Life is Strange: Episode 1 - Chrysalis

 PC
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 438 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 361 out of 438
  2. Mixed: 53 out of 438
  3. Negative: 24 out of 438

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. dlopatnikov
    Jan 30, 2015
    7
    Hipster’s paradise. Teenage science fiction. Also a game which is so obviously oriented towards 16 to 20 year old girls. You wanted it, you got it. So are you happy now? I’m not so much. Sadly the game is more «Twilight saga» than «Source Code». And I’m honestly not very fond of watching the lives of all of those losers, hipsters, skaters, wannabe artists, smug leftist college professorsHipster’s paradise. Teenage science fiction. Also a game which is so obviously oriented towards 16 to 20 year old girls. You wanted it, you got it. So are you happy now? I’m not so much. Sadly the game is more «Twilight saga» than «Source Code». And I’m honestly not very fond of watching the lives of all of those losers, hipsters, skaters, wannabe artists, smug leftist college professors and so on. Terrible crowd. I hope there will be more sci-fi and less teenage drama in the next episode.

    P.S. In spite of everything I said above, the game is actually quite good. So give it a try. It’s not my cup of tea, but maybe it’s yours.    … Expand
  2. lexx
    Mar 30, 2015
    6
    Great presentation with a lot of content to click onto. Some characters are interesting but most are cliché and irritating. I love the time travel mechanic. But the story is boring. A lot...
  3. zombiechan
    Jan 31, 2015
    7
    Great Art, great music, great mechanics. The game is very enjoy able to play. The only issue I have with the game is playing as a teenager with high school drama. That part I could do without.
  4. TSantos
    Feb 2, 2015
    5
    This is a good game. And only good. Has good graphics, good talking, but unfortunately it is not as immersive as other games in the genre, the story isn't. I felt a bit distant from the main character (whose name I don't remember) and the choices are not, at least for now, important ones. It's good enough to spend some time though.
  5. AuronBlake
    Jan 31, 2015
    7
    Ok this game is good, no worries on that. But the story itself reminds me of something already seen. Donnie Darko to be straight.
    Too many similarities with that movie.
    Also i didn't like much the fact that there is no real reaction when she discovers her "ability".

    "Hey i can bend time! It's so normal!"

    Even Hiro of tv series "Heroes" had a better reaction to that!

    Poor writers.
  6. pmart4
    Feb 12, 2015
    7
    Not bad - not 'brilliant' but glad I played it - I like when a developer tries out new ideas. I think this is a positive step forward and builds on the great work done by devs like TellTale Inc

    Good Game

    NB: Rewind feature is kinda annoying - means you can't really fail and removes some of the meaning of your decision making.
  7. AVdE
    Feb 4, 2015
    7
    Pretty intresting setting, and a clever setup.
    I really like the time travel idea, and it's used in good ways.
    The story really got me hooked, and I'm certainly gonna buy the next episodes.
    Overall good voice acting and pleasant soundtrack.
    One flaw: the animations and graphics aren't that great.

    Still a fun and intresting game that I recommend playing
  8. prect
    Jan 30, 2015
    7
    There is a good game. I remember Dontnod Ertentainment while Remember Me. That's a good game. And I play finished this game right now. Good story, good graphics, good choices. But not realist. For this episode thats enough point. 7/10
  9. Bentoviski
    Feb 1, 2015
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Life is Strange looks like a game that was made for teenagers girls. The central story is about a girl called Max whom just moved back to her hometown. She goes to a high school that have a special program for photographers. After a few events Max find out she can go back in time and have some occasional future sights.

    This could be a prelude to the next GOTY, however Life is Strange is a big way down to the hipster hole that communities like Tumblr live in. For almost the entire episode you have a big problem to find good characters. Almost all of the characters are nothing less that a big cliche of everyone is sick of it. A gym guy who keep bullying the fat nerd guy, who likes to stalk the girl who achieve to be a magazine model, who is the arch enemy of the rich girl, who also don't like the protagonist, Max. Max is a poor mid class girl who doesn't have many friends, but is always talking to everyone. Max likes vintage cameras, but is always getting jealous of Victoria, a rich girl whom has the best digital cameras. Max says that she is not a hipster all the time during the game, but she is always acting like one.

    Another problem with the character making is that the personalities is very poor. It looks like everyone is the same, and again, everything is a big cliche. One girl has problems because she got pregnant. Another girl has problems because her nude pics leaked on facebook. And the other has a D step dad who likes to hit her on the face. You may think "But it's good that games are minding those real day problems", and that would be really cool. But the problem is that Life is Strange is a game about living up with those problems. Like I said: A story for teenagers girls, because only them would be interested in a story that talks about how hard is to get a boyfriend that really know what you are felling.

    So, why a 6? Even with all the bads sides, the game still has some good things. The option system is not the best, and very limited, but the way you can use the power to go back in time make it worth. You have some good power on your decision making, like checking the possibilities of each choice. Another thing that is cool is that you can make a change on the history, go back in time to avoid the consequence of that change and later on still use the knolowdge you got it. E.g: You check some files and leave a mark on them. After checking the files, you may go back in time to the point were the files does not have any mark, and keep going with the game while still holding the knowlodge you got on the files.

    This may seem like "overpowered" or "ez game, ez life", but it actually follow up pretty well with the game story and real life. If you had the power to control time, wouldn't you use it to your on advantage?

    The game does not have the best animation, but all the scenario is like a watercolour paiting, and I think its pretty cool. The sound track is also really great, and you can see all fitting pretty well in each scene.

    tl;dr PROS: Good watercolour painting like graphics; awesome soundtrack; good use of the power of rewind in time during the game.

    CONS: It's like a Twilight Saga game, where the focus is the generation Z teenagers problems; bad characters with poor personalities; poor choice system (is just A or B), and sometimes they lead to the same way;    … Expand
  10. Fatiguejras
    Feb 7, 2015
    5
    Come on, be reasonable.

    (-) The game does not have a good story - almost nothing is explained. You just roam around the campus - doing some trivial things using your extraordinary powers. Voice acting is mediocre. Lip-syncing bad. Dialogues sometimes dull. Graphics are only ok I mean look at The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.Side characters are boring, predictable, cliche. The gameplay is    Come on, be reasonable.

    (-)
    The game does not have a good story - almost nothing is explained. You just roam around the campus - doing some trivial things using your extraordinary powers. Voice acting is mediocre. Lip-syncing bad. Dialogues sometimes dull. Graphics are only ok I mean look at The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.Side characters are boring, predictable, cliche. The gameplay is just dull. The puzzles reminds me of the ones from Resident Evil 3 - they have logic but they are far from beeing smart. You just cary on through the game, cause you count on something revealing to happen. With no luck (except the tornado theme).

    (+)
    Music is fairly okey, main character likable, and time travel idea, in general - appealing. That's all there is.

    Life is Strange, strangely fits it's price tag and resemble more indy-game, then some "triple A" title, that some of you are trying to make out of it.     … Expand
  11. yokerclown
    Feb 1, 2015
    6
    Maybe it's not so much game like everybody expect, but at this time, it's gorgeous "adventure" with amazing elements, what just can't be stopped! Well done "Dontnod" team!
  12. meediocre
    Feb 11, 2015
    7
    This is like hella a game for teenagers, but I'm a couple of decades older than that and found it kind of interesting. The environments are certainly more alive and has more things to check out, than your average Telltale game - but what is it with Square Enix games and the darn all-seeing-eye everywhere .. Anyway, I'm kind hoping that the ability to rewind time and story progression takesThis is like hella a game for teenagers, but I'm a couple of decades older than that and found it kind of interesting. The environments are certainly more alive and has more things to check out, than your average Telltale game - but what is it with Square Enix games and the darn all-seeing-eye everywhere .. Anyway, I'm kind hoping that the ability to rewind time and story progression takes things a bit darker in the next episodes - am also hoping some part of the game will be at least slightly challenging.… Expand
  13. SenshudoTV
    Feb 8, 2015
    7
    Though it suffers from genre conventions and baffling slang, Life is Strange is a colourful and engaging attempt at a Telltale-style teen drama, with a promising central mechanic and enough plot threads to leave you curious for episode two.
  14. MattBarker
    Apr 13, 2015
    7
    A good game with a good story and game-play but the lib-sync is so bad but you will love this game
    it have some fleas and a good story it will be a good one to too hour
  15. Topfpflanze
    Oct 26, 2017
    7
    If you ever wanted to know how a teenager girl's life and mind might look like, this is your chance. It's about a high school girl's life, her daily situations, her dreams, her problems. Actually the girl can reverse time, so you have the chance to change each of your decisions from bad to worse. No matter what you do, the consequences will prevail. This is exactly how an adolescent feelsIf you ever wanted to know how a teenager girl's life and mind might look like, this is your chance. It's about a high school girl's life, her daily situations, her dreams, her problems. Actually the girl can reverse time, so you have the chance to change each of your decisions from bad to worse. No matter what you do, the consequences will prevail. This is exactly how an adolescent feels like, all the time. If you are older, you will feel reminded of times you thought long time forgotten. And yes, it's boring. Even though there is crime and murder everything drowns in the desperate dullness of a place that should never have been populated. Apropos nature: You will see the worst drawn trees in your life, and much of the other graphics details is sketch-like, unfinished. I guess the game might be a good recommendation for many female players, but it's just a guess.… Expand
  16. Kaisuke1
    Mar 25, 2015
    7
    I'm not really sure how to describe this game as an adult. It was an alright game in general.
    I'm a fan of choice/consequence games, but it was a teen drama, which may turn some people of it, and to be honest turned me off of it a little, because I don't relate to that kind of high school experience, or story.
    The dialogue was a bit much at times, but I understand why they had it.    I'm not really sure how to describe this game as an adult. It was an alright game in general.
    I'm a fan of choice/consequence games, but it was a teen drama, which may turn some people of it, and to be honest turned me off of it a little, because I don't relate to that kind of high school experience, or story.

    The dialogue was a bit much at times, but I understand why they had it.

    Overall though putting certain things aside, the soundtrack was alright, animation was good, and the story has great potential.    … Expand
  17. luketeddy
    Jul 29, 2015
    7
    Great game it's a little too long of an episode of all most nothing happening ( well in the last like 45 minutes of gameplay) the story is the best thing about this episode all in all I thought this was pretty good.
  18. AndySwaggly
    Oct 10, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I went into life is strange with no knowledge on what the story or any of this was about, about 30 minutes in I thought this was going to be a time travelling sci-fi awesome adventure, changing decisions you've previously made really intrigued me. However the one thing I did not like at all was the emotional angst with chloe about her friend rachel. I don't care about this character Rachel who is being forced down my throat at every possible turn. The emotional teen drama was quite off putting but I understand why it was there. Hopefully the next couple of episodes can be more about the concept of time travel instead of it being about the teen drama.

    I didn't like how Chloe kept saying "hella" it's really annoying and no one in the real world says "hella' unless they're joking or with their friends. Saying it in the face of a gun.. was kind of stupid and did not appeal to me what so ever. (minor nitpick)

    I didn't really like how you couldn't go back in time and take a picture of Chloe almost getting shot to show the principle... that would've made sense but yeh
    Postives.. the music was good. The characters aren't that annoying, the story was good, aswell as the stuff you can do in the world. I just didn't really like the whole "Find the CD to put the music on" what?

    overall, a decent episode. Not what people have been making it out to be, but decent.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

92
#92 Best PC Game of 2015
53
#53 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Mar 26, 2015
    80
    A very strong first chapter of an intriguing new adventure series. [Apr 2015, p.61]
  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 19, 2015
    79
    A promising, if flawed first episode. Life Is Strange boasts believable characters and an intriguing setting. That said, the dialogue sounds awkward at times and some of the plot twists are a bit too much. [March 2015]
  3. CD-Action
    Mar 17, 2015
    75
    Adventure game – check. Developed by Frenchmen – check. Tells a story about an American – check – teenage girl – check – gifted with paranormal powers – check. Here’s where Beyond: Two Souls and Life is Strange go their separate ways, because the latter is actually good. [03/2014, p.74]
See all critic reviews »