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Life is Strange Developer's New Game Will Explore Memories and the Trans Experience Through Twins

Tell Me Why looks like it ain't nothing but a heartache.

This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.

Life is Strange 2 might be wrapping next month, but Dontnod Entertainment is already looking ahead to its next narrative adventure. Announced during today's X019, Tell Me Why will explore the malleable nature of memory through twins Tyler and Alyson Ronan next summer.

As the twins explore their memories of key events, you'll be able to choose which version you want to believe, like a video game version of Rashomon. Though Tyler and Alyson represent two halves of a whole, Tyler brings a new level of representation as a transgender man.

In a release, Dontnod says it worked with LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD to make Tyler Ronan an "authentic representation of the trans experience," and that its the first playable transgender protagonist from a major studio or publisher.

Cover image for YouTube videoTell Me Why - X019 - Announce Trailer

Dontnot is no stranger to pushing for representation in games; the first Life is Strange culminated in a relationship between Chloe and Max, and Life is Strange 2 has received praise for its portrayal of Latinx youth in America.

But Dontnod is also changing up the delivery for Tell Me Why, moving to a "clear and predictable schedule" of its three chapters. According to Peter Wyse, general manager for Xbox Games Studios publishing, all of Tell Me Why will arrive in summer 2020.

"We listened closely to fans of narrative adventure games, and we heard loud and clear how painful unpredictable gaps between episodes can be," Wyse said in a press release. This would mark a departure from the longer-run episodic structure Dontnod has had in the past towards something more akin to Until Dawn, but it could make for a much more concise and cohesive launch.

Tell Me Why will hit Xbox One and PC, via Windows and Steam, in summer 2020. It'll also be part of the Xbox Game Pass at launch.

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Tell Me Why

Xbox One, PC

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Eric Van Allen avatar

Eric Van Allen

News Editor

Eric is a writer and Texan. He's a former contributor to sites including Compete, Polygon, Waypoint, and the Washington Post. He loves competitive games, live music, and travel.

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