Telling Lies

 Switch
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 20
  3. Negative: 7 out of 20

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  1. deanparkr
    Sep 9, 2020
    0
    Not a game. Pointless. No instructions and nothing like the store description.
  2. kylog
    Jun 15, 2020
    3
    I am a fan of interactive fiction, so I was curious to try this out. I really liked the initial premise that you are an investigator who has found a database of video clips to search through to develop the storyline. This allows for a very user-driven story exposition, which is super cool. In theory. But sadly, I put it down after an hour or so, for two reasons.

    First, the mechanics of    I am a fan of interactive fiction, so I was curious to try this out. I really liked the initial premise that you are an investigator who has found a database of video clips to search through to develop the storyline. This allows for a very user-driven story exposition, which is super cool. In theory. But sadly, I put it down after an hour or so, for two reasons.

    First, the mechanics of having (mostly) one side of a video call and then needing to try and guess to find the matching other side ... is just super awkward. It also means sitting through long spells of just watching someone's expression. I got bored. They should have either had the calls two-sided, or at least had a way to pair the two sides of a conversation.

    Second, the premise of the story is some snarky dude in romantic/sexual relations with three attractive women at once, and it just feels like a joke out of a Silicon Valley episode. This felt like some stereotype of what bro tech types want in interactive fiction, or in life. It just felt laughably stereotypical and it became hard for me to watch after a while.    … Expand
  3. Diverse_Voice
    Jul 31, 2020
    2
    Was expecting more quality along the lines of Her Story (although the story of Her Story wasn't good, the interactivity was there). Here, it's mostly long one-sided rambling with extended footage and it quickly becomes boring and tedious to sift through. Not recommended on Switch or PC.
  4. JayAlex
    Apr 24, 2021
    2
    Too expensive for what you get, and if you're expecting "Her Story 2," this isn't it, it isn't even close. Part of what made Her Story work was the micro-viewing sessions, which are replaced with longer, more tedious one-sided delivery that seems to be basically ignorant of what makes a game fun - this is more a slog than fun. Don't recommend.
  5. GermanySoldier
    Oct 20, 2020
    4
    Not a game. Pointless. No instructions and nothing like the store description.

Awards & Rankings

64
#64 Best Switch Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. FNintendo
    May 19, 2020
    80
    Telling Lies is not like most other games and while many could have easily ruled out games that make use of Full Motion Video, this work does a remarkable job at it. Thanks to its plot, a great actors' performance and good implementation of a touch-screen control system, Telling Lies will reward those players who will invest the necessary time and concentration to follow the game's plot.
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  2. COGconnected
    May 14, 2020
    78
    When compared to other games, Telling Lies is a massive accomplishment, bringing unheard of levels of talent. But when compared to movies or TV, the performances and production design feel a little bit lacking. I’ll certainly be playing future Barlow games — the ideas are too cool to ignore. But in the future, I’d be keen to see him try his hand at something campier, or maybe let a more experienced director handle the actors. Sam Barlow presents Command and Conquer: Red Alert? Yes, please!
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  3. Shacknews
    May 12, 2020
    80
    As for Telling Lies itself, it's an outstanding story and one that's told in a novel way. What makes the game especially memorable is the individual acting performances and how the actors are able to convey a range of emotions. There was nothing over-the-top or anything that made me want to mock the dialogue. Everything is well-written with strong performances to match. I missed the original PC release, but I'm glad I got to experience the Telling Lies story on Switch.
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