I mean, they should at least have told it to someone. Anyone. Of all the possible options, outright killing Nathan is absolutely the worst choice. At a school party, no less. Was Chloe going to waltz in there and shoot him in the midst of a few dozen bystanders?
By the way, I have another question about the episode 4 ending:
There's this one Let's Player whose videos I watch from time to time. When Jefferson appeared in the end, he was like "Holy shit! It's him! I called it!". I'd rather not watch his whole playthrough just to find the one moment he talked about his theories, so I'm asking here: Why might he have suspected Jefferson? What kind of clues are there hinting at Jefferson's involvement? I literally didn't notice anything at all, so that was a complete surprise for me.
I mean, they should at least have told it to someone. Anyone. Of all the possible options, outright killing Nathan is absolutely the worst choice. At a school party, no less. Was Chloe going to waltz in there and shoot him in the midst of a few dozen bystanders?
By the way, I have another question about the episode 4 ending:
There's this one Let's Player whose videos I watch from time to time. When Jefferson appeared in the end, he was like "Holy shit! It's him! I called it!". I'd rather not watch his whole playthrough just to find the one moment he talked about his theories, so I'm asking here: Why might he have suspected Jefferson? What kind of clues are there hinting at Jefferson's involvement? I literally didn't notice anything at all, so that was a complete surprise for me.
I really wanna get this game soon and I don't really wanna be in this thread for that reason but I have to ask. Has SE shown any interest in making a physical version of the game now that all the episodes are out?
By the way, I have another question about the episode 4 ending:
There's this one Let's Player whose videos I watch from time to time. When Jefferson appeared in the end, he was like "Holy shit! It's him! I called it!". I'd rather not watch his whole playthrough just to find the one moment he talked about his theories, so I'm asking here: Why might he have suspected Jefferson? What kind of clues are there hinting at Jefferson's involvement? I literally didn't notice anything at all, so that was a complete surprise for me.
For me it was the phone call he got right before Kate's attempted suicide. If you hung around to listen it sounded pretty shady. At the end of episode 2 I think there was also a clip of him talking to Principals Wells in his car that made me suspect both of them.
I really wanna get this game soon and I don't really wanna be in this thread for that reason but I have to ask. Has SE shown any interest in making a physical version of the game now that all the episodes are out?
I'm having bad memory right now, but I could've sworn that this week or last they said something along the lines of a physical release, with soundtrack and all. I don't know when they'll do it, and it was not official either, but a dev did mention that.
After beating the game twice I can't help but dislike it a lot more than I initially did.
spoilers for everything so DONT read this, I don't want to ruin your experience.
when I finished up to episode 4, twice. I noticed that decision don't matter at all, unlike they say they do. Then after episode 5, it just confirmed that nothing mattered at all. The story is still good, but choices have no impact whatsoever.
When I gave up Mr Jefferson at the principal, he was supposed to have nothing at all to do with the every day heroes contest, yet everything went exactly the same as it did in my other play through, where I got Nathan expelled. That was really bothering me, and took away a lot of the praise I had for this game unfortunately. The story is good, but the gameplay is disappointing when you realize that everything you did, has no real consequences, except for the very last choice you get to make. I was hoping for multiple endings, not two.. Especially not with the amount of choices you made during the game.
Maybe I'm just cynical. But I couldn't help but be disappointed.
After beating the game twice I can't help but dislike it a lot more than I initially did.
spoilers for everything so DONT read this, I don't want to ruin your experience.
when I finished up to episode 4, twice. I noticed that decision don't matter at all, unlike they say they do. Then after episode 5, it just confirmed that nothing mattered at all. The story is still good, but choices have no impact whatsoever.
When I gave up Mr Jefferson at the principal, he was supposed to have nothing at all to do with the every day heroes contest, yet everything went exactly the same as it did in my other play through, where I got Nathan expelled. That was really bothering me, and took away a lot of the praise I had for this game unfortunately. The story is good, but the gameplay is disappointing when you realize that everything you did, has no real consequences, except for the very last choice you get to make. I was hoping for multiple endings, not two.. Especially not with the amount of choices you made during the game.
Maybe I'm just cynical. But I couldn't help but be disappointed.
I really can forgive there only being two choices at the end, where, ultimately, all the choices along the way don't matter. I personally believe that letting Chloe die is the canonical ending. Therefore, LiS is not about the destination but rekindling Max's friendship with Chloe over the week.
After beating the game twice I can't help but dislike it a lot more than I initially did.
spoilers for everything so DONT read this, I don't want to ruin your experience.
when I finished up to episode 4, twice. I noticed that decision don't matter at all, unlike they say they do. Then after episode 5, it just confirmed that nothing mattered at all. The story is still good, but choices have no impact whatsoever.
your choices have very obvious effects, even from one episode to another. Do they effect the overall ending, generally no, but that doesn't mean they don't matter. For example, your actions towards David in Episode 1 can really make him not trust you in future episodes, if you don't stand up against David yelling at Kate in Episode 1 she keeps throwing that in your face even in Episode 2, etc. If Kate lives she helps you in Episode 4, if not then of course she doesn't. Your choices make a big difference in the game and its story, just not the very end, and the game is much more than just an ending. And remember, your choices are also changing who Max is - she is a different person at the end of the game because of the choices she has made, she really changes over the week, so even if you reset all the choices, they still matter to her.
And sure, while it would have been neat to have a dozen endings, that would require a hell of a higher budget and longer dev time, and it's pretty obvious the game is telling a story that had a definite beginning, middle, and end, and the endings were set to tell the story they wanted.
One interesting thing I noted in a recent re-play, at the beginning Chloe says she'd love to just nuke the whole town and start over, so maybe that ending wasn't supposed to be as awkward as it ends up being.
your choices have very obvious effects, even from one episode to another. Do they effect the overall ending, generally no, but that doesn't mean they don't matter. For example, your actions towards David in Episode 1 can really make him not trust you in future episodes, if you don't stand up against David yelling at Kate in Episode 1 she keeps throwing that in your face even in Episode 2, etc. If Kate lives she helps you in Episode 4, if not then of course she doesn't. Your choices make a big difference in the game and its story, just not the very end, and the game is much more than just an ending. And remember, your choices are also changing who Max is - she is a different person at the end of the game because of the choices she has made, she really changes over the week, so even if you reset all the choices, they still matter to her.
And sure, while it would have been neat to have a dozen endings, that would require a hell of a higher budget and longer dev time, and it's pretty obvious the game is telling a story that had a definite beginning, middle, and end, and the endings were set to tell the story they wanted.
One interesting thing I noted in a recent re-play, at the beginning Chloe says she'd love to just nuke the whole town and start over, so maybe that ending wasn't supposed to be as awkward as it ends up being.
Nail on the head. It doesn't really change the final outcome but that doesn't matter because it DOES effect your route to the overall destination how characters feel about you ect. Sure it would be great to have a much bigger game that splintered off but that would take as you said way more money and development time than was the scope of this project.
your choices have very obvious effects, even from one episode to another. Do they effect the overall ending, generally no, but that doesn't mean they don't matter. For example, your actions towards David in Episode 1 can really make him not trust you in future episodes, if you don't stand up against David yelling at Kate in Episode 1 she keeps throwing that in your face even in Episode 2, etc. If Kate lives she helps you in Episode 4, if not then of course she doesn't. Your choices make a big difference in the game and its story, just not the very end, and the game is much more than just an ending. And remember, your choices are also changing who Max is - she is a different person at the end of the game because of the choices she has made, she really changes over the week, so even if you reset all the choices, they still matter to her.
And sure, while it would have been neat to have a dozen endings, that would require a hell of a higher budget and longer dev time, and it's pretty obvious the game is telling a story that had a definite beginning, middle, and end, and the endings were set to tell the story they wanted.
One interesting thing I noted in a recent re-play, at the beginning Chloe says she'd love to just nuke the whole town and start over, so maybe that ending wasn't supposed to be as awkward as it ends up being.
they just did the same that TellTale, give different flavor of dialog and cut scenes with different choices but nulify your choices in the end.
I had hope they wouldn't follow TellTale games steps but they DID!
I'm totally disapointed and don't try to convince me otherwise because I've watched Stein gate with a hero having similar power and "linear" story. But Stein Gate really did a good job of giving a better ending than Life is Strange did. Same for the Game Ghst trick.
My point is, I think the authors ran of idea how to give a proper closure to their story :
A : "oh, let's add a tornado with a mystery case to spicy up thing!"
B : "ok, how we gonna explain it ?"
A : "No problem, let's just say it's all the heroine fault"
B : "Then why doesn't she die at the end then instead of Chloe ?"
A : "Plot armor!"
My final note on the overall is 6/10
It is technically above TellTale games but the plot and specialy the final doesn't make it a great game.
I mean, they should at least have told it to someone. Anyone. Of all the possible options, outright killing Nathan is absolutely the worst choice. At a school party, no less. Was Chloe going to waltz in there and shoot him in the midst of a few dozen bystanders?
By the way, I have another question about the episode 4 ending:
There's this one Let's Player whose videos I watch from time to time. When Jefferson appeared in the end, he was like "Holy shit! It's him! I called it!". I'd rather not watch his whole playthrough just to find the one moment he talked about his theories, so I'm asking here: Why might he have suspected Jefferson? What kind of clues are there hinting at Jefferson's involvement? I literally didn't notice anything at all, so that was a complete surprise for me.
So far (end of episode 2) I'm enjoying the game, but I'm supremely annoyed by the time travel. What are the rules for time travel in the world of Life is Strange? You get two variants: Max can travel back in time to a previous state of herself, basically taking her memories to her past self in the exact position her past self was at that time and then act from this situation anew. The other variant (which is a bit strange) is, to let the time around Max go backwards, while Max physically stays in the same position, seemingly erasing her positions during the time travel. This allows her, from from an outsider's perspective, to basically teleport. Now, can she choose which kind of time travel she uses? Is it just at the developer's discretion? This is seriously driving me mad and reducing my enjoyment of the game. Which is sad, because I love (well done) time travel stories and don't like dramas all too much, so it's a bit ironic I enjoy the drama stuff more than the time travel stuff so far.
I got into collectible mode and took some photos I've missed and had to exit a lot to the start screen: I could stay forever on the menu with that music. It's a calming tune.
they just did the same that TellTale, give different flavor of dialog and cut scenes with different choices but nulify your choices in the end.
I had hope they wouldn't follow TellTale games steps but they DID!
I'm totally disapointed and don't try to convince me otherwise because I've watched Stein gate with a hero having similar power and "linear" story. But Stein Gate really did a good job of giving a better ending than Life is Strange did. Same for the Game Ghst trick.
My point is, I think the authors ran of idea how to give a proper closure to their story :
A : "oh, let's add a tornado with a mystery case to spicy up thing!"
B : "ok, how we gonna explain it ?"
A : "No problem, let's just say it's all the heroine fault"
B : "Then why doesn't she die at the end then instead of Chloe ?"
A : "Plot armor!"
My final note on the overall is 6/10
It is technically above TellTale games but the plot and specialy the final doesn't make it a great game.
I got into collectible mode and took some photos I've missed and had to exit a lot to the start screen: I could stay forever on the menu with that music. It's a calming tune.
im still making my way through episode 1 and finding it really hard to like these characters...its like they want you to believe so much that these people are cool and intelligent but the devs dont know what cool is and dont have much to say about the subject matter that the characters are interested in. the references to drugs, skateboarding, photography etc are very much like a cliche you might see in a silly teen movie. its trying pretty hard.
but i heard the story really gets interesting later so i'll stick with it!
im still making my way through episode 1 and finding it really hard to like these characters...its like they want you to believe so much that these people are cool and intelligent but the devs dont know what cool is and dont have much to say about the subject matter that the characters are interested in. the references to drugs, skateboarding, photography etc are very much like a cliche you might see in a silly teen movie. its trying pretty hard.
but i heard the story really gets interesting later so i'll stick with it!
It doesn't have to be 100% realistic for one to relate to it. It's only 'tryhard' if you ignore everything it does with those themes in favour of some bizarre denial that those things don't happen in those environments. It uses 'teen movie' ideas as a launching point, which is what many, many pieces of fiction do.
Youth is about drugs? I hope not. Otherwise I'm lucky I never experienced youth. I think Chloe really is a bit to cliché, though overall I like the character work so far.
Youth is about drugs? I hope not. Otherwise I'm lucky I never experienced youth. I think Chloe really is a bit to cliché, though overall I like the character work so far.
You'd be shocked at how many drugs High School kids do then. Cause this is one of the most accurate portrayal of modern teens I've seen in a game. Even if pretty much all of the characters fell into archetypes.
You'd be shocked at how many drugs High School kids do then. Cause this is one of the most accurate portrayal of modern teens I've seen in a game. Even if pretty much all of the characters fell into archetypes.
It's not shocking to me that there are pupils who take illegal drugs (and even less so, legal drugs), but I don't think taking (illegal) drugs is so wide-spread that it defines what youth is. I'd argue even for legal drugs (usually alcohol, nicotine and coffein are being consumed, too, but I doubt someone would claim they are essential parts of youth) this notion is a bit to strong. However, I do not think that Chloe is completely unrealistic (she is an unpleasent person I wouldn't want to deal with though, and is too clichéy for my liking, too), just that claiming drugs, along with hobbies and mobbing are what youth is, is over emphasizing the lifestyle of some young people over others. For hobbies and mobbing (in some way, not necessarily as victim or culprit) I would agree though that they will almost universally play a huge role in a teen's life.
So this is kind of a shot in the dark, but are there any video documentaries on the actual game engine, art direction and cinematography? Basically, the visual presentation.
I'm simply amazed at how well it all comes together. Realistic geometry filled in with watercolor tones. Not simply cell shading, but actual visible brushwork on the textures. It's really apparent in Chloe's house.
I also can't get over how authentic the environments look. How dense with objects. How grungy and lived-in everything looks.
The visual team for this game deserves some serious recognition & awards for their talent.
It doesn't have to be 100% realistic for one to relate to it. It's only 'tryhard' if you ignore everything it does with those themes in favour of some bizarre denial that those things don't happen in those environments. It uses 'teen movie' ideas as a launching point, which is what many, many pieces of fiction do.
maybe i wasnt clear but i totally acknowledge that those things happen. in fact i think i might be oversensitive to their portrayal because when i was a teenager i smoked a lot of weed, skateboarded and went to art school. its just that when they cover something like photography they dont actually have anything to say about it... they just something that sounds like it means something when in fact its nothing like anyone invested in that subject would say. its very outsider. same with the other subjects. no one every says "i'll gather up a skate posse" or "haha now i need to medicate" or whatever that is just incredibly uncool. its like teenagers seen through the eyes of a 35 year old person who didnt actually experience that stuff.
so those things kind of take me out of it because i dont believe the characters actually know their own interests but you are right that that doesnt mean they cant still say something meaningful with their story in this context. im only on episode 2 so im still open minded, just a little annoyed so far.
After beating the game twice I can't help but dislike it a lot more than I initially did.
spoilers for everything so DONT read this, I don't want to ruin your experience.
when I finished up to episode 4, twice. I noticed that decision don't matter at all, unlike they say they do. Then after episode 5, it just confirmed that nothing mattered at all. The story is still good, but choices have no impact whatsoever.
When I gave up Mr Jefferson at the principal, he was supposed to have nothing at all to do with the every day heroes contest, yet everything went exactly the same as it did in my other play through, where I got Nathan expelled. That was really bothering me, and took away a lot of the praise I had for this game unfortunately. The story is good, but the gameplay is disappointing when you realize that everything you did, has no real consequences, except for the very last choice you get to make. I was hoping for multiple endings, not two.. Especially not with the amount of choices you made during the game.
Maybe I'm just cynical. But I couldn't help but be disappointed.
Well, you kinda have point there and with these type of games the choices ultimately always matter less than they make you believe. Luckily for me these types of games are almost entirely about the characters, plot and the world they create so most of the time the illusion of choice is more than enough for me. But still there were quite a few occasions in the episodes 1-4 were they choices did matter and the story could play out differently in some ways.
It doesn't have to be 100% realistic for one to relate to it. It's only 'tryhard' if you ignore everything it does with those themes in favour of some bizarre denial that those things don't happen in those environments. It uses 'teen movie' ideas as a launching point, which is what many, many pieces of fiction do.
Exactly. It doesn't really matter if the characters or the events are completely realistic, but it's the interaction between Max, Chloe and others that I can relate to. She's very likable and caring person with a high set of morals. Shy on the outside, but brave enough to act when needed. I just absolutely love Max and her relationship with Chloe.
Jesus. Feel broken after the end of episode 3! Usually feel fuck all emotionally regarding games but this...man. I had a bad feeling when she went back in time to save Chloe's dad, but when Max's expression was one of sadness and then the camera panned around slowly to reveal Chloe all messed up in the wheelchair with that music...I broke. God damn!
Jesus. Feel broken after the end of episode 3! Usually feel fuck all emotionally regarding games but this...man. I had a bad feeling when she went back in time to save Chloe's dad, but when Max's expression was one of sadness and then the camera panned around slowly to reveal Chloe all messed up in the wheelchair with that music...I broke. God damn!
I played the whole game on PS3 (my computer is shit), and I didn't have any major issues. There was some screen tearing and the shadows were wonky in some places, but it didn't affect my experience a whole lot.
I played the whole game on PS3 (my computer is shit), and I didn't have any major issues. There was some screen tearing and the shadows were wonky in some places, but it didn't affect my experience a whole lot.
Same for me actually. I've been waiting a right moment to play the last episode for the second time, but feels like I'm still not even over of the first time.
Just finished episode 5. For a number of reasons, I think it's the best episode yet. Going to have to do a second playthrough because I missed some of the minor choices
and all bar one of the photographs
, but holy crap holy crap holy crap.
Were it not for Undertale a couple of weeks ago, which I have to admit is better-written, LiS would be GOTY easily. It's been quite the ride. It's flawed, yes, hella so, but it's flawed in the same way as something like Scott Pilgrim; something that's destined to be a cult classic. I think Mark Kermode once said he adored Howard the Duck because it was designed for him and exactly three other people. I think it's the same with this.
I can think of no greater testament to Life is Strange than the fact that when I finished the percentages of the final choice were sitting at 54%-46%
in favour of killing Chloe, which is what I chose. Whether I'll choose it again next time I am still unsure.
. Everyone has their own personal experience and in some cases the choices are really fucking hard.
I didn't tear up at the ending but man. I'm going to be out of commission for the rest of the afternoon just recovering, I think.
I just can't get over how gorgeous the whole game was, top to bottom.
The graphics have this chunky feel that's super visually appealing. There's tons of objects in every space with scattershot layout (Chloe's room, etc.). It creates this lived-in authenticity. The world is just bursting with things to look at, whether it's the huge collection of things to pick up and spy in high-res detail (ala Gone Home), or just the everyday knickknacks of life scattered about.
The textures were just amazing. When people say cell-shaded, it typically evokes images of flat watercolors. But the textures here have visible brush-strokes over 3D models that are breathtaking and allow for light and shadow casting.
Fantastic framing & cinematography as well when the camera control is taken away from you.
Audio is just as strong. Above-average voice acting with a couple stumbles here and there. Music selection was ace. Fit the tone of the place & characters magically. Bonus props for the ambient sounds as well. It really hit me when I was walking around in the boy's dorm at school and you could hear muffled sounds coming from behind each door. The stoner was playing video games and the game sounded legit along with his reaction to playing. The jock was watching a football game that sounded like a real broadcast (I swear I heard Al Michaels & Cris Collinsworth commentating) along with the student cheering & groaning along with the plays. Again, it just came off as crazy authentic with an attention to detail that goes the extra mile.
The presentation taken as a whole is easily the most impressive I've seen this year and overall the best I've experienced in a LONG time.
Props.
Oh, and in spite of all that, this game had the worst lip syncing I've ever seen in a game. Like ever. It's almost comical how bad it is and just makes me wonder how in the heck the programmers responsible kept their jobs.
Oh, and in spite of all that, this game had the worst lip syncing I've ever seen in a game. Like ever. It's almost comical how bad it is and just makes me wonder how in the heck the programmers responsible kept their jobs.
Just finished episode 5. For a number of reasons, I think it's the best episode yet. Going to have to do a second playthrough because I missed some of the minor choices
and all bar one of the photographs
, but holy crap holy crap holy crap.
Were it not for Undertale a couple of weeks ago, which I have to admit is better-written, LiS would be GOTY easily. It's been quite the ride. It's flawed, yes, hella so, but it's flawed in the same way as something like Scott Pilgrim; something that's destined to be a cult classic. I think Mark Kermode once said he adored Howard the Duck because it was designed for him and exactly three other people. I think it's the same with this.
I can think of no greater testament to Life is Strange than the fact that when I finished the percentages of the final choice were sitting at 54%-46%
in favour of killing Chloe, which is what I chose. Whether I'll choose it again next time I am still unsure.
. Everyone has their own personal experience and in some cases the choices are really fucking hard.
I didn't tear up at the ending but man. I'm going to be out of commission for the rest of the afternoon just recovering, I think.
You can easily restart that last little section once you beat the game and try the other choice to see what happens...I even put that last little section in a new save slot lol,just in case...for the rest I"ll go to the spoiler thread for more impressions,but yeah,awesome game.
Yeah, I was aware that the dev team is French, I guess I just thought that modern lip syncing was more dynamic. I.E., in layman's terms, you feed the English language vocal dub into the computer and it auto-programs the character model mouths to move in accordance with the audio track.
Isn't that a thing now?
I know in the old days all lip syncing was done manually, but I thought that was a thing of the past.
Oh, and in spite of all that, this game had the worst lip syncing I've ever seen in a game. Like ever. It's almost comical how bad it is and just makes me wonder how in the heck the programmers responsible kept their jobs.
Lip syncing didnt bother me at all,probably because it never does and I had sub titles on and I always look at them quickly back and forth,even when I understand exactly whats being said...yeah I noticed it a few times but in no way did it impede on my enjoyement of the game...not even close.
