In a time where I needed hope perhaps more than ever, Dontnod delivered it. For that, their masterpiece has firmly cemented itself as my absolute favorite video game I've had the pleasure of playing.

This first episode of the new Dontnod trilogy story is a bit of a slow starter, but sets a beautiful scene of little-town Alaska where twins Tyler and Alyson grew up. The game brings everything we expect from a Dontnod game: exploration, tough decisions and puzzles combined with the supernatural and more than one complex and difficult relationship.

Tell Me Why is an intriguing narrative game, an intimate story capable of discussing complex themes using the power of a story that lives between reality and fiction, and that never sounds pretentious. If you like this kind of story-based games and have followed DONTNOD since Life is Strange, you will not be disappointed.

Tell Me Why pushes the boundaries of video-game storytelling with its mature, open-minded approach to its themes and its pioneering representation. The inclusion of a trans lead character is vital but the story is a lot deeper than what's on the surface.

Tell Me Why is a moody and mature-minded mystery focused on family secrets, while touching sensitively on themes like mental health, gender, and indigenous cultural practices. It’s slow going but compelling. Less successful is a supernatural gameplay component that’s never fully explored, and feels superficially integrated with the storyline.

Tell Me Why is more of a PR product that suffers from typical problems of Dontnod Entertainment' games, where's the key story bits is exaggerated and backed up by nothing interesting, while the game tries to resonate with players by cheap controversy. The first episode is powerful, but then game descends into a pit of monotony and despondency. And this is sad.

Tell Me Why and Dontnod deserve praise for the game’s carefully considered representation of trans protagonist Tyler, but unfortunately, the game struggles on all other fronts. It tries to make you care about its characters by way of explaining everything about them, leading to jarring interactions and tons of useless exposition. While its strong performances and central mystery ensured I still wanted to see how it all played out, I was also left disappointed by its underwhelming conclusion. Ultimately, it’s a small-town mystery that’s best unsolved, and it’s more interesting before all of its loose threads are haphazardly tied together.