Life is Strange

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2178 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,832 out of 2178
  2. Mixed: 217 out of 2178
  3. Negative: 129 out of 2178
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  1. Eyeteeth76
    Jan 23, 2016
    10
    Further proof that video games can tell emotionally engaging stories and present relatable characters. Superb voice acting, beautiful art design, a smooth score, and good use of licensed music all help to make this story game one worth playing. If you are looking to take a break from the usual RPGs and shooters, then I recommend you start with Life is Strange.
  2. Dogwar
    Oct 11, 2016
    9
    This game has very interesting gameplay. While not as much control over the story as they lead to believe. It is remarkably engaging. It felt like you were a character in the middle of a mysterious television series on Netflix. Lots of teen angst and cursing. The story unfolds slowly but once through the first episode, the pieces tie together and you are hooked.
  3. KayVen17
    Dec 29, 2016
    8
    Deutsche Review - Kritik

    Der folgende Test ist in 5 Kategorien zusammengefasst. Diese 5 Kartegorien ergeben die Gesamtpunktzahl von 0 - 100 Punkten. Um einen passenden Userscore zu geben wird auf oder abgerundet. Bei 84 Punkten ergibt das einen User Score von 8. Bei 86 einen von Userscore von 9. Falls eine 85 kommt entscheide ich ob ich es eher positiv oder negativ nehme. Regeln    Deutsche Review - Kritik

    Der folgende Test ist in 5 Kategorien zusammengefasst. Diese 5 Kartegorien ergeben die Gesamtpunktzahl von 0 - 100 Punkten. Um einen passenden Userscore zu geben wird auf oder abgerundet. Bei 84 Punkten ergibt das einen User Score von 8. Bei 86 einen von Userscore von 9. Falls eine 85 kommt entscheide ich ob ich es eher positiv oder negativ nehme. Regeln verstanden?
    Dann sind hier meine Punkte.

    Mein persönlicher Score = 78/100
    Mein User Score = 8/10

    Lohnenswert? = Ja.
    Fortsetzung erwünscht? = Sollte ohne Nachfolger sein.    … Expand
  4. jiminyjazz
    Sep 15, 2017
    10
    A masterpiece in gaming culture and story crafting and deserves your purchase RIGHT NOW !

    plot= 10/10: explores video game and societal taboos as well as crafting a story based on multiple intricate themes as well as also building up human and empathetic character arcs and realistic situations that felt written by humans and corporate drones just making up dialogue as the go along.    A masterpiece in gaming culture and story crafting and deserves your purchase RIGHT NOW !

    plot= 10/10: explores video game and societal taboos as well as crafting a story based on multiple intricate themes as well as also building up human and empathetic character arcs and realistic situations that felt written by humans and corporate drones just making up dialogue as the go along.

    gameplay=7/10: The game play incorporates the use of time travel which forms a different type of choice genre which i kind of wish was used more however i was not because it wouldn't feel unique. The game play uses this feature to make non repetitive and can be used for a variety of things and doesn't look like its trying too hard and more like its experimental. The element of choice in this game actually makes an influence on later dialogue and situations which really makes it seems that you must plan carefully more than any telltale game combined.

    those emotions tho such as the endings of an episode: 0/10 for the pain, 10/10 for the writing of them

    overall this game is a must for gamers and non gamers    … Expand
  5. Ecresis
    Jun 20, 2017
    8
    Got this game for free recently.
    I played it thinking I would quit since it seems to be another classic lesbian teen story. I was so wrong !
    The gameplay is actually entertaining, has original game mechanics, puzzles, hard decisions, beautiful art and immersive storyline. Now I don't really like the concept of making people buy episodes since it is a complete story, as well as the    Got this game for free recently.
    I played it thinking I would quit since it seems to be another classic lesbian teen story. I was so wrong !

    The gameplay is actually entertaining, has original game mechanics, puzzles, hard decisions, beautiful art and immersive storyline.

    Now I don't really like the concept of making people buy episodes since it is a complete story, as well as the last bit of the game, which is a bit predictable.

    About the replay value.. well.. since you can rewind and see most options, it's most likely a one-shot.

    I recommend this game to people who want a different gaming experience, a nice storyline but who were disappointed with some games like Gone Home, or the telltales games.    … Expand
  6. Tellus12
    Aug 25, 2017
    10
    Tried this game as it looked intruiging and then got hooked. By the time i completed it it turned out to be one of the best games i've played in the last ten years, straight up. It's emotioanlly heavy as well as fin, inventive, humorous, gut wrenching and uses time travel and manipulation as a hinge, and cleverly at that.
    Never thought i'd be so interested in playing a female student    Tried this game as it looked intruiging and then got hooked. By the time i completed it it turned out to be one of the best games i've played in the last ten years, straight up. It's emotioanlly heavy as well as fin, inventive, humorous, gut wrenching and uses time travel and manipulation as a hinge, and cleverly at that.
    Never thought i'd be so interested in playing a female student living in a dorm and studying photography. It's different for sure, and that's what makes it unique.

    Great graphics, controls, interactions, storylines, chapter cliffhangers and a terriffic soundtrack.

    Only negatives really are no replay value and it's not widely known enough!

    Give yourself some depth away from the shooters and racers and see how much more games are really capable of with Life is Strange.    … Expand
  7. BlitZeR_95
    Apr 28, 2018
    9
    I'm really surprised on how good this game was! It was an amazing ride! You can feel the character and Square Enix did a good job with that! Easily one of the best episodic game created!
  8. oraycool
    Mar 2, 2019
    10
    Incredible story and characters. This game made me think about my own life and friends. The story is so emotional and I think this shows that games can also have amazing story's.
  9. Jackthegamer
    Sep 10, 2022
    8
    Loving this fantastic videogame. Best soundtrack in a videogame. Sadly it's the last good one
  10. Evenstar1985
    Nov 21, 2019
    10
    One of the few games that made me cry at the end, loved it so much i got the retail limited edition from ebay for 1.5 of it's original price, since the stores ran out of stock.
  11. Andyblack151
    Sep 11, 2020
    10
    Man, this game made me cry, and make me better person. One of best game i played
  12. Iucky
    Feb 21, 2022
    10
    Nothing to say just great game with incredible story and so easy to get all the achievements
  13. Anima2z
    Jun 28, 2020
    10
    the best story I found in games, my favorite game amazing writing, emotion rollercaster
  14. ChrisChester
    Jul 4, 2020
    10
    The only flaw of this game is the lip syncing but other than that one of the best story games I have EVER played.
  15. Pedrooks2016
    Feb 1, 2023
    10
    um jogo lindo, com uma trilha sonora marcante, bons personagens e com uma escolha de final difícil.
  16. CnPx98
    Jun 3, 2022
    9
    Great game and awesome story. What I love most about the life is strange series is the stories always have unpredictability. It's not always what you expect. The 1st game is probably my favourite out of all of them. But they are all great games and I enjoyed them all.
  17. remikers
    Apr 10, 2022
    10
    Life is Strange is a powerful and emotional game that covers many important topics. These topics range from everyday struggles in modern day youth, to worst case scenarios and complete nightmares.
    As a young girl who is interested in photography, this game made me feel seen, heard and understood. As well, I was able to relate to the game’s themes of LGBTQ+ people, depression, suicide and    Life is Strange is a powerful and emotional game that covers many important topics. These topics range from everyday struggles in modern day youth, to worst case scenarios and complete nightmares.
    As a young girl who is interested in photography, this game made me feel seen, heard and understood. As well, I was able to relate to the game’s themes of LGBTQ+ people, depression, suicide and the importance of friendship. Not to mention, Life is Strange helped me understand issues that I didn’t previously know a lot about, such as environmental issues, loss, family problems, sexual harassment, and so on.
    As for the game itself, Life is Strange contains beautiful background animations, as well as a rather realistic character animation style. As well, there is a beautiful and sad soundtrack that goes along with the storyline well.
    The main character – a photography student named Max Caulfield – is quiet, shy and caring. She reminded me a lot of myself and my personality throughout most of my high school experience.
    If you haven’t played Life is Strange, I will sum it up for you: Max Caulfield is a photography student, studying at Blackwell Academy in Arcadia Bay. She leaves photography class one day and walks into the school bathroom, just in time for her to see her childhood best friend Chloe get shot by another student. Desperately trying to save Chloe’s life, Max suddenly gains a super power that allows her to rewind time. This power is used throughout the game to make important choices, which strongly impact the game’s outcome. Every action has consequences – some much larger than others. The more Max uses her powers, the more things begin to go wrong in Arcadia Bay; there are environmental changes, a solar eclipse and – depending on the player’s choices – a possible deadly hurricane. In the end, Max has to make the ultimate decision: does she save her best friend, or Arcadia Bay?
    Overall, I would highly recommend this game to anyone who wants to have an experience rather than just playing a game, or anyone who needs a good cry.    … Expand
  18. fox_pandas
    Sep 16, 2022
    10
    this was an experience it has evryting you need in a story game play it if you want to cry ;)
  19. SahilKChandio
    Sep 29, 2018
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is a damn masterpiece dude its so freaking awesome! The game has insanely awesome story!!!! Its story is so awesome and emotional. The both endings are sad but are great this game from the beginning chapter to its final chapter always amazed me!! End of every chapter had something awesome that made people eager for whats to come in the next chapter! A must play game every gamer should play it!!… Expand
  20. Elvis_Llama
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    When you first start the game, the dialog can seem a bit cheesy. But, give it time, and you'll get used to how they speak. Once you get past that initial hurtle, the game sucks you into the story. I beat all the episodes within 2 days - I was hooked.
  21. lorycastel
    May 20, 2017
    10
    This game is a masterpiece. At the beginning, I thought it was just a kind of teen drama, based on the importance of friendship and on the story of a typical geek bullied at school. But it goes over.
    First of all the less interesting part, the graphics, they are quite good but similar to those of a PS3 game, even though they improve a little in the last chapters.
    But the story is    This game is a masterpiece. At the beginning, I thought it was just a kind of teen drama, based on the importance of friendship and on the story of a typical geek bullied at school. But it goes over.
    First of all the less interesting part, the graphics, they are quite good but similar to those of a PS3 game, even though they improve a little in the last chapters.
    But the story is absolutely captivating and the plot depends highly on your choices during the whole game.
    It's not just the story of a shy teenager who's attending a new school trying to make new friendships, there is a big mystery to solve about a disappeared girl and other important decisions to make, as the protagonist finds out to have a strong power: she can rewind time. You can choose when rewinding time, changing your decisions, your actions, your words. It makes the game more interesting and in the end there are just two crucial choices to take which really makes you feel bad. I appreciate the realistic dialogues, situations and troubles linked to her supernatural power.
    I like the story because since the beginning it makes you feel anxious and you want always to know how it will end. I absolutely love also the theme songs during the game, especially in the chapters finals.
    The gameplay, being an interactive drama, is quite basic, you just have to walk and press buttons when required. You definitely put yourself in the main character's shoes and this is what I loved the most in this amazing game, I think it is a masterpiece, unluckily one of the most undervalued games.    … Expand
  22. DAnzalone
    May 25, 2016
    9
    Fantastic story, visuals, and choices. I haven't consumed a piece in a long time that strung a strong emotional reaction like Life is Strange did. The characters act like real people, and its easy to find one you can relate to. It is anything but a "walking simulator." The game is so much fun to play. A tip: approach this game with patience and give it your full attention. Oh, and don'tFantastic story, visuals, and choices. I haven't consumed a piece in a long time that strung a strong emotional reaction like Life is Strange did. The characters act like real people, and its easy to find one you can relate to. It is anything but a "walking simulator." The game is so much fun to play. A tip: approach this game with patience and give it your full attention. Oh, and don't forget a box of tissues :(… Expand
  23. MasterRiley
    Jun 9, 2017
    10
    Life is Strange is not only a video game, it is a work of art. The story is told so well and the characters are interesting enough to make it feel like a TV show. The game is even structured in various episodes for this very reason. Early on it will pull you in like a good Netflix binge except in this case you get to actually interact with the characters and the world around you. You playLife is Strange is not only a video game, it is a work of art. The story is told so well and the characters are interesting enough to make it feel like a TV show. The game is even structured in various episodes for this very reason. Early on it will pull you in like a good Netflix binge except in this case you get to actually interact with the characters and the world around you. You play as main protagonist Max Caulfield, who wields the ability to rewind time. You are able to use this ability throughout most of the game to change choices you made or things you said. This creates a very interesting and unique gameplay experience unlike any other game out there. The story also touches on many important life themes that will cause it to stay with you for a long time. And finally the characters are also very memorable and will most likely resonate with you as well. If you enjoy story telling in games and unique gameplay experiences I would highly recommend Life is Strange.… Expand
  24. JackKasket
    Feb 23, 2016
    9
    This is the only interactive story -type game I have ever liked. Granted, the first two episodes were mostly me trying to unstuck my permanently rolled-back eyes, Episode 3 really picked up the pace.

    That is to say, do not be discouraged by the teenage hipster BS that is Episode 1 and 2, but just play until the end. The story is superb, although heavily influenced by not so recent    This is the only interactive story -type game I have ever liked. Granted, the first two episodes were mostly me trying to unstuck my permanently rolled-back eyes, Episode 3 really picked up the pace.

    That is to say, do not be discouraged by the teenage hipster BS that is Episode 1 and 2, but just play until the end. The story is superb, although heavily influenced by not so recent movies and books (no spoiler review). The game is not hard, or even challenging, but by the time the end credits in Episode 5 roll on your screen, you are glad you spent the 8-or-so hours on this game.    … Expand
  25. arestarjeffreso
    Jun 12, 2017
    10
    First time? when i opened Life is Strange on my PS4, i did not sleep about 2 nights , i wanted to play it forever, there is so good atmosphere, a storyline is so interesting and exiting. This is first time, when i felt something in my hearth of game , i wanted to cry and laugh and today i was watching E3 Microsoft. I saw Life is Strange:Before the Storm and i am crying 2 hours , do notFirst time? when i opened Life is Strange on my PS4, i did not sleep about 2 nights , i wanted to play it forever, there is so good atmosphere, a storyline is so interesting and exiting. This is first time, when i felt something in my hearth of game , i wanted to cry and laugh and today i was watching E3 Microsoft. I saw Life is Strange:Before the Storm and i am crying 2 hours , do not know. After that game , i want to be a photographer , and i will. I want to say thank you so much to Dontnod Ent. and Square Enix… Expand
  26. Flaw_
    Sep 5, 2017
    10
    I have to say that this is a wonderful game,the most wonderful one I have ever played.The true friendship between Chloe and Max really moved me through the whole game,the beautiful emotionally engaging stories,the smooth plots and the wonderful music all make this game better.You gotta find out that your decisions are all meaningfully and you will experience the thing you might neverI have to say that this is a wonderful game,the most wonderful one I have ever played.The true friendship between Chloe and Max really moved me through the whole game,the beautiful emotionally engaging stories,the smooth plots and the wonderful music all make this game better.You gotta find out that your decisions are all meaningfully and you will experience the thing you might never experienced.In a word,Life is Strange is worth to be played.… Expand
  27. Oldbstrd1
    Jul 1, 2018
    10
    This review is written in 2018 and i still replay this game over and over. The character develpment is amazing, the attetion to detail is astouding, the graphics are so good that I was lost in the game world, the story is so emotional, if you haven't played then shame on you, I would totally recomend!
  28. rodericrinehart
    Jan 30, 2016
    9
    I really enjoyed this game. I am confident I will remember the game years from now, and I can only hope we find more games from all publishers like this in the future. I enjoyed the female protagonist, the Telltale-influences gameplay, and beautifully created world. It is not just a "walking simulator" like Gone Home (which I also enjoyed), and has more depth than The Walking Dead or TheI really enjoyed this game. I am confident I will remember the game years from now, and I can only hope we find more games from all publishers like this in the future. I enjoyed the female protagonist, the Telltale-influences gameplay, and beautifully created world. It is not just a "walking simulator" like Gone Home (which I also enjoyed), and has more depth than The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us.

    The time rewind feature adds an interesting twist to adventure gameplay. It doesn't feel like "cheating" because although you might know the immediate consequences of your decision, you can't rewind past maybe 30 seconds and you can't see how these things will affect the future.    … Expand
  29. SileSixEcho
    Jan 19, 2016
    10
    A stellar example of story telling and a proof that there are no limits of what videogames can achieve. If you like telltale, you will love this! If you like great stories and characters, you will love this! If you have a heart, you will love this!
  30. EdgyWalrusaur
    Feb 1, 2016
    10
    By far one of the best choice driven narratives I have played (surpassing Telltale's Game of Thrones). The choices feel as though they have real weight despite your ability to rewind time, and the games very subtle yet not so subtle under-theme of destiny and fate make the narrative that much more engrossing. With characters that the player can get attached to and relate to (because theyBy far one of the best choice driven narratives I have played (surpassing Telltale's Game of Thrones). The choices feel as though they have real weight despite your ability to rewind time, and the games very subtle yet not so subtle under-theme of destiny and fate make the narrative that much more engrossing. With characters that the player can get attached to and relate to (because they feel like real people most of the time) make the emotional highs, lows and in-betweens that much more potent.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Best PS4 Game of 2015
16
#16 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015
25
#25 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. PLAY! Zine
    Feb 5, 2016
    85
    An honest, sometimes even painful, story about friendship and finding yourself. Life is Strange is played with a lump in the throat and its ability to make a grown man tear up is its true "power".
    Read full review
  2. Eurogamer Italy
    Feb 1, 2016
    90
    The Limited Edition of Life is Strange doesn’t introduce anything new. The graphics are the same, as well as individual episodes that form this wonderful adventure. The art book and soundtrack are still a nice plus that could push some collectors to purchase this edition.
    Read full review
  3. Metro GameCentral
    Jan 21, 2016
    80
    Despite its obvious flaws the reactive story and compelling characters make this one of the best storytelling experiences of the current generation.
    Read full review
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