Telling Lies Reviews

Telling Lies is ranked in the 79th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Eurogamer
Top Critic
Recommended
Aug 21, 2019

Telling Lies, by contrast, is but a second baby step into uncharted territory: a little wobbly, a little naive. But definitely courageous and exciting.

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IGN
By Samuel Horti
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Aug 21, 2019

Sharp writing, believable acting and a twisting plot make Telling Lies an essential detective game.

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PC Gamer
Top Critic
87 / 100
Aug 21, 2019

An atmospheric, brilliantly written and acted detective thriller that tells a compelling story in a unique way.

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GamesRadar+
Top Critic
Aug 21, 2019

Telling Lies is a paragon for storytelling, for character arcs that surprise you and linger on long after the credits – and videos – have ended.

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9 / 10.0
Aug 21, 2019

Excellent acting from actors like Angela Sarafyan (Westworld) and Logan Marshall-Green (The Invitation) brings depth and realism to the characters and their stories

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7 / 10
Aug 28, 2019

Telling Lies expands on the core ideas of Her Story with more expansive, nuance voyeurism, but it runs out of energy before the end.

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Unscored
Aug 21, 2019

It's crucial to slow down, take a breath, and watch everything, even when I want to rush through to find another clue. On the other hand, Telling Lies provides subtle reminders of the dangerous reality of rifling through stolen, encrypted files, and the level of secrecy required by that act. That tension helps the game crackle with life and urgency.

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USgamer
iew by Caty McCarthy, Features Editor
Top Critic
Aug 21, 2019

Telling Lies feels like it's about four times as big as Sam Barlow's previous game Her Story, and it shows. You feel it not just in the four characters you're sifting through footage of, but in the variety of its videos too: from FaceTime calls to hidden cameras capturing secretive meetings. In Her Story, it was famously easy to go down a rabbit hole of sorts on your own intuition; in Telling Lies, that tendency is mechanized in smart, intuitive ways. When it comes to good interactive mysteries, Telling Lies is among the best you can get.

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Aug 21, 2019

Telling Lies is like the best parts of an adventure game, a mystery novel, and an art nouveau movie all rolled up into one.

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9 / 10.0
Aug 21, 2019

I can't stress enough how much Telling Lies might not be for you. Most of it is literally spent watching people talk to a screen, to the point where the puzzle angle, no matter how impressive it might be, might wear down its welcome in minutes. For everyone else, especially avid followers of character-driven art forms, these are performances you can really sink your teeth into while you try to make sense of it all.

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8 / 10
May 11, 2020

Everything is well-written with strong performances to match.

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9 / 10.0
Aug 21, 2019

I won't tell any lies here, Telling Lies is another excellent piece of narrative game design from Sam Barlow and I sincerely hope there's more to come

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VideoGamer
Josh Wise
Top Critic
7 / 10
Aug 21, 2019

Telling Lies expands on the concept Sam Barlow created with Her Story, with a web of intriguing characters and mysteries, but the more overblown aspects of its plot detract from the personal drama.

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80 / 100
Aug 21, 2019

And while I can appreciate this new art form, this story wasn't quite as dramatic as I had hoped for, or at least the sequence in which I saw the events wasn't as satisfying. It's not as long as I thought it might be. With the pluses and minuses here, I see this as an evolving new medium but not one that has yet reached its highest form.

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Unscored
Aug 21, 2019

The question of whether Telling Lies is voyeuristic or not doesn’t necessarily have a bearing on the quality of the game — I do, in fact, think it’s good and enjoyed it. But the idea that it isn’t voyeuristic is some laugh.

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Aug 30, 2019

Sam Barlow's BAFTA-snaffling Her Story was a fabulously tight and taut whodunwhat as you pieced together the tale of a mysterious young woman from a jumbled collection of police interview clips.

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Guardian
Alysia Judge
Top Critic
Aug 22, 2019

While untangling a web of lies players are tantalisingly close to the characters in this believable world created by Sam Barlow

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78 / 100
May 14, 2020

When compared to other games, Telling Lies is a massive accomplishment, bringing unheard of levels of talent.

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7 / 10
Apr 28, 2020

Telling Lies is one of the best experiences to make use of FMV on PS4, telling a fascinating narrative that'll have you guessing what revelation will come your way next. What's more, the star-studded cast of characters does an excellent job of bringing the script to life, but it is held back by a perplexing rewind function. Had it been implemented better, the game would be on the cusp of greatness. Although, in its current state, Telling Lies is still a very safe recommendation for fans of the genre.

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10 / 10.0
Apr 27, 2020

Telling Lies is a flawless piece of work. This is Sam Barlow perfecting what he was able to achieve with Her Story and bolstering it with a bigger story and being supported by four powerhouse performances. Telling Lies offered me five incredible hours and everyone should experience this masterpiece with their own eyes.

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