Life Is Strange Review - Because Life Is Too Complicated To be Told

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Disclaimer: Since the game is episodic, I'll update the review each new episode comes out. The review here based on PC version.

Life Is Strange - Episode 1: Chrysalis Review


Life is already hard, life is already strange, but it becomes more complicated when suddenly you realized you got a 'gift'. A gift that probably wanted by everyone. Well, at least that was my first thought when I see this game. An eighteen years old girl who has an ability to rewind time. Wow, how cool is that, who doesn't want that :p? I believe if I have that ability, I don't need to study anymore before exam :p. I can fix all of my faults and probably my life won't be like this? Alright, just abandon my crazy opening.

Ah, before I write too far, I'm gonna say if I rarely play games on PC (mostly I play on mobile - iOS) and I don't like to play story driven/ point n click game too much. FYI, I just ever played the first episode of The Walking Dead. In addition, I never played Heavy Rain nor Gone Home before too. So, probably my review here doesn't 'match' enough for you, who already play all of those games and like to compare this game with them.


Life Is Strange - Chrysalis is my first PC game which I play on this year. Well, I sold into this game since my first sight :o, already pre-order the full episodes just after watched the trailer since December 2014. Yes, I'm not lying about that. To be honest, I'm still on exam now and the game just out one day before my exam. So, I decided to download it first, then play it later after exam in the next day and today, I'm gonna write the review why you should try to play this game too.

You're Max, an 18 y.o girl who geek enough to be said. You're a photography enthusiast and you got a scholarship on 'Blackwell Academy'. The story began when you woke up on your class from your extraordinary dreaming, but first let me take a selfie. Wut? No, that's not a joke. Okay, so you made your teacher mad on you and you couldn't answer his question. Oh man... In conclusion, you just made a trouble this morning. Well, let's forget about this... Probably washing your face will helpful to clear your mind too... Yes, may be...



You walked through the class corridor, it's too crowded so put your headset on... You entered the girls bathroom, tore up your photo, then washed your face. When, suddenly... A beautiful blue butterfly flew in and picked up your interest. You decided to take a picture of it, when again suddenly you hear something.... Psst... be quiet, Max. Don't make any noise, keep silent like a ninja. You just wait and hid in the toilet corner and peek a bit to see what's happening and boom... a bullet shot. You showed up and screamed NOOO.... and asdfghjkl, you just woke up again in the class. Repeated the same process. So, what's happening with you?

To make it brief, you Max, you have a power to rewind time and thanks to Nathan who help you to discover that accidentally. Gladly, you choose to help that blue hair girl, though you have no idea who is she at first. Then you meet Chloe, your old friend all of sudden. Both of you will try to reveal a truth what's happening in Arcadia, why Rachel is missing? I'll let your head full with all of those questions for now. However, since it's a story driven game, every choice will have a consequence here. Some may impact your future, some might not. I just wish it'll be impact not just the future on one episode only but will impact the whole episodes too.



The game feels like you're watching a movie and you become the director of it. Though there's already a static script, but you still can change Max's destiny like what you want. Some action require trial and error first before you can use your rewind power. In fact, that's the point, if you already know how you should make a movement, what's the need of rewind power? For example: When you want to take the tools box on the top of washing machine, you just turn on the machine without thinking about the next result. Well, the tools drops onto the floor, but nobody can reach that. So, you should thinking what should you do by rewind the time. You need to push cardboard, then drop the tools box, and take it using the cardboard. Wow, how smart you're, Max.

Unfortunately, things getting more complex when you realized David is Chloe's stepfather. It's been a tough day for you, Max. I can't believe all of this happened on you just in one day only :o. You got to choose here, following the straight rule here or go by your curiosity. Make Max a good kid or a bad one, make her going with her own benefit or help the other one. It's up to you, you're the boss here.



In this first episode not much clue revealed here. Since the game has 5 episodes, I believe more clues will be revealed on the next episode. Sigh, I still need to wait about six week again to play the next one. You know what, there're many question marks stuck inside my head... this, why, what, how... all of them just popped up inside my brain and the severest one is that soundtrack, even I'm sleeping the guitar music just played inside my mind :|.

Okay, in conclusion Life is Strange - Chrysalis is a good opening on the series. I only face one bug here, the repeating voice acting. Thanks to Steam user (forgot his/her username) who mention to change the NVIDIA setting to the high one, I glad the problem was fix. For the graphic, I love how beautiful the lighting were set off, the hand-drawn pictures, cultural pop art style, tumblr style on Max - Chloe's room, and especially how the rewind effect was played. Only one thing I kinda dislike here, the tree looks bit crisp and feels weird on my eyes but since life is strange indeed, what can I say ;). The soundtrack one also the best part among all this time. Two thumbs up for the soundtrack only :p. If you like to listen the soundtrack just click this link on YouTube.



You can purchase Life is Strange - Chrysalis on Steam, PS3, PS4, XBOX 360, and XBOX One. The first episode of the game costs $4.99 and has cheaper price in Asia region about IDR 48.000 only, and lucky me got all the season pass for only IDR 171.000 or about $13.5 ;).

Graphic/ Sounds: 4 out of 5
Gameplay/ Story: 4.5 out of 5
Game Control: 4 out of 5
Replay Value: 4.5 out of 5 (You can replay the game to collect all of the optional photos)
Overall: 4.25 out of 5

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