Life Is Strange studio DONTNOD Entertainment is working on a new game exclusive to Xbox One. Announced during X019, Tell Me Why is another narrative-driven episodic adventure that gave off echoes of the studio's previous work in the moody, gorgeous reveal trailer.
You can check it out below. What's really cool about Tell Me Why right now though, is that the game will be the first title from a major studio to feature a transgender lead. That's according to DONTNOD and Microsoft, anyway. The publisher said in a statement that protagonist Tyler Ronan is the "first playable videogame hero from a major studio and publisher who is also transgender."
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Tell Me Why takes place in small-town Alaska, and follows the story of twins Tyler and Alyson Ronan. DONTNOD promises true-to-life characters, mature themes, and gripping choices as the twins dive into the conflicting memories of their troubled childhood.
"Over the course of the story, players will explore the identical twins' different memories of key events and choose which memory to believe," Tell Me Why Director Florent Guillaume explained. "Ultimately, the choices players make determine the strength of the twins' bond--and the future course of their lives."
You'll be able to play as both twins throughout the story of course, and both are "equal heroes" throughout the campaign.
"We are especially grateful to Microsoft for its full support, openness, and help regarding Tyler's identity and character, as a transgender man," Guillaume said.
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DONTNOD added that it'd been working with LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD to ensure that Tyler was an authentic character and representative of "the trans experience."
GLAAD's Nick Adams wrote in a statement that Microsoft and DONTNOD were keen to ensure that Tyler was created "with a real commitment to authenticity."
"Tyler is a fully-realized, endearing character, whose story is not reduced to simplistic trans tropes," Adams said. "Creating a playable lead trans character--and taking such care to get it right--raises the bar for future LGBTQ inclusion in gaming."
Tell Me Why will be released over the course of three chapters, all of which are expected to arrive next summer. There are no specific release dates for individual installments just yet, but Microsoft promised the game would release over a "clear and predictable schedule."
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Also during the X019 show, we got a first look at Age of Empires 4, Rare's gorgeous new IP, a release date for Halo: Reach on PC, and plenty more.
Topics: Xbox, Life is Strange