Square Enix and developer Don’t Nod who you might know from last year’s Remember Me video game step into the episodic world with their latest adventure game, Life is Strange which is available now on consoles and PC. With Telltale Games setting the benchmark for these story based experiences, how well does this game stack up? Take a look at our Life is Strange review for the full picture.
Life is Strange Episode One Review:
Today we’re taking a look at Don’t Nod’s episodic adventure game Life is Strange which is available now on console and PC platforms and offers some time based shenanigans that wouldn’t be out of place in something like the movie Edge of Tomorrow or even Groundhog Day. Players assume the role of high school student Max Caulfield, a female photography student who begins the game thrust in an unnerving storm with little to go on but her instincts. As the danger ramps up, Max is magically transported back to her class room during a lesson with no idea of what just happened to her. Naturally the vision can be dismissed as a dream, but as events unfold, more sinister happenings occur.
We have to stop right there with the story as the whole point of the game is one of discovering things for yourself. However, progression is tied to the rather mundane action of investigating every highlighted object for clues. The main game has Max investigate various on screen prompts using a third person view interspersed with a number of cutscene moments as key characters are introduced. However, Max soon discovers that she’s able to manipulate time itself and turn back the clock which makes for some interesting moments. Naturally the game thrusts some choices along the way to make use of this, but the onus is certainly on providing some shades of grey where the outcome tends to be obvious but the alternatives less so. This essentially means playing through the story again and making more jarring choices depending on whether you want Max to be a pillar of the community or a little oddball.
Playing the game is fairly tame and whilst the story sits within something like Alan wake and Twin Peaks, the gameplay is more traditional puzzle solving and exploration which won’t win any action fans over. There’s a lot of fluff and red herrings to wade through elongating what is essentially a fairly short first episode. Players can choose to take note of it all or simply go for the direct route and finish the episode quickly.
In terms of atmosphere and visuals, there’s a distinct tone to the graphics which work well with its overall lack of detail and somewhat hand painted look which are complimented by some fitting acoustic music which helps to drive the seemingly non eventful gameplay forwards. There’s nothing really to fault here with the presentation and with Don’t Nod providing refreshing high quality visuals in Remember Me, has done a good job here.
Players will be able to finish the story quite rapidly, but that’s a given considering the episodic nature of the package, the question is whether you’ll want to replay again after checking the in-game stats to do things differently to how your friends or the online community acted. The only caveat is once you’ve played already, there’s little surprise left so really being thorough on a first play is a must.
Life is Strange presents itself as a compelling adventure game that will appeal to those who like the genre, although here replacing gratuitous scenes of violence with more mundane offerings and a the time manipulation twist sets it apart from its peers. It’s not a game for those weaned on action, and although the story telling is good, characters likable, its suggested you’re in it for the full five episodes to really get the most out of the experience. Episode one serves as a neat introduction, which will either leave you panting for more drama, or will turn you off completely due to a lack of eventful happenings. That said, for the low asking price per episode or complete package is worth checking out any way if you’re a fan of the genre.
Score 7.5/10
Review code supplied by Team Xbox.
