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Plays like a piece of poetry

Note before I start: I suck at analyzing poetry. Seriously. So don't expect any monologues on Deep Expression or anything like that; this is an everyday review by possibly the plebeian reviewer ever. Cheers.

Okay, so now that I've got that out of the way. How should I describe The Mirror Lied? First of all, it's gorgeous. Again, not good at analyzing -any- form of art when it comes to that, but the play of light and shadow of this game gives it a surreal, dreamlike feel. (Possible exception may be the part where everything's on fire.) But other than that, day or night, each room is delicately painted in soft yellows and grays. The game is muted, but very elegant. The lighting effects, the graphics--I don't think it gets any better than this.

There are no characters, not really. The main character is a girl named Leah who appears to be trapped (or perhaps not) in a house. A birdie is mentioned multiple times, and the ending can be interpreted in a dozen different ways. A few mysterious phone calls and emails are sprinkled throughout the game, but other than that, The Mirror Lied is free to interpretation. It's a rarity when it comes to RPG games: there is no Evil Mastermind looking to take over the world, and no Chosen One who has to save it--at least, none that we know of. This cake can be sliced a dozen different ways, but every piece is just as delicious. Only Reives knows the truth (or perhaps not), but revealing it would only destroy the delicate mystery of this strange fairy tale.

Puzzlewise, it's all fairly simple. The house itself is not that big, so chances are that if you do happen to get stuck at any point, the problem can be solved with a quick inspection of the house. Check drawers more than once, interact with items, and you're just about set.

The Mirror Lied invites introspection, but doesn't force the player to spend hours studying it in order to reach a conclusion. Perhaps not suited for long gameplay, but it's the perfect short game (lasting about 30 minutes or so) with which to occupy your time. Definitely recommend.

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For someone who thinks themselves plebeian, this was actually a rather well-written and elegant review.
Thanks Day, I really appreciate it. c:
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