Support NeoGAF

[FluxWaveZ]

Spoiler

But that assumes Chloe goes through the same motions in life if Max is dead and that doesn't make any sense at all. How would she get shot by Max? How would she uncover Jefferson? Plausibly, Frank could finally go after her.

Huh?

Spoiler

What Chloe does after Max dies is irrelevant. The genesis point is ENTIRELY the bathroom scene. If anything is modified at that specific point that saves Chloe, at that point in time, then storm. There is no flexibility regarding this, unless you subscribe to the theory that the storm stops if Chloe dies before it hits. At which point, Max has sacrificed herself and Chloe dies anyways.

If anything, I would have pulled a Madoka Magica as Max and tried alternatives anyways.

Spoiler

One thing I would have done is followed the timeline where I saved Chloe, reported Jefferson, got Nathan imprisoned and all, but I would have subsequently focused my efforts on convincing the town that a massive storm was going to arrive and destroy everything. If the town evacuated, that would at least save everyone, even though their livelihoods would be in rubble.

But then, I also think that Chloe needs to die or else storms and disasters will keep happening, so it'd happen again. Still, it would have been worth trying out in Max's position.

 

[neshcom]

Huh?

Spoiler

What Chloe does after Max dies is irrelevant. The genesis point is ENTIRELY the bathroom scene. If anything is modified at that specific point that saves Chloe, at that point in time, then storm. There is no flexibility regarding this, unless you subscribe to the theory that the storm stops if Chloe dies before it hits. At which point, Max has sacrificed herself and Chloe dies anyways.

Spoiler

But in episode 5, when you're racing to the diner to get the photograph, Chloe is dead and the threat of the storm still exists. Unless that's too late? I don't know, the idea that it's a plain binary like that is so frustrating and makes the entire experience feel pointless. What is the lesson? "Don't try?" "Balk at opportunity?" "Let your friends die unresolved?"

 

[Fireblend]

Ew.

And the same goes for those proposing it should be a direct sequel featuring Max. Like, do those people really want to devalue the story of LiS1 that badly? And time powers returning would make absolutely no sense unless the mechanic was drastically changed and, at that point, they could just use a new power anyways.



But the problem here

Spoiler

is that if Max didn't have her time powers, Chloe WOULD have died. No ifs or buts about it. Any situation that arises where Chloe lives is because of Max having manipulated time, at any point in time. If she sacrifices herself, that still means she's dead, and then a tornado happens anyways that destroys Arcadia Bay.

Eh, I don't think it would've been very difficult to change the rationale for the tornado occurring

Spoiler

from being about Chloe's death to being about Max using her powers at all.

 

[Guess Who]

Re: LiS.

Spoiler

"Don't abuse your power to manipulate people and situations for your own gain" is a perfectly fine moral. "You shouldn't try to save someone's life even if you have the power because it will destroy the world for arbitrary reasons" is a really weird and shitty one.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Spoiler

But in episode 5, when you're racing to the diner to get the photograph, Chloe is dead and the threat of the storm still exists. Unless that's too late? I don't know, the idea that it's a plain binary like that is so frustrating and makes the entire experience feel pointless. What is the lesson? "Don't try?" "Balk at opportunity?" "Let your friends die unresolved?"

That's what I'm saying.

Spoiler

Chloe dying at that point might have been too late but, again, I'm saying that the genesis point was the bathroom scene. Literally nothing else matters here. And that's the point of that ending: you can't change the past, no matter how much you want to try or how much it saddens you. In the end, Max got to spend more time with Chloe because of her powers. She got to reunite with her best friend, and that's a good thing. Games shouldn't always be about having a win condition you can attain if you try hard enough.

Eh, I don't think it would've been very difficult to change the rationale for the tornado occurring

Spoiler

from being about Chloe's death to being about Max using her powers at all.

But then you're proposing that the ending is a massive plot hole where the writers didn't think things through.

Spoiler

Dontnod themselves have confirmed that it's saving Chloe at the bathroom scene that brought about the storm, anyways.

Re: LiS.

Spoiler

"Don't abuse your power to manipulate people and situations for your own gain" is a perfectly fine moral. "You shouldn't try to save someone's life even if you have the power because it will destroy the world for arbitrary reasons" is a really weird and shitty one.

I think

Spoiler

the storm functions as a clunky way of amending the latter proposition. It's not about "don't save people with this power because bad stuff will happen." It's about "you can't play god; live for the moment and not the past."

 

[mnz]

Life Is Strange 2 should be a prequel with Rachel as the main character.

I had the same idea, but they would need some seriously good writing to make it interesting despite us knowing how everything turns out.

Spoiler

It's kind of weird how Rachel is so important, but even with our time manipulation powers we never see or meet her.

 

[Fireblend]

Yeah I seriously hope LiS 2 has nothing to do with LiS.

 

[neshcom]

That's what I'm saying.

Spoiler

Chloe dying at that point might have been too late but, again, I'm saying that the genesis point was the bathroom scene. Literally nothing else matters here. And that's the point of that ending: you can't change the past, no matter how much you want to try or how much it saddens you. In the end, Max got to spend more time with Chloe because of her powers. She got to reunite with her best friend, and that's a good thing. Games shouldn't always be about having a win condition you can attain if you try hard enough.

But then you're proposing that the ending is a massive plot hole where the writers didn't think things through.

Spoiler

Dontnod themselves have confirmed that it's saving Chloe at the bathroom scene that brought about the storm, anyways.

I think

Spoiler

the storm functions as a clunky way of amending the latter proposition. It's not about "don't save people with this power because bad stuff will happen." It's about "you can't play god; live for the moment and not the past."

That all makes sense,

Spoiler

it's just clunky that the takeaway would have you negate the entire journey you went on for seemingly no reason. Max could have just not gotten her powers in the first place and all would be right, right? Unless it's some pre-emptive move against her asking what-if. In any case, the game offered the choice legitimately and I'm more than happy to have saved Chloe.

 

[Glitchesarecool]

Marlow Briggs is $0.99 on the humble store, go buy it.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

That all makes sense,

Spoiler

it's just clunky that the takeaway would have you negate the entire journey you went on for seemingly no reason. Max could have just not gotten her powers in the first place and all would be right, right? Unless it's some pre-emptive move against her asking what-if. In any case, the game offered the choice legitimately and I'm more than happy to have saved Chloe.

Do you not agree that, at the end of the game, Max is a better and wiser person because of the experiences she's gone through?

Spoiler

If Max doesn't save Chloe at the beginning of the game, then what changes? Her understanding of the world doesn't change, and she becomes full of regret at not being able to reunite with her best friend after she abandoned her before. Chloe dies without anyone truly understanding her struggles or everything she's gone through to become the resentful person she is. Max's growth as a character is the point, and the end of the journey in no way negates that. It shouldn't be dismissed.

 

[ratcliffja]

Spoiler

Chole is destined to die people.

Which just make the alternate ending so dumb.

Spoilers, dude.

 

[neshcom]

Do you not agree that, at the end of the game, Max is a better and wiser person because of the experiences she's gone through?

Spoiler

If Max doesn't save Chloe at the beginning of the game, then what changes? Her understanding of the world doesn't change, and she becomes full of regret at not being able to reunite with her best friend after she abandoned her before. Chloe dies without anyone truly understanding her struggles or everything she's gone through to become the resentful person she is. Max's growth as a character is the point, and the end of the journey in no way negates that. It shouldn't be dismissed.

Sure, that all makes sense.

 

[Lunar FC]

Spoilers, dude.

Opps! My b, my b.

 

[LiK]

up to ep 4 of LiS playdate. man, Vinny missed a lot of optional flavor text and thoughts in the first 3 eps. his habit of not Looking first was really bad. kind of a shame cuz he missed some good stuff. sorta surprising cuz Vinny tends to be pretty thorough. anyway, some really great reactions. i guess Max is really similar to Alex, hah

 

[Incandenza]

Spoiler

I'm imagining the reality where Max saves Chloe, and now feels guilted into geting an entire town's worth of meaning out of their friendship, and at age 40 she's married to Warren's cousin or something and has two kids but she still feels obligated to hang out with Chloe on weekends while she goes to shitty bars and smokes weed and plays that Bright Eyes song in her truck again even though it's 2040 and who even cares about Bright Eyes any more

 

[Guess Who]

I think

Spoiler

the storm functions as a clunky way of amending the latter proposition. It's not about "don't save people with this power because bad stuff will happen." It's about "you can't play god; live for the moment and not the past."

Spoiler

The problem then is that Max actually can play god, but arbitrary unexplained magical forces conspire to force her not to. If you're a normal mortal, yes, it's important to realize you can't change the past and learn to cope with it and move forward. But that's not the story Life is Strange tells.

Life is Strange tells the story of Max using her awesome time travel powers to actually make things work out way better than they would otherwise - Chloe, Victoria, Kate, and Nathan all live, Nathan and Jefferson get caught, Max wins the Everyday Heroes contest. Or at least it'd work out that way if not for the Magical Hurricane of Plot Contrivance.

In other words, Life is Strange seems to be saying that even if you could hypothetically play god and fix history for the betterment of everyone involved, you shouldn't, because ??? idk magical hurricanes.

 

[Haunted]

So, new episode tomorrow?

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Spoiler

In other words, Life is Strange seems to be saying that even if you could hypothetically play god and fix history for the betterment of everyone involved, you shouldn't, because ??? idk magical hurricanes.

I think that's the point of contention. The way I'm seeing it, the overarching "point" was less about a literal what-if story regarding time powers, and more about

Spoiler

the philosophical point of being unable to alter the past, no matter how much you try or the powers you are given to do so.

It can be frustrating but, ultimately, I think it points to

Spoiler

Life is Strange not being a super hero story, but just a story about a teenager trying to go through life. It's when she can actually use her powers for good and true change (in a timeline where she successfully saves Chloe) that I think this point would be altered.

I guess this is from me seeing the "Sacrifice Chloe" ending as the biased preference from the developers for the story they wanted to tell, though. If I consider the other ending—which is also valid—I guess it becomes weirder. I suppose it's to introduce some form of consequence to what Max is doing, because they really don't want to portray her as a time lord. I think Max says as much during that ending sequence to hammer that point.

 

[NumberThree]

This UPF is pretty great.

DONUT
CREATE
PUSH

And wow, Gang Beasts is all different now.

 

[Tubobutts]

So, new episode tomorrow?

It's a holiday, we have to wait for Tumblr Tuesday.

 

[CoolBatteryCharge]

Marlow Briggs is $0.99 on the humble store, go buy it.

Thanks! What a great coincidence. I was thinking about getting this through the Steam store an hour ago.

 

[strafer]

That final song was pretty good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GJO_RpBnEg

 

[Zaph]

Watch some amateurs while waiting for the next Kerbal

 

[TraBuch]

Sitting here eating Panda Express for the first time and you know what? I've had worse for $9.

 

[Fireblend]

Man this is exciting.

 

[mnz]

What does it say about you if you knew pretty much every licensed song in LiS?

 

[demidar]

Watch some amateurs while waiting for the next Kerbal

"...and now the Falcon 9 will use the patented 'Sweeping the Floor' technique to ensure stability as the rocket exits the stratosphere..."

 

[ElectronicOldMen]

That final song was pretty good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GJO_RpBnEg

The LIS playdate has somehow lead to me listening to a bunch of the first Foals album, and then being disappointed that they haven't gone back to that sound since. I like this song though.

 

[neshcom]

What does it say about you if you knew pretty much every licensed song in LiS?

You're hella cool before it was hella to be cool

 

[Harpuia]

Also, as good as that Gang Beasts segment was on UPF, it can never top the end of this match. (loud)

Someone's gotta post the Triumph of The Human Spirit.

 

[Catvoca]

So, new episode tomorrow?

I hope this image is posted every week until the end of time.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Gang Beasts seems like a game whose whole existence is basically to be live streamed.

 

[nckillthegrimace]

What does it say about you if you knew pretty much every licensed song in LiS?

you're a #teen

 

[strafer]

The LIS playdate has somehow lead to me listening to a bunch of the first Foals album, and then being disappointed that they haven't gone back to that sound since. I like this song though.

The whole game has made me listen to a lot of stuff I didn't think I would like or listen to like ever.

Teen me would have hated this music.

 

[Fireblend]

I would say LiS had the best licensed OST of last year if it wasn't because Tales from the Borderlands also came out last year. So gooooood.

 

[mnz]

you're a #teen

You know...maybe. Or the developers like to just let "indie ____" on Spotify play all day like I do. I don't even know if stuff like Alt-J is popular with the teens.

 

[strafer]

Even the actual score is amazing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gzU8dGFG9s

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Life is Strange 2. Takes place in one of the alternate realities.

 

[Anjin M]

Volgarr

http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/breaking-brad-volgarr-the-viking-part-01/2300-8056/

Thanks!

 

[Mister Negative]

I feel like it's really, really hard to do a life is strange 2. For me it would have to be a true detective style thing. Different people, maybe even different powers.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Thanks!

I missed your ER post. Nice initiative; I'm a fan of their playthroughs, and there are some I haven't seen.

I feel like it's really, really hard to do a life is strange 2. For me it would have to be a true detective style thing. Different people, maybe even different powers.

I don't think it's hard at all. There are countless examples of numbered sequels with totally different characters, settings, and goals. Life is Strange would just be another series like it, with another super power being at the core of a sequel.

 

[Myggen]

So, new episode tomorrow?

Hope so.

 

[mnz]

I feel like it's really, really hard to do a life is strange 2. For me it would have to be a true detective style thing. Different people, maybe even different powers.

Yeah. Make a new thing, keep the vibe, improve on the shortcomings. Don't make a Donnie Darko 2.

 

[strafer]

Do you think they'll use the same engine? The mouth stuff could use some updating.

 

[Harpuia]

I feel like it's really, really hard to do a life is strange 2. For me it would have to be a true detective style thing. Different people, maybe even different powers.

If they do try their hand at a LiS two, they should do this, or a different timeline wherein the characters of the first are in radically different circumstances (IE: They could be supporting characters, but they're in a timeline where they are already adults).

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Do you think they'll use the same engine? The mouth stuff could use some updating.

LiS uses a modified Unreal Engine 3. I'd expect a sequel to utilize about the same.

Edit: And by that, I mean this would also be possible:

They'll probably upgrade to UE4.

 

[skLaFarebear]

It would definitely have to be different characters. There isn't really anything left to explore in that setting or with those characters.

 

[Hellsing321]

Do you think they'll use the same engine? The mouth stuff could use some updating.

They'll probably upgrade to UE4.

 

[jaina]

Do you think they'll use the same engine? The mouth stuff could use some updating.

that's probably not only the engine but also a budget thing
A sane Square Enix wouldn't give them an AA budget despite the success, let's see what happens.

 

[petethepanda]

Facial animation (or lack thereof) and lip sync aside, Life is Strange was a fucking gorgeous game. The 'painterly' textures, the framing during cutscenes, the lighting, etc. I can't imagine how many screenshots I took during the whole series. (Edit: 993. Kind of surprised it wasn't even higher.)