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[That Dude John]

I really think some of you people are looking to deep into the aftermath of both endings.

I think everybody got thrown off by how straight the endings play out. Given how the rest of the game is, one would expect a twist or a revelation, or something that indicates that everything isn't as it appears. But no. Both endings do exactly what they say and that's it.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

I think everybody got thrown off by how straight the endings play out. Given how the rest of the game is, one would expect a twist or a revelation, or something that indicates that everything isn't as it appears. But no. Both endings do exactly what they say and that's it.

I dunno, I feel like the disappointment a lot of people had with these endings is that they were too predictable. At least, that's an issue I had with them. Life is Strange showed that it liked building up player expectations with red herrings, only to immediately bring them down to reality several times.

One of them was Rachel Amber, when it's discovered that she's just someone who got killed and is now buried in the ground when she was played up to almost be this untouchable entity with an expected supernatural mystery behind her disappearance.

 

[GGNKovalski]

I think everybody got thrown off by how straight the endings play out. Given how the rest of the game is, one would expect a twist or a revelation, or something that indicates that everything isn't as it appears. But no. Both endings do exactly what they say and that's it.

I was thinking right at the end Max would just wake up from a bad dream. She was back to being like 14 or whatever and Chloe is right next to her. "Dude...I had a weird dream." Credits Roll.

 

[Smiley90]

I was thinking right at the end Max would just wake up from a bad dream. She was back to being like 14 or whatever and Chloe is right next to her. "Dude...I had a weird dream." Credits Roll.

for a split second I actually thought that was happening when she wakes up in the classroom again. Then the birds started splattering the window though :lol

 

[Atraveller]

1. Shot by Nathan
2. Shot by Jefferson
3. Probably gets eaten alive by a dog
4. Shoots herself
5. In a real bad spot after a car accident in an alternate timeline; fated to die soon
6. Train wants to run her over
7. Max induced storm kills her while Max chills in San Francisco

Other than the train, they are just her dealing with really dangerous people or animal. (Gun safety is important also)

I really don't think the universe has a will that really wants a certain someone to die, all the weird stuff came from Max messing with time too much, the anomalies produced could be harmful to lives, but those are indiscriminate.

 

[Galactic Fork]

I was always hoping the Tornado wasn't caused by Max, and saving Chloe was a kind of reward for being given the responsibility of stopping it. The vision of the tornado came before you saved Chloe afterall. And Pan Estates was such a huge red herring...

 

[That Dude John]

I dunno, I feel like the disappointment a lot of people had with these endings is that they were too predictable. At least, that's an issue I had with them. Life is Strange showed that it liked building up player expectations with red herrings, only to immediately bring them down to reality several times.

I suppose that was something that affected me as well. It seemed as if everyone said sacrificing Chloe would be the solution(dunno if a similar plot point is from a movie or something/maybe I'm just slow), so when it came to pass I was hoping the predictability would lead to more interesting material on the back end. That was not the case lol.

 

[Soriku]

Any Steins;Gates fans here? I've only seen the anime but you guys like Steins;Gate or LiS more? There are definitely some similarities with one large one in particular. Edit: Madoka too.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Other than the train, they are just her dealing with really dangerous people or animal. (Gun safety is important also)

I really don't think the universe has a will that really wants a certain someone to die, all the weird stuff came from Max messing with time too much, the anomalies produced could be harmful to lives, but those are indiscriminate.

But DONTNOD themselves have provided:

As always, there is no right or wrong with your choice - but consider the following point:

CHLOE WAS ALWAYS DOOMED

Chloe should have died at the start of episode 1. This was the natural order of things; her fate, if you will. Preventing her death – and disrupting the assumed deterministic nature of the universe – is ultimately the reason for the storm that will destroy Arcadia Bay. Across the course of the game’s five episodes, the universe has tried to rectify itself by killing Chloe and restoring things to the way they should be. Max – for better or worse - has been there to thwart its efforts every time, however.

Unless you're taking the stance that what they say doesn't matter in terms of what the story itself presents? To me, what the story presented was already in line with what the developer apparently thought of it.

Any Steins;Gates fans here? I've only seen the anime but you guys like Steins;Gate or LiS more? There are definitely some similarities with one large one in particular.

I only watched half of the anime and got one ending of the VN, but I prefer LiS infinitely more. Obviously, since I "played" both, I have to prefer LiS because it has much more player agency than Steins;Gate. For the story? Well, they're fundamentally different in many ways, with SERN and all that outlandish stuff that LiS doesn't do.

I see what you mean, though, comparing Chloe to

Spoiler

Mayuri

 

[FluxWaveZ]

dp

 

[Persona7]

What is this thing about the punk shirt in the graveyard?

 

[Smiley90]

Has anyone here played Katawa Shoujo?

I finally remember the last game that kind of hit me on an emotional level. Though Katawa Shoujo is even more of a visual novel experience and has nothing to do with time travel, it's also kind of a choose your own adventure thing that has its hard-hitting emotional moments. I like LiS better, not just because it's obviously a much more fleshed out game with better storytelling, but still.

 

[Tribes of Trusty]

Any Steins;Gates fans here? I've only seen the anime but you guys like Steins;Gate or LiS more? There are definitely some similarities with one large one in particular. Edit: Madoka too.

There are similarities as it has been discussed before, but they are definitely diffrent kinds of stories and experiences.

Steins Gate gets an awesome golden ending though.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

I lost it when I saw this....I had to stop playing because I couldn't stop laughing and it was ruining the mood...

 

[Kinsei]

I lost it when I saw this....I had to stop playing because I couldn't stop laughing and it was ruining the mood...

Same.

 

[Atraveller]

But DONTNOD themselves have provided:

Unless you're taking the stance that what they say doesn't matter in terms of what the story itself presents? To me, what the story presented was already in line with what the developer apparently thought of it.

Eh, then what do the other non-Chloe-killing anomalies do? The universe has been consistent in sending specific hit attempts, but now it's gonna send a tornado that might or might not kill her (it'll kill a ton of not-Chloes for sure).

Sounds like bad writing to me, sorry, I don't want to buy it.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Eh, then what do the other non-Chloe-killing anomalies do? The universe has been consistent in sending specific hit attempts, but now it's gonna send a tornado that might or might not kill her (it'll kill a ton of not-Chloes for sure).

Sounds like bad writing to me, sorry, I don't want to buy it.

But the tornado wasn't the universe's doing:

The interpretation that is coming up is that the storm comes about because Max screwed reality by time traveling. She was the reason the storm was created, not Chloe. But Max altered time to save Chloe, because Chloe was meant to die. The universe wants to continue killing Chloe, but the storm is only a byproduct of that because of Max.

Chlose continues to survive and the initial storm is gone, but the universe continues to want to kill Chloe to restore the balance. If Max alters time again to save Chloe, another storm or disaster will come about as a result. The storm wasn't a super attack meant to wipe out Chloe or the town, but just a result of Max's interference.

Ignoring all the parts from that quote that are about the endings, it's plainly demonstrated in game that Max and her time meddling was the reason for the storm. Max needed to meddle with time because the universe kept killing Chloe in a bunch of ways; the universe isn't what sent the tornado.

And the reason why there's this fixation with Chloe and that the death of everyone else doesn't matter is because she's the focal point of when the timelines started diverging. It's when Max stopped Chloe and Chloe alone from dying that things got screwed up and a bunch of timelines sprang up, with her having gained her powers.

This is why something like stopping Kate from killing herself doesn't mess things up even more. None of the other alterations matter when the whole reason the timeline exists in the first place is because Chloe is still alive when she should be dead. The "butterfly effect," as it were.

 

[Smiley90]

what the fuck did I just watch LOL

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Same.

It was just the randomness of it and made the message from William about letting him die lose some of its impact.

Eh, then what do the other non-Chloe-killing anomalies do? The universe has been consistent in sending specific hit attempts, but now it's gonna send a tornado that might or might not kill her (it'll kill a ton of not-Chloes for sure).

Sounds like bad writing to me, sorry, I don't want to buy it.

It's a pretty common trope of save one versus save the many and while it's disappointing that DONTNOD went in that direction, it makes sense.

Saving Chloe and continuing to save Chloe creates ripples which culminate in an tornado that may or may not kill her, but will restore a sense of balance.

 

[Smoolio]

Any Steins;Gates fans here? I've only seen the anime but you guys like Steins;Gate or LiS more? There are definitely some similarities with one large one in particular. Edit: Madoka too.

Was so hoping for a Steins;Gate solution in the bathroom at the end.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

It was just the randomness of it and made the message from William about letting him die lose some of its impact.

Yeah, couldn't quite tell what I was meant to feel during the nightmare section because it seemed to be going for too much at once. Comedy, horror, emotionally resonant with Max's fears... it was weird. I guess fitting for a nightmare, but it didn't seem to have a clear goal as a result.

 

[Soriku]

what the fuck did I just watch LOL

I'm 2 minutes in and I'm dying lol.

 

[Smiley90]

I just had a thought you guys - when she saves William, could it be that paralyzed Chloe dies around the same time (the same week) that she gets shot? I never thought about that, but it makes sense - she has to die during that week, no matter what state she's in.

Though that subplot obviously fails by no storm/anomalies at all. If the storm was a side effect of messing with time, why didnt it try to kill William or send a storm there? Why is the universe so obsessed with Chloe?

I still think it's because someone (Rachel?) gave Max powers to save Chloe. And the storm is the price to pay for meddling with that.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Though that subplot obviously fails by no storm/anomalies at all. If the storm was a side effect of messing with time, why didnt it try to kill William or send a storm there? Why is the universe so obsessed with Chloe?

That would be because Max didn't get time travel powers when she was 10 or however old she was during that sequence: she gets them at 18 years old. That's the point of importance that everything else derives from, emphasized by the fact that she never even remembers what happens when she shifts timelines until time returns to the "present."

 

[Atraveller]

It was just the randomness of it and made the message from William about letting him die lose some of its impact.



It's a pretty common trope of save one versus save the many and while it's disappointing that DONTNOD went in that direction, it makes sense.

Saving Chloe and continuing to save Chloe creates ripples which culminate in an tornado that may or may not kill her, but will restore a sense of balance.

Wouldn't it be cooler if Max needed to do something at a certain time and place to expose Jefferson, and save the future victims, that she doesn't have the time to save Chloe (it's like poetry it rhymes), instead of succumbing to destiny?

 

[IvanJ]

Just finished the game and loved it. I did wait and played all 5 episodes back-to-back, I have no patience to play 2 hours/wait 2 months...
I played like I was Max, and behaved the way I would have behaved, to me it seems the only honest approach to this wonderful story. I also never rewound unless it was needed to progress the game (steal Frank's keys, find out info etc.)

That said, I of course saved Chloe. That's what I would have done in real life - save a loved one, screw the rest. Selfish, I know, but selflessness rarely pays off in the long run... And I'm fine with the ending, riding off into the future disconnected from everything, leaving it in the past. In my story, the tornado concludes the sequence of events, Chloe is saved and Max loses her powers forever. Some people survive, but do I care who? No, Chloe is alive, and that is all I need to know to make me satisfied.

I never felt any of my choices were meaningless. All of them, from watering the plant to saving Alyssa at the end meant something. Sure, not all of them were consequential to the big picture, but not everything needs to be streamlined toward a single goal.

Not to be boring, I just wanted to share my love of the game and my thoughts. I am very happy I played it.

 

[Manny Calavera]

what the hell? They actually said that?

That's just insane, talk about hyperbole. Especially since all of them really liked the game at some point, just because the ending wasn't what they expected/wanted it's bad now? I still can't believe it's even real. Currently it's standing solid 82 at Metacritic so many do praise it still.



EDIT: After a bit of investigation nobody is really calling it that. Still surprisingly low scores on some sites.

 

[Paganmoon]

Sacrificing the town was the only real way to get rid of Warren. It had to be done.

 

[aly]

That's just insane, talk about hyperbole. Especially since all of them really liked the game at some point, just because the ending wasn't what they expected/wanted it's bad now? I still can't believe it's even real. Currently it's standing solid 82 at Metacritic so many do praise it still.

That person is being dramatic. Edit: lol saw your edit. Besides, an ending can ruin a game for some people. It's not some outrageous idea.

 

[Atraveller]

Sacrificing the town was the only real way to get rid of Warren. It had to be done.

I prefer him to stay alive in that case, for Joyce's sake.

 

[Trick_GSF]

No splish splash, no reconnecting with Max? Chloe dies in a pool of blood in a bathroom never knowing what happened to Rachel..

I can't. I can't let all that be undone, I cannot accept it and let go. And I couldn't in real life either. I couldn't sacrifice someone I deeply loved for many that I don't. I'm not noble or a hero and I didn't pretend to be when the choice came. Arcadia Bay had to go..

And you know, as much as the game was projecting the whole "Chloe has to die" thing, I feel they've been projecting the fact that Chloe and Max are meant to be together in one shape or form just as much.

And that's my justification for letting a town full of people die, something I'm wasn't happy with by the way. I gotta say, I wasn't that fond of the ending choice, I didn't think it'd go that way to be honest, but whatever.

Wakey Wakey Eggs & Bakey!

 

[Sp3ratus]

I prefer him to stay alive in that case, for Joyce's sake.

But would Warren and Joyce really know each other that well in the "sacrifice Chloe" ending? I mean, sure, it's a small town where most people probably know most other residents, but the whole reason we even see them together in the same spot is because of the storm.

 

[Ventilaator]

Finished episode 5.

They put a forced stealth sequence in this game. That's what stuck in my mind after finishing it. With a potential GOTY on their hands, they sat down to put together the last chapter and figured it needed forced stealth.

What.

 

[Manny Calavera]

That person is being dramatic. Edit: lol saw your edit. Besides, an ending can ruin a game for some people. It's not some outrageous idea.

Yes I figured it as well.

You're right about the ending, it's very important, but I don't think anyone should hold it too much against if the ending is not exactly as they imagined.


Some were rating episodic games before and my three favorites are so far

1. Life is Strange
2. The Walking Dead S1
3. The Wolf Among Us

I actually rated all 9.5 and all are among my favorite games from the past few years. I think TWD and TWAU had maybe a bit more solid writing, but Life is Strange feels to me the most genuine and more relatable with its every day situations. I loved all those simple quiet moments in the game like Max and Chloe laying on the bed, or Max waking up and just hanging in her room. Also it was interesting to see the characters in so many different situations, like the whole brilliant alternate reality where Chloe was in the wheelchair. Also the ending scenes and twists were among the best I've seen and the song choices were just perfect. The emotional interpersonal relationships were some of the most touching I've seen in a game and I've rarely cared as much about characters in a game as I did for Max and Chloe.

 

[Soriku]

Finished episode 5.

They put a forced stealth sequence in this game. That's what stuck in my mind after finishing it. With a potential GOTY on their hands, they sat down to put together the last chapter and figured it needed forced stealth.

What.

You had to rewind a lot which was a bit tedious, but I thought the sequence itself was pretty cool and the nightmare versions of the characters had some kinda fucked up lines...and some funny ones. So it was worth it IMO.

 

[Atraveller]

But would Warren and Joyce really know each other that well in the "sacrifice Chloe" ending? I mean, sure, it's a small town where most people probably know most other residents, but the whole reason we even see them together in the same spot is because of the storm.

For Warren to die, something bad must happen at the diner. It'd be best for all of them to survive.

 

[Manny Calavera]

You had to rewind a lot which was a bit tedious, but I thought the sequence itself was pretty cool and the nightmare versions of the characters had some kinda fucked up lines...and some funny ones. So it was worth it IMO.

My feelings as well. I just often stopped and listened all those disturbing lines. Also after that loved the memory lane with Max and Chloe.

 

[WITHE1982]

what the fuck did I just watch LOL

WTF! I lost it at the Jefferson Firestarter bit. That was hella cool.

 

[Ventilaator]

You had to rewind a lot which was a bit tedious, but I thought the sequence itself was pretty cool and the nightmare versions of the characters had some kinda fucked up lines...and some funny ones. So it was worth it IMO.

Max's phone was a perfectly fine place to put those fucked up/funny lines.

My impression is that Life is Strange is doing pretty well among people who don't normally play games. I played it with me on the controller and my girlfriend making all the choices. I've heard this is the way many people play it. Several people around me who don't normally play games have either been playing it, or asking me about it because it seems cool.

You don't need to have years of controller practice to play it, and unlike Telltale games you have all the time in the world to think about your choices. Seems like a perfect game to get new people into gaming.

...and then they put forced stealth in it. Anecdotal evidence and all that, but I can say with 100% certainty that if my girlfriend was the one playing she would have stopped playing at that point.

 

[Manny Calavera]

...and then they put forced stealth in it. Anecdotal evidence and all that, but I can say with 100% certainty that if my girlfriend was the one playing she would have stopped playing at that point.

That's a pretty valid point actually. My wife played the whole game by herself to that point without any problems, but after I while I just had to play that part for her. She did make it quite far on her own and it's not really a big deal. She does play occasionally games like Until Dawn, Heavy Rain, and platformers in co-op like Yoshi's Woolly World recently and Rayman Legends an so on, but I don't think she has ever played a stealth game in her life.

Well anyway she loved Life is Strange and it's now one of her favorite games. She just said that the ending was too sad..

 

[Seth Balmore]

what the fuck did I just watch LOL

This is incredible.

 

[Soriku]

Max's phone was a perfectly fine place to put those fucked up/funny lines.

My impression is that Life is Strange is doing pretty well among people who don't normally play games. I played it with me on the controller and my girlfriend making all the choices. I've heard this is the way many people play it. Several people around me who don't normally play games have either been playing it, or asking me about it because it seems cool.

You don't need to have years of controller practice to play it, and unlike Telltale games you have all the time in the world to think about your choices. Seems like a perfect game to get new people into gaming.

...and then they put forced stealth in it. Anecdotal evidence and all that, but I can say with 100% certainty that if my girlfriend was the one playing she would have stopped playing at that point.

There were too many lines to just delegate them to text messages. Also the voice acting made those lines.

The stealth section isn't even difficult, it just takes a little patience. It's not like...Metal Gear where it's an action game and you need to play at least decently or you're going to get a game over. You can't die in LiS. You just keep moving forward, rewind a bit to have the other character turn around, and then continue on. You can honestly rush through some of it. The good thing about the rewind mechanic in this game is that it doesn't rewind you/move you, just your surroundings.

There were some other segments in the game where you had to rewind a couple times. Tbh I find it hard to believe someone who played through the other episodes couldn't get through that part.

 

[GGNKovalski]

Ever since I've finished it, I've been watching streamers and youtubers play just to see/hear their reactions. Every time is watch the Sacrifice Chloe ending it destroys me. I'm an emotional wreck right after.

 

[Soriku]

Ever since I've finished it, I've been watching streamers and youtubers play just to see/hear their reactions. Every time is watch the Sacrifice Chloe ending it destroys me. I'm an emotional wreck right after.

Which ending are most people picking? Or is it split?

 

[RedSparrows]

Ever since I've finished it, I've been watching streamers and youtubers play just to see/hear their reactions. Every time is watch the Sacrifice Chloe ending it destroys me. I'm an emotional wreck right after.

I watched one reaction on YouTube. I think I blubbed harder than I did the first time.

This game has consumed a good part of my thought this week. I need to get it out my head for a bit

 

[GGNKovalski]

Which ending are most people picking? Or is it split?

Most streamers are going with Sacrifice Chloe. Some did one then immediately went back to see the other. I haven't watch a ton of people play though. When I finished it is showed a 50/50 split (PS4). Curious to what the overall is now on all systems.

 

[Paganmoon]

Which ending are most people picking? Or is it split?

Think it was 55% sacrifice Arcadia bay 45% Sacrifice Chloe, when I finished my playthrough yesterday.

Funnily with the hate Warren gets, only 6% didn't show any affection to him

 

[GGNKovalski]

At this point though I have my fingers crossed that they do a physical release. Maybe with a CD of the soundtrack included or a physical copy of Max's Diary and maybe a director's cut or episode 6 (although that is unlikely). I would pay an embarrassing sum of money for this.

 

[Dark_castle]

I lost it when I saw this....I had to stop playing because I couldn't stop laughing and it was ruining the mood...

Think it was 55% sacrifice Arcadia bay 45% Sacrifice Chloe, when I finished my playthrough yesterday.

Funnily with the hate Warren gets, only 6% didn't show any affection to him

I was very tempted to hit kiss Warren just to see if he flips out, but I ended up being part of the 6%. Sorry bud, I ship Max and Chloe.

 

[IvanJ]

Which ending are most people picking? Or is it split?

There is a statistic at the end of the game. When I finished and saved Chloe, it said 45% saved Chloe, 55% saved the town.