Life Is Strange Episode 1 & 2 | Game Review

Blend some sweet time travelling, a lovable yet naive protagonist and really, really cringeworthy dialogue. And you get... Life Is Strange!
The episodic series consists of 5 episodes, with the first two being available now. You follow Max Caulfield, a photography student who discovers she has time reversal powers. 

Episode 1- Chrysalis
The first episode shows the potential the game could have in setting a foundation for the series. Which results in a great deal of background and explaining Max's powers, but it soon becomes tedious as very little happens plot-wise. There's nothing in the way of explaining anything that happens, and soon becomes overwhelming with all the lil' slices of background you get fed, adding up to make a web of stuff you just don't understand. Like that sentence.

The superb use of visuals is unrivalled. It's an art style which hasn't been seen before and matches the chilled out vibe of the series, along with its use of sound, especially the soundtrack. The gameplay is reminiscent of the Telltale series and Playstation exclusive, Heavy Rain. These combined make for a unique gameplay experience. In episodes to come, it could be a lot more than a well drawn game.

Episode 2- Out of Time
After a lacklustre episode 1 storyline, Life Is Strange needed something to give it a bit of spice. And that something was less background, character building and more time-travelling awesomeness. 

The story is a lot more engaging than the first outing and really solidifies the prospects of the 5 episode series. And the cliffhanger at the end will surely make you want to play the final 3 episodes. The speech work of the main characters Max and Chloe is seriously convincing in immersing you in the game.  The dialogue is still devastatingly cringeworthy though. 

Tasty plasma? smh

It is set at a high school so that kind of excuses it, but not really. Nope, not at all. It's kind of amusing to see how adults think teenagers speak. The innovative gameplay, convincingly realistic characters and gripping plot have earned Life Is Strange a place in episodic series royalty. If there is such a thing.

8/10