• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Life Is Strange |OT| Rewinder Me

CYJn-uWWsAU6YQ4.png

https://twitter.com/machinima/status/685224421058031616
OMG ; ~ ;
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
Ok, [episode 4 ending]
Jefferson being the actual psycho was always in the back of my head, so that didn't really surprise me. There was always something weird about him, like when he had to take that call before class began. I successfully warned Victoria she should be careful, don't know if that helped for anything. And does Chloe always get killed? Have to say that the alternate reality part at the start hit me more than the ending. After I 'helped' Chloe I was so happy I could return through that photo again. Biggest relief of the game... and now she's dead anyway. You could say that her getting killed was supposed to happen: can get shot in ep1, stuck on the railroad in ep2, ... Her life needs to be saved so many times.
 

Sora_N

Member
Ok, [episode 4 ending]
Jefferson being the actual psycho was always in the back of my head, so that didn't really surprise me. There was always something weird about him, like when he had to take that call before class began. I successfully warned Victoria she should be careful, don't know if that helped for anything. And does Chloe always get killed? Have to say that the alternate reality part at the start hit me more than the ending. After I 'helped' Chloe I was so happy I could return through that photo again. Biggest relief of the game... and now she's dead anyway. You could say that her getting killed was supposed to happen: can get shot in ep1, stuck on the railroad in ep2, ... Her life needs to be saved so many times.

Keep playing man!
 

CloudWolf

Member
I finished the game and I liked how in the end the game was basically a reimagining of
Donnie Darko, only Chloe is Donnie and Max is Frank the Bunny. I almost find it odd that neither Max nor Chloe acknowledged this since they both have probably seen that movie.

I also really liked the usage of the Foals song in the (true) ending.
 

educator

Member
Clocking in at around 15 hours I finally finished the game yesterday evening. I became pretty immersed in the story and some decisions were really tough to make. I did feel, though, that it lost some of the steam towards the ending
(excluding the superb hour leading up to the art exhibition in San Francisco. I honestly believed that everything was going to be fine then.)

It is definitely one of the more memorable games I played during 2015 and I'm looking forward to whatever Dontnod does next.
 

overcast

Member
Just finished it. What an incredible experience.

Spoilers for Episode 5:
I know
i chose wrong with keeping Chloe alive and sacrificing Arcadia Bay. Logically speaking that was the incorrect choice; simple. The reason for this all happening was clear. But I couldn't let her die. Maybe that speaks to the feeing of nostalgia and joy their friendship gave me. My heart dropped when Chloe was talking about what needed to be done. Pushed me to the verge of tears honestly. Sat at that choice screen for a good 5 minutes.

Gonna go back in and see the other ending later.

Honestly this game is gonna stick with me for a long time.
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
[ep5]
Okay so I warned Vic about Nathan, she went to Jefferson, causing her to end up captured too... Even the obvious 'good' choices end up blowing up in your face, you can't do anything right lol
 

Maligna

Banned
Ordered the Limited Edition physical release. Definitely a game I don't mind paying twice for. Very interested in the developer commentary on it. I really enjoyed the one on the PC release of Alan Wake.

Look at this beauty! I'm a sucker for a nice package.
lis_digibook_beautyshoot_supply_ENGLISH_US_ESRB_M.jpg
 

Apdiddy

Member
Ordered the Limited Edition physical release. Definitely a game I don't mind paying twice for. Very interested in the developer commentary on it. I really enjoyed the one on the PC release of Alan Wake.

Look at this beauty! I'm a sucker for a nice package.
lis_digibook_beautyshoot_supply_ENGLISH_US_ESRB_M.jpg

I already Platinum'ed this game and it's going to be #1 on my GOTY list. Sure why not?

In Dontnod we trust.
 
Just finished it....

Holy shit that episode 5.

DontNod sure surprised me with this game after the rather mediocre Remember me (in my book). Absolutely love the character development in this, the story and how it all develops too. The whole setting, the music, atmosphere, choices and the consequences, the surprises and twists.

I definitely understand now why people love this so much.

Now on to some spoilers about episode 5

That moment when you find out Jefferson is behind all the shit and Nathan is basically his slave. I did not see that coming.

Rachel was killed but we find out that was Nathan's stupid ass with the overdose. So it's possible that Jefferson was never going to kill the young women, since he did let Kate live. Only because Max knew too much, that he was about to kill her. Or was Kate left alive for some reason? I kinda doubt Jefferson was only doing it for the perfect shot and then set them all free again.

Victoria.....(don't read if you have not finished it...huge spoiler)

Is dead in my playthrough. In the part where Max wakes up in the Dark Room she sees Victoria on the ground next to her, she's not dead there. But later when Max comes 'back' to this place via looking into photos, Victoria is gone. Jefferson says she deserved it and that Max shouldn't act like she cares.

A friend of mine did not get this in his game however. How can i let Victoria survive then? I DID warn her during the party and she believed me, because i had not bullied her about the paint in episode 1 and thus we were on good terms.

About choices and consequences

I find it really cool that several choices of the player can change quite a few big things. I found out we can actually let Kate survive or die, same with Victoria and Chloe. Oh and people during the tornado. But are there any others?

As for the powers

Too bad we don't find out how she got the powers in the first place. But....season 2 has been confirmed, so i bet we'll find out there. Assuming it's about Max again.
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
So overall I really loved this game and there were moments that hit like a brick, but the finale ended up how I feared. Basically they
used the time power to 'retcon' everything in the previous episodes, so that you still end up with a binary A or B ending. I felt really bad about not being able to save Kate in ep2, but by picking the 'good' ending, she's alive again, along with Victoria and others. I thought they were working up to something a little bit more impactful with their choice system, because your choices ultimately don't mean anything when you pick the 'good' ending. In that sense, the 'bad' ending works better because you're done playing with time and just accept what happens (and what happened before).
 

alexbull_uk

Member
Ordered the physical release too, but I managed to snag it for £6 so it was an easy choice. Definitely a game worthy of a space on my shelf.

Any idea on what the developer commentary is like? Couldn't figure out if it's a DVD/video or a part of the game, like what Valve does. I'm assuming DVD/download.

Need to do a 2nd play through and get a lot the optional photos now.
 

Yeah, I agree, after a certain point it became pretty obvious that was going to be how it was going to end up. Which stinks, but I think tits the only way devs can confidently make these types of games without fear of pissing off a ton of people.

Which is kind of cheap, devs should have a bit more candor.

That said, still great stuff.

About the reveal at the end of Epi. 4:
The Jefferson reveal feels like a bit of a cheat to me because, of course they're not going to fame Nathan as a complete badguy after they made such a point of the fact that he is mentally ill...
 
¡HarlequinPanic!;191622306 said:
In my game, she

didn't believe me when I warned her, and told me to fuck off cause I bullied her, she wasn't in the dark room at the end. Hmm.

That happened for my friend too. Sounds like
if you actually act like a bitch towards here, bully her back etc...will let her survive. Well...damn.

Oh and about that text message from
Nathan. Why didn't she receive that earlier? She had her phone with her when she was in the Dark Room with Chloe. That text message should have arrived by then and had warned them about Jefferson.

As much as i love the game...i have complaints too.

Mostly in the graphics.....

Aliasing
Tearing in some parts
Framedrops now and then
Texture streaming

Why exactly? It's not like this is the most demanding game graphically. Why not have the game look clean and smooth, and not have any of the above? That naturally goes for Telltale just the same, those weird hiccups and what not.
 

alexbull_uk

Member
That happened for my friend too. Sounds like
if you actually act like a bitch towards here, bully her back etc...will let her survive. Well...damn.

Oh and about that text message from
Nathan. Why didn't she receive that earlier? She had her phone with her when she was in the Dark Room with Chloe. That text message should have arrived by then and had warned them about Jefferson.

As much as i love the game...i have complaints too.

Mostly in the graphics.....

Aliasing
Tearing in some parts
Framedrops now and then
Texture streaming

Why exactly? It's not like this is the most demanding game graphically. Why not have the game look clean and smooth, and not have any of the above? That naturally goes for Telltale just the same, those weird hiccups and what not.

Are you playing on PC or console? I had none of those problems, but I did play on PC.

So overall I really loved this game and there were moments that hit like a brick, but the finale ended up how I feared. Basically they
used the time power to 'retcon' everything in the previous episodes, so that you still end up with a binary A or B ending. I felt really bad about not being able to save Kate in ep2, but by picking the 'good' ending, she's alive again, along with Victoria and others. I thought they were working up to something a little bit more impactful with their choice system, because your choices ultimately don't mean anything when you pick the 'good' ending. In that sense, the 'bad' ending works better because you're done playing with time and just accept what happens (and what happened before).

It's definitely a shame that there isn't an ending that allows your decisions to stick and also saves the town. A binary choice between "nothing happened" or "everything happened" isn't exactly what I'd wanted from the ending, but it does at least make sense in the context of the game.
 

ekim

Member
Btw I really loved the graphics for the most part of the game especially in the combination with some of the animations and lightning.
the moment where you tell warren what chemicals to put in. The moment he nearly falls from his chair looks really fantastically animated
 
I don't understand the feelings I'm getting from this game. It feels like real life circumstances. For example in episode 4
I really didn't want to have anything to do with Victoria or any of her bitch friends. But the game made it clear that you had to go talk to her before you find out Nathan isn't at the End of the World party. I actually felt awkward and nervous going up to speak to her like I did talking to people like that back in my high school days.

Episode 4 was extremely moving and just filled with emotional gut punches. I teared up when
I decided to kill Chloe in the alternate timeline because I didn't want her to suffer, and I experienced something similar to this with a family member not too long ago.
As for the ending
I had Mr. Jefferson pegged as the killer since episode 1 when he's talking to the class about a dark room. That, and the game goes focuses too much on the possibility that Nathan or Frank had something to do with Rachel's murder.

I've decided to move this up to #2 on my GOTY list after part 4. While Splatoon was much more fun (my former #2), this game is amazingly good. Plus the Twin Peaks vibes just make it that much better.
 

Trouble

Banned
Ordered the Limited Edition physical release. Definitely a game I don't mind paying twice for. Very interested in the developer commentary on it. I really enjoyed the one on the PC release of Alan Wake.

Look at this beauty! I'm a sucker for a nice package.
lis_digibook_beautyshoot_supply_ENGLISH_US_ESRB_M.jpg

I still think they should have called "Life is Strange: Prepare to Cry Edition".
 

Maligna

Banned
I've decided to move this up to #2 on my GOTY list after part 4. While Splatoon was much more fun (my former #2), this game is amazingly good. Plus the Twin Peaks vibes just make it that much better.

I assume you saw the "Fire Walk with Me" scratched in the diner's bathroom mirror and the TWNPKS license plate.
 

chixdiggit

Member
Just finished this last night. Loved it.

My one regret was reloading the last bit to see an alternate ending. I wish I would have just stuck with my original choice and left it as is.
 
Mostly in the graphics.....

Aliasing
Tearing in some parts
Framedrops now and then
Texture streaming

Not sure what console you're on, but yeah, I played Episode 1 on PS3 and this annoyed the heck out of me. I ended up switching to PC for the other episodes, which was of course much better.

From what I understand, the 8th-gen console versions are much more polished in this regard.

Seriously... the PS3 version is REALLY bad.
 
Are you playing on PC or console? I had none of those problems, but I did play on PC.



It's definitely a shame that there isn't an ending that allows your decisions to stick and also saves the town. A binary choice between "nothing happened" or "everything happened" isn't exactly what I'd wanted from the ending, but it does at least make sense in the context of the game.

Not sure what console you're on, but yeah, I played Episode 1 on PS3 and this annoyed the heck out of me. I ended up switching to PC for the other episodes, which was of course much better.

From what I understand, the 8th-gen console versions are much more polished in this regard.

Seriously... the PS3 version is REALLY bad.


Played it on Xbox One man. It's not like the aliasing is all over the place,but it's definitely there in several parts and just so not necessary. The framedrops and tearing was in the later parts of episode 4. Texture streaming just here and there. I understand the graphical style they are going for and the painty look some things at times have, but damn....that dog for example...come on man, looks horrible.

Oh by the way....now when i press back in the game and i go to the files folder where it shows the locations you've visited...one is still locked?
 

alexbull_uk

Member
Ok so i finished it...but what do these stars mean?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ibxs8l7avlcq9s1/20160108_222841.jpg?dl=0

As you can see i miss the yellow stars for prologue, monday and friday. What is that?

And as for the locked picture

https://www.dropbox.com/s/u41t5nbq1vrea1t/20160108_222852.jpg?dl=0

Stars mean "new". There's a new journal entry, or photo, etc. for you to view.

No idea about the locked picture though. I don't know if mine ever unlocked into something else - the last time I checked was during
the nightmare
and it was still locked then.
 

OMG Aero

Member
Victoria.....(don't read if you have not finished it...huge spoiler)

Is dead in my playthrough. In the part where Max wakes up in the Dark Room she sees Victoria on the ground next to her, she's not dead there. But later when Max comes 'back' to this place via looking into photos, Victoria is gone. Jefferson says she deserved it and that Max shouldn't act like she cares.

A friend of mine did not get this in his game however. How can i let Victoria survive then? I DID warn her during the party and she believed me, because i had not bullied her about the paint in episode 1 and thus we were on good terms.
If you
warn Victoria and she believes you she goes to Jefferson for help/to tell him about Nathan so he takes her to the dark room, so you either have to not tell her or she doesn't believe you if you want her to survive.
 
Ok so i finished it...but what do these stars mean?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ibxs8l7avlcq9s1/20160108_222841.jpg?dl=0

As you can see i miss the yellow stars for prologue, monday and friday. What is that?

And as for the locked picture

https://www.dropbox.com/s/u41t5nbq1vrea1t/20160108_222852.jpg?dl=0

The stars as far as I remember mean that you have new material in those sections (pictures, texts, character info etc.)

The locked picture as far as I can see on my profile is the school's parking lot. I have no idea why it's locked for you though... EDIT: It will only be unlocked as there is only one picture in that file
the "missing" Rachel poster.

On another note here's an awesome interview with Hannah Telle (Max's voice actor). It was really cool to hear her talk about her involvement with the game and how it impacted her. Really sweet person too!
 
Stars mean "new". There's a new journal entry, or photo, etc. for you to view.

No idea about the locked picture though. I don't know if mine ever unlocked into something else - the last time I checked was during
the nightmare
and it was still locked then.

Thanks, good to know. It's probably a picture or something in general that i didn't look at i guess.

If you
warn Victoria and she believes you she goes to Jefferson for help/to tell him about Nathan so he takes her to the dark room, so you either have to not tell her or she doesn't believe you if you want her to survive.

Ah yes, that makes sense too.

By the way....something about the game's ending:

In her diary, Max wrote that she might have feelings for Chloe, she was jaleous during her nightmare in the parts where Chloe flirted with other people, and she's not sure if this is friendship or love. This is all because i let Max kiss her in episode 3. So when we choose to sacrifice Chloe, her last goodbye is with one big kiss on the mouth and Chloe doesn't seem to mind. Yet when we choose to sacrifice Arcadia Bay none of this happens. I wonder if the two end up together as friends or more at that point. :)

Maybe we'll find out in season 2, if it focuses on these characters.
 

PxR

Unconfirmed Member
Ep 5 Final Choice thoughts:
It seems to me that the game revolves around the anxieties of choice throughout our lives, compounded upon by the fact that we aren't able to re-write our personal mythologies. The conceit of the game is asking the player "but what if you could?" And showing the repercussions of doing so. While I don't like this whole idea of people saying one ending is canonical over the other--especially given the fact that it's confirmed Chloe and Max's story arc is done and wont be the center of S2, I actually find that sacrificing Arcadia Bay would make more sense thematically? Yes, you could go back in time again to a reality (that is already altered have you) where you let Chloe die, but you'd also be altering it in the process because you have all the information of those past realities. It seems like by sacrificing Arcadia Bay Max would finally be confronting that anxiety of living with the choices she makes and not using her powers going forward.

I'm not sure if that makes sense to everyone else, but that's my reasoning between the endings. I don't think one is the "right" one though.
 
Ep 5 Final Choice thoughts:
It seems to me that the game revolves around the anxieties of choice throughout our lives, compounded upon by the fact that we aren't able to re-write our personal mythologies. The conceit of the game is asking the player "but what if you could?" And showing the repercussions of doing so. While I don't like this whole idea of people saying one ending is canonical over the other--especially given the fact that it's confirmed Chloe and Max's story arc is done and wont be the center of S2, I actually find that sacrificing Arcadia Bay would make more sense thematically? Yes, you could go back in time again to a reality (that is already altered have you) where you let Chloe die, but you'd also be altering it in the process because you have all the information of those past realities. It seems like by sacrificing Arcadia Bay Max would finally be confronting that anxiety of living with the choices she makes and not using her powers going forward.

I'm not sure if that makes sense to everyone else, but that's my reasoning between the endings. I don't think one is the "right" one though.

I agree very much with this, i have been thinking about it a little.

As soon as she used her power (however the hell she got it..you better explain this DontNod in S2) things went downhill and Chloe kept getting into trouble, as this article from Kotaku explains...a final destination scenario for Chloe each time.

http://kotaku.com/life-is-stranges-ending-is-a-hot-mess-1738291856

But if Max stops using the power right after sacrificing the town...all should be well. I agree with you that letting Chloe live makes more sense. Sacrificing her and basically completely going back to the beginning of the game makes all those happenings from S1 to S5 pointless. They happened but at the same time they didn't. Sticking with the ending where you let Chloe live means Max has helped a lot of people, made new friends and matured as a person. Sacrificing Chloe ending is very similar to that ending in another game. [/spoilerNot sure if that's going to be considered a spoiler but i mean this game

Mass Effect 3

So all those hard choices and happenings.....
for nothing. I am glad i let Chloe live.

As for season 2

It's not about Max? Interesting. I do wonder if we're getting these time manipulation powers again, if so...DO explain how we got them in the first place.
 
Top Bottom