Life is Strange: Episode 4 - Dark Room Reviews
Now we wait for several more weeks before learning all of the truth behind the horrific things happening at Blackwell and Arcadia Bay, and hopefully how and why Max was given this power. Even though DONTNOD made something a bit predictable, they have left plenty of roads open to continue their usual unpredictability. I can honestly say at this point, I have no idea what will happen next. So many unanswered questions, and I have my expectations high that all will be revealed without any disappointment.
Life is Strange: Dark Room does a masterful job at bringing us to the finale, and it currently stands out as the best chapter in the series. While some may find fault in the shallow gameplay mechanics and the absence of multiple choices, the plot more than makes up for it, leaving us anticipating the last chapter with great excitement.
Dark Room doesn't give you much room to complain, unless you hate things that make you have feelings. It's the best-paced, most emotional entry yet, and it handles its super-serious subject matter with skill and maturity. This is the chapter we've been waiting to play since the beginning.
But, despite the occasional jarring conversations or the surprisingly calm reactions to horrific events, Life is Strange: Episode 4 is able to deliver some intense emotional blows, while at the same time begin to wrap up some key mysteries and keep the entire adventure highly exciting. This is one of the best episodes in the season, and it alone can be listed as a reason to buy Life is Strange if you haven't already taken the plunge.
After the shocking conclusion of Chaos Theory, Life is Strange Dark Room ups the ante once more and continues on it path of out of the blue surprises. Taking a darker and at times almost gruesome turn, episode 4 offers not only the longest story of the four but the best in the series so far. Character development reaches a new emotional level of depth and the gameplay has developed further again to gain a sense of challenge.
A Telltale-esque title set in suburban America that hints at maturity.
After a brief emotional detour, Life is Strange gets back to its main plot. The beginning and end of this episode are strong, with a lot of tension and emotional payoff, but the middle feels like it's padding out the gameplay time instead of serving the story. Still, this is the best episode yet.
This is the fourth time in as many chapters that Life Is Strange has shocked me big time. So bring on the conclusion stat. I am ready for one more trip to Arcadia Bay.
Life is Strange's progression from a promising, awkward experiment to a confident, bold narrative is one of the year's most interesting gaming tales.
Life is Strange: Episode 4 - Dark Room is easily one of the game's best episodes thus far, which is saying a lot. Not only does it successfully build upon the gut punch that was its predecessor's ending, but it also progresses the plot in very interesting ways, and concludes with a shock that will once again leave players breathless.
Life is Strange Episode 4 Dark Room is terrific, once again delivering a magnificent blend of reality, authenticity, danger and twists. The uncalled for cork board investigation scene is not enough to derail Dark Room entirely, and the ending more than makes up for it. Life is Strange continues to be one of my favorite games of the entire year and I hope DONTNOD can finish off the story with the same impact in episode five, as they have delivered in the first four episodes.
All in all, episode 4 is a good instalment and let's hope that the next episode comes sooner rather than later which may hurt the revelations found in episode four but if you enjoyed the previous stories, you'll enjoy this one. So how does Amber, Frank, Nathan, Veronica, Warren, Chloe and Max all connect? The answer will be found out in episode 5!
The wait for the next episode is going to be quite painful.
From the gate it was clear that Life is Strange was a title to keep an eye on. It's now evolved into an experience over a million players are constantly on the edge of their seats to continue, and is poised to become one they'll likely never forget. Even a seemingly shorter, more linear episode like this one shines in all the right places; it's a visual novel with a choose-your-own-adventure twist in which choices matter, and consequences are finally catching up like the dark cyclone ever hurdling toward Arcadia Bay.
But there is one more episode left and the town of Arcadia Bay has yet to be saved. There is still time for Max's story to be subsumed by melodrama, for the game to simply spend the emotional currency it has worked hard to gather on a cliffhanger for the sake of having a cliffhanger. Come October shall we look back and wonder where this potential went? Perhaps we shall ask ourselves what could have been done differently. Or, perhaps, Life is Strange will navigate these concerns, becoming the game we hoped it would be.
We can't wait to see the conclusion to the story we started back in January, as well as playing the role of Max one last time. It's been a long and bumpy ride, but we're glad we are on board.
When Dark Room moves beyond its initial twist in order to return to the mystery at the centre of the game's overarching plot, it succeeds at offering exciting gameplay in lieu of maintaining its thematic focus.
'Darkroom' is not quite as substantial as the last episode, but 'Life Is Strange' has real potential for a strong, surprising finish. This episode sags in the middle but the choices that are offered to the player are still difficult, and it's a good thing when an episodic game torments its players with self-doubt after tough decisions. The series has been a capable story thus far and I'm very curious to see how Dontnod finishes everything.
Dark Room brings out the darkness in Arcadia Bay, but fails to continue one of the best parts of Life is Strange.
Episode 4 wraps up some mysteries, but leaves you with even more questions, enticing you to stay on the turbulent ride