Life is Strange - Dan Thoughts (Spoiler Free)
Hey guys, I know I haven’t made a post in ages on here but I finished Life is Strange last night and couldn’t help myself from sharing some spoiler free thoughts about the game -- I may very soon record some thoughts on episode 5 since I REALLY want to talk about it. But until then, enjoy fellow Strangers~
Life is Strange was one of those games that I bought on a whim thinking that I’d probably enjoy it or it might be pretty fun. I was VERY naive at the time because this game has made an extraordinarily huge impact on my life. LiS brings out all sorts of emotions when it hits you with it’s hard moments and oh boy, there are plenty of moments that will tug at your heart strings. The fact that this is on so many platforms is also a huge win since most people have at least one of the available consoles. There doesn’t seem to be any huge disadvantage to owning it on one console over the other either. I hope you like reading because this may be a long page for you.
I’ll try not to give too much away, so I’ll give the basic information -- You play as Max Caulfield, a photographer going to school in Arcadia Bay. She actually moved away years ago but is now back to study at Blackwell Academy. Through some crazy introductory event, she finds that she has the ability to rewind time. She tests it out a bit and is obviously taken aback by it but still wants to use it to her advantage to help. Max can quite literally change the outcome of the events she becomes involved with. Saying too much more would be giving things away, so I’ll let your imagination take over.
As I said, you play as Max who is the main protagonist of the story. She can be quiet and shy but she can also be insightful and strong. She’s a nerdy hipster-like girl into things like Lord of the Rings and Back to the Future and while not exactly the most positive about herself, she still intends to do her best in photography. You also get her trusty sidekick/best friend Chloe Price who can be considered a secondary main character since she gets focused on quite often. In present day, she’s a punk girl with tattoos who also likes to get high but with her own inner turmoil. There’s also Kate, who gets ridiculed quite often but is one of Max’s best friends, there’s Warren who is another great friend of Max’s that non-secretly has a crush on her, Victoria and Nathan who can be seen as bullies that also run the Vortex Club, the teacher Mark Jefferson who seems to really be enthralled in Max’s talent. I could detail each of them one by one but I could write a book about a lot of these characters. So I’ll just leave this as a taste.
As far as the gameplay goes, it’s not just basic click and point here. You do get to move around and investigate around the area that you’re in, take optional photos that the game permits, and interact with many people with plenty of choice involved at times. Speaking of choice, you will occasionally make impactful decisions that will have an effect on your playthrough. Sound familiar? Trust me though, DontNod Entertainment does it a LOT better in my opinion, not to put them in a contest with Telltale Games or anything. Anyway, it really feels like you move naturally and you can explore and admire your surroundings. In fact, the first episode lets you explore the school’s campus a bit and it’s a fitting atmosphere. It never felt awkward for me to do anything movement wise -- Max moves like a person, not an object. There’s of course plenty of talking and conversing but that’s what this type of game is all about really. I was never once bored with this gameplay style at all.Another great aspect of the gameplay is the rewind capability. At pretty much any time you can rewind an event and have a 2nd or even 3rd shot at it. It’s especially nice when you think outside the box with it and it makes you really feel cool being able to utilize this power. This makes it especially useful during making decisions of course. The great thing about LiS is the decisions really do matter and everything has a consequence.
I’ll admit, the graphics aren’t really groundbreaking or super advanced but they’re still unique. I actually really love the art style even if the graphics aren’t the best, they’re still their own style and it works for the game’s atmosphere. Speaking of which, the atmosphere in this game is great -- it really feels like you’re at a school surrounded by other teenagers for example. The lip syncing isn’t always that good but I personally stopped caring after a little while of playing.
Now let’s get down to how this game appeals to your ears. Honestly and again...it’s VERY fitting in this game. First of all, the voice acting is good. At first I wasn’t entirely sure but after awhile of playing, I can say that I really love it. One of the things that I really admire about the voices on the characters is that they’re all believable. I really believe that the voices coming from these characters actually belong to them. They sound like they should and a lot of them are different and unique. The music in this game is also great -- DontNod manages to use music that perfectly fits in this style of game. They also succeed in bringing out emotion with their soundtrack. I have a few of them on my phone for good listening and I never get tired of their familiar tune. The songs with lyrics are especially impactful.
Honestly, I can definitely recommend this. It’s a powerful experience that you won’t soon forget and it’s story is incredibly strong. I wouldn’t pass up this opportunity, this game is not to be taken lightly as a throwaway title. It tackles a lot of things that are difficult to talk about like suicide and bullying along with the struggles that come with it on all sides. If I’ve learned anything from this game, it’s that life really is strange sometimes, isn’t it? There’s a lot that’s beyond our control as we go through our lives, there’s good people and there’s bad people, there’s even people who are misunderstood, and those that are just crying out for help. This is one title that should not be overlooked if you want a truly wonderful experience.
kaledo-art
jacobvanloon
2087
yousharknotpass
turnnoffyourmind
theartofmadeline
germansingergirl
jbbartram-illu
