You never know exactly what you have to do on your first attempt in any given scenario, and thus find yourself constantly rewinding to try again despite the visual cues designed to help. In part this is because Life is Strange suffers from the old adventure game problem of having to battle the designer’s frequently impenetrable logic. Its no surprise that the game hangs so much on its story and characters as, in isolation, the puzzling gameplay would feel empty. Max is a particularly good example, with her running narration of events feeling believable even in the surreal situations the game places her. This helps you relate to each of the teenagers (with some being quite likable and other being total jerks), a connection aided by nice vocal performances and an expressive art style. The success of this is down to the focus Dontnod's writers have clearly given their work.

Fortunately, each element is handled with the care and attention it deserve. If you don’t believe us, have a read through our reviews.With so many themes, it would be easy for them to feel scatter shot and throwaway. Just be aware, once you’ve downloaded and played through Episode 1, there is next to no chance of being able to resist the rest of the chapters. The pair soon finds themselves investigating the mysterious disappearance of fellow student Rachel Amber, uncovering a dark side to life in Arcadia Bay. Life Is Strange follows the story of Max Caulfield, a photography senior who discovers she can rewind time while saving her best friend Chloe Price. “By making the first episode of Life is Strange free, we’re really excited to welcome new players to the world of Arcadia Bay and our passionate, vibrant community” said Jon Brooke, VP Brand and European Marketing at Square Enix, “We’re incredibly pleased with the awards that the series has won to date as well as the support that our community have given us throughout the campaign.” “We’re really glad that Square Enix have decided to give the first episode away for free so more players can begin their journey and see why people have fallen in love with the game for themselves”. “Although our team set out to create an award-winning narrative we still cannot believe the response we’ve had from players of Life is Strange” said Oskar Guilbert, CEO of DONTNOD Entertainment.

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