Life is Strange: Episode 5 - Polarized Reviews
"Polarized" is otherwise so linearly story-driven that the puzzle play of its dream sequence feels a little out of place.
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.
Life is Strange went out with its emotional core beating strongly despite some of the same old gripes of the series lingering.
Life is Strange is, without a doubt, one of the most unique episodic choice-based games to date.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This last chapter had me in tears. The choice between right and wrong is so difficult.
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.
Max and Chloe's adventure comes to an excellent end.
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.
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.
The best episodic game out there right now
The ends truly justify the means.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.