Life is Strange: Episode 1 - Chrysalis Reviews
In one of the developer diaries released by Dontnod leading up to the release of Life is Strange, JMAX, co-founder of Dontnod, says, "I believe video games are the future of storytelling and I think this is just a pre-history of video games… We are just pioneers. This industry is just learning to walk on its feet…" If Life is Strange is any indication of the direction the storytelling of video games is heading, the evolution is one that should be highly admired.
Overall, Life is Strange Episode 1: Chrysalis is an outstandingly charming, albeit brief beginning to this beautiful, new world. DONTNOD Entertainment has laid out what is to come in stellar fashion and I can't wait for Episode 2 to arrive, though waiting until sometime in March is still a decision I seriously question.
The calm before the storm, in other words, which (without giving spoilers) is also literally the case with Max's adventure. Dontnod though the badly underrated Remember Me and now Life Is Strange is quickly establishing itself as a premiere developer of arthouse games, and the only criticism I have of Life Is Strange is that I have to wait so long for the next episode.
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.
Life is Strange Episode 1: Crysalis is an excellent introduction to the series and it successfully manages to pull you into its wonderful world.I look forward in experiencing the rest of the episodes
Life Is Strange: Episode 1 - Chrysalis has exceeded all expectations of a seemingly humble story like this. It takes an older concept and adds some freshness to it to make it seem new again.
As the introductory episode of Life is Strange, Chrysalis exists as a great beginning, which is full of both intrigue and hints towards greatness. This is a game that feels like it exists in a living world, and it's one that we want to explore more.
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 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.
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.
Life is Strange is, in a word, gorgeous to look at
The only drawback with the first of the five episodes is some of the writing which may or may not improve as we dive deeper into the future episodes. If you're a fan of this story telling genre, Life is Strange is a must play!
Donotnod venture into episodic territory with Life is Strange for it and produce one of the year's most promising titles in doing so.
The sleepy, small-town atmosphere, dream-like art design and sublime music, combined with a cast of both likeable and pleasingly hateful characters, a compelling story and interesting game mechanics has left me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next episode.
A fresh take on the narrative-driven game
Overall I'm pretty impressed with the first episode of Life is Strange titled Chrysalis. The story has me hooked and I can't wait to find out what happens next. For the price checking out the first episode is a no brainer.
This first episode shows a lot of potential. The characters and their struggles are relatable, and the narrative sets up plenty of intriguing threads
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."
Life is Strange, Episode One: Chrysalis is a joyous, gripping adventure that has laid down a strong foundation for the rest of the series. Its time-travelling mechanic is a great spin on traditional narrative, choice-heavy video games of similar fashion, and is backed up by brilliant characterization and superb storytelling. It may not be perfect, but there's absolutely no way you'll want to miss out on Max's adventures.
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.