Life is Strange: Episode 1 - Chrysalis Reviews
Life is Strange has simplicity to it that is driven by a strong and intriguing storyline. It's one of those titles that demands your attention, but doesn't ask too much from your gaming skills. Gamers may not like the lack of control and variety of gameplay, but the freedom to dictate the character and story might be enough to warrant a go.
Chrysalis, Life Is Strange's debut episode, introduces a fascinatingly weird tone where the ordinary is coupled with the bizarre.
A compelling and worthy Telltale alternative
This is why, despite the first episode's obvious flaws, I'm eagerly awaiting the rest of the series.
This opening to Life is Strange is flawed but shows serious potential for the series.
Although quite a short game, Life is Strange Episode 1 Chrysalis definitely brings a unique freshness to the gaming world and definitely gives a great twist and alternative to the Telltale Games. It has a very likeable character that when combined with the interesting gaming mechanics of time travel, it really makes you question the choices you make for Max that ended with me craving for more.
Life Is Strange is off to a near flawless start. Its story, characters and world are all incredibly interesting and in combination have built a fascinating plot that we can't wait to continue in the second episode. Max's time travelling ability is an innovation in the interactive story genre that allows us shape the story exactly to our liking and is a compelling plot device in itself. If Dontnod can iron out the lip-syncing problems and continue the quality of Chrysalis in future episodes, then we have something very special on our hands.
There is a certain air of quality about the current product, but it is not enough. However, as more episodes come, I feel (and I hope) it will evolve and get better. Lets hope Max does not have to grow a beard for that to happen though,
Life is Strange presents an interesting story and does well to flesh out its characters, regardless of their importance to the overall game. The many choices available to the player makes way for unexpected consequences that prove to be entertaining.
A fresh take on the narrative-driven game
Chrysalis is a fantastic setup episode
For now, if you like that whole quirky indie scene—Juno, 500 Days of Summer, Away We Go, et cetera—you'll probably enjoy this. Or if you're just a fan of Telltale games like The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us and want something Telltale-esque, but less fantastical.
It's not without its flaws, like I said, the girls seem to act and look younger than they supposedly are, and some of the lines seem rather forced and fake, but overall it's woven well enough as to put together a fulfilling and enjoyable experience. I'm looking forward to the next part.
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.
Life is Strange is an interesting attempt to break into the cinematic genre. It's certainly unique, blending together gameplay elements of Telltale's and Quantic Dreams' productions with more "gamey" elements such as it's time rewinding mechanics. It shows a lot of promise as an episodic game, but there are certain mechanics that leave me feeling a bit skeptical for this franchise's future. I think Episode 1 is worth a play through, but whether or not this becomes a fantastic multi-episode game will depend on the choices the developers make from here on out. Considering the game's subject matter, that seems entirely appropriate.
At the end of the day, Life is Strange is an interesting experiment. And while it falters on a few fronts, the first episode does more than enough to keep our interest for the next one.
All in all, Life Is Strange was well... strange. While I found myself nitpicking characters and plot development, I still was drawn into what would happen next, what all my decisions would effect in the future, and just what in the world is happening in this town? Life is Strange is the kind of game where you don't have to fear imminent death or sweat the danger and fear of the world around you. Instead, it's a very humane take on the episodic genre, with some supernatural tendencies sprinkled in. I honestly am very interested to see where this strange journey ends up in the next episode, releasing March 2015.
While this episode lays a good foundation to the upcoming adventures, it admittedly does little more than introduce the characters which will eventually help/hinder you when you need them most, but that's not to take away from what it achieves. If you love point and click games or narrative-driven games, Life is Strange is one title you will hate to miss out on. For the low entry price of $5 for the first of five episodes you can easily play it and make an informed decision on whether you would like to follow Max on her journey of self discovery. I know I will be.
Upcoming chapters promise more action and excitement, but "Chrysalis" has already given me something I didn't expect: a representation of modern teen life that is neither romanticized nor condescending. Just as a chrysalis is the transitional stage in a butterfly's growth, Life Is Strange knows that teens are just humans in transition.
I'm sure that once all five episodes are out, the game will be a great one, deserving of the highest scores. But right now the generic, unlikeable characters mar what could have been pretty perfect.