REARVIEW MIRROR
Rearview Mirror is a narrative videogame that takes place inside a car. A journey through the mean streets of a corrupt, hostile and dangerous world.
Rearview Mirror is about redemption and second chances. Can someone who took bad decisions repair the harm he caused? Can he change his path? Leaving the past behind depends on us. But if you can’t escape then it becomes a prison, and everything has its price.
Salvatore Marino, the protagonist of Rearview Mirror, lost everything because he remained true to his notions of honor and loyalty. Now that he has a second chance, can he escape his former life? Will he try to win back what he lost? What will he do when everything he always wanted is finally within reach? Will he succumb to temptation?
An opportunity: to rebuild his life.
Two options: to fall into temptation or to do the right thing.
Three dangers: his past, his passengers, and temptation.
Salvatore Marino became embroiled in the criminal underworld as a young man and ended up in jail when he refused to betray his comrades. He’s served his time and now he’s middle-aged. His time in prison has destroyed his relationship with his wife and his daughter. Now he has left behind the world of crime and wants to build an honest life, in the hope of repairing his relationship with them. But nobody wants to hire an ex-con. The only job offer he has comes from his former associates, but he doesn’t want to get mixed up in any more shady goings on. They promise him it’s straightforward. All he has to do is drive the car, pick people up, take them from one place to the next… he’s just the driver. Desperate and without any alternative, Salvatore accepts, but he soon realizes that the passengers on the back seat are involved in dirty business and he isn’t going to find it easy to stay clean. A mysterious woman will try to tempt him to convert his road trip into a descent into the underworld.
Game Discussion
Steam User 5
Decision-based game with many interesting characters and story, but don't expect much outside of reading.
You follow the story of Sal, a man who was recently released from prison and is now looking for work. He hopes to avoid illegal activities in the future, but his only option is Chuck, who is not quite clean. Chuck offers him the keys to a car and instructs him to pick up anyone he tells you. Sadly, your pal works for the mob so you will meet a variety of characters.
The game is broken into three acts. While the first and third act have three jobs, the second one has six. The opening of each act is presented in comic book style, with fresh panels appearing as you hit the button. Sometimes you need to choose between two or more options, but the difference is just in panels and text. While the game offers an English translation, which is very good, the voices are only accessible in Spanish and Catalan. This is a good decision because it gives the game identity. The voices are equally good.
The rest of the game takes place behind a wheel, but you do not actually drive. All you can do is pick up the phone to answer Chuck's call and speak with the passenger. Each job begins with touching the phone to accept the work and then touching it again to proceed to the place. You pick up the passenger and then click the phone again to set the destination.
This is where the game’s main feature comes in: listening to passengers. The conversation follows a predetermined direction, so you do not have much option. You can choose one of the choices or remain silent throughout the trip. After completing a job, you usually receive another call from Chuck in which you can learn more by asking a few questions or simply move on to the next assignment.
Some decisions during the game will have an impact on your morality, which makes some decisions inaccessible in subsequent acts. Most jobs are pretty uneventful, but some might get you involved in a chase. Again, there is no driving required; you simply choose one of the possible actions.
All decisions eventually result in one of the four endings. The main menu displays your current progress and morality, with green indicating good decisions and red indicating evil. Each job can be replayed for a different outcome and path, but you’ll also erase your progress.
The only criticism is that you have to click on bubbles to move the story forward. Since they appear on different parts of the screen, you need to constantly move the mouse around. This should be handled differently or with an option to click anywhere on the screen.
Steam User 2
Great writing, fantastic atmosphere, cool music, and appealing art. This is how I like my narrative games! From the characters, to the decisions, the UI, and the general tone of the game.
Even though this is only an Early Access, I'm already hooked into the story and want to know more about what happens to Sal, what the "organization" is really doing, and how my decisions are going to affect the narrative in later stages.
If you enjoy decision-based narrative games (think of the VtM games Coteries of New York and Shadows of New York), you like the Noir aesthetic, are into thrillers and plot twists, or any combination thereof, I can't recommend this enough!
Steam User 2
Some fresh air in the video games.
It is good to discover little jewels with a different approach and an original an engaging story.
Very attractive art, visual and sound effects, the perfect partner for an awesome idea and story that you are unable to leave.
I was totally engaged and play the entire 'demo' end to end.
Didn't expect to enjoy this hour of chill that much, wanting to know more and more about the story and the characters.
Enhanced Noir Graphic novel reading, with decision taking enough to make you feel part of the story.
Looking forward for more... or may be... looking backwards ^_^
I a més, tot un plaer poder jugar a un joc en català, amb un argot cuidat.
Bona feina cuidant la nostra llengua.
Steam User 0
Una historia que t'atrapa, gràfics i àudios que contribueixen molt a l'atmosfera del joc.
Un passatger més i em poso a treballar...
Steam User 0
The premise of this game (to interact with the NPCs only through the rearview mirror) is a very interesting approach. The user interface focuses on the dialogs and on what happens inside the car. It can turn a bit claustrophobic. However, the interludes between acts (and sometimes between chapters) give fresh air allowing you to discover more things where Salvatore Marino is getting involved.
It is a story full of action and some twists… but in a different way. The game is beautiful and the story and the characters are well written. The fact that you have to make your own choices is cool because it has an impact on the story. Easy to play and not so long, this game can be a good chance to start playing narrative video games as well. It can introduce you to the genre. Just sit down, put your headphones on and take the wheel… of your 'new' life with 'old' demons. However, it has more to offer to experienced players that love immersive storytelling.
You have to find your own clues and to make conclusions by yourself. The suspense is present. The possible interactions are few and simple. The complexity (if any) is in fact for the main character: in their own challenge of struggling with the ‘possibilities’ that are out there (temptation et al).
Rearview Mirror has a great narrative at the core, and a simple but effective way of unfolding the narrative through dialogues and comic interludes. 100% recommended if you want to try something indie that looks like a good presentation card for Cubus Games.