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[Ultimadrago]

On Flux's wavelength, I agree that I would have liked to see them work it a little more. In early retrospect, it was a bit too tame (the Nightmare sequence was trippy, but not all that) and more focus on the ultimate consequences earlier on would've made for a better send off.

Hell, I remember a fun, typical theory I crapped out early on about how Rachel Adams was the positive perception of Max Caufield, in her absence, personified. Once Max returns, people are disappointed and wish to see the friend of all, kickass, open-minded girl they think they remembered from fonder times.

Also Gaffer haly's "Alyssa is a part of an interdimensional crime-fighting Teen Time Travelers league" joke which has her recruiting Max into their universe-traversing forces if she saves Alyssa in all incidents.

Both likely horrible ideas in practice, but goddamn do I love thinking about them. Plus, they would have emitted more emotion out of me than the actual endings.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

So then,
Max now has no power?

She definitely still has her powers in the "Sacrifice Arcadia Bay" ending. And since fate seems to want Chloe dead, I could see Max needing them to save her again and again after that ending.

In the "Sacrifice Chloe" ending? I dunno. She still might, since I always saw taking the picture of the blue butterfly being the catalyst. No way would she every use them again after that, though.

 

[John Kowalski]

I asked before, but was this scene different for anyone else?

bro do you need a new computer?

how did it bear the dorm room labyrinth? mine was melting through the whole thing... portals are very expensive!

 

[benicillin]

So then,
Max now has no power?

It's not explicitly stated. I would assume she still does.

 

[Snakethesniper]

Im kind of disappointed they chose the most predictable ending that I have seen guessed countless times. But I ended up going with Save the Bae to go against that. I watched the other ending after, and am happy with my choice.

Also...over 70% of people kissed Warren when I just finished.

Just finished the last episode and entered to write the same thing. I mean, I enjoyed it and I understand that making those choices can help the player to bond with the characters, to care about them etc, but I still feel a little baffled by the "a or b" choice in the end, without nothing carried over, even the choices in this episode (tell or not tell that chloe is dead, kiss,hug or nothing to warren).
I expected a different treatment, more like Heavy Rain than a Telltale game

 

[GavinUK86]

You Warren kissers make me sick. Sick!

 

[gossi]

I'm surprised by how many people kissed Warren. 76%.

 

[John Kowalski]

yuck

her jacket tho...

I'm surprised by how many people kissed Warren. 76%.

what!!! it was just 64 some five hours ago!

 

[game_boy]

Wow, the reactions here vs the reactions on /r/lifeisstrange are so different. I'm surprised at how many people here liked the ending.

I didn't hate the ending, but I thought it was very mediocre and could have been much better. Here are my thoughts on Episode 5:

• 
  Definitely my least favorite episode, but I still enjoyed it as a whole

• 
  Some of the writing and camera angles in the dark room when you're talking back and forth with Jefferson seemed low quality. There were lots of visually interesting scenes in the game, but a lot of the back and forth with Jefferson where you're just waiting for the cutscene to finish were visually boring, with the camera just cutting back and forth for what seemed like forever.

• 
  I liked going to San Francisco

• 
  I really loved the nightmare scenes because of how bizarre and scary they were.

• 
  I'm really disappointed that, after the nightmare scene hinted so much at meeting Rachel or something big like that, all we got was... nothing, really. There could have been so much more to add meaning to everything, and the part in the nightmare where you're going through the dorms over and over again really teased at some kind of twist or at the very least meeting a new character, but no, it was all just buildup with no payoff.

• 
  I really hate how none of my choices mattered. I see a lot of people saying it doesn't mater because the journey is more important than the destination, etc. but goddamn it, the destination is pretty important too. What made the journey so meaningful to me was thinking that my actions mattered. I was forced to pick between two bad endings, and all my actions were meaningless (other than having had the memory of doing them).

• 
  I totally get that the ending makes sense thematically, since the game had been hinting the whole time at the idea that Max can't truly change destiny, but I don't think that's an excuse for it sucking. The writers wrote themselves into a corner IMO, and because they didn't want to add complexity, length, and substance to the part of the game after the nightmare sequence, they just chose the predictable, unsatisfying ending.

• 
  I chose to let Arcadia Bay get destroyed. Throughout all the prior episodes, the game really hammered the viewpoint that Arcadia Bay is totally f'ed up; however, as it progressed, we did see a lot of redeeming qualities in a lot of the characters. Ultimately, though, I couldn't choose the option that negated everything I'd done, and I really cared about Chloe, so I chose to sacrifice the town.

• 
  The ending if you choose to save Chloe is just sloppy. After it finished, I was just like, this is it? Seriously, that's all?

• 
  Furthermore, I don't buy that saving Chloe means the tornado kills everyone in the town. Maybe I didn't look closely, but in the final cutscene, the Two Whales looks the same as it did when I was there earlier with Warren, Joyce, etc. If they were inside it the whole time, they would totally have lived. But the final cutscene doesn't even tell us or show us anything. It is useless.

• 
  I don't think they needed to tie up all the loose ends. I don't think they could have explained her powers in a satisfying way, but they could at least have given us a little more information on how Rachel is involved/etc. after all that hinting and buildup in the dream sequence. If they'd gone a bit deeper, then it wouldn't feel so anticlimactic.

Overall, I really liked Life is Strange. It has its flaws, and the ending is it's biggest flaw, but it told a powerful story.

Also, why why why would you kiss Warren? I mean, I don't have anything against the guy, but I felt absolutely zero attachment or interest toward him the entire game. I didn't hug or kiss him in the Two Whales.

 

[Baldwin_the_First]

I see a patern where almost all warren-haters have anime avatars. Hmmm, I think I'm on something.

Also, why why why would you kiss Warren?

Deep appreciation for everything he's done and believing in Max without questions, plus knowing fully well he's been in crazy love with Max, including the fact that you'll be going back in time in a few seconds hence erasing it from his memory anyway if you don't want to be involved with him anyway? A hug, a Kiss, whatever, why so prude?

 

[LiQuid!]

GONNA HURL

 

[jonjonaug]

She definitely still has her powers in the "Sacrifice Arcadia Bay" ending. And since fate seems to want Chloe dead, I could see Max needing them to save her again and again after that ending.

In the "Sacrifice Chloe" ending? I dunno. She still might, since I always saw taking the picture of the blue butterfly being the catalyst. No way would she every use them again after that, though.

I can't see Chloe ending up dead again after the "save Chloe" ending really. There are maybe consequences from fucking with time, but time clearly can be fucked with. It's not like William got ran over by a bus in episode 4 after you saved his life.

 

[Cheat Code]

Not sure how I feel about the ending to be honest. Seems like they fell into the Telltale trap of making all of your choices ultimately pointless. The nightmare segement was an absolute top moment, but the rest of the episode did feel a bit slow.

With this episode I think they gifted the GOTY to Bloodborne, but this game was certainly a highlight of the year.

 

[gossi]

I'm not sure looking at Reddit gaming is a good benchmark for positive thinking..

Laughed out loud at the joke about bottles.

 

[Corpekata]

I don't like Warren or most anime. I defy you!

 

[Hellwarden]

I just want to say something in regards to the romance in Life is Strange...

Spoiler

If we look at the most popular responses in terms canon, then Warren probably went ape on Max all night long.

Ape

All

Night

Long.

 

[Guri]

• 
  I really hate how none of my choices mattered. I see a lot of people saying it doesn't mater because the journey is more important than the destination, etc. but goddamn it, the destination is pretty important too. What made the journey so meaningful to me was thinking that my actions mattered. I was forced to pick between two bad endings, and all my actions were meaningless (other than having had the memory of doing them).

See, I disagree here because I think all of your choices give you an emotional impact in the nightmare sequence, weighing into the final choice. But I can see your point.

Not surprising that many liked and many didn't. That will always happen with any kind of "season finale".

 

[FluxWaveZ]

One thing I like about the ending is that, if they ever go for a Life Is Strange 2, there is no way they can continue with the same protagonist and they could never go with time traveling.

• 
  I'm really disappointed that, after the nightmare scene hinted so much at meeting Rachel or something big like that, all we got was... nothing, really. There could have been so much more to add meaning to everything, and the part in the nightmare where you're going through the dorms over and over again really teased at some kind of twist or at the very least meeting a new character, but no, it was all just buildup with no payoff.

Yep, this was probably the worst thing about the episode for me. There was definitely the illusion of escalation during the P.T. dorm scene, but it ends up in nothingness. Meeting a "dream Rachel" or any of those twists I mentioned before is what comes to mind, but it was just an excuse of throwing out weirdness. That's fine by itself, but it's not meaningful. It didn't inform what was actually going on in the story; just something to do while Max was having another time induced freak out.

 

[AlphaDragoon]

That's the scene I had. Sorry Warren haters. XD

 

[JonathanNemo]

Not gonna lie that playing Undertale before episode 5 was probably unwise, on my behalf.

The former does do a remarkable job of giving every choice weight, besides what I've already said about how it did "nightmare" style insanity in a way that felt more clever than goofy and tied in really well into its plot.

Dontnod had deadlines to fulfill and they did an amazing job with the ruined Arcadia scenes. Undertale just puts this particular game's flaws with choice based gameplay under a magnifying glass, more so because this was one of LiS's major selling points.

And it's a shame that the crack about puzzles was made during a scene with a worse puzzle. Flashlight maze, fortunately, has a failsafe when the NPCs would glitch and stop moving, but it was not a fun thing to get through.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

I can't see Chloe ending up dead again after the "save Chloe" ending really. There are maybe consequences from fucking with time, but time clearly can be fucked with. It's not like William got ran over by a bus in episode 4 after you saved his life.

If the story were to actually continue and we saw it happening, then "Chloe dying" would absolutely vanish as a concept. But, conceptually with everything that happened...

Actually, I take that back. You're right; because of William living, I'm reminded of the fact that the timelines in this story operate on "equivalent exchange." I guess the sacrifice of Arcadia Bay and (presumably) those numerous lives for Chloe's life was good enough to satiate fate, or whatever.

 

[GoldandBlue]

I hope their next game wont be a sequel to Life is Strange or at least use a new setting and characters. I'd rather they not decided on a canon ending.

 

[Salty Catfish]

If the story were to actually continue and we saw it happening, then "Chloe" dying would absolutely vanish as a concept. But, conceptually with everything that happened...

Actually, I take that back. You're right; because of William living, I'm reminded of the fact that the timelines in this story operate on "equivalent exchange." I guess the sacrifice of Arcadia Bay and (presumably) those numerous lives for Chloe's life was good enough to satiate fate, or whatever.

That's an interesting idea that I hadn't really considered -- who's to say that sacrificing Arcadia Bay is enough to save Chloe? It's certainly possible that another uber-tornado will pop up wherever she and Max end up.

 

[Corpekata]

Fairly certain they've already said they're doing season 2 and it will be taking an anthology route, not connected to this season.

 

[jonjonaug]

If the story were to actually continue and we saw it happening, then "Chloe" dying would absolutely vanish as a concept. But, conceptually with everything that happened...

Actually, I take that back. You're right; because of William living, I'm reminded of the fact that the timelines in this story operate on "equivalent exchange." I guess the sacrifice of Arcadia Bay and (presumably) those numerous lives for Chloe's life was good enough to satiate fate, or whatever.

I don't really think fate cares about people getting killed or not, or that it even really exists at all in this story. The characters have their own interpretations of it, but I saw the tornado as a simple side effect, not some cosmic balancing scale. Something like heavy drilling and excavation leading to earthquakes.

 

[Ultimadrago]

Also quotes from the episode:

"Life is...weird."

"Life is so unfair."

No one says "Life is Strange"?! I can't roll the credits!

 

[Baldwin_the_First]

If the story were to actually continue and we saw it happening, then "Chloe dying" would absolutely vanish as a concept. But, conceptually with everything that happened...

Actually, I take that back. You're right; because of William living, I'm reminded of the fact that the timelines in this story operate on "equivalent exchange." I guess the sacrifice of Arcadia Bay and (presumably) those numerous lives for Chloe's life was good enough to satiate fate, or whatever.

A equivalent exchange in the eyes of the one wielding the power I would guess. Max having to endure Chloe being paralysed and being asked to kill her when saving William is harsher than coming back to her being dead. Which would make sense for the equivalent exchange in saving Chloe being having to sacrifice a town full of people.

 

[Bam]

 

[FluxWaveZ]

I don't really think fate cares about people getting killed or not, or that it even really exists at all in this story. The characters have their own interpretations of it, but I saw the tornado as a simple side effect, not some cosmic balancing scale. Something like heavy drilling and excavation leading to earthquakes.

Narratively, I disagree. You brought up saving William yourself, but that example is also the very example of the importance this story's "fate" places on causality. William lives, but in exchange for the accident that was meant to take his life? Chloe suffers that impact in his stead.

It's either: fate relentlessly wants to kill Chloe off, which comes up at numerous times throughout the story and which is even mentioned by Chloe herself in the ending, meaning this would continue even after Arcadia Bay falls. Or it's that Arcadia Bay being destroyed is necessary for Chloe to continue living. That's absolutely how I see the ending.

If what you're saying was true, Max could have saved Chloe in the "Sacrifice Chloe" ending without ever having even manipulated time, and according to you the storm wouldn't have happened. It happens because Chloe is saved, and Max realizes that, which is why she has no choice but to give up.

 

[Steamlord]

I thought the ending worked. I haven't seen the "sacrifice Arcadia Bay" ending yet, but it seems to me that that choice wouldn't undo the choices you've made throughout the game, right? So the choice is either let your friend die and undo all the fuckery you've caused, but also undo the connections you've made (which can still be rebuilt), or allow Arcadia Bay to be destroyed but stick with the choices you've made throughout the game and their outcome.

So if you sacrifice Chloe, not only are you giving up your best friend, you're giving up all of the progress and connections you've made over the past week. But the important thing is that you can choose whether or not to do that. It was painful for me, but I felt I had to revert the town to the way it was and save all those lives, even if it did mean undoing everything I had done. And in the end, Max is the only one who knows about all the shit that went down (or rather, didn't go down). It's pretty haunting, really.

 

[jonjonaug]

Narratively, I disagree. You brought up saving William yourself, but that example is also the very example of the importance this story's "fate" places on causality. William lives, but in exchange for the accident that was meant to take his life? Chloe suffers that impact in his stead.

A number of years later, in a different kind of accident, and she didn't die from it either. I don't buy that as any kind of "fate", just bad luck.

 

[Chariot]

Also quotes from the episode:

"Life is...weird."

"Life is so unfair."

No one says "Life is Strange"?! I can't roll the credits!

New version of the better Chloe ending.

Chloe and Max driving into the sunset.

Chloe: You know Max, we really are the Last of Us."
Max: "No, Life is simply -"

Blackscreen. Crash sound. Credits.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

A number of years later, in a different kind of accident, and she didn't die from it either. I don't buy that as any kind of "fate", just bad luck.

"Bad luck" is really weak reasoning when we're meant to assume there's correlation behind the events in a story, especially one revolving around time travel.

Again, if what you're saying was how it is, nothing would have stopped Max from triggering the alarm in the bathroom in the "Sacrifice Chloe" ending without ever having messed with time.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Black jacket Max is best Max

 

[JehutyRunner]

You Warren kissers make me sick. Sick!

I regret nothing.

 

[John Kowalski]

The metaphorical supersedes the factual in this game, "luck" isn't so much a variable as it is the developer's way of reinforcing the notion that you can't simply escape bad things, you have to accept them and face them.

Black jacket Max is best Max

Yeah! She looked super cool.

 

[Hellwarden]

Doesn't Chloe flat out say that maybe she was supposed to die?

And if you go back, let her die, the town isn't destroyed.

It may be uncomfortable for some, but I don't think it was the time travel alone that fucked things up.

It was saving Chloe.

Hence why people who sacrificed the town are huge monsters who have learned nothing.

 

[Baldwin_the_First]

A number of years later, in a different kind of accident, and she didn't die from it either. I don't buy that as any kind of "fate", just bad luck.

I mean, it's obvious her powers are linked to Chloe since she's the key element that made her unlocked them in the first place. By not using them in the bathroom in the, what I suppose is the true canon ending, she never unlocks them. I don't see how you can just pass this as bad luck. It seems pretty obvious that she's in that wheelchair due to Max altering what happened in the past with her father.

 

[Lostconfused]

Again, if what you're saying was how it is, nothing would have stopped Max from triggering the alarm in the bathroom in the "Sacrifice Chloe" ending without ever having messed with time.

Except her belief is that the storm is her doing. It is pretty much that Simpsons gif. She tried and accepted her failure and decided to not try anymore.

 

[NewDust]

Though I knew all allong, and I didn't found it to be the best episode, after that last choice....

I actualy feel grievance over a bunch of polygons. This is 5 minutes after I finished it and I'm a mess right now.

I will not forget you, Chloe!

 

[BumblebeeCody]

She definitely still has her powers in the "Sacrifice Arcadia Bay" ending. And since fate seems to want Chloe dead, I could see Max needing them to save her again and again after that ending.

In the "Sacrifice Chloe" ending? I dunno. She still might, since I always saw taking the picture of the blue butterfly being the catalyst. No way would she every use them again after that, though.

Yeah. It's kinda weird how that works. I was thinking that the school had magic powers "due to that weird totem thing" but it seems it's more like a testament of the gods.
Basically: At this point, one of your friends will die, here is the outcome of what will happen (A giant tornado) and now to test your friendship, you'll have to go back and see if it's worth losing an entire town over. Kinda like Max was always meant to be unhappy.
Chloe dies or Chloe survives loses her town but Max isn't going to be happy. Makes you think, who devised this plan and why place it on someone caring like Max? It's essentially ruined her.

That's the scene I had. Sorry Warren haters. XD

Yeah same

I mean, it's obvious her powers are linked to Chloe since she's the key element that made her unlocked them in the first place. By not using them in the bathroom in the, what I suppose is the true canon ending, she never unlocks them. I don't see how you can just pass this as bad luck. It seems pretty obvious that she's in that wheelchair due to Max altering what happened in the past with her father.

...but she knows about them and doesn't use them.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Except her belief is that the storm is her doing.

Yes, and it is.

It is pretty much that Simpsons gif. She tried and accepted her failure and decided to not try anymore.

Yes, which is what I agreed with.

 

[game_boy]

I thought the ending worked. I haven't seen the "sacrifice Arcadia Bay" ending yet, but it seems to me that that choice wouldn't undo the choices you've made throughout the game, right? So the choice is either let your friend die and undo all the fuckery you've caused, but also undo the connections you've made (which can still be rebuilt), or allow Arcadia Bay to be destroyed but stick with the choices you've made throughout the game and their outcome.

So if you sacrifice Chloe, not only are you giving up your best friend, you're giving up all of the progress and connections you've made over the past week. But the important thing is that you can choose whether or not to do that. It was painful for me, but I felt I had to revert the town to the way it was and save all those lives, even if it did mean undoing everything I had done. And in the end, Max is the only one who knows about all the shit that went down (or rather, didn't go down). It's pretty haunting, really.

Right, the sacrifice Arcadia Bay option doesn't erase your choices, but my main issue with it is how that ending is the same, generic, unsatisfying cutscene no matter what choices you made.

 

[jonjonaug]

"Bad luck" is really weak reasoning when we're meant to assume there's correlation behind the events in a story, especially one revolving around time travel.

Again, if what you're saying was how it is, nothing would have stopped Max from triggering the alarm in the bathroom in the "Sacrifice Chloe" ending without ever having messed with time.

That's still messing with time. The only scenario that prevents all sorts of time shenanigans is the one presented, where Max lets events play out as they would have, and autopilot Max presumably never found out she had time powers. This prevented whatever caused the tornado. The tornado isn't for carrying out some cosmic death plan, it's just the toxic waste of time travel bullshit.

 

[RedSparrows]

I'd have preferred an 'aggregate' end over the binary choice, and the 'save Chloe' end is weaker than the 'sacrifice Chloe' ending. That said, the latter did choke me up and I was satisfied by it all. I saw it coming, but that's fine. I'd like to have seen it push more boundaries, but it had already done so much I loved I could forgive it that, particularly as I liked the ending anyway.

Tautology, bitches. Meh, you know what I mean.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

That's still messing with time. The only scenario that prevents all sorts of time shenanigans is the one presented, where Max lets events play out as they would have, and autopilot Max presumably never found out she had time powers. This prevented whatever caused the tornado. The tornado isn't for carrying out some cosmic death plan, it's just the toxic waste of time travel bullshit.

Hm, I see, but I guess what I take issue with is that "autopilot Max" doesn't exist. The fact that she remembers everything that happened is itself something that should mess with the timeline. I think about Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, and how that's exactly how its premise operated.

Different interpretations, I suppose.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

 

[Lostconfused]

The game starts with the tornado, before Max even knows she has time travel powers. She still uses time travel powers to stop her self from using time travel powers to save Chloe.

Really it's just a perception thing from the player and the character. Maybe there is a way for Max to save Chloe and not have Arcadia Bay get blown to bits, but by episode 5 the physical and emotional strain was just too much. She couldn't handle it anymore.

Pretty much all of this is thematic. None of this is rooted in any sort of in-universe mechanics, because the game never bothers to establish those.

 

[Baldwin_the_First]

Yeah. It's kinda weird how that works. I was thinking that the school had magic powers "due to that weird totem thing" but it seems it's more like a testament of the gods.
Basically: At this point, one of your friends will die, here is the outcome of what will happen (A giant tornado) and now to test your friendship, you'll have to go back and see if it's worth losing an entire town over. Kinda like Max was always meant to be unhappy.
Chloe dies or Chloe survives loses her town but Max isn't going to be happy. Makes you think, who devised this plan and why place it on someone caring like Max? It's essentially ruined her.




Yeah same



...but she knows about them and doesn't use them.

And that's the point of her returning to that point in time ... But then you know there's that little montage of pictures being burned and created and the new reality coming into play. What's to say she still has them afterwards? She's never unlocked them in that reality in the first place, so what's to say it wasn't that exact point in situation that made her unlocked them. I don't know i'm just spouting shit up and I guess she would remember it all in the end, yeah.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

I really think a better option than sacrificing ALL OF ARCADIA BAY would have been to have Max die due to abusing time travel powers instead, taking place at a point in time where her choices during the week would have mattered but also resolving the tornado situation before it happened through her death. It would have been a weightier choice and less jarring than the Arcadia Bay choice, which is a bit too extreme. That way the choice would effectively be between choosing to die to save Chloe, or to let destiny play out like it's supposed to.