Tell Me Why for Xbox One review: A meaningful exploration of grief
Source: Xbox Game Studios
Dontnod Entertainment has found great success with its episodic narrative adventures, especially in the grade of Life is Foreign. That series set a high bar for what we've come to expect from Dontnod in terms of characters and stories, too as how the studio handles topics a lot of developers would shy away from, similar LGBT issues and mental health.
For the purposes of this review, I'll attempt to go along it as spoiler-free equally possible. Considering Tell Me Why is a narrative-focused game, you might encounter some pocket-sized plot and character spoilers.
At a glance
Tell Me Why
Bottom line: Tell Me Why respectfully deals with sensitive topics and tells a meaningful story almost grief and trauma. The functioning and dialogue tin can be janky at times, but that shouldn't deter you from this feel.
The Good
- Respectful of LGBT and indigenous peoples
- Likable and nuanced characters
- Meaningful conversations
The Bad
- Decisions don't feel impactful in the moment
- Cannot run
- Audio periodically cuts out
- Lip syncing issues
Disclaimer: This review was made possible by a review lawmaking provided by Microsoft. The company did non meet the contents of the review before publishing.
Tell Me Why What I like
Source: Xbox Game Studios
| Category | GameNameXXX |
|---|---|
| Title | Tell Me Why |
| Developer | Dontnod Entertainment |
| Publisher | Xbox Game Studios |
| Genre | Adventure |
| Xbox Version | Xbox One X |
| Game Size | 19.1GB |
| Play Time | ten hours |
| Players | Unmarried-player |
| Xbox Game Pass | Yes |
| Launch Cost | $30 |
Tell Me Why centers around the Ronan twins, Tyler and Alyson, with flashbacks to their childhood. At the offset of the game, we learn that Tyler has spent ten years in a youth correctional facility for killing his mother, who he believed was threatening his life as a kid because he is transgender. The story picks upwardly when Alyson and Tyler reconnect and get back to their home in Delos Crossing, Alaska to sell their old house. During this time we see them uncover what exactly happened the day the twins' female parent was killed and the events leading upwardly to it. Information technology's non at all what it appeared to be on the surface, and part of the fun, for lack of a amend word, is unraveling this mystery.
While the story is a bit short — it only spans three episodes — it felt complete by the finish, non stretched out besides long and not rushed. The shining star was undoubtedly Tyler and Alyson's relationship. It's articulate they care for each other and will go to nifty lengths to protect ane another, as evidenced by a decision Tyler makes early on that drastically changes the form of their lives. Despite spending ten years autonomously and suffering a strained relationship every bit a result, they mend these bonds over time.
An integral office of this relationship is something they phone call "our Voice." Essentially, it's a play on the twin telepathy belief and it allows them to communicate with one another in their thoughts, going and then far equally to share emotions. Going a step further, the twins tin can also conjure up memories that they may accept previously forgotten, allowing them to explore past events to smooth a new calorie-free on what had happened during their childhood. I like the mode that Dontnod used this to explore their grief. Sometimes Tyler and Alyson would remember vastly different accounts of a retentivity, and it makes you question just how much you can trust your own memories. Practise we call up what we desire to call back for our own comfort?
The shining star was undoubtedly Tyler and Alyson's relationship.
At the cease of the game, I was happy where Alyson and Tyler ended up. Their relationships with other characters, specially Alyson'south adoptive father Boil and the twins' friend Michael, were stronger than they've ever been. In my playthrough, they made peace with their tragic past and moved forward together.
Source: Xbox Game Studios
Because it takes identify in Alaska, several prominent characters are Tlingit, one of many Native Alaskan peoples. I can't recall a game as respectful to ethnic cultures as Tell Me Why other than Never Solitary, a 2022 platformer that was developed with Alaskan ethnic writers and groups. Truthfully, I can't recollect whatsoever games that include ethnic peoples at all, permit alone Alaskan Natives. They're a severely underrepresented group in well-nigh forms of media.
Tell Me Why was developed in partnership with GLAAD and the Huna Heritage Foundation, forth with proficient transgender, ethnic, and mental health consultants to ensure that the game'south themes and characters were portrayed with respect. Microsoft even created an email allonym for reviewers where nosotros could electronic mail those same experts to discuss the game. They didn't take to practise this, but I really appreciate that they did. At the very to the lowest degree, information technology shows a serious delivery towards their diversity efforts, fifty-fifty if there's still a long style to become.
Tell Me Why What I don't like
Source: Xbox Game Studios
If you've played Life is Foreign, yous know that Dontnod has somewhat of a penchant for awkward and stilted dialogue. That returns in Tell Me Why, but information technology's much less egregious. Sometimes you tin can't even hear the dialogue at all considering information technology volition cut out sporadically for a few seconds. Combined with some lip-syncing problems, you'll definitely desire to keep subtitles turned on. These problems are par for the course with a Dontnod game like this, just even so worth mentioning — and they could be fixed before the game releases in a patch.
Decisions in Tell Me Why too don't experience as impactful as they probably should. That's not to say your choices don't matter, but I never felt that my choices would take a drastic outcome on anything. This isn't true, in the end, because your choices do change certain scenarios and outcomes. I just don't feel like these were conveyed well in the moment. In games similar this, I'll normally stress over making a conclusion and wondering what might happen if I choose the "wrong" option. I never worried in Tell Me Why because I felt that I was making decisions truthful to myself and the characters, which were the "good" options. The consequences of a "wrong" choice seemed very low stake.
Tell Me Why Should yous buy it?
Source: Xbox Game Studios
Fans of Dontnod's previous piece of work on the Life is Strange serial should definitely check out Tell Me Why. I don't believe it reaches the aforementioned heights, but it certainly tells a story worth telling in regards to grief, trauma, and growing up queer. Dontnod's always found success in creating lovable characters, and it'due south no different here with Alyson and Tyler.
Your decisions don't always feel of import and the game struggles with some performance and audio problems, but this didn't ruin my time with it. I even so explored every nook and cranny, interacting with every object I could notice just to understand its world and characters a little bit more than.
Twin telepathy
Tell Me Why
A short and touching adventure
Tell Me Why respectfully deals with sensitive topics and tells a meaningful story about grief and trauma. The operation and dialogue can exist janky at times, but that shouldn't deter yous from this feel.
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