DONTNOD Entertainment is back in 2020 with a new episodic game, similar to their Life Is Strange series. Told in three episodes, Tell Me Why shows the story of Tyler and Alyson Ronan, twins whose lives were turned upside down at the age of 11 when their mother was murdered by one of them. The game is broken into chapters, each of which tells part of the story. We are introduced to the twins in their respective locations as they pack for their trip back home.
We learn that Tyler is transgender and that this was part of the reason for what happened that night – or that’s what the twins believe at first. The night of the murder, Tyler went to show his mother his new haircut. She reacted poorly, chasing him to the docks of their home with a shotgun and threatening to kill him. Alyson overheard the commotion and grabbed a pair of scissors, running out and stabbing their mother, Mary-Ann, in the back and killing her.
It turns out that when the kids were taken to the station on the night of the incident. Tyler took the blame for Alyson, resulting in him being sent to Firewood, a center for troubled children. Alyson was raised by Eddy Brown, the chief of police and a family friend. Tyler, we learn, has gone on to graduate from Firewood as well as college, and has become a mentor at the center. After 10 years, seven of them with no contact with his sister, he’s finally heading back to his hometown to help Alyson sell their old house.
Alyson, on the other hand, has stayed in their hometown her entire life. She never left and grew up there despite what happened. She misses her brother but is excited to take off and move to Juneau with her friend, Michael. Unlike Tyler, she didn’t go through therapy and dealt with the trauma herself or with the help of friends and those she considered family.
The two finally reunite. Although they’re happy to see each other, things are a bit tense. Tyler isn’t really keen on going back there, especially not after what happened all those years ago. It’s implied that Mary-Ann abused them, as they often comment on her moods towards them. She also referred to them as her Goblins. Mary-Ann and the twins had a storybook land they created, including stories they made up. The twins would often play make-believe as Goblins and make up new parts of their fantasy land.
As the game progresses, we learn more about what happened the night that Mary-Ann died and about the twins’ lives in general. It turns out that Mary-Ann was ill in some way. It seems like Alyson is also starting to struggle with the same issues. The more secrets that are revealed, the more it becomes obvious that things are not what they seemed.
The game is beautiful. On an Xbox Series X, it truly looks like a next-gen game, even though the game was released before the new consoles came out. DONTNOD’s art style is unique, and it shows in this game as well. Fans of the ‘Life is Strange’ series will appreciate the familiarity in gameplay, graphics, and overall feel of the game. The camera angles of the game can be a little difficult, and sometimes walking in the game is hard if you don’t know which direction is which on the directional pad, or if the camera angle suddenly changes.
The game is not an action game. While some sequences do require you to hit certain buttons, it’s not fast-paced. The game is more of an adventure/mystery storytelling game than anything else. That being said, I really enjoyed the game. I’m one to usually go for a good storyline in addition to any type of fighting/surviving that I have to do. For me, a fully story-based game where I could relax and didn’t need to worry about anyone dying was perfect.
Tell Me Why is available on Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S!
Jeri Hensley
Creative Director