For fans of Life Is Strange, this will feel very familiar. Your gameplay is characterised by choices, which will shape your interactions with the people around you. There's a fairly small cast of characters - maybe just over a dozen - but you get to know each of them quite well over the three episodes, and you can feel the impact that the story and these events are having on these people. But the chief interplay that you'll have is between the two main characters - twins. You play both of the twins at various points in the story, and each has a different feel. But some of the main decisions that you will have are around drawing the twins closer together, or driving them further apart.
In terms of the story - it's beautifully done. There's a constant undercurrent of duality, this double nature to things. Of course, part of that is because you have twins. But then you keep flipping between the events of now and the memories of their childhood; the truth and the lies; the real and the imagined. One of the things that's played with is how much we can trust memory - or not trust it, as the case may be.
We start off with Tyler and Alyson, each starting in different places, meeting each other again for the first time since they were kids. Tyler has been in juvenile detention for a long time, and eventually became a mentor for younger kids there. They're going back to the old house they used to live in when they were kids, brought up by a single mother, that's empty now - to try and fix it up and sell it.
But the house holds many memories - particularly from the time when they were separated, after the death of their mother, after she seemed to turn a gun on Tyler because he cut his hair short and was transitioning to male. Tyler was accused with killing her, even though they claimed it was in self-defense, there wasn't enough evidence - and now, it seems like things they thought were true are being called into question, shaken and stirred. And they need to find out what is real and true, and see what holds together at the other end.
As you can perhaps tell from the story points - there's a lot of very heavy material here. The game talks about death and violence, bullying and hate, prejudice, and so many family issues. It also dives into what being transgender looks like and means, and the struggles that involves - by putting you right in those shoes. The Life Is Strange games had a very similar line - first by putting you in the shoes of a teenage girl (potentially lesbian), then a Mexican boy (potentially gay), and now, a transgender man. You'll have to decide for yourself what you get out of that - but I continue to find games a powerful way to walk in somebody else's shoes for a while.
But, much as that's a key issue for the character of Tyler, that's not what this game is about. It's about family, and the dysfunction of that, and the mess of that, and the beauty of that. It's about the family that you're born with - but also the family that you choose. And both can be powerful in their own way.
And it's about truth, and secrets. And the pain that each can bring - as well as peace. Ultimately, though, only truth brings real release, as you will discover.
It's an incredible game, and along with Life Is Strange, one of the better story experiences I've played through. I particularly love the many little puzzles scattered throughout - especially in the last chapter. And the music plays beautifully into the themes here.
It is very intense, though, emotionally, and can be scary at times. So be aware of that before you play, and have some positive reinforcement ready if you need it.
But I recommend this game extremely highly. In terms of age - I think it should be fine for teens and above, but as always, you know your kids. Give it a try yourself first so that you know what they'll be working through, and so that you can discuss things with them as they come up. There's going to be plenty.
