Life is Strange: Episode 1 - Chrysalis Reviews
Though it suffers from some cheesy dialog, the first episode of Life is Strange game is a solid introduction to an engaging series, and combines Telltale-like choice mechanics with the heart of Gone Home.
Life is Strange starts out with a problematic first episode, but there's a lot of potential in this young-adult drama.
Life is Strange elegantly meshes time-travelling with nostalgia-riddled teen drama, producing a sympathetic debut.
This first episode shows a lot of potential. The characters and their struggles are relatable, and the narrative sets up plenty of intriguing threads
The episodic Life is Strange is off to a good start, featuring sympathetic characters and tense social situations.
Worth a look for anyone seeking a unique, more grounded take on the adventure game.
It's very tempting to dismiss Life is Strange out of hand as the same pretentious pabulum that it emulates, but the affectations of hipster cinema prove essential to its narrative goals. DONTNOD's sophomore effort aims to capture the voice of today's youth, and outside of a few heavy-handed moments it succeeds.
Chapter 1 of this five-part series is off to a promising, if timid, start. It presents a lot of ideas and mechanics just to show you what you'll be doing later, but it's pretty clear that the really interesting bits are yet to come. Still, this is a game worth checking out if you can handle the unavoidable alerts and iffy art choices.
Life is Strange presents an intriguing story but one that is yet to find its feet
But, by the end of Episode 1 of Life is Strange, the game at the very least also proves that life is filled with rewarding challenges and beautiful moments, even if they fade like a weathered old photograph.
A wonderfully assured first episode, in what has the potential to outdo both Telltale Games and Quantic Dream in terms of successful video game storytelling.
Life Is Strange offers a fresh take on video game storytelling, presenting the typically loaded concept of time travel in a more naturalistic light and exploring the labyrinthine choices of an unlikely everyday hero.
Life Is Strange makes a strong start to its season, with the first episode introducing a number of interesting characters, and raising a number of questions that left me needing answers. The visuals paint a solid, and often beautiful world, and despite the occasional misstep in the dialogue or execution Dontnod have the beginnings of a worthy and memorable entry in the adventure game genre.
For now, we're left with our first glimpse at Arcadia Bay, our initial look into the life of Max. It was a slow, yet well-paced initial chapter that set the table more than anything else. There's no telling where the story will go from here. But, as Chrysalis faded out, an indie song played that felt wonderfully at home in this setting, and served as a warning of things to come. It chanted "We will foresee obstacles, through the blizzard, through the blizzard."
Dontnod has done a fantastic job of not only introducing an interesting new world to explore in Life is Strange, but also an intriguing time-rewinding mechanic, and mysterious story that can only grow from here.
Life is Strange is perhaps the best possible outcome for French developer Dontnod Entertainment after an interesting and flawed start as a developer
As the series' opening gambit, it did its job. It didn't do much more than that, but it was a decent enough opener.
In the end, the only thing I can truly say is that Life is Strange is a must-buy. With its artsy graphics and music, relatable and realistic characters, and numerous mysteries and choices, the episodic adventure easily sucked me in and had me wishing I could dive directly into Episode 2. If the future episodes are anything like this first one, then I think Life is Strange is set to be one of the best games of the year, if not the best one.
The opening episode of Dontnod's time-bending adventure is uneven but intriguing, earnest and full of potential.