For a game to tackle a lot of things, I'm amazed Life is Strange didn't catch my attention. With five episodes released throughout 2015, it took the concept of the point and click and brought in a time travel element to it. Nothing original, but it is given a strong execution. Add in good production and it is a very good game.
The plot is in line with The Butterfly Effect (haven't seen it), with a small mix of Back to the Future and The Twilight Zone. Arcadia Bay, Oregon is a shithole, but home to Blackwell Academy. Eighteen year old Max Caulfield, back from a five year move to Seattle, studies there to be a photographer. A girl winds up shot and killed and somehow, she gains the ability to rewind time. With that new ability come a big adventure filled with many great and tragic moments.
Nailing down the school elements, it is a bit cliched. It's like most high school movies. However, they don't let their foot down on tons of serious issues and they make the characters seem more fleshed out with distinct personalities and traits. Graphically, it's not strong in its character modeling, but the colors and environments around Arcadia Bay is beautiful. Even basic things like pictures are done with effort. And the audio fits Life is Strange very well. An emphasis on guitar led stuff, moody style melodies, and a few sappy songs that would make it onto prime time television.
As far as gameplay goes, it's a bit deeper compared to most point and click games. It's more in line with classic LucasArts games in that you need to look, search, and interact everywhere before leaving. Max controls very well There are rarely any hiccups to the movement. The rewinding of time can yield multiple results, giving it a little extra replay value. There is the decision making, altering certain areas, and fixing certain moments. Be sure you are final on what you do because once a scene or area is finished, you won't have a chance to redo that part.
An added touch is taking photos throughout the episodes. You can view stuff via a journal/diary, looking at recollections of the events that happened during the game. Not too many options are present, and it is mostly for the presentation. A couple spots do drag a little bit, but it's not a huge deal breaker. The only other small negative thing is some lip sync issues, but that came very late into playing it. Overall, this is a game to check out and one that the developers knew what they were doing and nailed it for the franchise debut.
Score: 9 out of 10
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