Life is Strange

 PC
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3257 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,751 out of 3257
  2. Mixed: 277 out of 3257
  3. Negative: 229 out of 3257

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  1. Dalek
    Aug 8, 2016
    10
    A game that touches upon many themes, with fantastic character development and story, and choices to affect parts of the story later on. This game is an absolute gem.
  2. phildog
    Oct 24, 2015
    10
    This game has been released in a series of episodes. The series meanders a bit but once it makes it past the half way point throughout the series it really picks up, reaching a level of legendary visual storytelling that is rarely realized in videogames. It's well worth your money.
  3. mindw0rk
    Feb 27, 2015
    10
    Its fresh. It has great story and characters. Its fun to play. The game was a pleasant surprised for me since I never heard about it before playing. Now Im eagerly awaiting for episode 2.
  4. Notclevr
    Mar 24, 2016
    10
    This is a wonderfully engaging and thoughtful work of narrative art, with characters and events that stay with you long after you've played it. And for the record, I liked the music!

    The fetch quest elements are occasionally problematic, but the developers clearly learned their lesson and they get better as the game goes on. The time reversal mechanic is well-implemented.
  5. Kamikaze211
    Aug 29, 2016
    10
    I have to admit, this is superb masterpiece in genre of adventures. I'm man but cried almost all game long, it's goes deep in heart, the story, characters, friendship. I can't say anything bad on this game, I have fully enjoyed how story is told and how you can change your mind, rewind time. More games like that!!! Supergirl just fly ...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-6drNP4GIs
  6. Aryman
    Feb 13, 2021
    10
    More a gem than a game. A must for all people with a heart. LiS evokes feelings that are extremely rare in games. Just play it (1. LiS Before the Storm. 2. LiS).
  7. Esfar
    Feb 3, 2015
    10
    A fantastic game from Squire Enix
    1.Graphics is just awesome.Color combination used here is just perfect and capture the true American theme...what is more, the attention given to graphics is insane ..even the little things are done with care....(10/10)
    2.Main character Max is likable person...they should give little more attention to side characters and story (7/10) 3.interesting    A fantastic game from Squire Enix
    1.Graphics is just awesome.Color combination used here is just perfect and capture the true American theme...what is more, the attention given to graphics is insane ..even the little things are done with care....(10/10)

    2.Main character Max is likable person...they should give little more attention to side characters and story (7/10)
    3.interesting game mechanic...
    4.F**k you IGN for misguiding people with this game...this a fantastic effort    … Expand
  8. Janiuszko
    Jun 16, 2016
    10
    Don't you fu. cken dare giving it less than 9/10!........................................................................................................
  9. izazael
    Feb 2, 2015
    10
    There are some fancy quotes out there saying this is a cross between Gone Home, [Telltale Game's] The Walking Dead, and Twin Peaks -- and Life is Strange makes no apologies for that; the musical direction and general vibe is akin to Gone Home, the interactive storytelling is akin to Telltale Games, and the atmosphere and story are unabashedly Twin Peaks (one homage is literally drivenThere are some fancy quotes out there saying this is a cross between Gone Home, [Telltale Game's] The Walking Dead, and Twin Peaks -- and Life is Strange makes no apologies for that; the musical direction and general vibe is akin to Gone Home, the interactive storytelling is akin to Telltale Games, and the atmosphere and story are unabashedly Twin Peaks (one homage is literally driven home).

    Life is Strange is an enjoyable cinematic experience that's admittedly a little rough around the edges. 10% of the voice acting is hit/miss but the VO for the main characters absolutely nail it. One or two of the "revelations" come a little too late as you've already cottoned on far beyond when the protagonist should have realised. These are only minor gripes made all the more visible because the rest of the game is so beautiful, emersive, and engaging that when you encounter them you have no choice but to acknowledge them. Don't let them distract you from how impressive this game is.

    I've got very high hopes for the next batch of episodes of Life is Strange and a genuine interest in how the story unfolds. Buy it. Buy it now.    … Expand
  10. Grabpants
    Jun 10, 2015
    10
    Offsetting people giving 0's because the story doesn't relate or because they didn't think a game about a teen girl could be good. If they didn't **** things up maybe I'd give an honest review
  11. Leuko
    Feb 17, 2016
    10
    This is very very subjective opinion. My score is based on quality of experience without really taking into account weaker points of the game and there are some. Moreover I haven't really played other good adventure games so I guess novelty help me enjoy it more.

    Life is Strange is far from perfect. In reality our decisions and impact on story development is not as great as we would    This is very very subjective opinion. My score is based on quality of experience without really taking into account weaker points of the game and there are some. Moreover I haven't really played other good adventure games so I guess novelty help me enjoy it more.

    Life is Strange is far from perfect. In reality our decisions and impact on story development is not as great as we would like and in the end regardless of other choices we are presented with similar dilemma. This put serious limitation on replayability.

    Additionally, the game is relatively short (it took me 12h to finish it) and if I have played each episode at time of its release I would be really annoyed. I would have probably be not able to enjoy it because "Llife is Strage" is about very well delivered engaging story and playing it for 2 hours every 4-6 weeks would break narration and prevent any emotional response. It needs to be said that plot could have been better at times.

    In my opinion releasing adventure games in episodic format limits enjoyment and in the longer run companies end up making less money, because as a consequence product they sell seems less appealing than it should.

    Fortunately I have played all episodes at once and ... that was memorable and intense 12 hours. This game is completely story driven but being able to affect events and express myself made the experience more engaging than any great tv show could have managed so far.

    I should have give this game 9 (I given 9 points to Dota 2 and played over 1000h), but I enjoyed it so much, that I turn blind eye on lack of replayability, limited choices and some flaws in the plot.    … Expand
  12. ancalimon
    Dec 6, 2015
    10
    One of the best games I played ever since the 80s. Seriously though, not recommended for teenagers or people who are emotionally unstable.

    The Bad: 1) 3d models are not detailed enough. The game tries to use some kind of blur filter from time to time to hide this. 2) The games endings are... predictable. There should have been a hundred endings. 3) Not nearly enough problem    One of the best games I played ever since the 80s. Seriously though, not recommended for teenagers or people who are emotionally unstable.

    The Bad:

    1) 3d models are not detailed enough. The game tries to use some kind of blur filter from time to time to hide this.
    2) The games endings are... predictable. There should have been a hundred endings.
    3) Not nearly enough problem solving. I would have liked to have some traditional adventure problem solving.
    4) Speech is always cut off a little bit probably because of anti-aliasing.

    The Good:
    The rest.

    Conclusion: Should be the game of the year.    … Expand
  13. EABanBoy
    May 30, 2015
    10
    The good: Astounding game that made me feel all sorts of emotions, I'm completely invested in the story and characters, and I would say that Dontnod does the formula better then telltale. Going off of telltale I have not experienced any immersion breaking graphical glitches (unlike telltale games where you will have body parts/ weapons fading through clothing etc) and the game tries toThe good: Astounding game that made me feel all sorts of emotions, I'm completely invested in the story and characters, and I would say that Dontnod does the formula better then telltale. Going off of telltale I have not experienced any immersion breaking graphical glitches (unlike telltale games where you will have body parts/ weapons fading through clothing etc) and the game tries to keep it so that the information you need to remember is provided within each episode (with one exception), which is handy since the business model has the episodes coming out every 2 or so months. The time travel mechanics are also very fresh (and thus unclear) and makes me wonder at the possibilities for time travel in future games.

    The bad: Some have pointed out issues with lip syncing but I have not noticed, also there is one exception to what I previously stated in that you do need to remember how the time travel mechanics work (which isn't very clear in the first place) from previous episodes, for example there were two puzzles in episode 3 which had me stumped for a good 10-15 minutes each, the first puzzle relies on using time travel mechanics in an unconventional way that you may or may not figure out as the game doesn't tell you (or if it does I don't remember it telling me which is a fault in clarity and guiding the player as several others have experienced this problem). The second puzzle I can't really get into without spoiling, but it was a failure in terms of game design, but not one that relies on the time travel mechanics.

    The ugly: Now for the business model, I abhor this business model (the episodic business model) and is one of the oldest tricks in the book in terms of television, it makes you want the next episode encourages you constantly thinking about it throughout the weekly, month;y or yearly, release schedule. This is a common marketing ploy used to keep you thinking about a product and is very effective in making you want more. However I am still willing to give this game a 10, which I suppose speaks to its effectiveness.

    TL:DNR Great game, while not a "game changer", like games such as Telltales the Walking Dead, it is still one of the finest examples of the genre and of storytelling in video games.    … Expand
  14. Atyne
    Dec 8, 2019
    10
    Masterpiece in this genre! Unforgettable characters, emotional story with mind-blowing moments, beautiful art style, hidden symbols, experience you'll never forget.
  15. Fragya3000
    Oct 1, 2018
    10
    I put off playing this game for a long time because I assumed it was a Telltale knockoff. I heard things like how cringy the teenage slang was and I just thought that I wasn't missing much. I'm glad that some good came out of Telltale going under, because it made me look at this game again and really play it for the first time. This game, and its story, touched me on a level that noI put off playing this game for a long time because I assumed it was a Telltale knockoff. I heard things like how cringy the teenage slang was and I just thought that I wasn't missing much. I'm glad that some good came out of Telltale going under, because it made me look at this game again and really play it for the first time. This game, and its story, touched me on a level that no Telltale game even came close. It was a life-changing experience that I will never forget.… Expand
  16. lolfactor100
    Jan 29, 2016
    10
    Life is strange is a beautiful narrative driven games that give the player the choice of how the story unfolds and ultimately ends. Out of every game I have played this is the only one to bring me to tears and truly struggle with what i should do. It taught me more about myself that i even realized and made me feel more emotions than any other movie, book, TV show, or song. This, to me, itLife is strange is a beautiful narrative driven games that give the player the choice of how the story unfolds and ultimately ends. Out of every game I have played this is the only one to bring me to tears and truly struggle with what i should do. It taught me more about myself that i even realized and made me feel more emotions than any other movie, book, TV show, or song. This, to me, it is epitome of entertainment from a narrative perspective and i strongly recommend anyone to play this game and experience a work or art.… Expand
  17. avery-
    Sep 23, 2017
    10
    The greatest story you will ever play. Going into it, I never would've expected this would become my favorite game published by Square Enix. It's my favorite game, period. Life is Strange is an emotional rollercoaster and treats serious issues with weight and sincerity.

    When anyone discusses the idea of bringing a character "to life" within a video game, they will have to measure up    The greatest story you will ever play. Going into it, I never would've expected this would become my favorite game published by Square Enix. It's my favorite game, period. Life is Strange is an emotional rollercoaster and treats serious issues with weight and sincerity.

    When anyone discusses the idea of bringing a character "to life" within a video game, they will have to measure up against Life is Strange.    … Expand
  18. lolifofo
    Oct 18, 2017
    10
    Great game but a tad depressing and also suffers from some points of bad writing and illogical dialogue. I'm not very happy with either possible ending, but the experience was worth it overall, and I would still recommend this game.
  19. curzon_dax
    Dec 5, 2016
    10
    This is an unbelievably good game. It has excellent story turns, good design of gameplay and an amazing story progression. I can honestly say this is the best adventure game in the history of the genre at least since the release of The Longest Journey.
  20. WykwintnyKrytyk
    Dec 6, 2015
    10
    This is 10/10, Great characters, awesome music that fits in like gold, great story, its not for all but for adventure games geeks like me its almost dream come true game. If you like TTG products you will love this.
  21. spectralknight
    Mar 17, 2016
    10
    This game is simply stunning! At the end I just found it impossible on how you could not to shed a tear...This game is really emotional and stunning and could make you cry very easy at least in the end...Just amazing story. The game features a girl who goes to University in Oregon. Here she discovers that could travel through time and from the moment she meets and old friend the actionThis game is simply stunning! At the end I just found it impossible on how you could not to shed a tear...This game is really emotional and stunning and could make you cry very easy at least in the end...Just amazing story. The game features a girl who goes to University in Oregon. Here she discovers that could travel through time and from the moment she meets and old friend the action starts. At the beginning I did not thought that this game could be so good. I took it from winter sale with the entire season pass just because has lots of very positive reviews. After that it took me some time to play it because I was thinking that is just another good single player. Played it for a few hours and at that moment the game caught me. I could not let the game for some days untill I finished it and I found how amazing is. As I said the game simply stunned me and marked me. I will nerver forget this story. Life is Strange combines so much beautiful things to be just a good game...is more than that. The story of the game involves so much things about philosophy,love,friendship,art and science as well. You will find a lot of symbolism in here,philosophy facts about life and not at last the Chaos Theory which is one of the main parts of the plot. I personally feel changed after played this title. It is a game about life and you can learn a lot from it. You can't change destiny in my opinion...if something is sorted to be in one way let it be like that...Not at least I have to mention the soundtrack which is one of the best I've heard from games I played,it will touch your soul every episode and even after. Visually the game is made such that will communicate the state of environment and feelings of the main protagonist. This is a must play game. One unique experience. And don't forget to choose wisely(even in game and especially in real life)! Life is Strange is a 10 out of 10 game. Buy it because is really worth it. BEST STORY EVER! I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS GAME! ONE UNIQUE EXPERIENCE!… Expand
  22. PedroLFerrari
    Feb 11, 2016
    10
    This game is one of those games that makes you keep thinking about yourself. At least for me I can take it out of my mind. Mostly because I was always trying to be myself while playing this game, so every choice I made was telling something about who I am. I don't know if this was something that was intended or not, but that is the beauty of this game.

    It is such an unique experience    This game is one of those games that makes you keep thinking about yourself. At least for me I can take it out of my mind. Mostly because I was always trying to be myself while playing this game, so every choice I made was telling something about who I am. I don't know if this was something that was intended or not, but that is the beauty of this game.

    It is such an unique experience that makes this game deserve a 10. Sometimes it gets really messy and confusing. Max adventure is very well written and it is a huge rollercoaster. But if you like GREAT stories, and if you want to get one of the most unique games on the last years do yourself a favor and play this game.    … Expand
  23. RustyJames
    Sep 12, 2020
    10
    After Before The Storm this game is definitely 10/10. One of the most dramatic stories in history of video games. Fantastic. True Art.
  24. Strxex
    Jul 9, 2022
    10
    This is not a game, nor a movie, it's an experience like no other. It immerse you into it's world, story, and characters perfectly. You share laughs and sadness and anger with the unique characters, a truly unforgettable and distinct experience. I will do anything to experience it again like the first time.
  25. Tehpava
    Oct 23, 2015
    10
    This might be one of the best game ever made. The story about Max and her friends is perfectly written, and the end is not so foregone. Everyone should play this little pearl. Good job Dontnod
  26. Sullen778
    Oct 27, 2021
    10
    Really a game that you can't get out of your head after you play it. Atmosphere, soundtrack, character development are all perfect.
  27. reguire
    Mar 10, 2016
    10
    Don't play this game if you don't wanna feel empty.
  28. StevenD
    Dec 11, 2015
    10
    I'm not a big fan of adventure games but the pitch in this one really got me interested.
    As a newcomer to the genre I found it to be engaging, both in it's artistic direction and in it's story. The gameplay is nice enough and the whole time travel thing ads a bit of spice into the mix. There are many times where I found myself wondering what choices could have been made to allow me to    I'm not a big fan of adventure games but the pitch in this one really got me interested.
    As a newcomer to the genre I found it to be engaging, both in it's artistic direction and in it's story. The gameplay is nice enough and the whole time travel thing ads a bit of spice into the mix. There are many times where I found myself wondering what choices could have been made to allow me to continue along the path I wanted.
    If you're in the market for a game that will keep calling you back for more this is definitely worth a couple of playthroughs.    … Expand
  29. Zahrada
    Mar 8, 2018
    10
    This game goes byone "gaming" as a multi media genre. It is artistic. It immenses you. It is relaxing and stressful in the same time. It's nothing we have seen so far. It playes differently. You can just chill with it, explore, think, wonder and ask yourself questions. I wish so much this to be a start of a new genre in gaming. Similar to 90s, we used to say "This is like Doom" back then.This game goes byone "gaming" as a multi media genre. It is artistic. It immenses you. It is relaxing and stressful in the same time. It's nothing we have seen so far. It playes differently. You can just chill with it, explore, think, wonder and ask yourself questions. I wish so much this to be a start of a new genre in gaming. Similar to 90s, we used to say "This is like Doom" back then. I wish we can say "This is like Life is Strange" just as often within few years. Playing a game like this is a unique experience. It is more than a game. It is more than a movie. Ot feels very special. Controls feel just a tiny bit "off" on PC, but that's hardly any issue. You don't have to think about saving games. It happens authomaticaly. All that matters are choices. Wonderful flow and storytelling. This is a masterpiece. It is not for every gamer, definitely not. But for the target audience, this is and will be a cult. 10/10 any time.… Expand
  30. tiaga
    Nov 16, 2015
    10
    This game is epic! Life is Strange stirs emotions around like your first crush after she dumped you! what are you waiting for?! Stop playing your crappy 12 year old infested crappy crap crap COD and buy this game!
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Awards & Rankings

32
#32 Best PC Game of 2015
8
#8 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015
19
#19 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Softpedia
    Jan 28, 2016
    85
    Life Is Strange is an imperfect video game and the actual mechanics of playing it, including the time rewind, can become annoying of frustrating, especially when the development team tries to borrow from another genre. But the game makes it easy to create a connection with Max and to care about her choices and trials, a rare feat, and that means any fan of narrative-driven experiences should try it out to see how he deals with the feelings of the protagonist and the impact they have on Arcadia Bay.
    Read full review
  2. PCWorld
    Jan 19, 2016
    80
    Life is Strange is flawed, but this paranormal coming-of-age story is nevertheless refreshing proof that small stakes can still feel important, given strong characters.
    Read full review
  3. IGN Spain
    Jan 18, 2016
    86
    Life is Strange is a brilliant concept that you will love if you forget prejudices.
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