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 Minutes is exactly that type of title. While not perfect, 12 Minutes is 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 of 12 Minutes is 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 even Hideo Kojima praises 12 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 few tips for 12 Minutes from time to time when stuck.
Some 12 Minutes tasks can be completed with 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 Minutes can 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 to 12 Minutes is 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 (like The 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 the star-studded cast of 12 Minutes is where the story is mainly told.
The voice acting of this perplexing story is very strong. James McAvoy is the protagonist of 12 Minutes and 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 of 12 Minutes is 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 of 12 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 the ending of 12 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 Minutes allows for multiple endings, which unlock numerous achievements for 12 Minutes along 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 Minutes is 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 in 12 Minutes that goes even beyond the horrors within the apartment walls and those 720 seconds. And that rings forever true in the chilling ending to 12 Minutes.
12 Minutes is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant reviewed the game on Xbox Series X.
MORE: 12 Minutes' Film References Explained
