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[Gbraga]

About Kate, I also think I wouldn't change anything of what happened. She died in my game, but it was such a powerful moment that hit me so hard that I feel like doing it again but "cheating" to have her alive would lessen it. I certainly see the appeal of replaying these kinds of games with different choices, but it never really appealed to me. Good think I take forever with them. Life is Strange took me 25 hours.

I guess the more gimmicky ones can be fun to replay, like Heavy Rain, the whole "the story goes on even if you die" thing is fascinating, and can make for something fun to experiment with outside of the actual storytelling and dialogue choices.

Sorry for quoting myself again, but those were my experiences with Kate's death:

Major episode 2 spoilers:

Spoiler

She can die, and she did in my game. It's absolutely heartbreaking, it was such an intense experience. From the moment she first jumps and you keep rewinding time in vain, trying to change something, you start to feel tense, you don't know what to do, and then TOKI WO TOMARE. Well, shit, a new power, awesome, I win, right? No, not really. At least in my game, it was a true tragedy in the purest sense of the word. Not even stopping time itself was enough to save her, and all I got was a different view from the same scene I've seen so many times.

I'm really glad this can happen, though, after they approach so many serious stuff, especially with Kate's situation, it would be shitty if a happy ending was the only way, and they were only using the suicide as a setup for Max to power up her stand.

I didn't cry or anything, I wasn't that attached to Kate, I guess, but man, I don't think I've ever felt this way when playing a game before. I felt like complete shit. You know those cliche scenes where the hero tries to save someone, fails and blame themselves, and then a supporting character tells him/her "It's not your fault"? I could never relate to that, I understood the scene and the emotions involved, but it was never really relatable, until now. I didn't need anyone to tell me shit to start blaming myself. It took all my strength to stop myself to going back a save and googling what I should do, but I really want to stick with the consequences for these choice-based games. Then Warren tried to comfort me, "you know it's not your faul", he said, or something like that, but in my head I was thinking "yes, yes it is". You start to think about "maybe if I paid more attention, if I cared more." I even read the messages from her family, but I guess I didn't care enough to remember exactly who said what.

Episode 2 was devastating, I won a new power, I'm DIO now, that's fucking awesome, but even that wasn't enough to make a difference. I'm possibly the most powerful person in the world, and yet I felt powerless.

It was a truly magnificent moment that I don't think I can ever forget.

And when you got that message from her father (in the next episode if I recall correctly)? It destroyed me. That was my redemption, that's when I was finally able to let go and forgive myself.

It was kinda weird to see Kate alive in the ending. I supposed Chloe was most likely buried before the events at the end of Episode 2, but still, I couldn't help but think everything would be fine with her.

just read it as you're going through the nightmare, and after. Just open the journal every few minutes?

It got updated in the nightmare? I thought it was only the one page of MAX IN THE DARK ROOM and other twisted awesome shit. I guess I got too used to reading the final entries in the next episode, so I didn't even think to check it at the end.

 

[Xiraiya]

So I just finished, I had a pretty damn near perfect run right up to the end, my girlfriend and I both took the Chloe ending in our games despite knowing sacrificing her was probably the right thing to do.

I was happy enough with the conclusion overall, but the endings are weird to me.

Honestly I feel like there is/was suppose to be a 3rd true ending, because regardless of what you choose, nothing with Rachel is ever properly solved, you find what seems to be a body but you never get any confirmation that it's her or what was going on with her, they made so many allusions to her and Max being the same and she even texts you during the time nightmare saying "We're going to meet real soon" which made me think "Oh shit that's really interesting"

But then the game ends with everyone apparently dead because Chloe and Max don't bother looking for survivors, which if everyone really died it completely invalidates all of your work to help and save everyone along the way, which is like, fine have an ending do that, but not both endings.

If you sacrifice Chloe, technically none of what you did ever matters because you would have no longer followed that journey anymore so none of that stuff would have actually happened.
There's no real culmination of results from all the little things that the game specifically keeps track of upto and through the last episode and that's just a little unsatisfying, I can deal with a bittersweet ending but it still needs to be a satisfying ending.

"David got a scar"
Who the hell cares, what does that have to do with anything now that the game is done?

Aside from being really solid 95% of the way through and then making me feel like I got Tell-taled at the last second, I enjoyed the story, it's just not really end I would have gone for in a timetravel story involving a mysteriously missing girl who was unnaturally perfect at everything she did that makes her sound eerily like the main character with time travel powers.

Basically this game is like if Steins;Gate had ended right before

Spoiler

Okabe's mysterious video message explaining how to reach the 3rd line.

 

[TheFatMan]

My complaint was all the time travel in the last episode really just erased a whole bunch of choices you made earlier in the game.

 

[Gbraga]

"David got a scar"
Who the hell cares, what does that have to do with anything now that the game is done?

lmao

 

[Xiraiya]

Probably the best text message in the game.

 

[Randomizer]

Wow just finished this, haven't been this affected by a game in a long while. Even though the graphics are not technically impressive and very uneven at times, I found the overall art direction and art-style beautiful with literally the best cinematography in gaming. Honestly the camera shots and positioning were outstanding. The soundtrack was also great and very fitting. Can't wait to see what these Dontnod do next.

 

[Smiley90]

Probably the best text message in the game.

William's is pretty fantastic too

Hey Max, would you say hi to Chloe ane Joyce? Don't forget to remind them that you let me die." William Price - 2015

Had to change my av

Also did you guys notice, but Chloe is actually buried right next to William. They share a tombstone...

-sadz-

Wow just finished this, haven't been this affected by a game in a long while. Even though the graphics are not technically impressive and very uneven at times, I found the overall art direction and art-style beautiful with literally the best cinematography in gaming. Honestly the camera shots and positioning were outstanding. The soundtrack was also great and very fitting. Can't wait to see what these Dontnod do next.

The soundtrack is fantastic. I was missing some This Will Destroy You/other post-rock, but it was perfectly underlining the tone. Art style 10/10.

 

[~Kinggi~]

If they pumped this full of explosions in the sky i would have been /dead

But still what is there is almost equally amazing.

 

[Guri]

Looking back, it's amazing how much this series grabbed our attention, isn't it? Who here thought that would happen back in January? Not to mention that it is really nice to be a part of friendly group of fans and I think the LIS universe helps with that.

Spoiler

We are not the Vortex Club, are we?

 

[Steamlord]

I mean, Mogwai is post-rock, as the genre is defined these days, and even Foals have a lot of the trappings of modern post-rock, so...

 

[~Kinggi~]

Looking back, it's amazing how much this series grabbed our attention, isn't it? Who here thought that would happen back in January? Not to mention that it is really nice to be a part of friendly group of fans and I think the LIS universe helps with that.

Spoiler

We are not the Vortex Club, are we?

Back when they were doing the pre-release trailers etc i saw the potential for it and this is what i hoped for but didnt think would happen. So its not a shocker but it almost never plays out how you hoped.

 

[Smiley90]

If they pumped this full of explosions in the sky i would have been /dead

But still what is there is almost equally amazing.

my man! This Will Destroy You - Quiet or Explosions in the Sky - First Breath After Coma. I'd have cried even more.

But Spanish Sahara was perfect, too.

 

[Famassu]

So I just finished, I had a pretty damn near perfect run right up to the end, my girlfriend and I both took the Chloe ending in our games despite knowing sacrificing her was probably the right thing to do.

I was happy enough with the conclusion overall, but the endings are weird to me.

Honestly I feel like there is/was suppose to be a 3rd true ending, because regardless of what you choose, nothing with Rachel is ever properly solved, you find what seems to be a body but you never get any confirmation that it's her or what was going on with her, they made so many allusions to her and Max being the same and she even texts you during the time nightmare saying "We're going to meet real soon" which made me think "Oh shit that's really interesting"

But then the game ends with everyone apparently dead because Chloe and Max don't bother looking for survivors, which if everyone really died it completely invalidates all of your work to help and save everyone along the way, which is like, fine have an ending do that, but not both endings.

If you sacrifice Chloe, technically none of what you did ever matters because you would have no longer followed that journey anymore so none of that stuff would have actually happened.
There's no real culmination of results from all the little things that the game specifically keeps track of upto and through the last episode and that's just a little unsatisfying, I can deal with a bittersweet ending but it still needs to be a satisfying ending.

"David got a scar"
Who the hell cares, what does that have to do with anything now that the game is done?

Aside from being really solid 95% of the way through and then making me feel like I got Tell-taled at the last second, I enjoyed the story, it's just not really end I would have gone for in a timetravel story involving a mysteriously missing girl who was unnaturally perfect at everything she did that makes her sound eerily like the main character with time travel powers.]

Rachel died. She was drugged, taken to the dark room, taken pictures of, she overdosed, died & was buried in the junkyard. There's nothing more to it. That whole mystery was fully solved by the end of episode 4. And she wasn't perfect in any way. She dated a drug seller and clearly had some issues of her own, based on the stuff we hear about her throughout the game.

And while your choices not mattering at all was a bit disappointing, the ending made sense in the context of the game's story. Max tries to fix shit but each time she tried to fix one thing, some other things seemed to go awry and finally her meddling with time created the freak storm that would kill a lot of people, so either she had to make the choice of going to that first moment of time meddling and never save Chloe or she would have to live with what she caused and possibly cause even more death & destruction by keeping Chloe alive. This was never meant to be a game where you could somehow maneuver your way into some kind of "perfect" resoultion where you stop the storm while also saving everyone, to live happily ever after. That's maybe a bit disappointing from a gameplay POV, but I think it's a really fitting end for the story.

And the choices weren't pointless. A lot of people got really different kind of scenes & reactions throughout the game. The ending is only the ending, there's so much else that happens throughout the game that is affected by the player's choices that it can create wildly different kinds of overall stories, even if by the end you have to negate all of that.

 

[~Kinggi~]

my man! This Will Destroy You - Quiet or Explosions in the Sky - First Breath After Coma. I'd have cried even more.

But Spanish Sahara was perfect, too.

Spanish Sahara i was actually unaware of. I had heard it before somewhere a while back but never had an opportunity to seek it out so i was listening to this a lot at work today after i beat it last night.

 

[Gbraga]

Ok, just read the last few diary entries. Yeah, I still have the same impression I had before. I missed a lot though, like 3 or 4 pages. Thanks guys for letting me know!

 

[Soriku]

-sadz-.

Joyce had to lose her husband and daughter. What did she do

 

[chrominance]

William's is pretty fantastic too

Hey Max, would you say hi to Chloe ane Joyce? Don't forget to remind them that you let me die." William Price - 2015

Had to change my av

Thanks for the new phone wallpaper!

 

[LeonSPBR]

Back when they were doing the pre-release trailers etc i saw the potential for it and this is what i hoped for but didnt think would happen. So its not a shocker but it almost never plays out how you hoped.

I bought this because of it's art. Didn't expect that this would be so good. First episode sold me to get the season pass and I didn't regret a second of it.

 

[LeonSPBR]

Didn't think about it while playing it, but ZA WARUDO was unfortunately missing from this episode. Best power.



I need to read the final pages. When do I have to do this? After I come back from the nightmare?

The page on the nightmare is disturbing as fuck. But I opened the journal before the final talk with Chloe to see her reaction and I have a question. Is the final page the same for everyone?? Mine is Max talking about her feelings for Chloe might be love rather than friendship. Is the same for everyone??

 

[InfiniDragon]

The page on the nightmare is disturbing as fuck. But I opened the journal before the final talk with Chloe to see her reaction and I have a question. Is the final page the same for everyone?? Mine is Max talking about her feelings for Chloe might be love rather than friendship. Is the same for everyone??

It's dependant upon your interactions with Chloe and Warren if you get romance options with them.

 

[matrixman92]

what the hell? They actually said that?

 

[~Kinggi~]

what the hell? They actually said that?

wat

 

[Xiraiya]

what the hell? They actually said that?

That's crazy, I mean there are some pretty blatant missed opportunities around the ending but it wasn't like the endings themselves were bad, they were both good, it's just in a video game sense it made them seem a little weak.

The game is a Solid 7.5 or 8, would have easily been a 9 if I didn't feel like my choices and efforts were made completely pointless.

 

[LeonSPBR]

what the hell? They actually said that?

Polygon gave a 6,5 in the final episode. Which shows that their opinions are trash.

 

[Skux]

GameTrailers final episode discussion with Elyse and Huber

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF8o-wM1AGA

 

[Opto]

Joyce had to lose her husband and daughter. What did she do

Another reason to fuck the town over. Joyce had too much loss already

 

[Zambayoshi]

About that snow. After finishing it a few days ago and thinking a lot about it, I decided to finally watch the "sacrifice Chloe" ending and... well, isn't it snowing there as well?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5lsTadfcSU&t=709

11:49 and forwards. Because if that's the case, then either both timelines are messed up or the snow actually doesn't mean anything. I'm not really sure what to believe.

I think those are seed pods like from a dandelion. I had to do a double take when I first saw it but I think it might have been unintentional or a fake out from the devs.

 

[Opto]

Thanks for the new phone wallpaper!

check out the artist http://kuvshinov-ilya.tumblr.com/

 

[InfiniDragon]

Another reason to fuck the town over. Joyce had too much loss already

...And also kill Joyce in doing so. >_>

 

[Zambayoshi]

I actually didn't see any snow in the end, but I might've just missed it. Couldn't the snow just be related to the actual storm/disappearance of the storm?


Also if I were in Max's shoes, I think I rather not have had the power and experienced those things at all, not gonna lie. Now she'll live with "I could've saved her" for the rest of her life? Possibly seeing Kate kill herself? Being near-murdered herself? Having to kill Chloe herself/seeing her paralyzed? Letting William die again? All that just for ONE extra week with Chloe? Not worth it.

Not to mention Chloe died without ever having that experience herself OR knowing what happened to Rachel, she just gets murdered. Joyce and David never got to see her change for the better, David never becomes a better step-father, etc. And David is still alive in the sacrifice AB ending anyway, and the fact that Chloe DOES call him step-father and not step-douche has potential for them reuniting too.

It's not the Canon ending, but it's the one that's MUCH more stomachable to me and makes much more sense unless the lesson from the game is to be "life is cruel". This way there at least was a point and she managed to save Chloe. I'm sure Rachel would've much rather seen Chloe live and be happy than have her die, too.

Looking at the scene again, the snow might be the same dandelion seed pods that are present in the funeral ending. This makes me sad...

 

[Smiley90]

Looking at the scene again, the snow might be the same dandelion seed pods that are present in the funeral ending. This makes me sad...

... why does it make you sad?

Also one other thought - if we assume that after not interfering with Chloe's death, Max gets "transferred" into the future again... If the funeral takes place within a week/before the storm would've occured, wouldn't the Max that attended the funeral/everything inbetween still be totally unaware of everything and only once they reach the caught-up time she suddenly becomes the aware Max? That's one thing that's very poorly explained.

...And also kill Joyce in doing so. >_>

I'd argue that if you gave Joyce the option of dying but her daughter living, she'd always sacrifice herself.

 

[Emperor_Uriel]

what the fuck ._.

I played this game doing everything I can to push Max and Warren together. Didn't kiss Chloe. Did all the optional Warren things.

Yet I decided to go back and read the last few diary entries and despite all this, the final entry still goes on about Chloe and "is it friendship or LOVE?!?!".

So I guess Warren is barely even a romantic option at the end? The game will always somewhat have Max fall for Chloe...

Hella lame. Extremely hella lame.

Writers in general still have trouble with the whole "two women can just be really good friends" thing. Not that this wasn't a great representation of a relationship between two bisexual women, just that it's odd for the game to interpret actions that are meant to signify "I love Chloe" as "I'm in love with Chloe."

It also doesn't help that Warren is written to be a tool. Or that the one man that Max and Chloe share a mutual attraction to

Spoiler

is around 15 years older than them and a serial killer.

 

[Corpekata]

Nobody is reviewing it as one of the worst games of the year on those sites. Dev is just looking for a pity party.

 

[Steamlord]

... why does it make you sad?

Also one other thought - if we assume that after not interfering with Chloe's death, Max gets "transferred" into the future again... If the funeral takes place within a week/before the storm would've occured, wouldn't the Max that attended the funeral/everything inbetween still be totally unaware of everything and only once they reach the caught-up time she suddenly becomes the aware Max? That's one thing that's very poorly explained.

Google tells me that the average time between a person's death and the funeral is 7-10 days. I think it's sometimes shorter than that, but the fact that Chloe was murdered may have complicated things and delayed it a bit. So if that's true it would have been after Max caught up to the proper time and was aware of what was going on.

Plus if I remember correctly, based on the various "replaced photos" we see when she changes the timeline, she seems to be mourning over the course of most of the week.

 

[Gbraga]

It's dependant upon your interactions with Chloe and Warren if you get romance options with them.

Are you sure? Because Max talked about kissing Chloe instead of Warren in mine, and I only know what she's talking about because of the choices menu after the episode, I didn't even hug Warren, so kissing him was never even an option.

 

[GGNKovalski]

what the hell? They actually said that?

What is this nonsense.

 

[Smiley90]

Google tells me that the average time between a person's death and the funeral is 7-10 days. I think it's sometimes shorter than that, but the fact that Chloe was murdered may have complicated things and delayed it a bit. So if that's true it would have been after Max caught up to the proper time and was aware of what was going on.

Plus if I remember correctly, based on the various "replaced photos" we see when she changes the timeline, she seems to be mourning over the course of most of the week.

It's just weird that there's like, no obvious change. I mean, imagine being the non-knowing Max. She just witnessed someone being murdered (assuming she gets to see that despite the "other" max being in her body) and at first doesn't even KNOW that it's Chloe.

 

[John Kowalski]

who needs polygon when they got gaf

 

[statham]

Polygon gave a 6,5 in the final episode. Which shows that their opinions are trash.

nah, the ending was a 8.8, the whole game was a 9.5 IMO, if lip-syncing was fixed a 10(bugged me a bit). This game should be getting Walking Dead Season 1 type awards, sadly we know it wont.

 

[GGNKovalski]

nah, the ending was a 8.8, the whole game was a 9.5 IMO, if lip-syncing was fixed a 10(bugged me a bit). This game should be getting Walking Dead Season 1 type awards, sadly we know it wont.

It really should. I loved S1 of the Walking Dead but I feel this is so much better. I was a little disappointed in the endings but the journey to get there was incredible. The ending (and some other brief moments) of the Walking Dead were good but I felt most of the character interaction sucked. In LiS, I loved interacting with each character and wanted to get to know them more.

 

[~Kinggi~]

It really should. I loved S1 of the Walking Dead but I feel this is so much better. I was a little disappointed in the endings but the journey to get there was incredible. The ending (and some other brief moments) of the Walking Dead were good but I felt most of the character interaction sucked. In LiS, I loved interacting with each character and wanted to get to know them more.

I mean, it is better. But awards are often driven by other factors outside of quality. Walking Dead hit at a right time where this type of adventure game provoking that tyoe of emotion wasnt a normal thing. But even still i think LiS has some good chances because of how it deals with some real issues relevant to a lot of young people these days.

 

[GGNKovalski]

I mean, it is better. But awards are often driven by other factors outside of quality. Walking Dead hit at a right time where this type of adventure game provoking that tyoe of emotion wasnt a normal thing. But even still i think LiS has some good chances because of how it deals with some real issues relevant to a lot of young people these days.

Oh I agree 100%. I view S1 of Walking Dead to be the game that gave this genre the kick in the ass that it needed. Right now, we are flooded by these types of games. I can see a few smaller sites giving LiS a lot of awards but I doubt the bigger sites will at all. Places like IGN and Gamespot have been really down on the last two episodes.

 

[lovely ladies]

Is that tweet referring to just the final episode or the entire game? I don't see how a 6.5 score translates into one of the worst games anyway even if you take into account the gaming media's warped score scale.

nah, the ending was a 8.8, the whole game was a 9.5 IMO, if lip-syncing was fixed a 10(bugged me a bit). This game should be getting Walking Dead Season 1 type awards, sadly we know it wont.

I enjoyed this game more than TWD S1 myself, I felt that game was dragging by the fourth episode.

 

[~Kinggi~]

Oh I agree 100%. I view S1 of Walking Dead to be the game that gave this genre the kick in the ass that it needed. Right now, we are flooded by these types of games. I can see a few smaller sites giving LiS a lot of awards but I doubt the bigger sites will at all. Places like IGN and Gamespot have been really down on the last two episodes.

I will cross my fingers for GiantBomb East arguing in the podcasts lol.

 

[Corpekata]

Is that tweet referring to just the final episode or the entire game? I don't see how a 6.5 score translates into one of the worst games anyway even if you take into account the gaming media's warped score scale.

It isn't referring to anything. The guy is being very dramatic and looking for sympathy. Even Polygon's 6.5 ends with a recommendation to play the game.

And the pity party appears to be working judging by people's reaction in this thread.

 

[GGNKovalski]

I will cross my fingers for GiantBomb East arguing in the podcasts lol.

I could see Vinny and Austin coming around on it and enjoying it but GB West would just shit all over it because "Kids don't talk like that" or something along those lines.

 

[LeonSPBR]

nah, the ending was a 8.8, the whole game was a 9.5 IMO, if lip-syncing was fixed a 10(bugged me a bit). This game should be getting Walking Dead Season 1 type awards, sadly we know it wont.

I'm with you. I found the game to be almost perfect, a 9,5 to a 10. But Polygon gave a 6,5 in their review for the final episode, which from here on I'll ignore their reviews.... what a trash opinion.

 

[John Kowalski]

I could see Vinny and Austin coming around on it and enjoying it but GB West would just shit all over it because "Kids don't talk like that" or something along those lines.

jeff is a softie nowadays he'd be for it

 

[FluxWaveZ]

jeff is a softie nowadays he'd be for it

Jeff seemed to like it during his Quick Look with Dan.

 

[LeonSPBR]

It isn't referring to anything. The guy is being very dramatic and looking for sympathy. Even Polygon's 6.5 ends with a recommendation to play the game.

You forget that people are lazy and hardly read review, they just look at the score to make their minds if they should buy the game or not, and nowadays a 6,5 is a really bad score.