Life is Strange: Episode 5 - Polarized Reviews
This is an example of what video games can do that no other medium can; it wouldn't work to see these things happen on a screen or read them on a page—Life is Strange draws its power from putting choices in players' hands, and while it may not amount to a perfect experience, it is one that they are never going to forget.
A heartbreaking ending to a fascinatingly ambitious interactive story, that handles the build-up to its final dilemma with impressive confidence and heart.
As a whole series, Life is Strange has been an intriguing and emotional experience. The rewind mechanic is an intelligent inclusion to the interactive drama genre and gives the impression of having significant control over the narrative. That said, there's certainly an argument that player choices have all been leading to a singular binary decision which somewhat softens the finale's emotional punch.
Life is Strange has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the gaming year to this point. Now Square Enix and Dontnod Entertainment have released the season's final episode and it sadly isn't able to live up to the lofty expectations set by its previous chapters.
This game gives so many people a voice, it gives so many people an emotional outlet, and it transcends the usual thought of what a video game can be. Life is Strange is a Game of the Year nominee, and it's a game you have to experience on your own in order to truly understand.
The emotional finale stays with you long after the credits, providing a worthy conclusion to Dontnod's first episodic game
The finale of Life is Strange undermines its powerful, heartfelt story and cracks its tense atmosphere with tedious gamey sequences and a disappointing climax.
This last chapter had me in tears. The choice between right and wrong is so difficult.
Despite finding issues with this chapter at every turn, I found myself more or less fulfilled with the conclusion -- although, I firmly believe that's an enthusiasm for Life is Strange as a whole as opposed to this installment alone. I think Dontnod discovered that it created a world that sprawled a little too far, and it wasn't sure how to bring it all to an end. So, it went with the easiest option. Or, as an art critic in this chapter phrased it, it took the path of least regret.
The finale the game deserved, cementing Life is Strange as one of the best games, and biggest surprises, of 2015.
As the end approaches, it feels right to be alongside Max Caulfield in her effort to seek closure once and for all. Even though Episode Five may be a continuous torrent of truly dire situations, it is an experience that demands attention. Intense monologues – both venomous and heartbreaking – are its standout moments. Its clever narrative offers a sense of finality that can fill you with terror, happiness, and heartbreak in equal parts. Thank you for the year that was Life is Strange – it's been emotional.
Dontnod brings one of the best video game stories in years to a tense, powerful and satisfying conclusion. Life Is Strange has been a triumph. The surprise game of 2015.
The fifth and final episode of Life Is Strange is a satisfying ending to what has been one of the best examples of modern storytelling within games. The elements of time travel have ben a fascinating and interesting hook that has allowed Dontnod to explore several characters and relationships, to the backdrop of a college campus that's steeped in mystery. It has its weaknesses and flaws as a game, but this is a deeply impactful game that shouldn't be missed.