Play Station Official Magazine - UK (2020-11)

038

PREVIEW

“AS IN LIFE IS STRANGE,

CHOICE LEADS TO NEW

AND SURPRISING PATHS.”

TWIN MIRROR

Two heads are better than one

It’s been over a year since Dontnod

teased its mystery adventure, Twin

Mirror. You still play as Sam Higgs,

you’ve still got your mind palace, and

you’re still returning to your hometown in the

wake of a tragedy. Game director Florian Desforges

tells us tweaks have been made over the past

12 months, however, from refining the story to

improving the overall presentation.

The biggest change is the departure from an episodic

structure. Head of publishing Xavier Spinat explains,

“Episodes implied partial endings and reopenings,

and it was breaking some of the rhythm [...] We felt

that the game worked better as a single storyline.”

Before attending the funeral of his best friend

Nick, Sam makes a pitstop in his mind palace. No

longer an assortment of floating islands, it now

glistens like a million shards of broken glass.

LOST IN THOUGHT

Mystery is at the heart of the game. Narrative

director Hélène Henry tells us, “When the game

starts, Sam is coming back to face his past choices.”

A spyglass in the real world brings back memories

of why Sam left Basswood. We see Anna, his ex,

rejecting an earnest but poorly thought-out proposal

at the same spot years before. Time passes whenever

Sam gets lost in thought. Returning to the present,

a text reveals he’s missed Nick’s funeral.

In the car park at the wake, Nick’s daughter

Joan confronts Sam for leaving years before. Henry

says, “Sam can no longer cut ties and avoid the

consequences of his actions.” Joan asks Sam to

investigate her father’s death. While

deciding whether to do so, we get

our first glimpse of the Double. He

supports Sam through difficult social

situations by offering a contrarian

view. If we agree to investigate, The

Double argues, we risk exposing

young Joan to things about her father

a 13-year-old should never know.

If we turn her down, we could still

investigate discreetly... though she

may not appreciate our attempts to

shield her if she figures out what we’re

up to. There are no right or wrong

choices and it’s up to you to write

Sam’s story.

As in the developer’s breakout hit

Life Is Strange, choice leads to new

and surprising paths. A well-chosen

word means we can text a character

who’d previously been aloof to our

questioning. We’ll venture beyond the

looking glass later this year.

FORMAT PS4 / ETA 2020 / PUB BANDAI NAMCO / DEV DONTNOD ENTERTAINMENT

COBRA KAI: THE

KARATE SAGA

CONTINUES

In this Street Fighter

cosplay adventure you must

craft the perfect Ryu outfit

to take on all other Ryus in

the world. The twist? One of

them’s the real deal. What a

Ryu revelation!

FORMAT PS4 ETA 27 OCT

XIII – LIMITED

EDITION

America is under threat

from dimensional window

panes that are capturing

landmarks in their frame-y

grasp. Take up arms against

the glassy enemy and free

America one crack at a time.

FORMAT PS4 ETA 10 NOV

MONSTRUM

Pac-Man is reimagined

as a ghoulish nightmare

creature who’s evolved

from chomping pills to

chewing on juicy, meaty

humans. Clearly, the

drugs don’t work for

yellow pizza-people.

FORMAT PS4 ETA 23 OCT

on

the

box

judged only by

their covers

Above Your mind palace, where your

memories are stored, now glitters.

“He drove like a

Grandma!” Joan is sure

her father’s ‘accident’

was something more.

038

PREVIEW

“AS IN LIFE IS STRANGE,

CHOICE LEADS TO NEW

AND SURPRISING PATHS.”

TWIN MIRROR

Twoheadsarebetterthanone

It’sbeenovera yearsinceDontnod

teaseditsmysteryadventure,Twin

Mirror.YoustillplayasSamHiggs,

you’vestillgotyourmindpalace,and

you’restillreturningtoyourhometowninthe

wakeofa tragedy.GamedirectorFlorianDesforges

tellsustweakshavebeenmadeoverthepast

12 months,however,fromrefiningthestoryto

improvingtheoverallpresentation.

Thebiggestchangeis thedeparturefromanepisodic

structure.HeadofpublishingXavierSpinatexplains,

“Episodesimpliedpartialendingsandreopenings,

andit wasbreakingsomeoftherhythm[...]Wefelt

thatthegameworkedbetterasa singlestoryline.”

Beforeattendingthefuneralofhisbestfriend

Nick,Sammakesa pitstopinhismindpalace.No

longeranassortmentoffloatingislands,it now

glistenslikea millionshardsofbrokenglass.

LOSTINTHOUGHT

Mysteryis attheheartofthegame.Narrative

directorHélèneHenrytellsus,“Whenthegame

starts,Samis comingbacktofacehispastchoices.”

A spyglassintherealworldbringsbackmemories

ofwhySamleftBasswood.WeseeAnna,hisex,

rejectinganearnestbutpoorlythought-outproposal

at thesamespotyearsbefore.Timepasseswhenever

Samgetslostinthought.Returningtothepresent,

a textrevealshe’smissedNick’sfuneral.

Inthecarparkatthewake,Nick’sdaughter

JoanconfrontsSamforleavingyearsbefore.Henry

says,“Samcannolongercuttiesandavoidthe

consequencesofhisactions.”JoanasksSamto

investigateherfather’sdeath.While

decidingwhethertodoso,weget

ourfirstglimpseoftheDouble.He

supportsSamthroughdifficultsocial

situationsbyofferinga contrarian

view.If weagreetoinvestigate,The

Doubleargues,weriskexposing

youngJoantothingsaboutherfather

a 13-year-oldshouldneverknow.

If weturnherdown,wecouldstill

investigatediscreetly...thoughshe

maynotappreciateourattemptsto

shieldherif shefiguresoutwhatwe’re

upto.Therearenorightorwrong

choicesandit’suptoyoutowrite

Sam’sstory.

Asinthedeveloper’sbreakouthit

LifeIs Strange,choiceleadstonew

andsurprisingpaths.A well-chosen

wordmeanswecantexta character

who’dpreviouslybeenalooftoour

questioning.We’llventurebeyondthe

lookingglasslaterthisyear.

FORMATPS4/ETA 2020 /PUBBANDAINAMCO/DEVDONTNODENTERTAINMENT

COBRA KAI: THE

KARATE SAGA

CONTINUES

In this Street Fighter

cosplay adventure you must

craft the perfect Ryu outfit

to take on all other Ryus in

the world. The twist? One of

them’s the real deal. What a

Ryu revelation!

FORMAT PS4 ETA 27 OCT

XIII – LIMITED

EDITION

America is under threat

from dimensional window

panes that are capturing

landmarks in their frame-y

grasp. Take up arms against

the glassy enemy and free

America one crack at a time.

FORMAT PS4 ETA 10 NOV

MONSTRUM

Pac-Man is reimagined

as a ghoulish nightmare

creature who’s evolved

from chomping pills to

chewing on juicy, meaty

humans. Clearly, the

drugs don’t work for

yellow pizza-people.

FORMAT PS4 ETA 23 OCT

on

the

box

judged only by

their covers

Above Your mind palace, where your

memories are stored, now glitters.

“He drove like a

Grandma!” Joan is sure

her father’s ‘accident’

was something more.