Choices-and-Consequences Game Review: Life is Strange Episode 5 Review

The final episode is as spooky and jarring as the finale of the last episode suggested. Players will definitely be right with Max in wanting to get out of the situation, but when they find themselves in the new situation it doesn't become any better.

The butterfly effect is in full swing here, as Max struggles to make changes in the past that don't have dangerous repercussions in the present. She really does find herself having to choose between several bad choices over other bad choices.

The alternate universe idea from the last episode is kicked up to eleven here, as we find Max in multiple alternate universes. Some universes have more disastrous consequences than others, but each feels real and the people within are true to the personalities of the characters we've come to know, no matter to which timeline they belong.

Unfortunately, the episode makes a few missteps that keep it from being up to the high standards of the previous episode. The awkward slang from the villain is really terrible here. The few older slang terms that Chloe and Max used in earlier episodes is nothing compared to the terrible word puns in play here that just serve to make the player cringe, and take even manage to take away a bit of the evilness of the character. Not to say that being with this character still wouldn't be a terrible experience, but something's lost with these attempts at wordplay humor that come off as ridiculous rather than creepy.

The more troubling problem, though, comes at the end, when choosing between the game's two endings. It really does feel like there's a good ending and a bad ending, rather than the "Sophie's Choice" feeling that the game has been pushing towards. One ending is long and fulfilling in its own way, while the other feels rush and unsatisfying in comparison.

This lopsided finale doesn't quite live up to its promising start. All in all, however, the season still remains a great example of cinematic choices and consequences gameplay that fans of this type of game owe it to themselves to experience.

Final verdict:
 
4 out of 5

Choices-and-Consequences Game Review: Life is Strange Episode 4

The penultimate episode begins after the cliffhanger from the last episode, finding Max and Chloe in an alternate timeline created by Max's changes in the past. We finally get to see the full extent of Max's powers, and what can happen to her world when she uses them.

The story here is strong, and the choices have never been harder or more heartbreaking. Even though this is an alternate timeline, the actors really do an excellent job of making these characters really relatable, and you want them to have the best possible outcome. However, in this case, the best possible outcome really is up to the perceptions of the player. That makes these choices seem more real than those before them, even though the time spent with these versions of the characters is short.

The alternate universe also lent a lot to making Arcadia Bay feel fresher than it had since we first visited it. We're still exploring the same houses and locations, but the changes have made these areas a lot more fun to explore. There are also some weird disasters that don't quite seem natural, which seem to tie into the visions that Max has been having since episode one.

The episode also ends on another cliffhanger, as the main villain of the season is finally revealed. This entire season has been exciting, but this episode really was a wild ride. With the reveal at the end and the shock that came with it, the final episode definitely has to live up to a lot.

Final verdict:
 
5 out of 5

Life Is Strange Episode 5 Scheduled For October 20

Dontnod Entertainment has posted news on their blog that they are aiming to release Polarized, the fifth and final episode of their choices and consequences adventure game, Life is Strange, on the 20th of October.

Life Is Strange Episode 4 Coming July 28th

Update July 28: It's out now for Windows on Steam, as well as PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

Dontnod Entertainment has released the trailer for the penultimate episode of their five part choices and consequences adventure game Life Is Strange. It will be released for all platforms on the 28th of July.

Choices-and-Consequences Game Review: Life Is Strange Episode 3

The third episode of Life Is Strange, Chaos Theory, lives up to its name with a chapter that really shakes the formula up.

The school is reeling from the events of the end of the last chapter. Max and Chloe are determined to get to the bottom of the corruption in the town, so they decide to conduct their own investigation. This leads to some revelations, some character building moments, and then chaos comes into play, spinning their entire world on its head.

There are some fetch quests and inventory puzzles here, which is to be expected in an investigation. Naturally, Max's powers to rewind time also come in play, allowing Max and Chloe to to be more devious in their investigations than they would without them.  The rewind power is also actually used as a puzzle itself in this chapter, where Max must use stealth and her powers in order to avoid being caught.  It's a fantastic twist on the usual mechanic of this game, and it is implemented quite well.

The story is simply fantastic in this chapter, and the awkward slang has been successfully lamp shaded.  It's attributed as a quirk of one of the more outlandish characters, and, in that light, strangely, in retrospect (awkward as it still is) it sort of works.  The voice acting continues be top notch, working well in tandem with the fantastic script, and the understated music once again complements the voice acting.  The new locations are all interesting, as are the new characters.

This ended up being a short review, but don't take that as a sign of a lack of quality.  It's actually far from it, as the review is brief as to spoil as little about the episode as possible.  This episode simply needs to be played, as everything about it, from the story, to the voice acting and music, and to the characters and locations are excellent.  The game's finale is the crowning achievement of the episode, and of the series so far.  It's worth playing just for that portion of the game alone.

Final verdict:
 
5 out of 5

Choices-and-Consequences Game: Life Is Strange Episode 2

The second episode of Life Is Strange, Out of Time, finds Max discovering the limitations of her powers, making the choices she makes in this episode matter much more than ever.

The episode begins where the last left off, with Max finding a confidant in Chloe.  The two decide to test Max's powers, at which point Max discovers that her powers have more limitations than she had previously thought.  To save more lives of the people she cares about, Max must push her powers past their boundaries.  In doing so, however, she'll have to use her own natural powers of persuasion, as she finds that she can't always rely on her new-found abilities.

The limitations present a different feel in this chapter than before, as, while most of the decision making is leisurely, once her powers reach their limits, Max will have to make decisions on the spur of the moment without the ability to rewind.  Luckily, the decisions aren't quite as spur of the moment as those in Telltale's games, as there isn't a timer forcing Max to think quickly.  The decisions can still be made at a slower pace, however, once they're made, they're set in stone.  This adds a much more emotional impact to those decisions that can't be changed, as they seem much more real now that the ability to change them on the fly isn't present.  There are also puzzles in this game, although some are a bit tedious, as they revolve around recovering a specific number of items.

The dialog still has some awkward moments of slang usage, but, like the first chapter, the rest of the story is excellent.  The voice acting continues to be supurb as well, with the actors getting a chance to really show a range of emotions here.  The music, once again, is subtle, but helps to set the tone of the game excellently.  There are quite a few new locations in this chapter as well, and they are all interesting, and fit within the art style of the rest of the game.  The new characters we meet in these new locations are equally as interesting, and are all voiced as well as the returning characters.  There are invisible barriers in this chapter, but they are handled much more realistically than simply restricting the character's movements.  They're reminiscent of those in the L.A. Noire crime scenes, as the player character in both games will comment that they don't want to leave that area, for reasons that fit in both games.  It's a simple solution to the invisible barrier problem, but it works well.

The second episode of Life Is Strange has given the series a bit of a shakeup, with limitations to Max's powers that make some of her choices much more finite, and thus seemingly more meaningful, than those in the previous episode.  The occasional moments of awkward slang in the dialog reappear here, and some of the game's puzzles are tedious, but the rest of the game makes up for it.  Max's choices are beginning to have visible consequences, the voice acting is excellent, and the music still remains a wonderfully paired with the vocal performances. The story of the second episode ends on an exciting conclusion, making this episode feel fulfilling on its own.  However, one can't help but wonder how the next episode unfurls.

Final Verdict:
 
4 out of 5

Choices-and-Consequences Review: Life Is Strange Episode 1

Dontnod Entertainment advances the choice and consequences formula made popular by Telltale Games, with an interesting time rewinding mechanic, set around an interesting story about power, corruption, bullies, and a mystery surrounding an impending disaster.

The first chapter of Life Is Strange takes place at a private high school named Blackwell, where an art student named Max discovers that she has the power to rewind time when she witnesses a confrontation in the girl's bathroom.  This is the crux of the story, but things delve deeper when she discovers that the incident was only the tip of the iceberg, and violence is a common occurrence at Blackwell.  However, she finds that due to the corruption of the school and the town, it's hard to make any permanent changes with her newfound powers.  Some of the dialogue is a bit weak, especially the forced use of teen slang which is quite awkward, both in the written form and when spoken by the voice actors.  However, the story itself is fantastically written, and the violent atmosphere surrounding the school feels all too real, which definitely offsets the few moments of awkwardness in some of the dialog.

The real shining gem of this series is definitely the rewind mechanic, which is put to good use here. Max can rewind time at any point, to do anything from catching bits of background activity that she might have missed to making a new choice in a major decision that is presented to her.  The choice and consequences system is laid out much like Telltale's games.  Max has been presented with a variety of options in a situation, and she must make her choice.  The choices affect events later in the episode, as well as in episodes that happen later down the road.  The Telltale influence extends into the user interface as well, as gamers are informed via a graphic that their choices will have consequences.  The rewind mechanism makes things a little more relaxed than in Telltale's offerings, however, as choices don't have to be made on the spot as mandated by a timer.  If the gamer wants to have Max make a different decision, the decision can be rewound in the episode itself, rather than having to be done later via the menu, which also means that the remainder of the episode doesn't need to be replayed if the choice has been changed.  However, once Max leaves that location, her powers can no longer extend to that choice, and any choice made will be set in stone.  The game also deviates from the most recent of Telltale's games in that it contains environment puzzles.  The puzzles aren't any more difficult than those found in The Walking Dead, but like that game, they work well within the game's world, and work well with the rest of the game mechanics, as opposed to feeling tacked on for the sake of the genre.

The voice acting is excellent, and the voice actors do a great job showing the seedy underbelly of Blackwell at work.  As mentioned before, some of the dialogue is clunky, and the voice actors can't overcome this, however, the awkward slang is pretty sparse, and every other line delivery by the voice actors is top-notch.  The music works as well.  While it's not memorable, it sets the tone of the game and frames the voice performances quite nicely.

Chrysalis is an excellent start to an intriguing entry into the choices and consequences genre.  There are some environment puzzles, although they aren't very challenging.  However, the rewind mechanic far overcomes any qualms about easy puzzles.  It's a great addition to the genre and works well with the choices and consequences mechanic.  The story is intriguing and well written, with the exception of some clunky slang that feels forced.  The voice acting and the music are also top-notch. Overall, the first chapter is a great start and is well worth playing.

Final Verdict:
 
4 out of 5

Life is Strange: Episode 2 Review

Life Is Strange Episode 2 Is Out Now

Life is Strange, the cinematic choices and consequences adventure game created by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix, received the second of its five episodes on Tuesday.

The game follows Maxine Caufield, a student who, after witnessing a devastating event, finds that she has the ability to rewind time and can now change the course of events.  The choices made will alter and affect the story with long and short term consequences.