Life is Strange

Have you ever been curious about The Butterfly Effect? Not the terrible Ashton Kutcher film but the theory on cause and effect, altering events to change time itself from past, present and future. It’s all very scary stuff, more so if you’re a teenage hipster. Life is Strange is a bold title that explores these themes in a beautiful way.

I gather, like me, you’ve always wanted to rewind a certain moment in your life and change it for the better. It would help on that tricky decision on whether to have soup or salad, or for something a little more major like an argument or to save someone’s life. It sounds great, but it’s a power that might have a serious cost. Max, a teenage hipster who dreams of being a renowned photographer, has been given that power. She finds herself one day saving the life of a young woman after she witnesses her horrific death and rewinds time in order to prevent it. Things are looking up but Max soon realises that this power might be upsetting the balance as life goes into an unsettling direction for her. She becomes involved with a multitude of problems from violent drug dealers, missing girls and even something far worse.

Life is Strange was originally released as episodic content, which actually helps the progression and pacing of the plot. You’ll get the urge to keep on playing, never losing interest in the events as they unfold. There’s always a new twist or turn in the plot or some new mechanics to change things around, keeping it fresh whilst sustaining your interest. You’ll get the itch to play again in a different way and there is a great deal of additional side objectives to explore, such as photographing points of interest and a vast amount of exploration you won’t be able to achieve through your initial playthrough.

The game’s narrative is an exceptional one that’ll keep you glued to the controller until the bitter end. You’ll experience some fantastic moments of wonder, joy and heartbreak as you play through Max’s epic journey. The characters are interesting, each with bold characteristics and layers to their meaningful personas. Of course, you’ll also get to see stereotypes like a Goth, a posh kid, an upper-class snob, the geeks who love sci-fi and the hipsters. It’s the experience, however, that makes them feel so much more engaging than their outer shells make them appear and depending on your choices, you’ll learn more about them for the better or worse.

The core of the game boils down to exploration and dynamic choice, with a story-driven focus similar to games such as Broken Sword and The Walking Dead. The most interesting aspect here is having the power to rewind time and play scenarios out in multiple ways. Choosing a different approach to certain situations or learning vital information helps with the replay for you will know information without the knowledge of those around you. It’s a great component that gives you the freedom to work things out for yourself and alter the choices you have. You may figure out an answer but it’s never necessarily the “right” answer and this is where the challenge and intrigue of the game lies.

There are other elements within the game that branch the gameplay experience, from stealth sections to investigative type mini-games. The game stays away from mass murder and guns yet still has a strong sense of conflict and intelligence for players to enjoy. It utilises the rewind mechanic to different situations and even to allow players to enjoy random interactions just because they can do so.

The choices are a vital and dynamic component to both gameplay and the narrative. Believe me, you’ll play this again purely because of the depth of choices and various effects there are. Choosing what you think is the right option may not turn out to be and rewinding time to choose again usually won’t help clarify your decision but it will make you question it even more so. I’ve only played a handful of games that have made me upset and to say next to The Walking Dead, this has brought tears to my eyes. This game does what many others don’t. There are some choices which do have an effect in the game but some don’t. These moments have no impact or change the progression of the game other than to serve the story in an emotionally touching manner. This shows a more proactive outlook on gaming narratives, bringing you closer to the characters and making you feel immersed within the world with some brave and difficult choices.

The experience you’ll undergo with Life is Strange is also enhanced by some pleasing aesthetics. From its colourful and dream-like graphical representation to its gentle and mellow soundtrack, you’ll definitely have an emotional bond with this game. My only faults were with some graphical glitches, along with some poor lip-syncing and how tedious the rewind feature can be at certain points. This makes it a little tiresome when retrying particular segments multiple times. Thankfully, this didn’t ruin the flow nor did it make me feel disconnected to the game.

What I can say with my experience in Life is Strange is that it’s truly beautiful. It’s a captivating and mesmerising game with a touching and brilliantly written narrative with aesthetics to please both your eyes and the heart. If you’ve already played this or own it, play it again with all the episodes in a row as the experience is all the more grander for it. For those who’ve not had the chance to play, you’re missing out. If you’ve enjoyed The Walking Dead, then you’ll love this!

+ Touching and gripping narrative
+ Dynamic gameplay elements with time control
+ Wonderful aesthetics
+ The feels

- Rewinding time can be a little tedious (nothing major)

A review copy of Life is Strange was provided by Square Enix for the purpose of this review.