The Case

With the rise of Telltale as the dominant force in episodic, narrative based video game storytelling, the surprise is not how many other developers have jumped onto the bandwagon. But oddly how few. In fact, you’d be hard pushed to find any when you really think about it. So when DONTNOD came along saying they were taking on the Indie behemoth, it was something I, at least, thought was not only welcome, but long past due. As much as I love me some Telltale, a world without competition makes one lazy. Potentially at least. The former certainly have not fallen into that trap, not yet at least. But what we are really here today for, is to ascertain if DONTNOD will ensure that trend continues. This is Life is Strange.

The Trial

I must confess to being somewhat torn about this game. Not in whether I think episode, and thus the series, is worthy of recommendation. I will say right now that it is. But the real dilemma is how much needs to be said about it. On the one hand, the amount of subtext and nods to other pop, and not so pop, culture media is practically begging to be dissected and pontificated over for thousands of words. There are novels worth of references and influences to be explored. And all of them will, in time. But whether that should be done now, or at the series close is a difficult decision to make. So, for now, I will leave it hanging, and see how episode 2 plays out.

So then, what we are left with is, as always, the most important of all questions. Is the game, or at least Chrysalis, any good? Abso-frikkin-lutely it is. Even those of a less pretentious bent that yours truly are sure to find enough here to keep them entertained. Especially those fond of Telltale, as the similarities are not only undeniable, but clearly intentional. Their system works, and it works extremely well, so why bother reinventing the wheel?

This is not to say DONTNOD have copy pasted everything. Far from it. They have, rather, taken the concept and put their own spin on it. Peeling back the conversation significantly, but not to the point where it feels lacking, and bringing in some, dramatic music, actual gameplay! Albeit still decidedly on the light side of the coin, but pronounced and persistent enough that, well, it has actual gameplay. The crux of this consists primarily of moving around a small, but impressively varied, series of small environments and solving some light puzzles and/or engaging in conversation with various NPCs.

Usually, the two are intertwined. With main character Max learning early in the game, whilst witnessing a murder, that she has the ability to rewind time. The best part about this being the deliberate decision by the development team, this will be a carte blanche mechanic that you can activate at will. Anywhere, anytime...apart from mid conversation. You have to wait for those to finish before you can jump back and, for example, give the correct surname for someone who won’t talk to you unless you demonstrate you know who she is. To offset the tedium of this fact, you have the option to skip over any dialogue you have already heard, and jump straight to the bit you want to change.

As for the puzzles themselves, so far at least, they have remained almost childishly simple. Whether this is a trend that will continue throughout remains unclear at this point, but my prediction is that they will grow increasingly complex as time goes by. It’s generally not such a great idea to make the first part of a five part series so gruellingly impossible that it pushes people away after all. Though even if the puzzle solving does remain at the same approximate level, that is in no way a bad thing. Because honestly, they’re not the focus of the game, not even remotely.

What this is really all about, is, well, a lot of things actually. Much like life, there are a lot of factors playing on Max. Both external and internal. Essentially, this is a tale of self-actualisation and introspection. Narratively focused on the future, the unknown, and finding your place in the world. Thematically nostalgic and reflective. Two aspects that seem diametrically opposed, but gel together perfectly. Remember, as George Santayana said, “those who do not know the past are destined to repeat it.” It is easy to forget, after all, that it is where we came from that ultimately dictates where we will end.

Ending is something else that features heavily as it happens. With the final moments of this episode revealing that a hurricane is heading from the sleepy, almost frozen in time, burg of Arcadia Bay. Of a scale more than sufficient to eradicate the entire area and wipe it from the face of the world. Unambiguously ascribed to the increasingly prevalent, real world issue of climate change. And all dear Max can do is rewind time a few minutes. No pressure then!

Visually, Life is Strange is...interesting. It is nothing to graphically write home about, being barely par for the course truth be told. But artistically things are a lot more interesting. Animations are smooth and extremely impressive actually, with the environments and colour palette feeling more like something straight out of an instomatic camera...just like the one that Max uses to take all her pictures shockingly enough. It does a good job of both setting and reinforcing the dreamy, snapshot in time feeling. With shaky, faux handwritten arrows and words hovering above items that you can interact with. Like a comic book come to life.

Which leaves us, ultimately, with the voice work. Most of the characters have very little time on screen, with many of them being given no character development at all if you choose to walk past and not speak to them. Which is most of the cast at this stage. Just as, in the real world, you do not stop and speak to every single person you see, there is no imperative for Max to do the same. Which results in an episode with approximately three hours of content all told, but still almost two hours even if you skip all of the optional interactions. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Especially considering that the sparing time each character does get still leaves everyone feeling fleshed out and well rounded. Everyone feels like a real, living, breathing person with the weight of experience, hopes and dreams behind them. None of the performances are particularly outstanding, with all of them being decidedly on the understated side. But that is yet another element that reinforces the more sedate, almost maudlin atmosphere. And honestly makes them feel more like people than characters in a play.

The Verdict

Truth of the matter. There’s a lot to like here, a hell of a lot. Your average gamer, as they say, may find it to be little more than average, there’s no denying that. But there is nothing, absolutely nothing, to point to as being bad about it. Meanwhile, the more deep thinking and self-indulgent amongst us will find a narrative layered with a multitude of concepts that will keep you thinking longer after completion. Whilst the tale of a young, socially awkward woman just trying to find her niche in the world is one that just about everyone can relate to.

Case Review