REARVIEW MIRROR | Steam Deck Early Access Review

Everybody loves a good redemption story. We want to see someone succeed and shed their personal demons. Cubus Games’ REARVIEW MIRROR is one such story, and it has the potential to be an intriguing narrative. Its current state only offers a small taste of its story, but I’m eagerly awaiting for the rest of the game to release soon.

You’ve Got This, Sal

You are Salvatore “Sal” Marino, a man who has just been released from prison. He’s spent years in the slammer, and lost his wife and daughter in the process. He wants to stick to the straight and narrow to try to win them back, but trouble comes knocking. An old friend approaches him with an enticing job offer that is totally legit, definitely NOT dangerous in any way at all… ok, it puts him at risk of ending up behind bars again if he makes the wrong choices. He’s made to be a driver for a big figurehead in the criminal underworld, and his clients are just as shady as their boss. It’s up to you to decide what Sal will do and how he’ll react to certain situations. No pressure at all there.

On the Razor’s Edge

REARVIEW MIRROR has a unique visual style, which ties into the gameplay itself. There are comic book interludes mixed in with the twelve episodes of the game, and these segments are stunning. You simply tap the screen of your Steam Deck to go to the next comic panel, and when it’s time to make a crucial choice, two separate panels pop up. They each depict a certain outcome. Click on the one you want, and bada-boom, your story has branched off in a different direction. The sound effects are also excellent. You’ll hear tires screeching, doors opening and closing, and gunshots during these interludes.

I was only able to play three of the twelve gameplay episodes during the Early Access period. The graphical style switches to a first-person viewpoint as you drive, and you have limited control. You don’t actually operate the vehicle yourself; all you can do as the player is look in the rearview mirror to talk to clients and/or to see if anyone is chasing you, select dialogue options, and decide what actions you’ll take via text prompts. This could be a con for some gamers who were hoping to actually be able to drive in REARVIEW MIRROR, but I actually enjoyed having the wheel taken away from me. It allowed me to become absorbed in the story, even if I could only play thirty minutes before reaching a screen informing me that that was all I could experience at the moment.

The Final Verdict

REARVIEW MIRROR has the potential to be an intriguing narrative. I genuinely want to see Sal redeem himself and get his life straightened out. The visual style won me over, and the story had me hooked for the brief time I got to spend in it. It’s currently available for $3.99 during its Early Access period, but the price is set to increase after the full version is released in a few months. If this sounds at all interesting to you, I’d suggest snagging it at this price. You don’t get a lot of game for your buck at the moment, but it does leave you hungry for more.

To hear me talk more about REARVIEW MIRROR, be sure to listen to the February 7 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast.

This review is based on a Steam Early Access copy of REARVIEW MIRROR provided by SuperIndie.Games for coverage purposes. It is exclusive to this platform.