But there isn’t much time to knit a cute scarf and watch the leaves fall, since the bulk of Life is Strange’s gameplay revolves around reversing time and testing tough choices. Max’s powers manifest after she witnesses a traumatic event and reverses time in distress – after that, she’s able to undo and redo any major choice (fans of Remember Me, Dontnod’s previous game, may recognize the memory remix mechanic therein).
While that would initially seem to take the oomph out of the choice-based system, Chrysalis utilizes it with nuance and long-term uncertainty. There are few instances where a choice is strictly positive or negative – even reporting the bathroom shooter has its drawbacks – and weighing the benefits and consequences of each big choice ends up being a surprisingly thoughtful task. In addition, the long-term results are rarely clear until much later, when it’s too late to go back. Sure, saving your friend from being abused feels like the right decision now (as it should), but the subsequent chain of events can be disastrous for Max down the road. While some players may find this mechanic annoying and feel they’re being punished for a lack of clairvoyance, it nonetheless gives weight back to your choices in a world where they would otherwise be rendered moot.
All this time-bending kerflufflery would be nothing without an interesting cast to use it on. Chrysalis gets off to a bit of a rocky start in this department, as you’re quickly introduced to a slew of character clichés you might remember from every teen comedy ever made: the wallflower geek, the needlessly bitchy rich girls, the arrogant jocks, the overweight outcast, the shy religious kid, and so on. Sam’s geeky inner monologue also feels forced from time to time, where she doesn’t use her nerdy slang quite right and you can see the shadows of adult writers on the metaphorical back wall.
Thankfully, these problems are softened as the game goes on – Max’s innermost thoughts fall into a believable rhythm, and her one-note classmates and the bumbling adults around them start to develop nuance. I personally sat up when the religious girl was harassed for doing something not at all pious, and the school security guard showed he was far more nefarious than a typical glorified mall cop. Also, the addition of Max’s estranged childhood friend Chloe ( smokes weed and looks like she listens to a lot of Dead Kennedys mixtapes) introduces the mystery of Rachel Amber, Chloe’s life-mate who vanished under mysterious circumstances. While their introductions are shaky and lean on stereotypes, the opportunity has been left open to explore their intricacies as the season progresses.
When the characters are established, the stakes are set and the credits roll, Life is Strange: Chrysalis is unquestionably a staging ground. While there’s plenty of opportunity to poke around and learn things about Blackwell Academy, little of it has any immediate impact. A dozen plot threads are laid out with little explanation, but it’s clear that they’re meant to be significant in episodes to come. But if future Life is Strange episodes maintain the same lovingly crafted game world, compellingly tough choices, and increasingly layered characters, then this series will be well worth investing in.
Supply Gamesradar
Life is Strange review - App Review 4u
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