TWIN MIRROR

Dontnod’s narrative mystery redoubles the mind games

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Developer/publisher Format Origin

Release

Dontnod PC, PS4, Xbox One France Winter

Two heads are better than one, they say – though Twin Mirror more accurately extols the virtues of having two minds. Don’t let main character Sam Higgs’ resemblance to James McAvoy fool you, though; this is not a Split-style take on a fractured personality, per se. Rather, Dontnod uses the idea of duality – of a usefully detached alter-ego and a secondary world in which its hero frequently sojourns – to explore the complexities of analytical thought and emotions.

“Sam is not really comfortable in reality,” says game director Florian Desforges of Sam’s mind palace, an imaginary construct into which he frequently escapes and which helps him organise his thoughts and memories. “Sam’s mind palace is a peaceful place that allows him to remember things. Sometimes you find an object or speak with someone and you can access your mind palace to remember something else connected to it.”