![]() This focus on Tyler's past might have paid off if it weren't for its clumsy handling, the game's thriller plot seeming to demand that his life be full of twists and turns that only serve to undermine the trauma of abusive parents that is very real for all too many. The rare moments when we get a glimpse of her life outside of her past and her relationship with her brother bring her and the game to life, in spite of its rote puzzles and choices. But that just makes Alyson's lack of attention feel glaring, which is a shame. The rest of the cast fare worse, though in some ways that can be forgiven-the focus is squarely on the twins. The same can't be said of Alyson who largely exists to oppose Tyler's exploration into his past. While there are missteps, they're at least well meaning, and the game goes to great lengths to respect Tyler's identity like few games of this scope ever have-even if it de-fangs some of the realities you might expect him to be dealing with. To its credit Tyler gets to be more than a one note character, with his aspirations and anxieties sprinkled throughout. The game's gentle coming of age story is equally undone by the hard yank back into its darker overarching story, with its disturbing and occasionally absurd twists. Its thriller storyline is undone by the desire to be kind and respectful to its characters, never facing them with a serious or troubling threat. Both these sides of Tell Me Why's story undermine each other. I frequently found myself needing to take a minute just to get on board with the sudden unexpected shifts, like the opening with its heart-warming montage set to indie music that comes right after watching a kid confessing to murder. The whiplash felt as the game swerves between these two tones borders on lethal. Because Tell Me Why also wants to tell a dark and mysterious story about the twins' past, with a dangerous hooded figure chasing them and covering up a conspiracy all while the threat of the supernatural looms over everything. The occasional attempt at youth speak is painfully "how do you do fellow kids". Especially in the middle, there are long segments of low stakes drama-like the twins cleaning up their old house or reconciling their grievances with a father figure-that engrossed me. ![]() I wanted to live in the small town drama, explore Tyler's navigation of a more conservative part of the world and the siblings trying to rekindle their relationship after so long apart. It's just a shame that it feels largely irrelevant to the story being told. Its depiction of rural Alaska is gorgeous and supremely detailed, Dontnod really have an eye for lived in spaces as well as those big vistas. ![]() If Tell Me Why was just that, it might well have been among my favourite games this year. Up front it's also a story about Tyler's identity as a trans man, his struggles with that identity in his past as well as dealing with prejudices in his present. Now they're revisiting the family home and all manner of painful memories are coming to the forefront. Twins Tyler and Alyson are reunited for the first time in ten years since the death of their mother, who we're told Tyler killed in self defence. "Our intention in making Tell Me Why free for June 2021 is both to allow even more people to access the game and to encourage our players to spend their money in places that will directly affect trans and queer communities.What's worth salvaging are some scattered bits and pieces, and a sizeable, engaging second chapter. "We've received heartfelt messages from players all over the world about how Tyler's homecoming as a trans man and Alyson's struggle with trauma have impacted them, encouraged them, or made them feel a little less alone, especially amid the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and pervasive transphobic rhetoric in places like the United States and the United Kingdom," Dontnod say. Tell Me Why is about two twins, one of them a trans man, who use their magic powers to explore conflicting memories of their childhood in small-town Alaska. ![]() Instead of paying for their game, Dontnod suggest, you might instead support queer and trans people with your money or effort. If you enjoy their games like Life Is Strange, their latest story 'em up is a good'un. To mark Pride Month, Dontnod have made the full three chapters of Tell Me Why free for keepsies for the whole month.
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