Life is Strange: Episode 5 - Polarized Reviews
This last chapter had me in tears. The choice between right and wrong is so difficult.
If you've been putting off a purchase to see how the complete package rates, then you should definitely get it. It might suffer a little from "Telltale False Choice" syndrome, but due to how emotionally invested you become with the kids at Blackwell Academy, I found myself actually feeling guilty about some choices that I was reminded about.
An underwhelming ending doesn't mean the whole series is bad though, till the final moments I had a splendid experience with Life is Strange. The game is now available at a discounted rate in a bundle packing all 5 episodes which I would defiantly recommend buying. Life is Strange is a unique and realistic adventure game that does most of the things right and that it enough of a reason to get the game.
Polarized is not the perfect ending that some might've hoped for but it's a very strong finale. It carries a lot of the problems the other episodes did but they are issues that feel small in the grand scheme of things. The issues addressed narratively are situations that not many games have been brave enough to explore. That's something that can be said for the game as a whole. For that alone Life is Strange deserves to be applauded.
Despite some minor setbacks, Polarized is a fantastic conclusion to Life is Strange and cements Dontnod's teen drama as a serious contender for Game of the Year.
Life is Strange is, without a doubt, one of the most unique episodic choice-based games to date.
Life is Strange went out with its emotional core beating strongly despite some of the same old gripes of the series lingering.
We have a choice-based game that wants to redefine decision-making in games, but after Polarized ends we're left without the risk and reward and ultimately ends up minimizing both itself and its emotional impact.
"Polarized" is otherwise so linearly story-driven that the puzzle play of its dream sequence feels a little out of place.
Polarized ending may split some players with some saying the endings offer a satisfying conclusion to this teen sci-fi drama while others may find it a somewhat underwhelming climax to what has been a great series. The ending aside, this has been another very well written chapter, as the tension continued to rise throughout and as for the character development it was again on top form rewarding players with some very moving moments.
Life is Strange fails to execute in critical spots, but it's beautiful world, fun time-reversal, and honest look at adolescence makes it a game worth remembering. A diamond in the rough.
The emotional finale stays with you long after the credits, providing a worthy conclusion to Dontnod's first episodic game
Despite being marred by some dull gameplay at times, Life is Strange Episode 5: Polarized successfully pulls off what many other games have failed to do: delivering a satisfying ending to a player-driven, choice heavy game. There's no pleasing everyone, but the finale does allow players to see the payoff of their decisions and how their final choice impacts the world that they have been invested in for over five episodes. Max and Chloe have turned out to be a pretty memorable duo, and if this is the last game we ever see them in, then we're proud to report that they got the send off that they deserve.
Life Is Strange's conclusion cements its story as one of the more noteworthy in recent videogames.
The capstone to a brilliant game, Polarized is a little too melodramatic to feel fully satisfying.
'Polarized' is a fitting end to a strange game that has been reliably decent, with the occasional wondrous high and disappointing low. It uses a mix of storytelling techniques that have not been seen previously in the 'Life is Strange' series, but gets its message across to the audience. What precisely that message is, is up for the viewer to decide.
A heartbreaking ending to a fascinatingly ambitious interactive story, that handles the build-up to its final dilemma with impressive confidence and heart.
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.
Polarized may have trouble determining whether it wants to be a movie or a game, but it's still a solid ending to a very good episodic series. There are high points to applaud, and memorable moments, even if things get a bit too convoluted at times.
It's not the gamey aspects that are remembered, but the small, personal elements that make up a relatable narrative. It just all happens to involve time travel.