Twin Mirror

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Critics Recommend

Average Score

Total Reviews: 61

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Twin Mirror has strong environments and solid character work, but it is frustratingly uneven and ends up going nowhere.

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Critics Recommend

Critic Reviews: 61

Critics Consensus

# Reviews: 61

Twin Mirror has strong environments and solid character work, but it is frustratingly uneven and ends up going nowhere.

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Critic Reviews for Twin Mirror

Reviews

High Score - 85/100

Low Score - 40/100

GameCentral (Metro GameCentral)

7/10

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

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Eurogamer (Malindy Hetfeld)

Not Recommended

“Awkward, riddled with plot holes and unintentionally offensive, this is Dontnod’s worst offering to date.”

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Tristan Ogilvie (IGN)

5/10

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

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Read the Reviews (61 total)

Outlet	Author	Score	Date	Quote	Read
3DNews	Михаил Пономарев	4 / 10	12-12-2020	Poorly written and dreary directed Twin Mirror doesn't worth a second of your time.	Read review
BaziCenter	Kasra Karimi Tar	5.5 / 10	12-29-2020	Twin Mirror is a disappointing title, with a mediocre story and uninspiring characters, and some gameplay features aside, there isn't much to talk about there either. It's not necessarily a bad game but it's far below the standards set by Dontnod in their previous titles such as Life is Strange and Vampyr.	Read review
Checkpoint Gaming	Sam Harkin	6 / 10	12-09-2020	Whilst not a true tragedy, Twin Mirror didn’t live up to expectations in my book. The visual and auditory style of DONTNOD is fantastic, and the way it ties into the gameplay is nice. However, it doesn’t stack up to its peers both inside and outside the developer’s library. The magical realism is a bit confusing and lacking in context and the eleventh hour save doesn’t pull it above criticism. A mystery existed but there just wasn’t enough meat on that bone. I can see this game aging well for me, as I remember only the nice parts and filter out the bad stuff. But as it stands, as I write this review, there is just too much of a gap between me and unqualified praise to be able to give it a proper stamp of approval.	Read review
COGconnected	Jaz Sagoo	68 / 100	12-07-2020	DONTNOD Entertainment’s decision to depart from their usual episodic format and release Twin Mirror as a full experience without interruption is a welcome change. However, the short length means that characters and plot points are not fully developed therefore hindering the emotional connection the gamers tend to have with the company’s deep and usually complex personalities. Although not as strong as some of DONTNOD’s previous efforts, Twin Mirror is still a solid Interactive Drama which includes some interesting mechanics. The introduction of the Mind Palace is great but is unfortunately underutilized. However, even with pacing issues, the intriguing story and characters will keep you hooked.	Read review
Darkstation	Unknown	2.5 / 5 stars	01-11-2021	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.	Read review
DASHGAMER.com	Dan Rizzo	7 / 10	12-07-2020	Whether or not you take away a positive or negative experience may totally be up to you, for I found it to be different. Not bad, not great… Just good. But certainly an uncommon blend of DONTNOD’s previous workings.	Read review
Destructoid	Brett Makedonski	6 / 10	12-01-2020	Alas, it wasn't meant to be. 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.	Read review
DualShockers	Mario Rivera	5.5 / 10	12-12-2020	Twin Mirror is a beautiful-looking game but doesn't have the same narrative punch that made previous games from Dontnod so memorable.	Read review
Easy Allies	Daniel Bloodworth	3 / 5 stars	12-11-2020	Dontnod's latest narrative adventure still has some relatable characters and a strong setting, but the things that are meant to set it apart tend to just get in the way.	Read review
Eurogamer	Malindy Hetfeld	Not Recommended	12-01-2020	Awkward, riddled with plot holes and unintentionally offensive, this is Dontnod's worst offering to date.	Read review
Everyeye.it	Stefano Calzati	8 / 10	12-01-2020	Ambitious and extremely intelligent in creating a playful and narrative system that is always consistent, Twin Mirror has proved to be a fascinating title. A psychological thriller capable of telling the dark side of the American province by talking first of all about people, and what drives them to act in certain ways.	Read review
Gameblog	Filipe Da Silva Barbosa	7 / 10	12-01-2020	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.	Read review
GameCrate	Angelo D'Argenio	5.5 / 10	12-07-2020	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.	Read review
GameMAG	Unknown	7 / 10	12-05-2020	If you can live with a weak protagonist, some questionable design decisions and pixel hunting segments, then expect Twin Mirror to be a rather good detective game. What we can say is that spending time with Twin Miror is much more interesting than with Life is Strange 2, that suffred greatly from snail-like pacing.	Read review
Gamerheadquarters	Jason Stettner	6.2 / 10	12-08-2020	Twin Mirror is an interesting experiment, I like the idea of a shorter narrative driven adventure but found this largely forgettable.	Read review
GameSpace	Lily Bass	5 / 10	01-08-2021	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.	Read review
GameSpew	Kim Snaith	7 / 10	12-01-2020	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.	Read review
GameSpot	Andrew King	7 / 10	12-01-2020	Twin Mirror's solid character work and strong environments are shortchanged by pacing problems that undermine much of what it does well.	Read review
GamingBolt	John Cantees	7 / 10	12-07-2020	Twin Mirror's inconsistent presentation and short length contaminate its otherwise excellent story-telling and solid detective gameplay to a degree, but thankfully, it still manages to land on its feet as a respectable narrative-focused adventure.	Read review
GamingTrend	David Flynn	45 / 100	12-03-2020	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.	Read review
Generación Xbox	Juan Lorente	7 / 10	12-12-2020	Twin Mirror is a game with a very strong narrative component, so much so that it eclipses any mechanics or section of the game.	Read review
GotGame	Abdul Saad	7 / 10	12-10-2020	It’s really a pity, as I believe if Twin Mirror had a lot more development time and a bigger budget to refine and flesh out its story, it would have been a great narrative murder mystery to rival Life is Strange. This isn’t to say I hated my time with the game. I still enjoyed the world, characters, and especially its overall central premise, which I found to be less grandiose and more grounded. Unfortunately, the short length, rushed plot, and presentation issues bring it down a bit.	Read review
Guardian	Stacey Henley	4 / 5 stars	12-03-2020	Investigative reporter Sam Higgs goes back to his home town and becomes entangled in a dark mystery he must solve	Read review
Hardcore Gamer	Jordan Helm	2.5 / 5 stars	12-22-2020	Without a key mechanic to keep gameplay fresh, or even a story that's both fleshed out and well-structured, Twin Mirror fails to find any kind of hook beyond the fleeting intrigue in how it all ends.	Read review
Hey Poor Player	Christian Angeles	4 / 5 stars	12-07-2020	It might not be as groundbreaking as some of DONTNOD Entertainment’s other games, but Twin Mirror really holds up as a replayable adventure. Its Mind Palace mechanics are a lot of fun and each ending was a delightful revelation that made me question my own sense of truth. Overall, the game is an excellent addition to this company’s library of high-quality narrative-driven games. My only complaint is that it’s a tad steep in price for its length, so I’d probably wait for a sale.	Read review
Hobby Consolas	David Martinez	80 / 100	12-01-2020	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.	Read review
IGN	Tristan Ogilvie	5 / 10	12-01-2020	Twin Mirror is a frustratingly uneven adventure that left me with surprisingly little to reflect on.	Read review
IGN Spain	Álex Pareja	7.5 / 10	12-01-2020	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.	Read review
Jump Dash Roll	Jon Peltz	4 / 10	12-11-2020	Twin Mirror is a shallow, dour few hours of adventure, with only a few moments that would make it worth a curious gamer's time. Every time you find yourself trying to fall under its narrative spell, one problem or another causes the whole illusion to shatter.	Read review
Merlin'in Kazanı	Alparslan Gürlek	70 / 100	12-04-2020	Dontnod knows how to tell stories to the people. Especially blurred and complicated ones. Twin Mirror is a good experience with all of its.	Read review
Metro GameCentral	Unknown	7 / 10	12-01-2020	A dramatic, emotive and affecting interactive drama that shows Dontnod are still the masters of branching narrative and serious-minded storytelling.	Read review
MonsterVine	Nick Mangiaracina	2.5 / 5 stars	12-20-2020	Even though Twin Mirror is listed as a thriller, there’s nothing really thrilling about it.	Read review
New Game Network	Ben Thomas	61 / 100	12-01-2020	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.	Read review
NoesPaisparaFrikis	Daniel Garrido	7.5 / 10	12-16-2020	Dontnod proves he's in top form, which is fantastic news for a studio that has the talent to become one of the biggest in Europe. Twin Mirror is a remarkable game in all its sections, where perhaps its short duration or some slightly conservative playable mechanics are the small, tiny flaws that this work has. If you liked the previous work of the studio, especially Life Is Strange, buy it, you will not be disappointed.	Read review
Paste Magazine	Holly Green	4 / 10	12-16-2020	Between the lack of marketing leading up to its release, its poor pacing, and the thin writing and investigation mechanics, Twin Mirror smacks of a game that just wasn't given enough time. With some polish on the game's earlier moments and more thoughtful dialogue, it could have stood a real chance. Unfortunately, between the stilted narrative development, cheerless puzzles, and wooden, small-town cliches, there's less here than whatever remains of Sam's journalistic career.	Read review
PC Gamer	Rachel Watts	52 / 100	12-01-2020	Twin Mirror begins with an intriguing set-up but, disappointingly, ends up going nowhere.	Read review
PC Invasion	Andrew Farrell	8 / 10	12-01-2020	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.	Read review
PCGamesN	Gina Lees	7 / 10	12-01-2020	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	Read review
PlayStation Universe	Joe Apsey	7 / 10	12-04-2020	Twin Mirror has one of Dontnod's most engrossing stories with a conclusion that reflects the moral ambiguity of living in a small community. However, this narrative and its characters are hurt by a frustrating Mind Palace gameplay mechanic that isn't utilised to its full potential until the end of the game. Twin Mirror has its strengths but the game staring back at you through the reflection of the screen isn't always reaching its full potential.	Read review
Press Start	James Mitchell	5.5 / 10	12-10-2020	Twin Mirror has an intriguing premise but ultimately fails to do anything remarkable with it. While it's DONTNOD's most impressive game technically, Twin Mirror is a by-the-book thriller that only just manages to scrape through to solve its core mystery that's unfortunately lacking thrills.	Read review
pressakey.com	Kevin Henschen	Recommended	02-10-2021	Twin Mirror tells a solid story that lacks surprises and is unfortunately far too predictable.	Read review
Push Square	Liam Croft	4 / 10	12-03-2020	The game plays out like your typical DONTNOD experience with environments to rummage through and a handful of dialogue choices to make — affecting the narrative and ending in the process — with a somewhat interesting use case for the Mind Palace. Sam enters a sort of alternate reality where he can piece together crime scenes to gain a better understanding. It’s neat, but nothing you haven’t seen before in past Sherlock Holmes titles. And while one more twist provides the protagonist with a physical manifestation of his sub-conscience, it’s more annoying than helpful. The same can be said of most characters in Twin Mirror, actually.	Read review
Rapid Reviews UK	Squashpickle	2.5 / 5 stars	01-05-2021	Developer DONTNOD has an impressive history of creating story-rich adventures that feature a protagonist with unique abilities. In Twin Mirror, our hero is Sam Higgs; a journalist with powers of the mind. Does DONTNOD’s latest game present an intriguing mystery or is this one best left unsolved? Find out in this Rapid Review.	Read review
Saudi Gamer	عصام الشهوان	7 / 10	12-02-2020	A polished mix of different genres, with an interesting story that loses steam. Still, a unique, though short, experience.	Read review
Screen Rant	Rob Gordon	3 / 5 stars	12-01-2020	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. Fans of narrative adventures will still want to give this one a shot as reception to its story will certainly vary, but it's best avoided by those who already have reservations about this style of game.	Read review
Shacknews	Donovan Erskine	8 / 10	12-01-2020	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.	Read review
SpazioGames	Unknown	7 / 10	12-01-2020	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.	Read review
Stevivor	Steve Wright	7 / 10	12-02-2020	If I’m being honest, Twin Mirror is DONTNOD‘s most experimental work in a long time, though it also pales in comparison to previous outings. That’s not to say it isn’t good, it’s not just great. With such a high bar to hit, coming off truly impactful games, Twin Mirror just doesn’t quite manage to hit the same calibre (The Adventures of Captain Spirit FTW). I’m also disappointed that — based on previews and promos — I believed it had a Twin Peaks vibe didn’t follow through to the full release, but I’ll largely take responsibility for that one. Those who enjoy DONTNOD‘s work will certainly enjoy this, but those getting into the genre for the first time should consider this game’s predecessors before it.	Read review
TechRaptor	Nirav Gandhi	8.5 / 10	12-01-2020	Twin Mirror's concise narrative and innovative detective gameplay is heartfelt and earnest, though the small-scale, personal story is left open-ended.	Read review
The Digital Fix	Abbi Ruggles	4 / 10	12-09-2020	A narrative game that doesn't have enough time to tell the story it's trying to tell, leaving characters and plot lines feeling unfinished. Whilst it has a lot of interesting ideas and some nice mechanics, none of them feel fully realised. Twin Mirror is bursting with potential, which is why it feels so disappointing.	Read review
The Games Machine	Erica Mura	7 / 10	12-03-2020	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.	Read review
TheSixthAxis	Steve C	7 / 10	12-01-2020	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.	Read review
TrueGaming	خالد العيسى	5 / 10	12-07-2020	Twin Mirror has the assets of an intriguing story, but it fails to capitalize on it. The result is lackluster and doesn't present any real value to replayability.	Read review
TrustedReviews	Thomas Deehan	3.5 / 5 stars	12-01-2020	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.	Read review
Unboxholics	Λεωνίδας Στραβάκος	Not Recommended	12-05-2020	The Twin Mirror is unfortunately Dontnod's worst and most frustrating piece of work. Inanimate characters, a script full of plot holes, meaningless choices, boring, slow and monotonous gameplay that directs the player where he	Read review
VGChartz	Lee Mehr	4.5 / 10	01-05-2021	Whether in respect of gameplay or storytelling, the longer Twin Mirror peers at the glass the easier it is to see a pale reflection of DONTNOD’s previous work.	Read review
Video Chums	Mary Billington	5.2 / 10	12-06-2020	Twin Mirror is a passable mystery adventure with a varied cast and the occasional satisfying use of deductive reasoning but its story and protagonist leave a lot to be desired and on top of that, it's far too short.	Read review
Wccftech	Rosh Kelly	7.8 / 10	12-02-2020	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.	Read review
We Got This Covered	Eric Hall	2 / 5 stars	12-18-2020	There's some small-town charm to be found in Twin Mirror, but an undercooked mystery and lack of interesting characters make the trip to Basswood a rather boring one.	Read review
WellPlayed	Zach Jackson	8.5 / 10	12-02-2020	Twin Mirror is another compelling DONTNOD experience that is backed by some of its finest gameplay yet	Read review
Windows Central	Carli Velocci	2 / 5 stars	12-01-2020	Twin Mirror has some great ideas, including a visually and narratively appealing Mind Palace system, but the weakness of its main character and its "tell don't show" method of storytelling drag the whole endeavor down.	Read review

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Game Info

Game Description / Storyline:

Twin Mirror is a psychological thriller wrapped around an investigation where your memories, choices, and relationships will determine Sam’s complicated fate. As he comes to terms with heartbreak, homecoming, and the perpetual struggle of adulthood, Sam will need your help exploring a dark and emotional adventure where the line between truth and deception is blurred.

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