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Sunday 22 January, 2017
Life is Strange: Episode 4
All aboard the feels train! Life is Strange picks up after the chilling cliff hanger of episode 3. The first half of gameplay took its time and allowed the player to carefully soak in the somber details. The subject matter is heavy and for that, the slow pacing fits perfectly. This chapter shows the reality of terminal living. I loved how it approached euthanasia, which is a subject I’m passionate about. Having such a controversial issue in a game highlights the intricacies of it far more than statistics or papers could.
At the midpoint of the chapter, the game introduces the most difficult decision yet. I like how Dontnod Entertainment does a great job building up the decisions and characters. By episode 4 I’m thoroughly invested in the characters and stressing more and more about what to choose at each checkpoint.
After the segments of high-emotion were over, the game progressed in exploring the arching mystery of missing Rachel. I felt levels of dread begin to rise as Chloe and Max began putting together the evidence collected throughout the previous chapters and discovering new ones. As the game progresses, more disturbing evidence begins to surface.
Episode 4 peaks as the tensions double when a dark room is discovered and the Vortex club party takes place. Ethics of teenage alcohol/drug use, torture, and art become the major themes at the end of the episode. With an insane ending and a mind-boggling reveal, I feel mixtures of shock and anger with Life is Strange. Albeit the crave to know how it all ends in the final next chapter is too strong to stop…
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