RowGames: BEFORE THE STORM AKA MORE LIFE IS STRANGE HELLA YAH!

Disclaimer: source of the game information via Square-Enix EU blog

Hello people of the interwebs!!!! Its a good day to wake up to as there was announcements at E3 that square enix is making not one but TWO NEW LIFE IS STRANGE GAMES! TIME TO RETURN TO ARCHADIA GAY i meant ARCHADIA BAY

We already know that the guys at DONTNOT announced in conjunction with the game hitting 3 million unique sales back in May that they are in the works of a new LIS game that we will not get any news till sometime next year BUT a couple of weeks ago there were leaks of Square-Enix making another LIS game, this time a prequel (yessss! this totally makes sense) to the ever so popular game which is being developed by a Deck Nine Games which, interesting... its not DONTNOD making the game but either ways if Square-Enix is willing to trust them with this beloved game franchise I don't mind it.

The most important thing (for me) about this game is that Ashly Burch aka Chloe's VA is back and while she's not reprising her voice (a little bit sad about this but I their judgements and hey new younger Chloe sounds similar) for this game, she does have a role in the writing process where she's the dialog writer for Chloe. This is kinda epic as Ashly is pretty much the perfect person to write the dialogs for Chloe given her performance in the original game. 

So from the looks of it were playing from Chloe's POV for this three episode prequel which this is gonna be refreshing as Square-Enix blog clearly gives a heads up :

"Chloe has no rewind power, so we highly recommend you think before you speak..! Chloe’s sharp tongue will require her to live with whatever she says and as before, every single action and choice will have a direct consequence in the short, mid and long term."

So ... no rewind memory remix powers here. No butterfly effect. Good luck handling super angst 16-year-old Chloe peeps looool xD But in all seriousness I'm excited to see how the game will go without the rewind mechanics as the choices in this game are so unpredictable! 

 

From the looks of the trailer, I'm assuming this event takes place sometime after Chloe's dad passed away and her mum remarries cause from the looks of the trailer the girl is in deep shit. There was a scene of her in a truck with her dad and her dad got hit, I'm gonna assume its a nightmare scene. Also since she's still 16 she's still in school, pre-blue hair tattoo days I supposed. Its weird seeing her without blue hair xD. I'm gonna say this game is gonna follow how she meet Rachel and how that helped her coped with all the shit she's going through in life as Chloe mentioned in the original game that Rachel was 'her angle' and the one who saved her. Really interested to see her interactions and their friendship.

Speaking which we finally get a chance to see and interact with Rachel! OMGASDFJKL; FINALFREAKINGLY WE GET TO like 'meet' her as I don't know about you but while we never see her in the original game I feel like we already know her well! Anyways looking forward to seeing if all those fan theories about Rachel are true. 

And lastly I didn't think they'll talk about this but we will actually have a chance to meet Max!

"We know that many of you would love to see more from Max. Due to the way in which the first game ended, we didn’t want to canonize one group of players’ choices over the other – a sentiment echoed strongly by our community. That being said, we will still be giving you one final chance to play as Max through the self-contained bonus “Farewell” episode, which takes place long before the events of Before the Storm. This stand-alone bonus episode, will release after episode 3, and is only available as part of the Deluxe Edition of Life is Strange: Before the Storm. Rest assured, anyone purchasing the complete season of Before the Storm will get the full story. Max’s ‘Farewell’ episode really is just a bonus episode for those who would like to play as her one final time."

GOSH! This i seriously didn't expect as I thought its gonna only focus on Chloe and Rachel as given how the original game ended, the cannon of the story of how Max is at that time in Seattle and the fact that for some players this might actually be their first time picking up LIS. Either ways, I'm excited for this! I'm excited to play as Max one more time even. Its gonna be bittersweet since I know where the story goes but I'm excited. 

OVERALL

If you guys stuck around this blog since 2015 you'll know this game is hands down one of THE BEST GAME I've played and that Chloe is one of my favorite characters in fiction and gaming.

From the looks of the trailer we're gonna follow Chloe as she be friends with Rachel and also cope with all the things happening in her life from the fact that she's having a hard time moving on from her dad's passing, her mum remarrying and so on. While we already know about this from the original game we only learn about this from Max's POV so its interesting to see this from Chloe's perspective. 

As I mentioned this is gonna be bittersweet given how the original game ended and from what we learned.

If you have not played Life is Strange I highly recommend picking it up as its a beautiful game with an intriguing story. Its one of those chill games that you can an episode at a time though by the time you reach episode three I promise you you'll be hooked. You can check out my review on the first episode (here) and I have covered every single episode and even did a rundown on my walkthrough on every episode I've played (here).

Also from the looks of it while it is possible to play Before the Storm before the original game since its not gonna affect the original cannon, I do recommend if you're a newbee to the LIS  franchise at least playing at least the first episode (its free off steam) to understand Chloe, her situation and personality first before jumping to the prequel.

Disclaimer: I'm gonna get a little personal about how much the game help me so if you don't want to hear my personal rambles you can X out. Thanks for reading ~ ROW xD 

 

Not only that but this game has a special place in my heart as its not only beautiful and unique for its time but it really helped me when I needed an outlet to escape the hell of reality

Do you guys remember the time where I opened up on ROWLIFE about being bullied at uni. Well its around that time when I was in deep shit in my life, harassed and bullied in my own dorm room, bullied online, struggling with my studies and not feeling safe in my own dorm room. 

Youtube lets plays was what turn to when I need a breather, an escape in from reality at the time as I also was in a read slump and the last thing I wanted to do was read a freaking book after reading a telephone book of law legislation. 

Anyways I stumbled upon Life is Strange on my favorite lets player GhostRobo and I marathon both episodes. Its watching episode 2 that gave me the push to open up first to my best friend who happen to live in the same dorm as me, second to my parents for advice, third to my dorm mate in another college who is also an RA who helped me so much to find the right people to talk to at uni and of cause the warden and resident office for help to stop this. 

Watching the game lets play (of cause later on playing the game) gave me the courage to open up when something is bothering me. This really helps as talking to someone I trust lift that burden. 

But not only that, one of the themes of this game is knowing how to let go and move on. Not gonna lie, moving on from what happen back at uni was though hence why I blogged about that in order to move on. 

Its been two years since that incident which also means two years since I discovered Life is Strange. This game really help me at the time I had no idea what to do with myself. It helped me with cope with the situation i was in but it also help me move on. It also bring a new sense of joy to my life, as I count the days till a new episode drops and spend a whole night binge playing an episode, discuss with my friends on the theories of the game at dinner, scroll through tumblr for all the awesome fan arts, head cannons, fan fiction, crackships etc. Heck I RAN (or took a bus) to EB GAMES on the day they released the special edition box set of the physical copy as i was THAT EXCITED!

To the developers making this games, thank you so much for the world of Arcadia Bay! As I say this game brings me so much joy and helped me when needed an outlet to escape! 

 

Game Discussion: Life Is Strange Episode 5 (Polarized) - Spoilers!

Title: Life Is Strange Episode 5 (Polarized)

Developer: Dontnod Entertainment

Publisher: Square-Enix

Genre: Episodic, Contemporary, Supernatural, Mystery, interactive drama, adventure

Platforms played: PC

Official Game Description (Source) :

Life Is Strange is a five part episodic game that sets out to revolutionise story based choice and consequence games by allowing the player to rewind time and affect the past, present and future. 

You are Max, a photography senior who saves her old friend Chloe by discovering she can rewind time. The pair soon find themselves exposed to the darker side of Arcadia Bay as they uncover the disturbing truth behind the sudden disappearance of a fellow student.

Meanwhile, Max begins to have premonitions as she struggles to understand the implications of her power. She must quickly learn that changing the past can sometimes lead to a devastating future.

Features
• A beautifully written modern adventure game
• Rewind time to change the course of events.
• Multiple endings depending on the choices you make.
• Striking, hand-painted visuals
• Distinct, licensed indie soundtrack

Life is Strange is a game based off of choices and how it effects the past, present and future. I will also talk about the continuation of my choices in the previous episode and how it effects my gameplay.

Minor Decisions

1) David didn't get a scar during the fight

Okay so apparently David can get hurt in the fight... I just I ask Jefferson for water!!! 

But this part was hard as David and Max keep getting hurt or even shot by the gun. I originally ask Jefferson to take a photo but whenever I try to warn David, Jefferson will hurt either one with that freaking tripod. Too early, too late, he's got a gun. yup so I thought maybe its the choice that I made so i rewind to the very beginning and try asking for water, push the cart and pull the chord and yay! Shitterson is on the ground... 

2) David didn't kill Jefferson 

As much as I want Shitterson to die, he'll suffer more in prison. And if David kills Jefferson he'll sit next to dead Jefferson in a ball and grieve over Chloe's death. Nope not gonna happen! Need to man up that soldier and rewind so that he will get to work on investigating the darkroom. 

3) You saved the trucker 

Cause I am a nice person and he did let me take a pic of his truck in episode 5

4) You saved Evan 

Because as much of a pretentious idiot who needs a shot of a tornado he does not deserve to be hit by a flying piece of metal and DIE... and he did let Max look at his portfolio in episode 1 so time to return the favor. 

5) You saved Alyssa

ONE LAST TIME! HAHA AND IT WAS WORTH IT AS SHE SAVE US EVENTUALLY! 

6) You saved the fisherman 

OK this part took a couple of tries to fix it. Good thing he was kinda having a panic attack so he does not noticed Max 'teleporting' into the room.

7) You didn't change Joyce's mind about David 

Not so sure how this applies to me or How but either way I sided with David in the last episode so yah... 

8) You told the truth about Rachel to Frank

Oh Frank. Poor guy. And yes its better he knows the truth about Rachael since he did help us with his Client list.

9) You kissed Warren

THANK FREAKING YOU DONTNOD FOR SAILING MY SHIP!!! *SMASH THAT KISS BUTTON*

Yes I am a proud Grahamfield shipper and have been shipping them EVEN BEFORE Warren went ALL ALPHA APE in episode 4 and even though my thoughts on Warren fluctuate from time to time I still adore the him and his relationship with Max (depending on how players play it of cause). To be honest as much as I love and adore Pricefield I prefer Grahamfield as I see Max and Chloe's relationship as more of sisterly love than romantically love. Then again the last video game that I played that I saw two female character as sisterly love turned out to be sorta romantically love *cough *Left Behind DLC *cough *mind me I'm clueless at romance and that this is once again PLAYERS CHOICE on how they ship and how they want it to sail.

Major Choices

We saw this coming guys... We saw this coming for months... from the very beginning of the game it was already foreshadowed that it will be all down to this... BAE or BAY? 

I'll be honest... I was ready to sacrifice Chloe... not because I hate her (NO AS I HELLA LOVE HER) but because we were prepared for this back in EPISODE 4 where we were given a choice of upping her morphine and letting her die or not. Heck it was foreshadowed from the very beginning that we might have to make some sacrifice to save the town from the storm or to save Chloe. The final moments with Chloe parallels what we saw at the start of episode 4.

Sacrificing Chloe, focusing all the way back to episode 1 and letting her get shot by Nathan in the bathroom so that Max never rewind her powers which even according to DR Warren says its because of Max's actions of  manipulating time and alternate realities the main cause of the storm.

It was as painful as killing her back in the alternate world but this is Chloe's wish and that she accepts it. Chloe has grown through the game from the rude and selfish girl who has a hard time moving on from her father's death and is obsess with looking for her missing friend to overcoming her issues and being Max's loyal partner in crime through the game. Chloe's character stole my heart at that final moment as she was willing to sacrifice herself for the safety of the town that she both hates and loves.

Overall

I'll be honest... I was a bit disappointing with the fact that our decisions end up being erased or not taken into account at the end of the game but that one last decision was all that matters. Still the choices on how we move the story was a journey worth making as it makes us think what will we do as Max. As for the ending, while I at times felt it was rushed I still was satisfied with the ending I choose and could not bring myself to see how the other ones went.

If anything in this episode or through playing the series affects you whether physically or emotionally, please go seek help and talk to someone. The developers have even set up a hotline site where they have linked all the places to seek help at Life is Strange Talk (Click here). Don't keep it to yourselves. If anything the game shows is no matter what there is somebody always out there to talk. 

So there you have it guys. My discussion and walk through on the last episode of life is strange. Its been a fun and memorial journey to play and one of the best and most unique story I've seen in not just video games but fiction in general. Thank you Dontnod for making such a beautiful game and I'm looking forward to playing whatever games you guys have for us in the future and maybe even a DLC or season 2 of Life is Strange *hint *nudge *wink. Either way I had a great time with the game and following Max and Chloe's adventure so I hope you guys who have beaten the game think so to. 

Also check out my reviews and episode discussions for Life is Strange:

Review (Click Here) // Discussions + Walkthrough (Click Here)

Review (Click Here) // Discussions + Walkthrough (Click Here)

Review (Click Here) // Discussions + Walkthrough (Click Here)

Review (Click Here) // Discussions + Walkthrough (Click Here)

Also check out my last post, a Top 10 Life is Strange Characters

Game Discussioin: Life is Strange episode 5 trailer and theory talk. 

Review (Click Here)

Happy Playing

RowGames: Top 10 Life is Strange Characters

With the final episode if Life is Strange just days away I'm gonna be making a few 'tribute' post based on the game. Life is Strange is one of the best games I've ever played and has both helped and impacted me in my life and how I view games and storytelling. I found out about the game as a way of comfort when I was going through some rough times earlier this year from watching my favorite lets player on youtube and have been hooked since then with binge watching theory videos and checking tumblr for all the awesome fan art and discussions. Heck in case you don't know one of my favorite things to listen to are gaming podcast where I'll listen to a bunch of people who has played the game discussing their theories and choices and how the game diverged for them.

Life is Strange have some of the best, complex and flawed cast of characters I've ever encountered not only in gaming but also in fiction and over the last few months I've grown attached to them and even care for some of them and what they went through. Its gonna be bittersweet saying goodbye to the amazing cast of characters when the finally dropped since if Dontnod were to make a season 2 of Life Is Strange, they will most probably reset the setting and cast of characters.

So with that being said I'm listing my top 10 favorite character in the game as a proper 'send off' to this amazing and diverse cast of characters.

Keep in mind this top 10 list is based on what I've seen up to 4 episode of Life is Strange since I am not a time traveler and can't tell what happened to them in episode 5. 

10. Kate Marsh

Kate was the first character I related and warmed up to when I first played the game. She comes from a strict and religious background and is a genuine kind and helpful person. Going to Blackwell she obviously made some mistakes that she regrets which unfortunately leads to her being bullied with no idea how to handle the situation. Depending on the choices you made you can save her and give her a chance to turn her situation around.

Kate's a sweet yet innocent girl who's has this aura that makes you want you to protect her no matter what since the start of episode 1, whether or not you know of what she was going through. I related a lot to Kate as I was in a similar situation earlier this year but also I used to act a lot like her when I was younger ( minus the religious part and by the way I'm a hella lot different now cause that was like 5 years ago). Her story arc was realistic and heart breaking as it drastically turning her form a bright, positive girl who who always smiles and plays the violin in the morning to being dark and helpless due to the bullying incident making her loose hope in not only the things that she love but on her view of life. Of cause us being 'Max' we are there to help her and be the friend she was to Max when she first came to Blackwell.  Mostly what I love is if you do managed to keep her alive you are given a good little 'epilogue' that she'll have a second chance in life and she'll use this experience of her being bullied for good as well as that she forgives the people like Victoria for hurting her. Also one thing to note is that thought she looks like a 'stereotype christian girl' she does not act like one who fling bibles into other peoples faces. She just post posters up around school asking them to join their bible study and never preaches her friends (according to max's journal) which is something I respect her for is that she never forces her religion onto other people and respect them. 

There are still a couple of questions about Kate that I have like why was she in the vortex party at the first place and that I want to know every detail about what happened to her in the bunker but I guess we have to wait till episode 5 comes along. 

9. Frank Bowers

Okay he didn't have a good impression on me at first too but once again the more we play the game the more I like the dude. He is hilarious and loves his dog (and beans!!).

Once again depending on how you play the game you can either make him a friend, an enemy or you know... by the episode 4.

Also I like how even though he looks like a though scary drug dealer on the outside, in the inside he is a huge softy and loves his dog and of cause Rachael. Heck his expressions soften when you mention either one of them. He is seriously a cool character who though he is doing something shitty, he still has a good heart.

8. Step 'insert mean word' David Madsen

Man I didn't think I was gonna like the dude especially how our first impressions in episode 1 went but the more I play the game the more I like the dude. Yes he is verbally abusive to Chloe and has no right to threat her like so along with a weird camera surveillance fetish but like lots of characters in this game the dude has serious issues.

He's a war veteran unable to let go of his army days not to mention suffers PTSD. While he does genuinely care for Chloe he has a terrible way of showing it and is often miss looked like in episode 1 when he warns Chloe via voice message not to go to the junk yard. Also I don't blame him for being mad at Chloe for how she acts at times as if it was my parents and they were to catch me with an attitude like Chloe, I'll probably get worst than a slap in the face. 

Anyways his character is once again very complex and often misunderstood. He has his reasons and was so close to gathering the truth, not to mention depending on how you play as Max you might see a different side of him. I keep to his good side (sorry Chloe) mostly cause I want to see what Joyce see in him but also because I wanted to see if he warms up to Max if we be nice to him and stick to his side. In my play through, cause I sided with him he sorta does warm up to Max and gave us a lot of valuable information that we won't get if we sided with Chloe.  He's very similar to Frank where does have a good heart, is often misunderstood due to him doing a shitty job with his actions.

7. Nathan Prescott

Keep your pitchforks down people!!!!

I choose that picture in particular as I seriously believe Nathan deep down is a nice guy but has lots of pressure and issues from his father and Jefferson (gagggg) to do what ever the heck they are doing as well as the fact he has got some sort of mental issue that needs professional help. Lots of his friends say he's actually a cool dude and I totally can see that as the rare moment we see his calm face especially when he's hanging around Victoria. In some ways while Kate is a easily a sympathetic character from the start, once we got all those information about Nathan and what's he's going through I can't help but feel sorry for the fella.

Yes he's still an A-Class jerk and a huge sun of a beach but I find his character fascinating and complex especially in episode 4 when we see how mess up he is as a person yet like everything in the game is not as what it seems. So far I like how his story arc evolved through the game. When we first meet him I found him as a unstable alternate reality version of Draco Malfoy. Obviously this game does a grate job of making all fingers point to Nathan as the bad guy which if you have watch episode 4 by now you'll know that's not really the case.

I'm hoping we a good conclusion for his character and figure out some of the mystery resounding him in the last episode. But seriously I mostly want to see him to get some processional help.

6. Ms Grant

The only faculty member (a part from Samuel who just miss my top 10 list) who seem to not be any shitty business in the game. Wise, lay back yet fair and sassy, she's everything I look for in a good teacher. Also, though she is a science teacher, she has a wide range of knowledge from history to art. I enjoy all the interaction with Miss Grand who genuinely cares for her students and have some of the best interactions in the game as every time we talk to her I feel like I'm getting a spontaneous out of class lesson.

5. Joyce Price

Joyce is another one of the few sane adults in the game! I always look forward to moments with her as she has that motherly warmth that makes you want to hug her yet she is fair and strict not to mention hilariously sassy. Mostly what I solute her for is after William's death, how she still manage to stay strong and move on with her life to support her and Chloe. In a way she's probably my favorite adult figure in the game especially how she's a great mother figure to Max and how she manages to patiently handle Chloe. Also it helps that almost every time we see Joyce we get yummy home cook food (especially pancakes!!!!)!

4. Warren Graham

Warren was a character who I adored from the moment I first saw him and heck is probably the type of guy I'll be friend in real life thanks to his quirky and geeky personality. However the more I play the game the less I like about him as in some ways he's kinda a creep. Still I love how every episode he's always there for Max and is a caring and loyal friend. At times it's fun watching him acting like a love sick puppy around her but there are so many times I cringe at him trying too hard. No wonder the guy keeps being friend zone by Max! haha!

Also him suddenly going all alpha male ape in episode 4 is one of the highlight in the game. 

 

3. Rachael Amber

Who is Rachael Amber and what the eff has happened to her???

Obviously if you have played through episode 4 you'll have already know what happened *cries*.

We never see Rachael in person but looking around and learning more about Rachael and the impact she has on her peers makes her an interesting character. We never have any direct interactions with her yet the more I play the game the more I like her character and care for her even if she sounds too perfect and like a manic pixel dream girl. Mostly I like that she's kind to everyone around her and that she's the one who helped Chloe picked up the pieces after her dad died and Max left. I really hope we get answers to the 101 question I have about Rachael as there is still so many things about her I want to know. 

2. Max Caulfield

Maxwell Silver Hammer!!! 

Of cause the MC of this game has to be in one of my top characters in the game. Max is the perfect type of character to follow through this game as she starts out as this shy and introvert girl who slowly evolves to being more bold and and confident, doing things she will never do if not for her powers.

The fact that we are playing from a character like Max's POV is refreshing and new to me in gaming. Max is such a sweet and quirky character and her inner dialogs in the game are one of the best. Mostly what I love about Max is how its easy to relate to whatever she's going through from the teen awkwardness of going to a new school and being shy to make new friends to even self doubting herself on the choices made. I love her passion for photography and and that you don't have to be an art student to understand what she's saying. Now you'll be wondering why she's not my most favorite character.. well that's cause Max is more of the characters I'll probably favor over the entire cast 5 years ago as Max was literally 17-year-old me. Heck I actually acted more like her when I that age so she sort of brings back a lot of nostalgia of high school me who was very unsure of myself.

Also fun fact I actually went to a special 'college prep' school similar to Max when I was her age so lots of mundane senior high school/early college stuff Max went through I related to.

1. Chloe Price

 Ah Chloe... can she be my spirit animal?

Minus the smoking/drugs/getting high part and all that fun shit along with the fact I'm too chicken to get blue hair or near a tattoo needle, I'm similar/related to Chloe in so many ways! Like almost every character in the game they have complex flaws, issues and layers and Chloe is no exception.

Chloe is such a fearless, strong and bad ass girl on the outside but in the inside though she's kind, smart, a closet science nerd and caring she's also very broken, still not over her dad's death and Max leaving her along with raging and rebelling as a way to cope with it. It was kinda a tipping point when her mum remarries her David. I related a lot to Chloe cause like her I used to have a hard time letting go of the tragic past that happened to me and while I didn't go as up the walls as drugs/ tattoos and stuff I did rage and throw fits of anger around especially at people who were always there for me. Watching Chloe through the game is both fascinating and scary as I sort of saw a lot of myself in her though she's obviously more bolder than I am.

Still while she has lots of problems and flaws, through the game you see mature as she owes up to the consequences and even realizing her mistakes. Also I love her snarky and smartass dialogs as they always made me laugh at what she has in mind. Mostly I like how she's such a loyal and supportive friend to both Max and Rachael where she encourages them both to pursue their dreams and in Max's case, pushing her to do things she'll never be bold enough to do with or without her powers like say... kiss a girl??? hehe still a priceless scene. 

Yah long story short I hella love her!!!

And I'm excited and scared on what's gonna happen to my favourite blue hair rebel in episode 5 as if you watched episode 4 you'll probably know... *cries*

So that's my top 10 list of favorite characters of Life is Strange. There are more and but obviously had to narrow down. What are your favorite characters in the game and do you agree/disagree with my list. Comment below! 

Till Next Time Happy Playing