 |
| Time is Key. |
Life Is Strange is an episodic adventure game by French developer Dontnod Entertainment (Remember Me) was one of 2015's biggest hits. Packing a neat narrative, interesting characters, and a solid time-reversal mechanic, it became a success for the developer, selling over a million copies. Since it was in my backlog for a while, I thought I'd take a closer look at Life Is Strange and see what it has to offer.
STORY- The plot follows Max Caulfiled, a photography student studying at Blackwell Academy in the fictitious town of Arcadia Bay. Her world soon turns upside down when she has visions of an unrelenting storm that will destroy her town and mysteriously gains the power to manipulate time. Joined by her childhood friend Chloe Price, Max must find the cause behind the storm and save Arcadia Bay. Without going much in detail, Life Is Strange is a story-centric game full of choices you-- the player-- must make. I've had a pleasant time with the story and liked the mature themes it tackles. I have to say that it's one of the best stories of last year.
GAMEPLAY- You control Max from a third-person perspective. The main meat of the gameplay is the rewinding mechanic. After you have made an action such as talking to characters or interacting with the environment, you can rewind time for a brief period. This is crucial when dealing with puzzles and some story sections. Choices play a huge role in the game's narrative. Depending on the choices Max makes during the course of the game, some characters can be hostile towards her or can even die. Furthermore, you can visit many locations throughout Arcadia Bay and take optional photos of certain objects there. With that said, there was a stealth section in the last episode that I felt was out-of-place and annoying to navigate through.
PRESENTATION- Life Is Strange is a nice looking game. While it comes off as basic at times, the visuals are nice to look at. The excellent lighting and colorful environments are also notable aspects of the game's look. The voice work and soundtrack are amazing with many spectacular performances and tracks, respectively. However, I encountered lip-syncing and technical issues during my playthrough.
OVERALL- I had fun with Life Is Strange. Story and characters were memorable aspects of the game. The gameplay was interesting thanks to the rewind mechanic and the presentation complements the tone of the game well. It's not without its flaws but if you're looking for a great story that will hook you for a while, look no further.
EXCELLENT
Comments
Post a Comment