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. ekolet
    Jan 30, 2015
    10
    Amazing game overall. It plays exactly like telltale adventures, but actually very good.

    Pros: Interesting story Amazing soundtracks which is in harmony with overall mood of the game and main character Maybe a little early to say, but seems like your choices actually matter. Unlike telltale games. Artwork is amazing Exteremely detailed game world, much like gone home, there are    Amazing game overall. It plays exactly like telltale adventures, but actually very good.

    Pros:
    Interesting story
    Amazing soundtracks which is in harmony with overall mood of the game and main character
    Maybe a little early to say, but seems like your choices actually matter. Unlike telltale games.
    Artwork is amazing
    Exteremely detailed game world, much like gone home, there are lots of stuff to explore

    Cons:

    Its episodic,    … Expand
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. RoxStryke
    Jan 30, 2015
    10
    Here is a game very promising and with a different proposal. It's not like the psychological thriller of walking dead (yet?), with choices of life and death (maybe yet), but its a game that make you sympathize with the problems and obstacles that Max have to deal with, maybe because the environment of high school and teenager problems. The plot is very good and has the potential to be aHere is a game very promising and with a different proposal. It's not like the psychological thriller of walking dead (yet?), with choices of life and death (maybe yet), but its a game that make you sympathize with the problems and obstacles that Max have to deal with, maybe because the environment of high school and teenager problems. The plot is very good and has the potential to be a very impressive story.

    I really enjoyed the high school problems, even being a cliche its made in a different way than the usual thanks to the possibilities of change the course of action and I hope the next episodes will bring the impact of the choices from the first chapter.

    The soundtrack is amazing and I'm not ashamed to say that I bought the game thanks to the trailer and the soundtrack in it. The graphics are beautiful and not too heavy, there is no try to make a perfect graphic, instead there is an art concept and is gorgeous.

    I know its only the first chapter, but I'm too anxious to the next to come.
    March come fast please!    … Expand
  6. 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.
  7. 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
  8. 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.
  9. SkillJam
    Jan 31, 2015
    10
    THIS GAME! Gameplay like Telltale games, story and atmosphere like Gone Home with mysterious superpower thing. I love games, that will make you feel something for characters and you actually care about them. Really great writting, atmosphere and i am really curious what will happen next. Awesome soundtrack!
    Main Story - 2 hours
    Main Story + 100% complete - 3,5 hours
  10. 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
  11. Darko84
    Feb 6, 2015
    5
    Life is Strange it is a good game if you like empty stories based on superficial topics.
    Definitely I didn't like it.
    It started quite interesting but then it turned to a teenager movie lacking all appeal to the main character.
    There was not a good set up for her discovering her powers.
  12. adammackowiak
    Jan 30, 2015
    8
    just finished episode 1 of the new 'Life is Strange' (a la Walking Dead StoryTelling kinda) game, as much as I don't dig the whole photography artistic mood, it's actually a really interesting look on school life and.... time travel, if you loved the Butterfly Effect, you should defo try this, so interesting to see how your choices affect life around you (And you can compare yourself withjust finished episode 1 of the new 'Life is Strange' (a la Walking Dead StoryTelling kinda) game, as much as I don't dig the whole photography artistic mood, it's actually a really interesting look on school life and.... time travel, if you loved the Butterfly Effect, you should defo try this, so interesting to see how your choices affect life around you (And you can compare yourself with the rest of the world at the end!). Excellent music, great mood in general, graphically average but it's all about the story here, I believe the first episode costs only like 3quid so give it a chance if you fancy :)… Expand
  13. Chapa9dj
    Feb 2, 2015
    9
    Pleasantly surprised, honestly, this game is amazing.
    I only bought 1 episode because i wasn't sure about it, but now do i do, i am definitely getting all the episodes.
    The gameplay is pretty similar to games such as The Walking Dead: Season 1 & 2, Game Of Thrones or The Wolf Among Us, except that you can reverse time and change the way to play the game or make different decisions. It    Pleasantly surprised, honestly, this game is amazing.
    I only bought 1 episode because i wasn't sure about it, but now do i do, i am definitely getting all the episodes.
    The gameplay is pretty similar to games such as The Walking Dead: Season 1 & 2, Game Of Thrones or The Wolf Among Us, except that you can reverse time and change the way to play the game or make different decisions. It reminds me of The Butterfly Effect.
    Story and characters are pretty interesting, in fact the acting feels natural and real. I got hooked as soon as i started playing it. You can explore, look at things, pick stuff or take photos in certain moments. The world feels really alive and very well animated
    I love the visuals and the artwork, it looks beautiful. The music is also great and adds a to the mood of the game.

    The only cons for me is that it's an episodic entry, but that's all.

    I higly recommend this. What a great way to start 2015    … Expand
  14. Enforcer122
    Jan 31, 2015
    9
    Utterly interesting game with wonderful game play mechanics. When I first picked it up, I wasn't a fan of the idea of being an 18 year old school girl. But the game is so much more then that if you look past it. Play the demo, and buy the game. You won't regret it.
  15. 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
  16. DoUEvnLft
    Jan 31, 2015
    9
    This game came out of nowhere for me, I remember seeing a trailer for it a while back and I kinda shrugged it off, but it appeared on the PlayStation Store and I thought I'd give it a shot. Frankly, I absolutely love it. The premise, setting and characters are all fairly unique and interesting, definitely nothing I've seen done in a game previous to this. I'm genuinely excited to play theThis game came out of nowhere for me, I remember seeing a trailer for it a while back and I kinda shrugged it off, but it appeared on the PlayStation Store and I thought I'd give it a shot. Frankly, I absolutely love it. The premise, setting and characters are all fairly unique and interesting, definitely nothing I've seen done in a game previous to this. I'm genuinely excited to play the second episode now. Good job Squeenix.… Expand
  17. 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!
  18. 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
  19. 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 :)
  20. xThexEvilxLordx
    Jan 31, 2015
    8
    Ok Life is strange = awesome
    Soundtrack is amassing
    Story for now is very interesting
    Graphic are great
    Acting voice is very great
    In overall play the game
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. 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.
  24. Agarwel
    Feb 3, 2015
    10
    Awesome game. Great graphics. Great atmosphere. Interesting story... it has slow beggining (but it will give you time to get to know each NPC and I believe this will help you immerse better into world in the future episodes - they are not anonymous NCPs anymore) but then starts pretty good. It is not possible to say how it will develop or what will be your main goal. But so far you getAwesome game. Great graphics. Great atmosphere. Interesting story... it has slow beggining (but it will give you time to get to know each NPC and I believe this will help you immerse better into world in the future episodes - they are not anonymous NCPs anymore) but then starts pretty good. It is not possible to say how it will develop or what will be your main goal. But so far you get some strange events, shady characters, you will be curious about few events... all in all the game will leave you wanting more. So far I find it better than TellTale games (and I love these), little more interesting than Beyond and we will see how it will go in the end compared to Heavy Rain. Reccomended for anyone who wants good story in games.… Expand
  25. Furtin
    Feb 2, 2015
    10
    This game oozes atmosphere. The soundtrack accompanies the gameplay perfectly and gives a "TV series" atmosphere like never seen before. No need for hires graphics here - this game is sneeking up on you and will hit you with it's love for atmosphere. - but only if you don't rush it!

    Take it slow and you will fall in love with "Life Is Strange"

    (this game is not for everyone of course ...)
  26. 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
  27. Gamexpert
    Jan 30, 2015
    10
    I played it now for a while, and im totally shocked about how good this game is.
    This Feeling that you could screw everything up when you bend time, its amazing.
    And i cant understand how anyone can be pissed just because you have to play a girl Oo
    Year 2015, so please guys....
  28. TomasLacerda
    Feb 1, 2015
    10
    One of the best storytelling you will ever see in a game.
    The controls are good, the visual is gorgeous, and the mood is absolutely fantastic.
    Please, do try this one out.
  29. 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.
  30. Darthghost1
    Jan 31, 2015
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love story games. Honest. Love the whole genre, even though it gets a lot of negativity from a lot of people. This, however, is garbage. There are a few things going for it. The UI is, while not innovative, intuitive. The mechanic (time travel) works well and makes the game interesting enough. A set of cool optional side-quests involving pictures really made me want to explore and experiment with the environment. However, the actual meat of the game, its story, is awful. For some reason Square Enix can't decide if it wants to do a murder mystery, a coming-of-age tale, or a sitcom, and ends up doing none of them very well. The characters are either unlikable, perfect, or perfectly unlikable. For example, one girl who is supposed to be your best friend steals a gun from her father (a veteran who is evil I guess), starts waving it around, pointing it at people, YOU included, but somehow she is supposed to be one of the "good guys". And worst of all, the graphics. Its not good when a game looks like The Walking Dead when its not going for the cell-shaded style. If The Vanishing of Ethan Carter taught me anything, its that there is no excuse for poor graphics in this industry. In short, Life is Strange has a great premise, but is brought down with a poor story, horrible characters, and a truly awful looking art design. Here's hoping the rest of 2015 is not as disappointing as this.… 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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