The game LIFE IS STRANGE really stood out for me this year. Not that I play a lot of games, but I'd be comfortable enough to claim it was my favorite of 2015. I can say without a doubt that it's a game that has been one of the most emotionally impactful games I've ever played. Other games have had great 'moments', but this Dontnod joint hit so many spots through all five episodes. You Tube is awash of play throughs of the game to create a figurative river of tears.
What made LIFE IS STRANGE stand out from so many other story adventure games from other publishers, such as Telltale, was the ability that allowed you to contemplate or try out various outcomes on the fly, thanks to the premise of time control. In other games of its kind, they throw dialog options and life choices every few seconds. There is an appeal to the idea of having to make snap decisions on a ticking clock. However, haven't we all made what we thought was a reasonable dialog choice but the outcome of the conversation takes a wildly different tone than you had intended? You're basically stuck with that choice -- unless you reload a check point and the game neglected to auto save.
With LIFE IS STRANGE, you have the freedom to play around with results for most of the game. If something turned out in an awkward way that you hadn't intended, you just have Max rewind time to try out the other option. Something about that made me feel more invested in the outcome.
Those Endings
Now, if there's anything that irritates me in any game is when the developers force failure onto the player. That brings me to the finale of LIFE IS STRANGE. Once more a game based around your choices pulls the veil off the premise of your choices having meaning. Regardless of how you play, you're going to get one of two endings, and it's basically letting the player choose which way they fail. Either you fail to save Chloe or the city. This after the game forcing you to repeatedly save Chloe just to progress. It's a frustrating end to a remarkable story.
It made me wish there was some third, self-sacrifice option to end the game. For example, Max goes back in time to be the one shot by Nathan's bullet. As she dies in Chloe's arm, she passes on a message about Rachel and Jefferson, and gives Chloe some touching farewell that only the audience would understand. Nathan would be arrested, he'd confess -- as he does in the story after being arrested anyway -- and Chloe gets to live along with the city. Yeah, a downer, but you succeed.
I however reject idea that this game has a "good" or "bad" end. That's a leftover we have in our brains from other video games. They're subjective, and each is terrible in its own way. You pick between giving up your childhood friend that you've invested so much time with, or give up a town that everyone is miserable with and filled with corruption.
Fan Interpretations
The conclusion frustrated me, but in the months prior I've read some interesting theories constructed by the fans to put the end into focus. One person suggested that the reason Max got her powers wasn't to save Chloe. It was to give Max time to be with Chloe before she had to die. A sort of wish fulfillment many people have when they lose a friend they had been estranged from or neglected. While interesting, it's not one I subscribe to, because it implies the game only has one 'proper' end. The developers have said that the ends were designed so neither are a bad choice. It's what you want as the player can can fill in the blanks as you see fit.
The theory that I found the most interesting is the more philosophical and profound. How many of us have lost a loved one, friends or family; and thought, "I would give anything, do anything, to have them back." What if the ultimate lesson of LIFE IS STRANGE is to really challenge the player with that moral dilemma? Would you really "do anything" to have that person back? Would you say, sacrifice a town to get the most important person in your life back, be it a lover, parent, or your child?
Second Season?
I enjoyed the game and the story so much. There's a part of me that would love a second season, and the other side is wondering how you'd even do that. Dontnod has talked about another game but has said it would have a different cast. The interview I read pointed to examples of TRUE DETECTIVE, but that is a rather clumsy analogy. The second season of that show was a mess of interesting characters that lacked a plot to justify them. Most importantly, it was Max and Chloe that I became attached to most of all.
A large portion of the fun of this game comes from time manipulation. Those are the mechanics that I want to play with more. After the reveal that using the powers is what causes a massive catastrophic storm, how would you justify their further use? It would be like making a direct sequel to SIXTH SENSE. You only get that twist ending once.
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