Life is Strange: Episode 5 - Polarized Reviews

Life is Strange: Episode 5 - Polarized is ranked in the 89th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Oct 20, 2015

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.

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Oct 21, 2015

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.

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10 / 10
Oct 20, 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.

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99 / 100
Oct 22, 2015

Life Is Strange: Episode 5 - Polarized is an amazing final entry to the game as a whole making the entire game more than worth the price of admission.

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95 / 100
Oct 22, 2015

Life is Strange is in its own category as a fiercely unique and moving series. Despite stumbles, it is poignant and moving, crafting excellent framing for some of the most difficult decisions and developing a memorable relationship between its protagonists. One of the best efforts of the year, unafraid and willing to take chances, and well-deserving of your time.

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Oct 22, 2015

Seen as a whole, my twelve-hour playthrough of Life is Strange has been a memorable one. The highest compliment I can give is that I felt like I spend quality time with Max, and the rest of the citizens of Arcadia Bay. Time that I would never rewind, but plan to revisit for sure.

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9 / 10
Oct 16, 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.

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Oct 23, 2015

Episode 5 is truly a culmination of the Life is Strange journey that provides a very satisfying ending to this really special game that must not be overlooked.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 20, 2015

The finale the game deserved, cementing Life is Strange as one of the best games, and biggest surprises, of 2015.

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90 / 100
Oct 27, 2015

Life Is Strange's conclusion is as effective and powerful an ending as we could hope for. It's been an emotional, haunting, and often ridiculous time following Max and her friends on their timey-wimey quest, and I'm going to miss them.

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Drew Leachman
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2015

This final episode does some really interesting things, wraps up everything in an emotional way, and leaves me thinking about it even hours after seeing the final scene. If you haven't played through this game yet, do yourself a favor and do it. Hopefully, you'll feel the way I have throughout this adventure.

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9 / 10
May 31, 2017

Dating back to January of this year, Max's adventure has been quite a ride. After a couple of episodes that were pretty shaky, the French developer righted itself and delivered three consecutive home runs that absolutely blew us away, and this has culminated in a finale that delivers on everything that we could have possibly dreamed of. We definitely hope that Life Is Strange sees something of a second season, and we can't wait to see what DONTNOD does next.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 22, 2015

And that's about all I can say about Episode 5 without giving anything away. It's a great ending to a great game, and might possibly be called the best episode of the bunch. Episode 5 is the reason why you should buy Life is Strange if you haven't already, and it's the reason why you should hurry up and finish it if you already own it.

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4.5 / 5.0
Nov 18, 2015

Polarized caps off the Life Is Strange saga with powerful storytelling and one of the more, well, polarizing endings seen in a video game. The middle drags on a bit and some gameplay elements aren't quite as dialed in. Then again, the series does such a good job with making you care that the journey becomes quite a compelling one, even if you may not necessarily agree with the final destination.

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90%
Oct 26, 2015

The ends truly justify the means.

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9 / 10
Dec 14, 2015

The best episodic game out there right now

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4.5 / 5.0
Oct 26, 2015

Life Is Strange deserves every ounce of recognition it receives; it offers a compelling story that's heartwarming, poignant and powerful, but some people may also look back on it and remember it as the sleeper hit of 2015. Memorable characters, fantastic acting, unique visuals and a well-executed story are among the few things that have solidified Life Is Strange as not only one of the best titles of 2015, but also one of the video games that everyone must experience for themselves.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2015

Those who have played the series from the beginning most likely saw that there was only one evitable ending to the whole thing, but it doesn't make the big reveal any less heartbreaking. DONTNOD may be a newcomer to the choice-based adventure genre, but they have made their presence known and they can give any other adventure game a run for its money. Polarized has solidified Life is Strange's spot as a frontrunner for best adventure game of the year.

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9 / 10
Oct 30, 2015

Max and Chloe's adventure comes to an excellent end.

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David Lovato
Top Critic
9 / 10
Oct 21, 2015

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.

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