Life is Strange | Spoiler Thread
- Thread starter Dr. Buni
- Start date
Nathan is arrested after killing Chloe and he rats out Jefferson, who is also arrested, so everyone finds out what really happened with Kate and she isn't driven to attempt suicide.
FaintColt388301
Member
Just finished it. What a game. The way they frame the endings with the music and cinematic is just unreal. It is so damn good.
I picked the sacrifice chloe ending and it got me all teary. Great way to end the game.
I watched the other ending and it felt so underwhelming, like they didn't even really try very hard for that one. It doesn't even try to hit you with the impact of what you really just did. Why'd they try and make it happy? It's an awful thing that just happened. Why would the ending where one person dies try to hit you harder than one where hundreds do?
Great game though. Glad I took GAF's recommendation. The lady loved it as well.
I picked the sacrifice chloe ending and it got me all teary. Great way to end the game.
I watched the other ending and it felt so underwhelming, like they didn't even really try very hard for that one. It doesn't even try to hit you with the impact of what you really just did. Why'd they try and make it happy? It's an awful thing that just happened. Why would the ending where one person dies try to hit you harder than one where hundreds do?
Great game though. Glad I took GAF's recommendation. The lady loved it as well.
OrlanisWorks
Banned
I literally just finished it too. Did the other ending though, and then went and watched the other ending on youtube. I think the ending in riding off with Chloe out of Arcadia Bay was attempting to be a, "We can leave everything behind," but it kind of falls flat considering how emotional Max and Chloe tend to get around things. But hey, Max still has her family, right? Yeah, not quite a great ending that one.
The ending with Chloe dying was definitely the better one, because that struck a far more serious chord. The better ending and it has a blunt, but great, call-back to Ms. Grant's comments on A Sound of Thunder. What a depressing game. I need Tales from the Borderlands to wake my spirits about now.
Thunder Monkey
Banned
Finally got around to beating episode 5. First save was Sacrifice Chloe. Second save was Sacrifice Arcadia Bay.
Easily my favorite game of the generation so far.
Easily my favorite game of the generation so far.
The dream sequence I thought was the only time we knew what Max thought about the events of the game. Throughout most of the game, Max is doing her actions to save Chloe and anyone else (Kate, Rachel Amber, etc.). It wasn't until she had a conversation with herself in the dream that I realized what was going on.
I'm glad they kept the dream sequence.
Okay, so I've noticed quite a few of you have been upset with the Sacrifice Arcadia Bay ending and what some have described as it's abruptness.
I actually really like the ambiguity of the ending, and it's vagueness, the only thing that strikes me is odd is the reuse of Obstacles, whereas the other ending get's a new song -- how ever even that's justifiable, this ending hints at the repeat of a cycle, Max never moved on, and she's now stuck in this loop with Chloe, and the repetition of the song might be emblematic of that.
I'm just confused. What do you actually want? An elaborate epilogue with every surviving character getting their last moment? Is it actually something that needs to be there? Do you want just it laid out clearly what Chloe and Max's future will be? Is it actually important to the story?
I believe it's in the San Francisco scene, at the Everyday Heroes Gallery in Episode 5.
I actually really like the ambiguity of the ending, and it's vagueness, the only thing that strikes me is odd is the reuse of Obstacles, whereas the other ending get's a new song -- how ever even that's justifiable, this ending hints at the repeat of a cycle, Max never moved on, and she's now stuck in this loop with Chloe, and the repetition of the song might be emblematic of that.
I'm just confused. What do you actually want? An elaborate epilogue with every surviving character getting their last moment? Is it actually something that needs to be there? Do you want just it laid out clearly what Chloe and Max's future will be? Is it actually important to the story?
I believe it's in the San Francisco scene, at the Everyday Heroes Gallery in Episode 5.
Episode 5. At the beginning of the art gallery section.
Agreed. Replay value is good too. Now I just started my "total bitch" replay hahaha. I'm going to choose the most ass holeish/bitchy options on my replay haha.
All the Max x Victoria scenes are particularly good in that one.
BlastProcessing
Member
Like you I prefered the ambiguity of that ending. The thing for me about the Sacrifice Arcadia Bay ending was that there was no indication that it would, in any way, stop Nature from tearing itself apart.
Who's to say that a bigger time tornado isn't going to follow them to wherever they end up next?
For me, Life is Strange is about being afraid of moving forward, afraid of growing and changing.
A ton of elements of the game fit this theme:
The time rewind mechanic itself. The fact that Max has moved back to her old home town to study photography, literally the freezing of moments. Her having the name Caufield, another character who is desperately trying to stay in the limbo between childhood and adulthood.
So yeah, her fear of change has put her in a sort of loop. Chloe is the personification of that. So I like the reuse of Obstacles there quite a bit.
I'll take you on that. Many others I'm looking forward to too, like in example not letting paraplegic Chloe die, this time I'll tell her hell no, I'm not killing you.
LurkerPrime
Member
I still believe the Sacrifice Arcadia Bay ending works. It'd be better with an expanded outro, but it was the less important ending to explain. It's not a riding-into-the-sunset ending, but a bittersweet ending--with Max and Chloe fully embracing eachother's presence, because, well... that's all they have left, and additionally it's all they need; Max's future as an artist is in tatters due to the destruction of Arcadia Bay, and Chloe's entire lifestyle is in a similar boat. So they're just together, in spite of everything.
The thing I find most impressive about both endings is that the story guides you to your final decision effortlessly--the choice is obvious, and the opposite unthinkable--reinforced and built up through experiences in the rest of the game.
Huh? What do you mean?
I couldn't resist the paint thing in Ep 1(?) but is there more to it than that? And what actually does it save her from?
Replaying this is gonna be so good, one day. I'll savour it.
The thing I find most impressive about both endings is that the story guides you to your final decision effortlessly--the choice is obvious, and the opposite unthinkable--reinforced and built up through experiences in the rest of the game.
Huh? What do you mean?
I couldn't resist the paint thing in Ep 1(?) but is there more to it than that? And what actually does it save her from?
Replaying this is gonna be so good, one day. I'll savour it.
If you don't warn her about Nathan at the Vortex Club party in Episode 4, she won't go to Mr. Jefferson for help and end up getting kidnapped by him and killed.
I remember utterly failing the conversation at the party and thinking, "Great, I've killed her, I knew the paint thing would come back to haunt me." And then it didn't. Although getting her kidnapped does give you some interesting (albeit depressing) bonding time with her and adds more to her relationship with Max.
Your treatment of Victoria also influences Max's lines when she interrupts Victoria talking to Jefferson after the lecture when you return to it via the photo. If you were nice to her Max says something like "you're a good person, you don't need to be mean to feel good about yourself," but if you were mean to her Max just tears her a new one.
I actually just remembered how funny the scene is when you talk to Jefferson in the classroom after Victoria leaves. Max's lines are some "I'm gonna take you to the bank, Mr. Jefferson...the blood bank" level cheese and I love it.
Your treatment of Victoria also influences Max's lines when she interrupts Victoria talking to Jefferson after the lecture when you return to it via the photo. If you were nice to her Max says something like "you're a good person, you don't need to be mean to feel good about yourself," but if you were mean to her Max just tears her a new one.
I actually just remembered how funny the scene is when you talk to Jefferson in the classroom after Victoria leaves. Max's lines are some "I'm gonna take you to the bank, Mr. Jefferson...the blood bank" level cheese and I love it.
LurkerPrime
Member
Oh, dang. Until you mentioned it, I forgot that I did that. I totally assumed that Victoria ignored the warning, but then Jefferson ignored his plans for Victoria in favour of capturing Max after she left the party.
The little touches are really cool.
SolidLifts
Neo Member
marathoned 4 and 5 last night. Thought the Jefferson thing was over-the-top and forced, but it managed to distract me from the obvious sacrifice Chloe ending. Gut punched.
Max is particularly tragic. Not only will she be forever haunted by her choice, but she'll have to keep making the choice to not go back in time - to not save her.
"I'm the ghost in the back of your head"
Max is particularly tragic. Not only will she be forever haunted by her choice, but she'll have to keep making the choice to not go back in time - to not save her.
"I'm the ghost in the back of your head"
Effigenius
Member
Where do you see this happens to her?
You killed paraplegic Chloe?! You
You don't see it happen; Victoria tells you about it if you talk to her in the Dark Room at the beginning of Episode 5.
PaulBizkit
Member
Finished the game three days ago.
I killed paraplegic Chloe too, that's what she wanted and I didn't want her to delay the unavoidable.
I saw both endings (like everybody else) but I stand firmly behind "Sacrifice Arcadia Bay". I mean, this story is about a lot of things, but one of the most important to me is to answer the question "How far would you go to save your best friend?"
And I would go far, she was a total bro to Max and I didn't want her to die. I cared more for her than for any other character.
Thank God Max's parents were not in that town and that Chloe's father died years before or I would've spent hours trying to decide what choice to make.
The ending of episode 3 caught me by COMPLETE surprise because in Chrono Trigger you go back in time to "save" a character's mother and when you return to the present she's like completely normal and cheerful and happy and with no circunstances WHATSOEVER.
I killed paraplegic Chloe too, that's what she wanted and I didn't want her to delay the unavoidable.
I saw both endings (like everybody else) but I stand firmly behind "Sacrifice Arcadia Bay". I mean, this story is about a lot of things, but one of the most important to me is to answer the question "How far would you go to save your best friend?"
And I would go far, she was a total bro to Max and I didn't want her to die. I cared more for her than for any other character.
Thank God Max's parents were not in that town and that Chloe's father died years before or I would've spent hours trying to decide what choice to make.
The ending of episode 3 caught me by COMPLETE surprise because in Chrono Trigger you go back in time to "save" a character's mother and when you return to the present she's like completely normal and cheerful and happy and with no circunstances WHATSOEVER.
slavesnyder
Member
I wonder what happens after the "sacrifice Arcadia" ending.
I guess the drive away and on the next stop at a gaz station Chloe gets run over by a truck...
Nah man, I bet a swarm of locus appears and take her out. If a tornado doesn't work, then it's time to utilize some Old Testament chaos.
i played it this weekend with essentially no expectations.
it's basically the best game of its kind.
i'm pretty harsh on these 'your choices matter! (but not really)' games, but life is strange makes no pretense to that effect. your choices can matter, but you can always undo them. the game even chastises you for going back and retrying things, trying to make the best decisions, to be popular, to be liked. it was fucking refreshing and not at all what i expected. hell, i wasn't even aware of the time travel mechanic, nor was i expecting it to be used to such great effect throughout the game.
it's basically like someone played 999 and watched madoka magica and decided they would make a game that combined the two. it's just so damn fun to be able to manipulate time in this game, and i find that unlike a lot of 'decision-making' games, this one actually made you own yours. because it gave you the option to go back and forth in case you really didn't mean it, or were unhappy with the outcome. so when events unfolded later on, they were due to deliberate and not spur-of-the-moment decisions or poor reaction time.
although the game gets into murder mystery quick, i loved the first episode and its 'girl who leapt through time' aspect, where it's more about dealing in real life and far more grounded than what it turns into. that said, the entire game is a breath of fresh air compared to something like heavy rain or the walking dead which are both overwrought with melodrama and unrelateable characters in unrealistic situations.
not everything is a home run. i didn't like the binary choice at the end, or the one i chose being pretty bare-bones (i'll never forget you, arcordian bay). i also thought jefferson's true personality wasn't quite as successful as i think the writers were hoping. but overall, it's a really great ride. i definitely want more like it.
it's basically the best game of its kind.
i'm pretty harsh on these 'your choices matter! (but not really)' games, but life is strange makes no pretense to that effect. your choices can matter, but you can always undo them. the game even chastises you for going back and retrying things, trying to make the best decisions, to be popular, to be liked. it was fucking refreshing and not at all what i expected. hell, i wasn't even aware of the time travel mechanic, nor was i expecting it to be used to such great effect throughout the game.
it's basically like someone played 999 and watched madoka magica and decided they would make a game that combined the two. it's just so damn fun to be able to manipulate time in this game, and i find that unlike a lot of 'decision-making' games, this one actually made you own yours. because it gave you the option to go back and forth in case you really didn't mean it, or were unhappy with the outcome. so when events unfolded later on, they were due to deliberate and not spur-of-the-moment decisions or poor reaction time.
although the game gets into murder mystery quick, i loved the first episode and its 'girl who leapt through time' aspect, where it's more about dealing in real life and far more grounded than what it turns into. that said, the entire game is a breath of fresh air compared to something like heavy rain or the walking dead which are both overwrought with melodrama and unrelateable characters in unrealistic situations.
not everything is a home run. i didn't like the binary choice at the end, or the one i chose being pretty bare-bones (i'll never forget you, arcordian bay). i also thought jefferson's true personality wasn't quite as successful as i think the writers were hoping. but overall, it's a really great ride. i definitely want more like it.
PaulBizkit
Member
Forgot to mention.
Last week was my second week of vacation (from work). So I started playing this on Monday and did one episode per day (except on Thursday, when I played episode 4 in the morning and episode 5 in the afternoon) and it was a great experience. Everything started and ended last week. At least knowing that a LiS 2 is confirmed helped me cope with the after-game-completion emptiness lol
Last week was my second week of vacation (from work). So I started playing this on Monday and did one episode per day (except on Thursday, when I played episode 4 in the morning and episode 5 in the afternoon) and it was a great experience. Everything started and ended last week. At least knowing that a LiS 2 is confirmed helped me cope with the after-game-completion emptiness lol
I finished this yesterday and just sat there for about 15 minutes after the credits rolled thinking about it. I love it when games do that. The ending I picked (sacrificing Chloe) was the only logical conclusion for me and I thought it was beautifully executed, the soundtrack was just perfect. I did watch the other ending on youtube and it's clear that not much thought went into it which is a bummer if you chose it but wasn't that big of a deal for me obviously.
Overall I'm really impressed and I hope dontnod is able to continue down this path successfully. It does have its problems for sure, some scenes work better than others, some of the dialogue is a bit wonky (though I didn't mind some of its quirks like the use of "hella"), the antagonist doesn't fit quite as well into the story as I would like and the dream sequence at the end of episode 5 dragged on for a bit too long but if I think back on it those issues don't stand out.
Lastly I have to mention that I think it uses the time rewinding mechanic rather well for the most part and makes interaction of the player meaningful enough. I never was a fan of the "is this even a game" debate when it comes to Telltale games, or stuff like Gone Home because for me they clearly are even if interactivity and impact of the player is limited. What is and was important in this game in particular is the ability to do things at your own pace. I loved exploring the environments, hearing Max's thoughts and talking to the people when I wanted. It seems like a small thing but it makes a huge difference in my eyes. Hope we'll see more games like this of that quality in the future. Well done dontnod.
Overall I'm really impressed and I hope dontnod is able to continue down this path successfully. It does have its problems for sure, some scenes work better than others, some of the dialogue is a bit wonky (though I didn't mind some of its quirks like the use of "hella"), the antagonist doesn't fit quite as well into the story as I would like and the dream sequence at the end of episode 5 dragged on for a bit too long but if I think back on it those issues don't stand out.
Lastly I have to mention that I think it uses the time rewinding mechanic rather well for the most part and makes interaction of the player meaningful enough. I never was a fan of the "is this even a game" debate when it comes to Telltale games, or stuff like Gone Home because for me they clearly are even if interactivity and impact of the player is limited. What is and was important in this game in particular is the ability to do things at your own pace. I loved exploring the environments, hearing Max's thoughts and talking to the people when I wanted. It seems like a small thing but it makes a huge difference in my eyes. Hope we'll see more games like this of that quality in the future. Well done dontnod.
Just finished and want to get my thoughts out in no particular order.
I didn't predict that Jefferson would be the killer, but it's certainly not out of the blue. There's one conversation you can have with him about Kate where he says something like, have you considered that she put herself in this situation? Basically he victim blames Kate and it was at that moment I decided I don't like that guy Jefferson at all. And I'm skeptical of anyone that says they suspect him from the get go, yea he has that 'dark corner' line at the beginning but at that point you don't even know that plot and they do conveniently rewind you to that line later so you can put it together...
Usually when I'm playing a game it's a silent affair. Yes a game invokes feelings of excitement or whatever but I can keep it contained. But that showdown, between David and Jefferson, was just TOO GOOD. When David showed up I was so hyped and when he gets killed a literally let out an "oh noooo." And then when he uses the camera to hit Jefferson the second time I blurted out "yes David!!" I was weird, a game never got me to react out loud like that before which is why it was so memorable for me.
I think, for the first few episodes, Life is Strange was really good at convincing me that I was influencing the story. At the back of my mind I know that, because of the scope of games, there probably isn't a branching web of narratives. Still, the first few episodes were good at making me feel like my choices could significantly alter the narrative. The choices in the later episodes really started to feel like a funnel though. As the story powers through to the end there's just less and less opportunity to see how your choices could play out differently in the world.
After episode 3 I thought that the ultimate choice in the game would be handicapped Chloe with a happy family vs. sad but more real Chloe. I was a little bit disappointed with how little time we spend in this first alternate reality. It would have been nice to go to Blackwell for a day etc. Hell it'd be cool if the narrative were to seriously branch here, you could either go back or continue the Rachel investigation as popular Max and handicapped Chloe, but yea, the scope of that is unrealistic. Also they made this alternate reality way, way more worse than I thought it would be.
As for the final choice, it's not even a debate for me. As much as I love Chloe I can't let a entire town of people potentially die. Step-bawse David is in that town. And it's not inconsistent with my Max who even though she's been saving Chloe over and over she'd also been saving everyone else. I don't think sacrificing Chloe means that nothing mattered though. It still happened for Max and has changed her character. And sadly that sacrifice was the path of least resistance to nailing Jefferson and solving the Rachel mystery. But the ramifications for Chloe dying in that bathroom, not knowing what happened to Rachel, never seeing Max again, not knowing what kind of person David is...that is extremely hollow okay I don't even want to think about it. The other ending is potentially great too because everyone, Chloe, David, Frank, Victoria etc...are better people than they were at the beginning. That is if they're alive =/. Also (and this applies to both endings) just because it's the final choice it doesn't mean the game has to end. For a game that prides itself on actions having consequences it is very disappointing that you don't get to play through the consequences of your biggest action.
Finally in case I come off as too negative, then my bad because Life is Strange was one of my favorite games ever. I love all the characters, I love where the story went, I love the music, and my goodness the musical moments at the end of each episode were magical. LiS is at king of its type of game and one of the only games I've played that deserves to be called an experience.
I didn't predict that Jefferson would be the killer, but it's certainly not out of the blue. There's one conversation you can have with him about Kate where he says something like, have you considered that she put herself in this situation? Basically he victim blames Kate and it was at that moment I decided I don't like that guy Jefferson at all. And I'm skeptical of anyone that says they suspect him from the get go, yea he has that 'dark corner' line at the beginning but at that point you don't even know that plot and they do conveniently rewind you to that line later so you can put it together...
Usually when I'm playing a game it's a silent affair. Yes a game invokes feelings of excitement or whatever but I can keep it contained. But that showdown, between David and Jefferson, was just TOO GOOD. When David showed up I was so hyped and when he gets killed a literally let out an "oh noooo." And then when he uses the camera to hit Jefferson the second time I blurted out "yes David!!" I was weird, a game never got me to react out loud like that before which is why it was so memorable for me.
I think, for the first few episodes, Life is Strange was really good at convincing me that I was influencing the story. At the back of my mind I know that, because of the scope of games, there probably isn't a branching web of narratives. Still, the first few episodes were good at making me feel like my choices could significantly alter the narrative. The choices in the later episodes really started to feel like a funnel though. As the story powers through to the end there's just less and less opportunity to see how your choices could play out differently in the world.
After episode 3 I thought that the ultimate choice in the game would be handicapped Chloe with a happy family vs. sad but more real Chloe. I was a little bit disappointed with how little time we spend in this first alternate reality. It would have been nice to go to Blackwell for a day etc. Hell it'd be cool if the narrative were to seriously branch here, you could either go back or continue the Rachel investigation as popular Max and handicapped Chloe, but yea, the scope of that is unrealistic. Also they made this alternate reality way, way more worse than I thought it would be.
As for the final choice, it's not even a debate for me. As much as I love Chloe I can't let a entire town of people potentially die. Step-bawse David is in that town. And it's not inconsistent with my Max who even though she's been saving Chloe over and over she'd also been saving everyone else. I don't think sacrificing Chloe means that nothing mattered though. It still happened for Max and has changed her character. And sadly that sacrifice was the path of least resistance to nailing Jefferson and solving the Rachel mystery. But the ramifications for Chloe dying in that bathroom, not knowing what happened to Rachel, never seeing Max again, not knowing what kind of person David is...that is extremely hollow okay I don't even want to think about it. The other ending is potentially great too because everyone, Chloe, David, Frank, Victoria etc...are better people than they were at the beginning. That is if they're alive =/. Also (and this applies to both endings) just because it's the final choice it doesn't mean the game has to end. For a game that prides itself on actions having consequences it is very disappointing that you don't get to play through the consequences of your biggest action.
Finally in case I come off as too negative, then my bad because Life is Strange was one of my favorite games ever. I love all the characters, I love where the story went, I love the music, and my goodness the musical moments at the end of each episode were magical. LiS is at king of its type of game and one of the only games I've played that deserves to be called an experience.
Same characters or completely different ?
SmarterUnconscious
Member
LiS season 2 hasn't been officially confirmed, but it has been such a success I'm sure SE and dontnod have plans.
They've said if a season 2 does happen it will be a completely new story with new characters. As much as I love Max and Chloe, i think that's the right choice.
Well, this is Square-Enix. The same 'Tomb Raider has to sell 8 million before it's successful' Square-Enix.
JehutyRunner
Banned
Dontnod said at E3 if a Season 2 happened, it'd feature a new setting and cast. It'd be an anthology series ala True Detective.
And considering Dontnod's CEO went on French TV just after the release of the Season 1 finale and confirmed Season 2 was happening, it's happening. Its just never been officially announced by Square Enix is all.
But it's happening.
openrob
Member
Awwww yeahhhh
Still such a great game weeks after completing it, hope the next Dontnod game is just as good
Fakeknowledge
Member
Sacrificing Chloe is my favourite game ending of all time and this bit in particular is ruining me on a daily basis when i think about it, it's too much, i can't.
Fuck.
I've had this as my wallpaper since finishing it to make me feel better and i don't think i'll be changing it anytime soon
.
PaulBizkit
Member
Yeah, I used that image as my phone wallpaper for some days.
I will replay this game but, this time, I will be a badass sarcastic Max.
I still need a Back To The Future poster with max and chloe on the delorean.
I will replay this game but, this time, I will be a badass sarcastic Max.
I still need a Back To The Future poster with max and chloe on the delorean.
My take on that is that is was Time or the Universe trying to convince Max to sacrifice Chloe. Everything from showing images of Chloe hooking up with all her friends and enemies, to highlighting how selfish she can be to that scene where alt-Max is telling main-Max how badly she's screwed everything up by rewinding time. Road to hell is paved with good intentions and all that.
The way Max was basically "fuck you I won't do what you tell me" in that last diner scene was enough to make me feel the same and save Chloe. It was like the game was trying so hard to convince me to kill Chloe that I balked and just basically said "fuck you, game, I'm saving my bae"
I actually went back and changed my choice to save Chloe V_V sorry Arcadia Bay. I assume a lot of them managed to survive...
RedSparrows
Member
Only if you kid yourself 
GamingOblivion
Banned
So I ordered to the Limited Edition physical disc. Kinda getting buyer's remorse since I already played and beat the game on digital. Should I return it?
While I wish the Chloe ending was more fleshed out, I'm glad they kept the whole internal dream sequence. It lead to some really great wtf moments and helped to flesh out Max's (and maybe the player's) thoughts on constantly trying to save and fucking up. From the Kate speech (super haunting and twisted) to Max's own doubts about her and the relationship with all of her friends, classmates and teachers and what ultimately ended up being the most important thing in her life at that point, it does a lot for the game and the story.
It also makes that final decision way harder. Even if you hated Chloe up to a point, you quickly realize how much you want to fight fate and save her, even if she is meant to die.
As for the Chloe ending, it does kind of work as you leave Arcadia Bay behind to start a fresh and unknown life together, while anyone left is stuck to pick up the pieces. That is if anyone is still actually left alive.
sobaka770
Banned
Finished the game yesterday and took some time to get my thoughts straight on the subject (and make an epic long post). It is clear that this game strikes a chord with a large number of people, here on Gaf and even on Steam, judging by the reviews.
What can I say?
Is the game good? Yes.
Is it the best narrative-driven game Ive personally played? Yes.
Is it a masterpiece/GotY material? Eh . still not there?
Heres a thing, I like this game, I do, but its far from perfect. I think part of the problem is on me in the sense that I pretty much binged on it in a week, making cliffhangers at the end of each episode less relevant. I mean if I had to wait a few months after episode 3 or 4 Id also be very anxious and may even replay the episodes a few times, but when you play the game as a continuous experience the suspense doesnt have a breathing room.
But let me first say why I find this game great: amazing character writing and dialogue. Some lines are clunky but teenagers do speak the way nowadays.
And we are in the photography hipster community after all. Characters are all relatable and well-defined. Graphics style grew on me a lot and the music is obviously awesome. Technically speaking this game is competent and artistically its great, so good points all around.
The big thing for me was the choice-consequence situations which the game advertises to impact past-present-and-future. A lot of games
do that with relative success, and, overall, Life is Strange is a better entry out of all Ive played. It really feels like the writers took their time to write this story with a lot of heart, humour, sadness and it ends up being narratively solid. It was disheartening to see my choices led to poor Kate dying, even though I definitely saw that she was going to jump probably from the get-go.
.
I think that the only game that emotionally bludgeoned me to this extent before was Journey. The beginning of Chapter 4 was hard to play through, even though
Negatives.
Overarching story is mediocre. For all the great little character moments, drama and genuine emotional scenes, the main plot(s) which involve the Rachel disappearance and the tornado end up being silly in the end and poorly thought out. The most problematic part for me was that I really didnt care about Rachel, and compared with the tornado Armageddon scenario the whole search for her seemed unimportant and worse - a waste of time. The twist in the end is frustrating. I totally suspected Mr Jefferson but the game gives you no opportunity to uncover the plot correctly. Even worse the whole reasoning for him being insane is quite wonky and requires huge logical gaps. In a nutshell its competent, but predictable, and if you didnt see Kate jumping, Chloe becoming crippled
in the end of episode 3, tornado being a result of Maxs time tampering or that Nathan is not the real main bad then I just watch too many movies and apologise.
Heres my main beef with the whole thing: the tornado/magical part of the plot, in my opinion, really hurts the overall impact of the game. I get that this is the whole reprecussions thread going on, but it doesnt feel earned or even urgent for the characters. The point it makes is pretty shallow and done-before anyway, so why have it? Because of the storm, the whole murder mystery line gets less attention and it severely reduces the importance of our choices in the latter chapters. In the end, what does the tornado plot really add to the game apart from forcing the last decision which is binary anyway and in both cases nullifies 90% of your previous actions ME3- style?
For me the whole choice-based narrative unfortunately peaked in the end of episode 2 where the whole result of my choices, which I thought were carefully thought out, converged in one sequence. It was an earthly, nasty, relatable sequence. There was no magic
, just human drama, my poor choices which I couldve amended but didnt and it so worked. Nothing since comes even close to the level of story control and effect. I said that beginning of episode 4 was crushing, and thats true but the game didnt allow me to even skip that sequence and forced me to save Chloes dad (which I didnt want to do, because by that time Maxs fucked up so many things she should've known better). In the last chapter, I didnt even care to save Alyssa once again, nor did I really care for any hug/kiss/talk choices because I felt that everything will be rewritten anyway after Max jumps around multiple times.
Wouldnt it be nice if instead of apocalyptic tornado and the stupid binary end-choice it brought, we would simply be investigating the murder mystery? That despite our powers we could still make mistakes and die or let Chloe/Veronica die at the hands of Mr Jefferson? That would allow the murder mystery to really take the centre stage and allow it to breathe more, getting more intricate and live up to the game's promise. It would also allow for a larger variety of endings depending on our choices. Wouldnt it be cool if we nailed Nathan and somehow killed him
, and then the game would give us a normal ending or whatever, only then to realise that we got it wrong? It just feels like a missed opportunity and its sad to see the choice convergence peak so early in the game.
But its the story of Chloe and Max and whether their friendship is worth more than a city full of people what can I say? It was touching, yes, but the railroading in the end didnt allow me to get really emotional in the final scenes. Ever since chapter 3 ending I felt more and more disconnect with Max and her actions. We have to find Rachel, we have to save Chloes dad, we have to pursue Nathan, we forget about tornado and surely we dont warn people we care about to leave town major decisions are not there.
So here it is, a good game, a strong game, a game which made me feel for the characters and got me involved enough to eagerly
play through its story, but ended up disappointingly linear towards the end, and becoming just that: and interactive story. In that sense, I felt that I had more agency in the end of Heavy Rain, although admittedly the budget and timeframe to make those are incomparable.
In any case, I see this as an important stepping stone for the genre and hoping that moving forward we get even better stories frm DontNod.
PS. I know some may say that that I whine as the game gives me no good ending (e.g. like saving Kate would be). Its only partially true. I didnt replay the sequence to save Kate and I wouldnt be crushed if my ending to the overall game was bad, but at least it would be more of what I was promised my choices mattering. The presence of a good ending means that there were things I didnt do right and have a stronger impact. Knowing that there was a way to save Kate was important for me in that scene.
The binary both choices are bad is not an interesting choice, its not a good way to end the narrative and, just as in ME3, it doesnt take into account our past actions at all - which is a bummer for these types of games. I will reiterate then and say that, in terms of end choices, for me the reference is still Heavy Rain. If we could somehow combine both (Heavy Rain doesnt do characters and emotional situations half as well as LiS, and it also has much larger plot holes in its narrative) then it could be truly something special.
What can I say?
Is the game good? Yes.
Is it the best narrative-driven game Ive personally played? Yes.
Is it a masterpiece/GotY material? Eh . still not there?
Heres a thing, I like this game, I do, but its far from perfect. I think part of the problem is on me in the sense that I pretty much binged on it in a week, making cliffhangers at the end of each episode less relevant. I mean if I had to wait a few months after episode 3 or 4 Id also be very anxious and may even replay the episodes a few times, but when you play the game as a continuous experience the suspense doesnt have a breathing room.
But let me first say why I find this game great: amazing character writing and dialogue. Some lines are clunky but teenagers do speak the way nowadays.
Nobody in their right mind would come up with "Fuck your selfie" though.
The big thing for me was the choice-consequence situations which the game advertises to impact past-present-and-future. A lot of games
(khem.. I mean a barrage of Telltale games)
(and I didnt choose the right words in the end)
I think that the only game that emotionally bludgeoned me to this extent before was Journey. The beginning of Chapter 4 was hard to play through, even though
Negatives.
Overarching story is mediocre. For all the great little character moments, drama and genuine emotional scenes, the main plot(s) which involve the Rachel disappearance and the tornado end up being silly in the end and poorly thought out. The most problematic part for me was that I really didnt care about Rachel, and compared with the tornado Armageddon scenario the whole search for her seemed unimportant and worse - a waste of time. The twist in the end is frustrating. I totally suspected Mr Jefferson but the game gives you no opportunity to uncover the plot correctly. Even worse the whole reasoning for him being insane is quite wonky and requires huge logical gaps. In a nutshell its competent, but predictable, and if you didnt see Kate jumping, Chloe becoming crippled
(I also thought she might be just dead)
Heres my main beef with the whole thing: the tornado/magical part of the plot, in my opinion, really hurts the overall impact of the game. I get that this is the whole reprecussions thread going on, but it doesnt feel earned or even urgent for the characters. The point it makes is pretty shallow and done-before anyway, so why have it? Because of the storm, the whole murder mystery line gets less attention and it severely reduces the importance of our choices in the latter chapters. In the end, what does the tornado plot really add to the game apart from forcing the last decision which is binary anyway and in both cases nullifies 90% of your previous actions ME3- style?
For me the whole choice-based narrative unfortunately peaked in the end of episode 2 where the whole result of my choices, which I thought were carefully thought out, converged in one sequence. It was an earthly, nasty, relatable sequence. There was no magic
(although I hate the fact that the game basically removed my power to make the point. this power-stop never comes into play again. CLUNKY!)
Wouldnt it be nice if instead of apocalyptic tornado and the stupid binary end-choice it brought, we would simply be investigating the murder mystery? That despite our powers we could still make mistakes and die or let Chloe/Veronica die at the hands of Mr Jefferson? That would allow the murder mystery to really take the centre stage and allow it to breathe more, getting more intricate and live up to the game's promise. It would also allow for a larger variety of endings depending on our choices. Wouldnt it be cool if we nailed Nathan and somehow killed him
(choice to let Chloe keep the gun?)
But its the story of Chloe and Max and whether their friendship is worth more than a city full of people what can I say? It was touching, yes, but the railroading in the end didnt allow me to get really emotional in the final scenes. Ever since chapter 3 ending I felt more and more disconnect with Max and her actions. We have to find Rachel, we have to save Chloes dad, we have to pursue Nathan, we forget about tornado and surely we dont warn people we care about to leave town major decisions are not there.
So here it is, a good game, a strong game, a game which made me feel for the characters and got me involved enough to eagerly
(or painfully depending on scene)
In any case, I see this as an important stepping stone for the genre and hoping that moving forward we get even better stories frm DontNod.
PS. I know some may say that that I whine as the game gives me no good ending (e.g. like saving Kate would be). Its only partially true. I didnt replay the sequence to save Kate and I wouldnt be crushed if my ending to the overall game was bad, but at least it would be more of what I was promised my choices mattering. The presence of a good ending means that there were things I didnt do right and have a stronger impact. Knowing that there was a way to save Kate was important for me in that scene.
The binary both choices are bad is not an interesting choice, its not a good way to end the narrative and, just as in ME3, it doesnt take into account our past actions at all - which is a bummer for these types of games. I will reiterate then and say that, in terms of end choices, for me the reference is still Heavy Rain. If we could somehow combine both (Heavy Rain doesnt do characters and emotional situations half as well as LiS, and it also has much larger plot holes in its narrative) then it could be truly something special.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
Totally depends on your perspective I guess. That's not the important question to me. To me it was "Can you say goodbye to your best friend?"
I think that's a far more meaningful angle than yet another "save my friend" storyline.
The ending was strange and not believable.
Enjoyed the game quite a bit. My only criticism would be that the dialog is often times not really as good as it could have been. Too long-drawn-out and too corny at times. But the general story, the music, and the general production was really good.
Enjoyed the game quite a bit. My only criticism would be that the dialog is often times not really as good as it could have been. Too long-drawn-out and too corny at times. But the general story, the music, and the general production was really good.
Ok, I didn't give this much thought since this was from the nightmare sequence and everyone was acting out of whack, but I read some details that point out to Warren being a bit fucked in the head and it's kind of blowing my mind lol. I found him to be (hella) adorable through the game, but all of this subtle fuckery is actually making me appreciate him as a character even more, haha.
Warren spooky
Anyway, here:
Creeping on episode 2 (can be seen from Max's room after she wakes up):
Speculation:
http://life-is-strange.wikia.com/wiki/Warren_Graham
There is some speculation that Warren's character actually has a way darker side than apparent at first sight. It suggests that Warren could possess a violent nature along with a strong desire for a sexual relationship with Max rather than a romantic one. It's based on the following observations:
- After you return the flash drive to him, Warren mentions a very disturbing movie called Cannibal Holocaust which portrays graphic brutality, sexual assault and violence towards animals. This movie is not just an average horror movie, it is very sick, but Warren said that he "laughed his ass off" watching it.
- Max would respond by saying that he is a "sensitive" guy and he would reply that Max said it in an awful way. If you asked "How so?" he would reply "sensitive means not gonna have sex with you".
- In a note that he left in Max's room he mentions another movie called Ultravixens which is basically a film full of excessive porn action.
- If you accept Warren's invitation to the drive-in, he would call Brooke and tell her he's no longer going to the movie with her, implying that he had Brooke as a backup plan all along. This suggests his dishonest nature and shows how he uses Brooke.
- In episode two, inside the science lab you can find a graffiti on the table close to where Brooke is standing which reads "Warren+Alyssa 2013" in a heart shape. You can also see Warren wrapping his arms around Alyssa comforting her when Kate is about to jump off the building. (The above suggests that Warren has simultaneously maintained a romantic relationship with Alyssa without Max's knowledge, at the same time actively pursuing Max and passively keeping Brooke in the scope.)
- In episode three, Max finds a developed photo of herself and Warren inside his locker in the boy's changing room at the swimming pool. Her surprised attitude could suggest that this photo is not a photo they have taken together, and instead this is a photo Warren edited and pieced together. This is backed up by the fact that Warren mentioned he is good at using graphical editing software when he discovered Daniel had posted a portrait of Max online and if Max asked him "Can you draw?".
- He lies by telling Max that he bought a second ticket to the drive-in movies for her. The poster at the diner clearly states that tickets are sold per car.
- Warren admits that he watched Kate's video "one and a half times".
Also from the wiki:
- According to Artistic Director Michel Koch, Warren's character is inspired by Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer who "has this kind of awkwardness in him and is always saying the wrong things, but he's a good guy".
- He also revealed the intention behind the scene of Warren beating up Nathan. "If you choose not to step in on the fight with Nathan, we start to see something a little different, a darker side of Warren. It's very violent and gets a bit out of control. It shows us that, even if we're good characters, we all have a side of us that can go out of control. Everyone has shades of grey, bits of darkness."
John Kowalski
Banned
More like shades of CREEP.
hey guys what if chapter 5 opened with this in the background