Life Is Strange (2015)

Gameplay: 4/5 Story: 5/5 Presentation: 3.5/5

Basis:

Story= plot progression, intrigue, characters, world

Gameplay= Mechanics, gameplay options (freedom), repetition, goals, difficulty

Presentation= graphics, animation, environment/character design, Art direction, Script, music

The main negative things that got to me were the unrealistic levels of swearing and the lack of emotion in the animation when the game is a very emotionally driven game. In real life, people don't drop the f-bomb just for saying hi. Well I guess some people might but I felt like half the characters you could talk to would cuss you out for looking at them. As for the animation, I know the company that worked on this game may not have had a big budget. It felt like a very indie game published under square Enix. There were moments though where a bit more emphasis on smiles and frown would have executed some of the most impactful scenes in the game. Also, eye contact doesn't really require more work in animation it actually requires less than when they have to look all over the place.

I have conflicting feelings about this game. I don't want to take out a lot of time to write, so I'll simply state some thoughts:

• The plot overall is kinda sloppy and odd. The main twist towards the end was jarring though not fascinating.
• The characters in this game were fantastic and all amazingly written. It's beautiful how you can be so torn whether to hate or love certain characters.
• The characters were the main driving force for my enjoyment of this game. I wanted to keep playing to see how the story unraveled though was ultimately a bit disappointed by it. The final choice you must make is very tough, though with the game immediately ending afterwards, it feels as either decision is frivolous.

I feel like I loved this game though having some negative thoughts about it. I don't really care to write about the gameplay or visuals because there's nothing interesting to say except they're both good and unique. I truly had some emotional moments in this game; it really succeeds at that. It is just so unfortunate that the game didn't wrap up perfectly. There is too much for me to like in this game. Character studies are always so enjoyable for me, so I know I will remember this game and cherish it for some time.

Spoiler-free bullet-point review:

What I liked:

• thorough exploration and detailed environments, atmosphere
• slow play, sitting and thinking
• problem-solving with time mechanics
• choosing on gut feeling rather than calculations, not knowing the consequences but being satisfied with my choices anyway
• feeling and believing the characters for the most part, if they had hope, so did I: even if I suspected the worst, I saw them struggle and wanted to see it before being certain
• emotions: fear, awe, relief, pain, sorrow... Great design, artful and beautiful that evoked many thoughts
• great representations of insecurity, self-doubt, selfishness

What I didn't like:

• Chloe. Voice, personality, recklessness, her friendship... I couldn't relate to a bff/bae relationship like that (might be just me and my personal life experience)
• because of above, final choice was a no-brainer and fell somewhat flat for me
• Chaos Theory stuff, the tornado and other disasters: I was expecting another explanation and had nice theories, so I'm disappointed with what was given
• confusing character development at parts
• clunky mechanics and mood-ruining bugs in increasing amounts in the later episodes

Overall: A really great game that made me feel and think more than any game in a very long time. It caught me somewhat off-guard but also gave me what I felt like I needed.