DONTNOD, the developers behind the Life is Strange Series, known for their thought-provoking and intense storylines have announced their next PC and Xbox Exclusive game, Tell Me Why and it’s something you wouldn’t want to miss.
The developers have previously pushed the boundaries with real-life and relevant issues, and they’re not afraid to push social and political sub-plots.
Life is Strange showcased the issue of bullying twisted with a mystery-murder plot and Before the Storm had a strong undertone about same-sex relationships.
In Tell Me Why we get to see a pair of twins coming together after ten years, and one of them, Tyler Ronan, is transgender.
DONTNOD handles controversial issues with subtle integrity and uncertainty, and what they bring out with Tell Me Why is nothing we would want to miss. Here is everything we know so far about the upcoming title.
1. Release Date & Trailer
The first chapter of Tell Me Why, the new narrative game from DONTNOD Entertainment, will be released on August 27. Chapters 2 and 3 will be released on September 3 and September 10, 2020, respectively.
The news was announced by Microsoft during its July showcase, alongside several other game premieres and updates. A breathtaking announcement trailer was also released last year and it sets the stage for the storyline.
2. Story
Tell Me Why will be following twins Alyson and Tyler as they return to a small-town Alaska to find their childhood home to uncover their mysterious past and get closure.
The developers have worked with LGBT media advocacy agency GLAAD during every development step to ensure that the story has every ounce of authenticity to it.
The research has been so extensive that the developers have published a FAQ section regarding the twins on the official website. Beware, they are riddled with spoilers.
You’ll Play The ‘Intimate Thriller’ As Two Characters
Players will play as two twins, Alyson and Tyler Ronan, returning to their childhood home to rediscover their past. The two share a ‘supernatural bond,’ allowing them to interact with their memories.
Tyler, one of the twins, is transgender, and developers have researched with long-standing LGBT+ organizations such as GLAAD to make his background as realistic as possible.
Tell Me Why Will Have Three Episodes
DONTNOD has confirmed that the story will be divided into three episodes, as is the trend with their past games. There’s no official confirmation about the duration of each episode.
Still, the team has confirmed that they will be trying out new game mechanics to add more depth and dimension to the story and environment, allowing players to make more independent decisions.
3. Gameplay
DONTNOD Entertainment has confirmed that the story will be dependent on the choices the players make just like past games; these choices will change the storyline so players must be careful.
The developers intend to deliver a unique experience apart from other games, delivering an enticing story with strong characters.
I. Strong Narrative
Tell Me Why will be an expansion of Life is Strange’s successful formula of a simple yet solid storyline guided by player choices.
DONTNOD won’t change these fundamentals as they want you to be engaged in the storyline without complex gameplay mechanics.
“We create and tell stories at Dontnod; we don’t want to have super-complex gameplay because we don’t need to, We rely on classic adventure gameplay because we are trying to place players inside of our games. We invite players into the world and give them the time to dig in and connect with the story and characters.”
Florent Guillaume, Game Director
II. The Twins Will Work in Close Collaboration
As the twins, Alyson and Tyler return to Alaska, players will have to coordinate and make use of the twins’ special bond to uncover the past.
As they both have different recollections of what happened, players will have to decide what memories to believe in and which to discard, thus altering the game’s storyline.
III. Multiple Endings For The Twins
Since the game emphasizes on player’s choices, they will surely alter the outcomes throughout the game.
The developers have confirmed that the decision you take will alter “Tyler’s relationship with his twin sister Alyson, where his journeys take him after the events of the game.”
4. Gameplay Footage
Leading up to the release, the developers released three videos on Xbox Wire, exploring the game and following the siblings’ stories.
The first one follows the Alaskan setting of the game and how the team created the town of Delos Crossing.
Since the region is home to many multiple communities, the devs included the natives at every step of development, including Amelia Wilson, the executive director at Huna Heritage Foundation.
The next video shows the significance of the transgender protagonist, Tyler, who will be the first transgender lead from a major studio.
It’s rare to see meaningful representations of transgenders in popular culture as their voices are not often included during the creative creation process.
The last video describes how the players can shape the twins’ story as they finally meet each other. DONTNOD game director Florent Guillaume explains how she and her team set the scene to explore the twins’ childhood home.
4. Where to Buy
All three chapters of Tell Me Why Will are available to buy on Steam and Microsoft Store for 29.99$. Xbox Ultimate Game Pass owners will also get all the chapters included with their subscription.
5. Future Platform Releases and Minimum System Requirements
Currently, only Windows and Xbox users will be able to play the game on release day. Other platform players still have no information about their respective releases.
If any new news regarding the release of other platforms is announced, updates will start rolling out, so stay tuned.
The steam page has already been updated with the specifications required to play the game.
| Minimum Specifications | Recommended Specifications | |
| CPU | Intel core i3 4130 / AMD FX 4300 | AMD Ryzen 3 1300X / Intel Core i5 4750 |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| GPU | AMD Radeon R7 260X / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750Ti | AMD Radeon R9 290X / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 |
| STORAGE | 25 GB | 25 GB |
| OS | Windows 7 64 Bit (1903) or Higher | Windows 7 64 Bit (1903) or Higher |
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