In a medium filled with constantly updating online shooters, open-world action adventures and RPGs, yearly sports iterations, and more, it sometimes feels as if truly unique games are few and far between. Not only is it hard for games to break through in new genres, but fresh encounters emotionally and in terms of game mechanics seem rare. However,12 Minutesis exactly that type of title. While not perfect,12 Minutesis a distinct experience that provides a narrative rarely seen in games. The final result is a roller coaster of a story through a sometimes frustrating but overall satisfying literal gameplay loop.
The sixty-second pitch of12 Minutesis that an unnamed man is trapped in an endless twelve-minute loop, and he must escape by figuring out an incredibly tense mystery. What starts out as a sweet romantic evening with his unnamed wife quickly turns into a nightmare, as a “cop” comes to the door and claims that his wife murdered her father eight years ago. Things quickly spiral from there, and the “time loop” resets if the husband/player dies, or when the twelve minutes have expired. It is a fascinating idea for a game, and developer Luis Antonio put it all together very nicely, as evenHideo Kojima praises12 Minutes.
RELATED:12 Minutes: Can You Kill the Cop?In trying to figure out what is going on, the player must take full advantage of each loop to find clues and information. Talking to the wife and letting her know that the player is in a time loop will not help at all if the player has not yet come up with reasons to prove that they are in a loop, for example. The player roams about the apartment like a point-and-click adventure, although with an Xbox controller it does feel like using a mouse would have been more natural. The puzzles themselves are more about discovery and understanding than a true definition of a puzzle-genre video game. Each room tells its own story and is important in one way or another, although the game is certainly tricky, as players might want a fewtips for12 Minutesfrom time to time when stuck.
Some12 Minutestasks can be completedwith multiple tools or in a couple of different ways. However, there are other tasks that are extremely specific and can feel almost broken. It can be very frustrating to be stuck in the same time loop over and over because an item was handed to the wife too early or the husband had to look at something before handing it to someone else. In general,12 Minutescan be very complicated at times. But the feeling of being stuck in a time loop is exactly how the husband likely feels in-game, so perhaps developer Luis Antonio was trying to convey that emotion.
A big positive to12 Minutesis how it handles its time loop design. One set of tasks in a time loop might take up the entire twelve minutes, and players may barely get everything accomplished within the time limit. However, in the next loop, the husband will remember this and apply this to his questioning, reasoning, etc. For example, at a very early point, the husband needs to prove to the wife that he is indeed in a time loop. This takes multiple steps to do and is quite involved. However, in later loops, because the character now has new information at his fingertips, the player can prove they are in a loop in mere moments. With any game where there is a timer that resets the clock (likeThe Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask), the time can almost become one of the enemies. Because of the overall smart loop design, it does not feel overly unfair (unless there comes a time when the player actually gets stuck in a loop or two).
Along with searching for clues, the biggest element of the game is dialogue. Players will use dialogue to gather information, and the more clues that are uncovered - both from finding things around the apartment and from talking during various loops - the more new conversation branches will be revealed. The communication between thestar-studded cast of12 Minutesis where the story is mainly told.
The voice acting of this perplexing story is very strong. James McAvoy is theprotagonist of12 Minutesand Daisy Ridley plays the caring wife with a possible tragic and twisted background. Meanwhile, Willem Dafoe is the voice of the dangerous cop. Each character plays their role very well, and most lines hit home. Whether the husband is battling the insanity of being stuck in an endless loop, the wife is lovingly offering a dessert she prepared for the sentimental evening, or the cop is threatening and shouting, the performances usually suck the player directly into the distressing tale. There are some times in which moments fall flat, or when the time loop element pulls players away after hearing the same lines many times (which can sometimes be fast-forwarded), but overall this element of12 Minutesis strong, and it is exciting to see three big-name actors in one indie developed game.
In the end, the story is the most important part of12 Minutes. The reason the player will want to continue to keep searching for answers and get slightly further in the next loop is to solve the mystery.12 Minutes’story is told through the world itself, but mainly through dialogue. And theending of12 Minutes, without spoilers, is worth getting stuck in many time loops for. Although some keen-eyed players may be able to see hints of the final twist coming, the end is a gut punch and it has the potential to be talked about for years to come.
In a story-based game, the journey is incredibly important, but the ending is often the most significant part.12 Minutesallows for multiple endings, which unlock numerousachievements for12 Minutesalong the way. However, regardless of the several ending paths of the game, the reality of the shocking story is set in stone. Players simply have the choice of how they would like to react based on the information they have now learned.
12 Minutesis a special game. The time loop game design is put together very eloquently, even if there are slight hiccups that can get frustrating. The voice actors do an excellent job of pulling together the tense narrative, and there is always the feeling that the next clue will be what unearths this unimaginable mystery. While the game’s visuals leave some room to be desired, the art style and vibe make up for it. There is always an underlying eerie tone in12 Minutesthat goes even beyond the horrors within the apartment walls and those 720 seconds. And that rings forever true in the chilling ending to12 Minutes.
12 Minutesis available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Game Rant reviewed12 Minuteson theNeuron 4000D from Origin PC. Origin offers a variety of customizable PCs that can meet any gamers' needs.Read more about the Neuron here.
12 Minutes
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TWELVE MINUTES is a real-time top-down interactive thriller with an accessible click and drag interface. Featuring James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe.What should be a romantic evening with your wife turns into a nightmare when a police detective breaks into your home, accuses your wife of murder and beats you to death…Only for you to find yourself immediately returned to the exact moment you opened the front door, stuck in a TWELVE-MINUTE time loop, doomed to relive the same terror again and again…Unless you can find a way to use the knowledge of what’s coming to change the outcome and break the loop.TWELVE MINUTES blends the dream-like tension of THE SHINING with the claustrophobia of REAR WINDOW and the fragmented structure of MEMENTO.
