and Joan. Anna's Sam's ex-girlfriend, who's recently started dating Nick.

It's clear that she's still hurting from Nick's death, and she struggles to keep her emotions in check, especially when Sam's around - their relationship is still pretty raw for her.

But she's happy to see him and will definitely help him out with the investigation.

Joan's a teenager, and her life is pretty tough - her dad's passed away, she's got her own set of problems, and she's stuck in a small town with no clear future. She's desperate to cling to Sam, thinking he'll be different from the other adults. They used to be super close, basically best friends, and she's got her own set of issues that mirror Sam's from his childhood.

I have to say, Joan's character really drew me in and got me invested in the story. She's the one who initially gets Sam involved in the investigation. As for Nick, he's portrayed as this super positive and friendly guy. He and Joan's mom, Katty, were divorced a while back, but they still had a really close relationship.

He's also a journalist, and he's got this huge passion for the truth and justice. Katty, on the other hand, is just exhausted from life and dealing with her teenage daughter's drama. She's not exactly thrilled to see Sam show up, especially since he hurt Joan pretty badly by leaving without warning.

And then there's the local sheriff, who's just as quirky as the rest of the cast.

And let's not forget the weird woman who always says what she thinks, no matter how crazy it sounds.

GAMEPLAY

Twin Mirror is basically an adventure game with a third-person perspective and a built-in choice system. You spend most of your time as Sam, just walking around and talking to the locals. There's no annoying QTE or high-stakes moments that'll keep you on the edge of your seat. Sam's got a journal where he keeps track of the people he meets, their emotions, and the choices he makes throughout the game.

One of the four possible endings is actually determined by just two key choices you make at the very end. Occasionally, you'll have to solve some puzzles. They're not super hard, and the solution is usually right in front of you – you just need to keep an eye out for it.

When you're in Sam's imagination, aka his mind, you've got to piece together what happened, kinda like in those Sherlock Holmes games.

And, yeah, there's even Pac-Man to play.

ATMOSPHERE AND VISUALS

Twin Mirror's got this incredible, thick, cozy, magical atmosphere that sucks you in from the very first frames.

It's like a quiet American backwoods town where everyone knows each other's secrets (or maybe not so much).It looks amazing, whether it's the forest landscapes

or the quiet city streets

or even the bar at night, it's all super atmospheric.

And it's all topped off with an incredible soundtrack.SHORTCOMINGS

Unfortunately, the game is super short. I get that it's not supposed to be a 20-hour story with extra quests, but my playthrough took around 7.5 hours, including breaks, so that's more like 6-6.5 hours. Even with the current Steam sale, it's not worth the full price for such a short experience.

The story kinda falls apart towards the end. I was expecting more psychological elements, not just a straightforward detective story, but the ending still tries to surprise you. I'm not saying I didn't see it coming, but the initial intrigue was way more engaging than the actual conclusion.

CONCLUSION

With the discount, this game is totally worth playing if you're into laid-back adventures with a sweet visual style. It's the perfect way to unwind after work - I mean, I finished it in just two evenings, and that was exactly what I needed.