Life is Strange is a game founded in making the correct choices, lest players face dire consequences. The game, which turned 6 yesterday, is told in 5 episodes that were released throughout 2015. Life is Strange still holds up today, definitely deserving of its initial positive reception from fans and critics. Though its subject matter gets increasingly dark as the game progresses, it still captures an almost hauntingly beautiful story that will stick with players once the final episode is complete.
A game like Life is Strange, where choices are crucial to how the game unfolds, obviously means that some choices are harder than others. More often than not, the harder the choice, the more impact it will have on the game. Other times, there are decisions in the game that don’t necessarily affect the overall plot, but can lead to tensions between characters. Luckily, Life is Strange has a mechanic that points out when a decision will definitely change the course of the game so players can act accordingly. Sometimes, though, these decisions are still incredibly difficult and have more of an impact than players realize.
Episode 1 of Life is Strange, titled “Chrysalis,” immediately has players make decisions that will, unsurprisingly, affect the rest of the game. Max Caulfield, the playable character, is a senior at Blackwell Academy and an aspiring photographer, but definitely not one of the most popular people at school. Victoria Chase is the queen bee and often antagonizes Max, making it that much more satisfying when players witness her sweater get ruined by a falling can of paint.
Max has two options in the moments following the paint can incident—she can take a picture and make fun of Victoria, or she can comfort her and not take a photo. Players who like to see bullies get their comeuppance may be inclined to make fun of Victoria, while others who believe everyone deserves kindness may choose to comfort her. However, these choices have a much bigger impact than players realize, thanks to Life is Strange’s flawless implementation of the butterfly effect.
Making fun of Victoria in that moment pretty much locks her in as Max’s “enemy,” but comforting her makes her a less volatile character in future interactions. However, later on down the line in Episode 4, “Dark Room,” Max has an option to warn (or not warn) Victoria about Nathan Drake, but her reception to Max’s statements will have dire consequences for her in Episode 5, “Polarized.”
If Victoria believes Max’s warning about Nathan, she’ll run to Mark Jefferson for guidance, and he’ll drug and murder her in the Dark Room—this will only happen if Max chose to comfort Victoria about her sweater. If players were more aggressive toward Victoria by making fun of her or just not warning her about Nathan at all, she’s safe from Jefferson and never appears in the Dark Room next to Max. Talk about well-intentioned actions going wrong.
For most players, trying to save Kate in Episode 2, “Out of Time,” isn’t exactly a difficult decision, but it can be difficult to achieve. The things players say to Kate will determine whether she steps further toward or away from the ledge on top of the building. Up until this point, players have learned a lot about Kate and what she’s been struggling with, and her struggle hit a breaking point when a video of her being drugged and acting strange went viral around Blackwell Academy.
If players were careful and noticed the details of Kate’s room during their previous conversation with her, saving Kate from suicide is slightly easier than normal. However, in the heat of the moment where tensions are high, for both the player and characters, it’s hard to keep track of all the details to prove to Kate that Max is genuinely her friend and knows her. Remembering how close Kate is with her father and sisters, as well as her favorite Bible verse, will help players save Kate’s life on the roof.
The time rewind mechanic of Life is Strange can save players a lot of trouble with other minor decisions and help them cover their tracks, but this confrontation with Kate is a one-and-done event. There’s no rewinding available, so players have to be cautious at all times of the things they say to Kate to keep her alive. If they succeed, Kate is shown in a hospital bed and recovering—if not, a memorial for her is set up in front of the dorms. The finality of this event and its choices are what makes it so difficult and impactful compared to the other decisions in Life is Strange.
Arguably the absolute hardest decision of Life is Strange is the final choice of the game—saving Arcadia Bay or saving Chloe Price. It’s not surprising that the game comes back around in a full circle, demonstrating that time and its events cannot be manipulated without consequences. Chloe has to die in that bathroom for Arcadia Bay to survive, or Chloe lives, but the entire town is destroyed because of the impending storm.
This decision is only made infinitely harder for fans who chose to have Max and Chloe have a romantic relationship instead of just a friendship. It’s one thing to sacrifice a best friend to save an entire town and everyone in it, but sacrificing a romantic partner magnifies that hurt even more. Though many players loved Chloe Price, was her life really worth saving more than everyone else in Arcadia Bay? The gravity of the situation is heavy and led to many tears from players who knew they either needed to say goodbye to Chloe for the greater good of the town, or say goodbye to the town to save Chloe.
Life is Strange is still lauded as an incredible game with complex characters, storylines, and an intricate system of actions and outcomes that demonstrate the butterfly effect to a T. A prequel to the game, titled Life is Strange: Before the Storm was released in episodes from 2017 to 2018, before an eventual sequel, Life is Strange 2, was released in late 2018.
Life is Strange is available now on Google Play Store, iOS App Store, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
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