Life is Strange: Episode 4 - Dark Room

Dark Room's shadow is so long the series' conclusion may struggle to step out from under it. [Oct 2015, p.94]

Story-wise this has to be the episode with the best elements and plot that also gains from the fact that episode 4 is the longest one. We really look forward for the grand finale.

While it might have taken some time to get there, Life Is Strange Episode 4: Dark Room is DONTNOD hitting their stride, and is well worth pushing through some of the clunkier elements to experience.

As much as I’m looking forward to the conclusion of Life is Strange, I’m glad the episodic structure gives me a bit of reprieve. Days later, I’m still trying to process my thoughts and feelings on Dark Room, and I feel like this episode (and Life is Strange, as a whole, unless the final chapter completely drops the ball) is something we’ll be talking about for years to come.

Life is Strange: Episode 4 continues to impress and is by far the most enthralling and shocking one thus far.

Emotionally powerful and engaging, Life is Strange Episode Four: Dark Room cements Dontnod's teen drama as a real contender for Game of the Year.

I think the developers are on to something really special here, and if they properly end it off in the next and final episode, Life is Strange will stand as a giant in the genre. Now, all that’s left is to wait for the finale, and what a long and gruelling wait it’s going to be.

Life is Strange has been getting better with each episode and with the best story by far found in Episode 4 – The Dark Room, the upcoming finale is setting up to be mindblowing.

Episode 4: Dark Room shows how far Dontnod has continued to push the limits of Life Is Strange, with every choice made, regardless of how significant it might be, having a real meaning behind it.

Episode four of DONTNOD's Life is Strange continues the exceptional level of quality that episode three delivered. It even goes so far as to surpass what came before in a variety of ways.

There were several very powerful moments, with Dontnod’s mature approach to the subject matter and ambiguous decision making key, as they tackled the theme of life and death that ran throughout. Alongside some great puzzles and use of Max’s time warping power, this is the best episode yet.

An emotional tour de force that has considerably upped the ante as the final episode approaches. That last episode can’t come soon enough.

As the episode came to a close, I felt I had taken part in a more surreal adventure than what came before. Where as others episodes tried to ground characters in a well realised world, Episode Four shifts to deal with issues very much outside everyone’s comfort zone.

Dark Room is the longest episode in the Life is Strange series by a long shot. Every time I thought the episode was over or nearly over, I suddenly had another 45 minutes of gameplay. This wasn’t a bad thing; every section of the episode had me on my toes and guessing.

Even we found less puzzles and applied gameplay mechanics on this part of the game, Life is Strange: Dark Room is a real roller coaster of emotions and feelings, with a lot of responses for a great story that we can’t ignore until it finishes. Without a doubt this is one of the most intense episodes of the game, and we love that. A nice emotional surprise.

The series continues to establish itself as one of the year's most surprising and excellent prospects. [Oct 2015, p.75]

Dark Room doesn’t give you much room to complain, unless you hate things that make you have feelings. It’s the best-paced, most emotional entry yet, and it handles its super-serious subject matter with skill and maturity. This is the chapter we’ve been waiting to play since the beginning.

This is one of the best episodes in the season, and it alone can be listed as a reason to buy Life is Strange if you haven’t already taken the plunge.

This episode is without a doubt, one of the most emotional, dramatic and tense episodes in the game so far.

After a brief emotional detour, Life is Strange gets back to its main plot. The beginning and end of this episode are strong, with a lot of tension and emotional payoff, but the middle feels like it's padding out the gameplay time instead of serving the story. Still, this is the best episode yet.

This is the fourth time in as many chapters that Life Is Strange has shocked me big time. So bring on the conclusion stat. I am ready for one more trip to Arcadia Bay.

Life is Strange Episode 4 Dark Room is another fitting release from Dontnod!

The episode's slow opening sequences are a bit of a disappointment after last episode's cliffhanger, though Life Is Strange quickly picks up again to once more build towards an admirable climax. The episode's length is another plus, though the awkward dialogue somewhat detracts from the experience.

It might not be the best chapter so far, especially when you realize Max's powers have been mostly cut due to pure balancing reasons, but it still paves the way for the (hopefully) grand finale.

Longer than usual, with some new mechanics and somehow slow. This episode feels different, but, Dontnod delivers yet another outstanding cliffhanger that makes the wait for the season finale a hardly bearable suffering.

Dontnod continues with this little universe they have created. Dark Room is the most tedious of the four episodes so far, with pace issues, boring moments mixed with others that leave us breathless just like its amazing climax, one more time powerful and intense. Ok, is not perfect, but only for the story and so beloved characters of Max & Chloe, Life is Strange still deserves episode after episode a chance to be discovered as one of the best narratives we have seen in the last years.

We were kinda disappointed by the “Rachel Amber” mystery and this chapter’s pacing, but it’s still an enjoyable ride that closes with a decent cliffhanger.

Although the fourth episode offers the longest story, it not enough and the narration is shallow and dialogues are surprisingly weaker. Therefore we can only look forward (and hope) to the first season finale.

We can’t wait to see the conclusion to the story we started back in January, as well as playing the role of Max one last time. It’s been a long and bumpy ride, but we’re glad we are on board.

When Dark Room moves beyond its initial twist in order to return to the mystery at the centre of the game’s overarching plot, it succeeds at offering exciting gameplay in lieu of maintaining its thematic focus.

An emotional intro and devastating outro show how well Dontnod can handle both separately, but the hours in between leave so much to be desired in terms of marrying these people to their story.