Tell Me Why: Chapter 1

 PC
Metascore
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No score yet - based on 2 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. LevelUp
    Aug 29, 2020
    73
    DontNot Entertainment presents a brotherhood story that, although entertaining, is rather simple. Tell My Why tackles Alyson and Taylor Ranon's journey in search of answers of their childhood filled with tears and tragedy. A recommended game to pass the time without complications on a boring afternoon but after finishing it, it will be forgotten.
  2. KeenGamer
    Aug 31, 2020
    70
    There’s no point in finding answers to the question in the title; think of it just as a new beginning of a captivating story. I enjoyed meeting Tyler and Alyson - you don’t meet such vivid characters everyday, but was disappointed by the central intrigue of the game. However, the game merits the attention for setting a new trademark for transgender representation in the video games industry and hopefully it will gain momentum in the future. Tyler and Alyson's journey will not leave you indifferent, and regardless of some issues with the storytelling itself, DONTNOD did a good job and I cannot wait to see other episodes. Life is Strange fans have to get over the past, since the studio’s previous work is nothing compared to Tell Me Why. And it’s totally okay.
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  1. PC Gamer
    Aug 27, 2020
    There's two chapters left to turn things around but Tell Me Why is going to have to pull out all the stops to make up for a bungled first act.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 12 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 12
  3. Negative: 2 out of 12
  1. thenthomwaslike
    Oct 28, 2020
    5
    Boring and poorly written. Starting with a filler episode isn't a good sign
  2. GRlANNE
    Sep 5, 2020
    6
    The art and the story are nice and interesting.
    The mechanics are simple. Chapter 1 is too short imho.
    Looking forward to the rest of the story.
  3. TheGameCrater
    Sep 2, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Tell Me Why is an immersive, compelling narrative that will have you itching for more. By the creators of Life is Strange, Dontnod Entertainment, Tell me why is a decision-based adventure game released on Xbox and PC.

    Prior to release, Tell Me Why has been the talk of the town due to its main character being transgender. People were slamming the game for using this as a ploy for attention or to appeal to the masses. However, they have written the story perfectly to support this.

    Tell Me Why game follows the main protagonist Tyler Ronan, a transgender man working through the trauma of his past. The initial chapter progresses slowly but does a great job of building the world we find ourselves in. Tyler and his sister Alyson are twins and have a special bond that allows them to talk to each other in their minds and re-experience memories.

    The twins’ ability to experience each other’s memory was an impressive addition to the game. This is a unique power that can only be compared to Cyberpunk 2077’s Braindance. In one instance, you are given 2 different versions of the same memory and must make a decision on which one you choose to remember. More often than not, narrative-driven games will show flashbacks and make decisions based on the flashback rather than change history. Being able to make choices regarding the back story of a character is a distinctive feature that isn’t used too frequently.

    This game showcases a powerful message regarding sexual orientation. You are put in the shoes of Tyler to understand the comments and judgement he/she receives on a daily basis. Tell Me Why tackles a lot of tough issues with its decisions.

    The decisions you make are recorded and after finishing the first chapter you are reminded of what you chose. Except for this time, you can see the percentage of people who chose each decision. During the story, an older character, Sam, makes a comment towards Tyler “I just never thought they could make a woman look like a man”. Following this, you’re presented with a choice on whether you want to call Sam out on the comment. In the grand scheme of things, the response was reasonable and not confrontational. But I was shocked to see at the end of the chapter that only 52% of people decided to confront him. The concept of seeing choice percentage is unique and always interesting to see if you’re apart of the majority.

    Throughout Tell Me Why there are interactive items such as newspaper articles, notebooks, flyers and many other sources of information that help you understand the world you are in. My family grew up in a small town and all of this makes the game feel homely.

    From the Tell Me Why trailers, the narrative is seemed based around a young girl who knew she wanted to be a boy. The mother then appears with a shotgun and you are left to fill in the blanks. This is all turned on its head during chapter one as you notice a book called ‘Raising your Transgender Child’. This throws Tyler and the player for a complete loop.

    Even though this is only the first chapter, it feels a little too short. This initial chapter seems to dwell a lot on building the world around you, rather than giving you a lot of risky decisions. At times it feels like you go through the story on autopilot while not making any choices.

    The end of the game gives you a taste of what’s to come and reveal what happened the night Tyler’s mom chased him with the shotgun. Ultimately there were a few shocks to the system but not as much as I expected.

    Tell Me Why Chapter One is an eye-opening narrative that plays out like a movie. It tells an intriguing story but the decisions you make don’t feel detrimental to the storyline. Despite the first chapter being a little too short, I am excited to see where Tell Me Why goes in chapter 2.    … Full Review »
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