Life is Strange

SPOILER ALERT! This post discusses my experience of playing “Life is Strange” and contains some spoilers as to what happens in the game. If you don’t want to know what happens in the game then don’t read on!!

Last week I (finally) downloaded the game series “Life is Strange”. In a nutshell, the game follows the story of Max, who discovers her ability to turn back time after she witnesses the murder of her childhood best friend, Chloe. In the the game, you have the responsibility of making decisions which can have small or large impacts on what happens throughout the game and in the future. The butterfly effect and chaos theory are very strong themes throughout the game which really makes you think about how such small choices or events throughout your life can lead to a chain reaction that results in something very significant.

I would rate the game a solid 8/10 with minor improvements being better graphics and animations, and also smoother gameplay. The story of the game was enthralling and captured my attention more as I played each “episode”. Through every twist and turn, I was hooked and managed to complete the game in a few days. The game took me on an emotional journey which, surprisingly, made me think about the choices I make in everyday life. I think that’s what makes this game special, it taps into that human side of people because the game deals with some very real and disheartening topics. And with the upcoming release of another “Life is Strange” game, which serves as a prequel to the original and follows Chloe’s story, my expectations are set very high. I hope the new game contains as much emotional impact, humour, agency, and uniqueness that was served by the first game.

The more I think about the game, the more engaged I feel with it. “Life is Strange” is a very good example of digital media and video games which are able to connect to a person on a deep level. It is not mindless entertainment but requires mental engagement. You realise that the little choices you make in life can have drastic outcomes and that some things in life are meant to be – even if we don’t like it. By tapping into that human side, the game makes the player as vulnerable as the main character, Max, and forces them to make decisions which affect Max and those around her. Although uncomfortable, it allows the player to understand certain things about life.

The game also explores topics such as suicide, mental health, and bullying. It really captures the devastation of a young person’s suicide and the aftermath of that – how it impacts family, friends, peers, and enemies. The fact that it is possible to save a certain character from suicide but also possible to say the wrong thing which leads to their suicide is almost too real a situation. Certain points of the game are emotionally exhausting and may be too much for some people to handle because themes of the game do reflect events which have happened in real life. For example, after a character’s death, everyone in the school pays tribute to them even though they bullied the person when they were alive, or ignored their pleas for help and support. And this happens in real life too, sadly. I guess one of the important messages that the game portrays is to always be aware of others and be supportive when you can. Even if everyone else is bullying someone, you should always show that you care because it could save someone’s life. It is kind of sad that a game has to teach people to be nice and caring but if that’s what it takes to make people wake up to reality then it might save a life one day.

Despite the emotional themes, “Life is Strange” was actually a very fun game to play. The story was original and unexpected with several major plot twists, and the aesthetics of the game were very pleasing. It was fun to turn back time for novel things like stopping someone from getting hit by a ball, and was also fun to explore the world of Arcadia Bay. There was, perhaps, too much dialogue in the game and it often felt like I was watching a TV series. This is good and bad, good in the sense that the dialogue added greatly to the story and the player is able to directly impact dialogue, but bad because I was sometimes left a little bored when there was a 5-10 minute cut scene.

The visuals and music in the game were very impressive and gave me “Stranger Things” or “13 Reasons Why” vibes for some reason. It felt retro but modern, with a sense of nostalgia added in. The music was mostly upbeat and added to the cinematic experience of the game. It seems to me that this game was never designed to be a “traditional” video game because it contains more narrative and story than other games I have played. Choice based games are always interesting because you can play them several times with different outcomes each time. I really did feel like I was part of a TV series or movie when playing the game and the emotional impact the game had on me was very surprising. I am extremely glad I finally played “Life is Strange”, after years of wanting to, and I am looking forward to what the new game has to offer.

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