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. PsychoShane123
    Feb 15, 2017
    7
    An enjoyable teen drama. With its likable characters, intriguing plot and a surprising amount of depth, Life is Strange only falls short in its sometimes cringe dialogue.
  6. anand5059
    Feb 11, 2018
    6
    Okay game, Story and music is good but gameplay never feels interesting and can feel repetitive at times though the story demands it. Not much of thrilling choice consequences is felt in the game like Heavy Rain or Until Dawn.
  7. 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
  8. Drake_Gunjin
    Apr 12, 2016
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Juego idie emotivo y con foco en la historia.

    Cuando comienzas la aventura llamada Life is Strange, lo primero que notas es su aspecto visual que sin ser de la calidad de un AAA destaca por su aspecto artístico. La banda sonora es un elemento que te envuelve y a diferencia de muchos juegos no esta para acompañar a la obra, pero cabe destacar que no se trata de un soundtrack creado para el juego, es un recopilatorio de temas licenciados de otros artistas que calzan con la obra.

    Nuestra protagonista es Max es un personaje con el que muchos podrán fácilmente sentirse identificado y gracias al sistema de decisiones podemos interpretarla acorde a dos formas claves. Las que dicten nuestro corazón que no siempre serán las mejores o las que tomemos de forma más calculadora pero que nos dejaran con la sensación de traición a nuestros sentimientos como jugador.

    La historia es contada en formato de capítulos que la separan como si se tratase de una serie de televisión. El problema no es la división por episodios sino que esta obra fue tratada como un producto y vendida por partes, este es un elemento que en lo personal no apoyo y siento que se basa en una estrategia económica y no aporta en el resultado final del vídeo juego.

    El aspecto jugable es sin duda el talón de Aquiles de este título, debido a que por muy emotivo que sea un titulo nunca se debe olvidar que es un vídeo juego y por ende la jugabilidad "debe" y lo repito "debe" ser satisfactorio para el jugador. Nosotros no somos espectadores o usuarios de una obra, somos jugadores y tenemos la necesidad de tener el control total de nuestro protagonista. En este importantisimo aspecto Life is Strange es terriblemente débil, impidiéndonos en momentos poder comportarnos como nos gustaría, realizar las ya típicas costumbres incoherentes de todo jugador, correr dentro de una habitación, romper cosas, golpear personajes, etc. Lo que intento decir es que entiendo que nadie espera que Max la protagonista vaya por la vida golpeando gente, pero no sería genial que pudiese hacerlo y que eso conlleve consecuencias en la historia.

    Finalmente es una gran obra con grandes aciertos pero con fallas terribles en el núcleo de si mismo. Lo recomendaría para quienes busquen un titulo centrado en la historia y con una durabilidad media. La re-jugabilidad es baja pero todos estos puntos no opacan el sentimiento que tendremos al finalizar este viaje. Es un buen título dependiendo del jugador que lo consuma, no recomendable para todo el mundo pero sin duda es un aire fresco que hoy en día difícilmente puede encontrarse en la industria.    … Expand
  9. nuzzlex
    Dec 26, 2016
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Life is Strange is a story that starts off strong, but ends so messed up it can't explain itself.

    The positives of Life is Strange is that it brings storytelling to a new level for the video game medium and it's world provides a lot of things to discover. You walk around the city as a photography student how gains the powers to manipulate time. There are chances to see an event and change it's outcome in different ways. Mostly to save your friend from death. Part narrative, part "I spy", part teenage drama this game does have a lot of enjoyment to provide.

    The downside of this game is that it does not make a lot of sense about what is going on. How Max, the main character, got her powers or why. With all the options and time-changing you'll be doing, you really only have 2 options that matter at all - which ruins that whole "your choices really matter" disclaimer dontnod provides.

    The next section has spoilers to the ending:

    Basically, after all the investigation and bonding in the previous chapters, Max gets two options: Let her friend die, or save the world. The game does not provide any reason to really care about friend (who's also a girl.) The game is obviously geared toward picking the romance options to make the player care about the friend. This is fine, but in a game that's all about choice its ruined when the player does not pick those choices. I didn't end up caring at all about the friend dying, the cost of the whole town's population well out weighed one persons life. Now this choice is much harder if you choose the romance route since they're lovers, but I'd like a game to not let me chose options that's against the intended emotion of the story. No one can have this opinion without being labeled "homophobic" apparently, but I generally didn't feel any romance between the two. A game should not punish you for making a choice it provides you with. The punishment being a real shoe-horned ending with emotions that came out of nowhere - which do feel very much in place if you pick the romance options.

    Beyond that the source and reasons for Max's powers are never explained in the slightest. One can infer that the meddling of time is causing a time paradox in which two timelines or universes are crashing, but like most of this game the "answers" are just theories.

    The ride and the situations are pretty fun, for a small studio this really is a gem. However, this is not the masterpiece its claiming to be.    … Expand
  10. seyiDALegend
    Jul 22, 2017
    6
    Story and Characters: 8/10
    For a teen drama, this turned into a surprisingly deep storyline as it dapples with time travel theory, mental illness and the perils of being a high school kid. Unfortunately the juicy parts don't come until the second half (from episode 3 onwards) with a huge plot twist that kickstarted a roller coaster set of events. The main characters each represented    Story and Characters: 8/10
    For a teen drama, this turned into a surprisingly deep storyline as it dapples with time travel theory, mental illness and the perils of being a high school kid. Unfortunately the juicy parts don't come until the second half (from episode 3 onwards) with a huge plot twist that kickstarted a roller coaster set of events. The main characters each represented individual pieces of a well-fitted jigsaw puzzle that was the day-to-day experience of going to Blackwell Art School in Arcadia Bay. Although I had issue with one character. I didn't feel that emotionally invested in Chloe which is pretty vital if you are to make the right choices as you play Max. I was conflicted with the fact, she had no more redeeming personality traits than say Victoria or Nathan besides the simple fact that she's Max's best friend.

    Gameplay 3/10:
    Probably the worst part of this game. And remember this is a "game" so I cannot really be lenient even if this not your run of the mill type. I nearly gave up by episode 2 simply because I couldn't stomach the shallow, filler-esque interaction with objects/obstacles that make up the majority of the gameplay. I wish I could just watch cut scenes and make decisions for the first 3 episodes because everything else was a grind.
    The dialogue choices are a big part of the game so I expected this to be done exceptionally well but they weren't. There were too many times where you were given only 1-3 words to hint at each major choice option that left you choosing blindly. This didn't happen enough at key moments to ruin the experience but it was a minor inconvenience.
    Even with my initial criticism, the gameplay actually gets better in the second half of the game as if the developers were learning of new, cool ways to utilise the time travel elements after episodes of primitive interactions.

    Sound & Graphics 8/10:
    The soundtrack was extremely fitting and provided an authentic atmospheric experience of an American adolescent in a rural town trying to find herself in a messed up reality. The graphics are obviously below-par for this generation but kudos to the artistic direction taken to not attempt to look "current-gen". This made the graphical presentation suitable and actually enhanced the experience. But the animation and lip sync were unforgivably poor throughout that made even some of the more important cut scenes an eye sore.

    Dialogue & Writing 4/10:
    Maybe I have rated this low due to my British upbringing but the dialogue for huge parts of the episodes were poorly thought out. It's amazing how the voice actors made every line sound authentic but couldn't mask the repetitive routes of conversations Max had with side characters. It tended to follow a pattern of: side character succinctly pouring their heart out and Max providing as little depth in reassurance as a 8-year-old with English as their second language. Aka "You're awesome, don't worry, everything will be okay". If someone told me Max was 14 years old and not actually 18, I would say that made sense. On top of this, at one point she was literally having the same conversation with everyone when searching for "that person" at "the party".
    In addition to rewinding time and making dialogue choices, you spent a lot of time investigating your surroundings and Max providing verbal commentary of her thoughts. These short expressions of thought were bland, predictable and didn't add anything to the storytelling. It reached a point where I stopped exploring my surroundings as hearing Max say the obvious drove me insane.

    Overall:
    I was satisfied by the end of it but couldn't overlook what a drag the first 3 episodes were. The writing should have been better even taking into consideration the maturity levels of the students. The game got better with the final 2 episodes being fantastic and actually utilising the potential of time-travel as a gameplay mechanic but with each gameplay element I've seen better.

    I would recommend this to:
    Any American who had a hard time in high school, there's a lot of themes you can relate
    Lovers of time travel theory. Make it to the Episode 4 and you're in for a ride. (Or just watch Stein Gate if you're into Anime, it does time travel a lot better.)
    Fans of Punk Rock, early 2000s, acoustic guitar music. The soundtrack is phenomenal in that regard.
    Gamers who want their decisions to matter.    … Expand
  11. 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
  12. archaim
    Jul 10, 2020
    5
    От других игр в жанре интерактивного кино эту игру отличает интересная механика перемотки времени. Занятно иметь возможность отмотать время назад и попробовать другие варианты развития диалогов.
    К сожалению, сюжет игры довольно посредственный, а концовка... ну это совсем плохо. Концовка предоставляет выбор из 2 вариантов, один из которых этически неприемлем, а другой — полностью обнуляет    От других игр в жанре интерактивного кино эту игру отличает интересная механика перемотки времени. Занятно иметь возможность отмотать время назад и попробовать другие варианты развития диалогов.
    К сожалению, сюжет игры довольно посредственный, а концовка... ну это совсем плохо. Концовка предоставляет выбор из 2 вариантов, один из которых этически неприемлем, а другой — полностью обнуляет сюжет, скатывая прогресс в ничто. Очень фрустрирует и полностью рушит впечатление от неплохой, в прочем, игры.    … Expand
  13. 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!
  14. 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.
  15. Jackthegamer
    Sep 10, 2022
    8
    Loving this fantastic videogame. Best soundtrack in a videogame. Sadly it's the last good one
  16. 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.
  17. Andyblack151
    Sep 11, 2020
    10
    Man, this game made me cry, and make me better person. One of best game i played
  18. Iucky
    Feb 21, 2022
    10
    Nothing to say just great game with incredible story and so easy to get all the achievements
  19. Anima2z
    Jun 28, 2020
    10
    the best story I found in games, my favorite game amazing writing, emotion rollercaster
  20. 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.
  21. Pedrooks2016
    Feb 1, 2023
    10
    um jogo lindo, com uma trilha sonora marcante, bons personagens e com uma escolha de final difícil.
  22. 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.
  23. 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
  24. 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 ;)
  25. RaFfr0
    Aug 30, 2017
    5
    I know people will disagree with me but honestly, i didn't find the great story that everyone told me or the likeable characters, by the end i was annoyed but almost everyone. I do recognize that there were some good moments and enjoyable passages but i was bored almost all the game.
  26. 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
  27. 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.
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. 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
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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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