Life is Strange: Episode 1 - Chrysalis

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 523 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 409 out of 523
  2. Mixed: 58 out of 523
  3. Negative: 56 out of 523

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  1. 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 your decision from bad to worse whenever you want. No matter what you do, the consequences will prevail. This is exactly how anIf 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 your decision from bad to worse whenever you want. 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
  2. cosmictherapy
    May 9, 2016
    10
    Life is Strange is a narrative driven choose your own adventure game. The first episode is an introduction to the strange world and it sets the scene for the next episodes to take place.

    The writing is a bit awkward at times but it looks great visually.The soundtrack is A+. It has interesting characters and a cool, if not a bit cliche main plot. This type of game might not be every    Life is Strange is a narrative driven choose your own adventure game. The first episode is an introduction to the strange world and it sets the scene for the next episodes to take place.

    The writing is a bit awkward at times but it looks great visually.The soundtrack is A+. It has interesting characters and a cool, if not a bit cliche main plot. This type of game might not be every ones cup of tea, but at only 5 dollars, why not give it a shot.    … Expand
  3. Alvare
    Dec 22, 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.
  4. TheDestroyer
    Oct 24, 2015
    10
    With all that has happened, I'd be surprised if Life is Strange didn't get nominated for game of the year - 2015. So many things are done right here despite not being up to par with graphics. It goes to show you though, you don't need good graphics to make an amazing game. The positives outshine the negatives by far. It's best part is the game's story, and the way it manages to keep theWith all that has happened, I'd be surprised if Life is Strange didn't get nominated for game of the year - 2015. So many things are done right here despite not being up to par with graphics. It goes to show you though, you don't need good graphics to make an amazing game. The positives outshine the negatives by far. It's best part is the game's story, and the way it manages to keep the player involved. You feel the weight behind some of the decisions you make during the game, some being heavy enough to make you want to come back and experience more.

    Episode 1 starts somewhat slow, painting you a picture for the orgasm to come.
    Episode 1 - 10 out of 10    … Expand
  5. I3ordo
    Jul 21, 2015
    3
    There is a fundamental flaw in the design of the game and it happens so early that it destroys every imaginable hope to have about the experience it has to offer.

    The point of this game, supposedly is to let you decide and experience a story based on the decisions you give but the game itself is not honest about the choices that are given to you. In just tfive minutes into the game,    There is a fundamental flaw in the design of the game and it happens so early that it destroys every imaginable hope to have about the experience it has to offer.

    The point of this game, supposedly is to let you decide and experience a story based on the decisions you give but the game itself is not honest about the choices that are given to you.

    In just tfive minutes into the game, you are given two choices "truth" and "hide the truth" but upon selecting "truth" , the protagonist makes up a misleading statement which is nowhere near the truth.

    (spoiler-
    guy threatens a girl with a gun, but protagonist tells that he is waving around a gun as if there is no one beside him.
    spoiler end)

    TLDR, the decisions in this game are just illusions, the devs worked so hard for those scripts and voice overs so you will experience it no matter what you chose.    … Expand
  6. FakuB20
    Jun 23, 2015
    9
    No esperaba mucho de este juego, lo empece a jugar solo por curiosidad pero tengo que admitir que esta en mi TOP 10 de los juegos del año. Es increíble lo que hicieron, la historia es maravillosa y la genialidad del poder del personaje como podes jugar con eso para cambiar la historia lo hace único. Los gráficos son simples pero me gustan, le dan un toque bonito al juego.
    Cada decisión    No esperaba mucho de este juego, lo empece a jugar solo por curiosidad pero tengo que admitir que esta en mi TOP 10 de los juegos del año. Es increíble lo que hicieron, la historia es maravillosa y la genialidad del poder del personaje como podes jugar con eso para cambiar la historia lo hace único. Los gráficos son simples pero me gustan, le dan un toque bonito al juego.
    Cada decisión que tomes influye a diferencia de los juegos de Telltale Games pero eso es otra historia.
    Juego recomendado.    … Expand
  7. TenchuuKhan
    Jun 20, 2015
    10
    It was just on Steam sale for 2.50€ and I've noticed some other folks having tried it out so I thought I could give it a shot.
    What an experience. The coolest thing about it is what makes other games in that genre often annoying: you can't quickly go back and make changes. And that is actually the core feature of the game.
    Just brilliant. Now, the storytelling is super immersive, the    It was just on Steam sale for 2.50€ and I've noticed some other folks having tried it out so I thought I could give it a shot.
    What an experience. The coolest thing about it is what makes other games in that genre often annoying: you can't quickly go back and make changes. And that is actually the core feature of the game.
    Just brilliant.

    Now, the storytelling is super immersive, the plot is mysterious. It makes you want more at the end of the first episode.    … Expand
  8. SoulBackUp
    May 27, 2015
    10
    Huge game. Honestly, what I liked the most about this game its that your choices actually MATTERS and will change stuff as you go on. It doesn't have that much gameplay, however it's like watching a movie or reading a book. Strongly recommended to anybody.
  9. sevenw1nters
    May 24, 2015
    8
    Life is Strange is a episodic point and click adventure game released by Dontnod Entertainment on PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4. As of the date of this review three of the five episodes have been released.

    As far as point and click adventures go Life is Strange doesn’t bring much new to the table besides the ability to go back in time. You’ll use that power to fix conversations    Life is Strange is a episodic point and click adventure game released by Dontnod Entertainment on PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4. As of the date of this review three of the five episodes have been released.

    As far as point and click adventures go Life is Strange doesn’t bring much new to the table besides the ability to go back in time. You’ll use that power to fix conversations that have went awry or to help solve puzzles but ultimately I feel like the idea was underused and underdeveloped.

    The graphics kind of look like they have a pastelle or water color filter to them but do look aesthetically pleasing. The sound track and voice work is truly top notch, my only complaint is they didn’t even try to match up the lip syncing whatsoever, it’s actually some of the worst I’ve ever seen and on occasion it did take me out of the experience.

    You play as Max a 18 year old photography student who’s moved back to her childhood town to attend a class by a renowned photagrapher. Very quickly your mundane initial concerns like how to deal with the obligatory school **** or reconciling with old friends will take a back seat to dealing with discovering your ability to rewind time or haunting visions of the town being destroyed by a mega tornado.

    As a story oriented game the story takes front and center and for the most part they do a very good job with it. You’ll legitimately feel like you’re dealing with real problems that would come along with being a teenage girl. The whole female protagonist Gamergate fiasco isn’t a topic I want to discuss but even as someone who identifies as a hardcore male gamer I still enjoyed playing a game with both a female protagonist and a more dialogue driven game and would very much like to see more games explore these kinds of narratives.

    At $5 for the first episode the barrier of entry for this game is very low so it’s difficult not to recommend at least checking it out to even the most cynical readers.

    My overall score is 7.5 / 10.    … Expand
  10. me2427
    Apr 7, 2015
    7
    Twilight with time travel. If you like the previous Tell Tale games and Twilight, then this game is for you. Some interesting uses of time travel, but most moments are pretty run of the mill. > Make a mistake, then rewind time to do it correctly... repeat. The character is a moody teenage girl - who I don't actually like that much, but the story and immersion in the environment makes upTwilight with time travel. If you like the previous Tell Tale games and Twilight, then this game is for you. Some interesting uses of time travel, but most moments are pretty run of the mill. > Make a mistake, then rewind time to do it correctly... repeat. The character is a moody teenage girl - who I don't actually like that much, but the story and immersion in the environment makes up for this. Pretty difficult to fully enjoy a game when you dislike the protagonist however.… Expand
  11. LadyMeander
    Apr 5, 2015
    2
    Very short, with dialogue, gameplay, and character development no better than what one would expect from an old "Choose Your Own Adventure" novel aimed at ten year olds. Not challenging in the slightest, with shallow, emotionless characters. Avoid.
  12. areyouhuman
    Apr 2, 2015
    7
    Good premise with an excellent hook and some cool graphics. Features some very bad dialog and voice acting. Interesting to play as an 18 year old girl, though it diminishes the stakes, somewhat. Right off the bat, a wealthy white kid is set up as an unstable rapist, so there's no shortage of cliches, but there's also some less flat characters, and the games only mechanic is kind of fun toGood premise with an excellent hook and some cool graphics. Features some very bad dialog and voice acting. Interesting to play as an 18 year old girl, though it diminishes the stakes, somewhat. Right off the bat, a wealthy white kid is set up as an unstable rapist, so there's no shortage of cliches, but there's also some less flat characters, and the games only mechanic is kind of fun to play around with. Not very innovative, but it might get better.… Expand
  13. Unspoken
    Mar 18, 2015
    7
    Playing this game is like watching a typical American movie which action takes place in a high school / college background. If you like this type of setting and you like story driven games that you will like it.

    The game has interesting many dimensional story and somehow it manages to provide a lot of characters that will stick into your memory. Unfortunately the voice acting is the    Playing this game is like watching a typical American movie which action takes place in a high school / college background. If you like this type of setting and you like story driven games that you will like it.

    The game has interesting many dimensional story and somehow it manages to provide a lot of characters that will stick into your memory. Unfortunately the voice acting is the weakest part of this game. The main character sounds more like a 16 not 18.

    From the technical aspects they "forgot" to synchronize lips with words and that hurts an eye from time to time. It clearly shows that Square Enix here is more like a publisher of this game, not a developer. Otherwise they would never allow such thing.

    Overall I think it is a nice game, something that will keep you busy on one evening. However, the game quality is not near such titles like Heavy Rain or Fahrenheit / Indigo Prophecy. Yes, the game which is 10 years old is still better than this one.    … Expand
  14. tiffanylaww
    Mar 17, 2015
    10
    Bought this game yesterday and finished in about 3 hours. Quite interesting and the dialog is quite funny too. Looking forward to the release of Episode 2 :)
  15. indigo2north
    Mar 13, 2015
    10
    Wonderful game. SOOO atmospheric. Plays like a telltale game but with a better narrative that really draws you in. The world feels a lot deeper and more thoroughly fleshed out. Well done Square Enix!
  16. Jim222001
    Mar 3, 2015
    8
    I found this game truly unique and fun. It's the best of it's kind since the Walking Dead games and the under-rated Beyond Two Souls. If you don't like a choice you made in the game you can rewind time and change your choice. Which makes for a pretty cool game.
    Despite it kind of feeling like an after school special from the 80's or 90's giving a lesson about how tough it can be to be a    I found this game truly unique and fun. It's the best of it's kind since the Walking Dead games and the under-rated Beyond Two Souls. If you don't like a choice you made in the game you can rewind time and change your choice. Which makes for a pretty cool game.
    Despite it kind of feeling like an after school special from the 80's or 90's giving a lesson about how tough it can be to be a teen. And how to make the right choices. And how your choices have different consequences. Still I enjoyed this melodrama of a game a lot.    … Expand
  17. coustoe
    Mar 3, 2015
    2
    pretty cheesy dialog, just wander around for a good portion of the game not knowing what you're doing, or any suspense, the first part you spend tracking down a thumb drive wtf for? I guess if your emo or hipster you'll love this.
  18. tiagodantas
    Feb 24, 2015
    9
    Amazing game. Amazing soundtrack. Enjoyable atmosphere. The only "bad" thing that I could point is the duration: the episode one is too short and there is a huge hiatus among the episodes.
  19. mijxero
    Feb 23, 2015
    4
    Take a telltale game, add a super power that lets you reverse time and then suck out all the interesting characters and storytelling. I honestly thought the idea of time reverse was genius, but I couldn't get connected even in the slightest to any of the characters. The dialogue felt really awkward and a lot of the situations just didn't interest me. If you like the telltale games youTake a telltale game, add a super power that lets you reverse time and then suck out all the interesting characters and storytelling. I honestly thought the idea of time reverse was genius, but I couldn't get connected even in the slightest to any of the characters. The dialogue felt really awkward and a lot of the situations just didn't interest me. If you like the telltale games you really might like this game, but I personally did not.… Expand
  20. Zoidy3942
    Feb 22, 2015
    10
    The game is amazing. its like a telltale adventure game with rewinding time which is the coolest mechanic and the main focus of the game.

    Pros: Interesting story - Its only the first Episode and I can tell the story is going to get very interesting Great soundtrack Likable character - Its subjective but I really dig her :) Nice looking art style Collectibles in form of a photos    The game is amazing. its like a telltale adventure game with rewinding time which is the coolest mechanic and the main focus of the game.

    Pros:
    Interesting story - Its only the first Episode and I can tell the story is going to get very interesting
    Great soundtrack
    Likable character - Its subjective but I really dig her :)
    Nice looking art style
    Collectibles in form of a photos

    Cons:
    Weird lip-sync - I hope they fix it, but its not that bad that I would give it less than a 10/10    … Expand
  21. Deck96
    Feb 20, 2015
    9
    A great start to an adventure game that I can't wait to see the end of. Great tone and storytelling throughout the two and a half hours that it took me to complete the episode, as well as interesting character development through varied dialogue. I get very strong feelings of 'Heavy Rain' meets Alan Wake when I play this game which is an awesome combination. My only gripe with the game isA great start to an adventure game that I can't wait to see the end of. Great tone and storytelling throughout the two and a half hours that it took me to complete the episode, as well as interesting character development through varied dialogue. I get very strong feelings of 'Heavy Rain' meets Alan Wake when I play this game which is an awesome combination. My only gripe with the game is that the lip-syncing can sometimes be off which hinders immersion, but the game is so different to everything else out there that this is no a real problem. The reverse-time ability makes this game really stands out and I can't wait for the next episode in March.… Expand
  22. RedDraken
    Feb 19, 2015
    10
    Wonderful game with a wonderful story and wonderful characters.
    But keep in mind this is a game about US students seen by French Devs so it could be the reason why some US players may find them, different..
    Maxine look very French too me. This game is a piece of Art not a simple game, but sadly the episode one is way too short, you will play it in 3 hours. For me this is by far the    Wonderful game with a wonderful story and wonderful characters.
    But keep in mind this is a game about US students seen by French Devs so it could be the reason why some US players may find them, different..
    Maxine look very French too me.
    This game is a piece of Art not a simple game, but sadly the episode one is way too short, you will play it in 3 hours.
    For me this is by far the best adventure game ever and i seriously hope to see more games like this one.

    Btw the soundtrack is a wonder, Angus and Julia Stones are wonders and the same is true for Syd Matters.    … Expand
  23. AUTOMATON
    Feb 17, 2015
    5
    There’s a moment near the beginning of the inaugural chapter of Life is Strange inaugural chapter in which you’re given insight into where it’s going, and it comes not from insecure, high-schooler heroine underdog Max Caulfield’s Prince of Persia-esque time-rewinding ability or near-future clairvoyance, but a humble peek at the insecurity-ridden journal sitting atop her desk. The entryThere’s a moment near the beginning of the inaugural chapter of Life is Strange inaugural chapter in which you’re given insight into where it’s going, and it comes not from insecure, high-schooler heroine underdog Max Caulfield’s Prince of Persia-esque time-rewinding ability or near-future clairvoyance, but a humble peek at the insecurity-ridden journal sitting atop her desk. The entry reads: “I thought being 18 meant I didn’t have to deal with this teenage drama anymore. I THOUGHT.” The scene provides context: students of the prestigious Blackwell Academy sit around in cliques (or alone, effectively ostracised) and there’s a clear power hierarchy in play with the rich “Vortex Club” divas of the school sitting at the top.

    Max Caulfield, as you might have guessed, isn’t at the top of the social ladder; in fact she’s barely on the first rung. Having silently moved back to her home town of Arcadia, Oregon, Max is struggling to forge a newer, cooler identity for herself in her first month at a new school. Perhaps it’s age getting to me, or a lack of vivacity in the writing, but I can’t relate to the confidence-lacking high-schooler when the criteria governing high school hierarchies is so arbitrary to adult eyes. You might find yourself wanting Max to shape up and get her **** together instead of rooting for her—mileage on how well she carries the story will depend on how real the vicissitudes of high school life are to you.

    You can glean all this backstory from reading journal entries and text messages, but it’s Episode 1’s greatest (and arguably, only) strength that you can organically intuit the backstory and who’s-who character drama (of the near two dozen characters who seem like they’ll be important in later episodes) in its 90-minute clear time simply through context and conversation alone. That lets you set your own pace through the episode if you aren’t the text-log reading type.

    It’s nice to have an adventure game that doesn’t baby you with exposition, even if it doesn’t heap on the challenge, either: Life is Strange is more firmly in the vein of The Walking Dead-style dialogue-driven adventure games than the esoteric, obscure item-based fumblings of Grim Fandango. You don’t have to worry about not having the items to progress as the tools you need are provided in a given scene, though you’ll need to use time-rewinding magic courtesy of the left trigger in conjunction with them.

    Through some kind of as-of-yet unexplained divine intervention, Max has the ability to rewind time in any given scene: Fail a social interaction with a cute sk8terboi through sheer awkwardness? Accidentally spill the contents of a file onto a wet floor? Rewind time until you tick back past the event marker on your time metre, or keep rewinding even further back than that past multiple markers to redo multiple choices. Since you experience the time-rewind from Max’s perspective rather than from an onlooker (as you do in the Prince of Persia games), Max retains her knowledge of the future as well as any items she was holding. And you can do this as many times as you want until you finalise your choices for good by leaving an area.

    In practice that means you can undo the immediate results of your actions—which seemingly eliminates consequence—but regardless of which action you finally settle on they’ll be recorded, presumably so they’ll factor into future episodes. As it stands there’s not any great, meaningful variance in Episode 1 no matter how you play it. There are even several choices which feel like binary "right and wrong", such as intervening to break up a conflict, which will result in a cheery friendship, and not doing so, which will result in a fractured one.

    At least, that’s how the choices appear now. Looking at Episode 1 in isolation, it makes it hard to judge the game harshly for these “shortcomings”. So what matters then is Episode 1 selling you on seeing where things are going, and sadly it doesn’t. It’s little more than the tutorial, a who’s-who primer, and a premise set-up you’d expect. Although I do want to see where it goes, that’s a statement on my time and money investment in the title rather than attributable to anything the game itself has done.

    Life is Strange is, so far, a well-worn concept with nothing particularly exceptional about it right down to the visual design which uses flat-shading with anatomically correct characters in an effect that can fall in-and-out of looking stylistically cell-shaded and just drab depending on the way the lighting plays on the scene. That said, there’s potential for it to grow into something great if it can leverage its inter-related two dozen characters into a grander story down the line. But unlike Max Caulfield I can’t rewind time, so I won’t be able to attribute any of that to Episode 1 at this point in time. As it stands right now, Life is Strange is merely an unremarkable game with potential. (Reviewed by: Shehzaan Abdulla, AUTOMATON Writer)    … Expand
  24. natetheartist
    Feb 14, 2015
    10
    Fantastic premise, music, and a wonderfully voiced female lead. 10/10. If you like story, emotionally captivating experiences, or if you've ever known what it's like to wonder through a cumbersome and troubled adolescence, get this game. I am blown away.
    Absolutely wonderful! Breathtaking.
  25. chargerfan
    Feb 11, 2015
    9
    When I first heard of this game I thought it would be a Telltale rip off but I bought it anyway thinking I might as well give it a chance. To be honest the game happily surprised me though it does share a lot of components of a Telltale game it has it's few game mechanics that makes it it's own. I really like the story so far and can't wait to see where it goes from here and it does lookWhen I first heard of this game I thought it would be a Telltale rip off but I bought it anyway thinking I might as well give it a chance. To be honest the game happily surprised me though it does share a lot of components of a Telltale game it has it's few game mechanics that makes it it's own. I really like the story so far and can't wait to see where it goes from here and it does look like our choices in game will aquatically make a difference in the story. Buy the game its worth the 5$ even if your not a fan of point and click games… Expand
  26. benderrodriguez
    Feb 10, 2015
    8
    Definitely a hipster chic video game. Solid story, but you can kind of guess where the story is going to ultimate head. The story itself reminds me a lot of Alan Wake but from a teenager's view. Definitely worth a shot and I'm not even a great fan of story games like this.
  27. inventive_mind
    Feb 10, 2015
    10
    "Heavy Rain"+"Butterfly Effect"="Life is Strange". This is my favorite game in 2015. Episode 1 is a masterpiece. Art, music, visual style, nonlinear intriguing and mystic story, charismatic characters... Genial game! Legend!
  28. Jimmy_Rinser
    Feb 9, 2015
    10
    I really loved this game. Looks amazing, very chilled and square enix really make you feel alot for the character. Really looking forward to the next episode. Similar to TellTale games but I think alot better, not rushed to make desicions and can think about it alot better. Would say though, the part when you speak to the skaterboards I don't think they could of made skaters look any more lame lol
  29. CurlypuffTV
    Feb 8, 2015
    6
    I really wish that I can have enjoyed this game. Honestly, between the scene tearing and the lag. I couldn't really play much of it. But from what I did get to play the story line is great good. Almost like a interactive novel/book. Just make sure your computer can handle it.

    Thanks, check my out of youtube. For a little gameplay preview. @ curlypufftv.
  30. Sjalka
    Feb 8, 2015
    9
    This game is very well done, less classic adventure, where - in the worse cases .. some puzzle breaks the storytelling immersion - and more interactive story.

    I particularly liked how they went for a watercolour visual rather than some super HD photorealism or cartoony look; it fits the game and story well The protagonist as well as the other characters are done well enough to care    This game is very well done, less classic adventure, where - in the worse cases .. some puzzle breaks the storytelling immersion - and more interactive story.

    I particularly liked how they went for a watercolour visual rather than some super HD photorealism or cartoony look; it fits the game and story well The protagonist as well as the other characters are done well enough to care about them ... but rather stereotypical, no surprise there.

    the rewind mechanic is a nice feature - but feels limited - along with the dialogue options, which felt limited, too.

    In terms of feeling - it feels to me more like Dreamfall/Dreamfall chapters than the recent Telltale games - meaning i feel like i do have more freedom and control over my character (slightly) - but especially compared to those titles, it misses the depth of those. Only with following chapters the character will have a chance to develope more - from a cockie cutter protagonist to a more wholesome persona.

    But aside from that - the game offers a great story, good controls (which i was surprised about, considering it was square enix) good music and an overall good experience. - more than worth the money.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

97
#97 Best PS4 Game of 2015
61
#61 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 43 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 43
  3. Negative: 0 out of 43
  1. games(TM)
    Mar 11, 2015
    70
    Enigmatic in parts, frustrating in others, Dontnod demonstrates it can fuse the domestic with the supernatural with a deft hand, and succeeds in creating a pastel world brimming with intrigue in about three hours.
    Read full review
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Mar 7, 2015
    70
    A world worth inhabiting; one full of intrigue and murky consequences. [March 2015, p.92]
  3. DarkZero
    Feb 27, 2015
    70
    Someone once told me to not buy things for what you want them to be, but buy them for what they currently are. Based on that sound reasoning, I would recommend holding off on Life is Strange for a while, but keep an eye on how well future episodes are received.
    Read full review
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