Title: Life Is Strange Episode 2 (Out Of Time)
Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
Publisher: Square-Enix
Genre: Episodic, Contemporary, Supernatural, Mystery, interactive drama, adventure
Platforms played: PC
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
Episode 2: Out of Time is an episode that hits hard on the emotions and as for me trigger some sad memories from my past especially since I went trough something similar to Kate months ago. The story takes a dark turn and raise awareness towards themes rarely seen in gaming from depression and bullying going as far as slut shaming and suicide. They don't sugar coat the situation and show the ugly truth of how your actions directly and indirectly will have consequences.
The Plot
New episode means a new day!
Set the following day after Episode 1, we explores more of the town of Arcadia Bay in new locations like the Two Whales Dinner and the Junkyard while meeting new characters like Joyce Price and Frank while Max and Chloe test out the limit to Max's powers.
Meanwhile we learn the reason Kate, who has been in the subject of bullying in the last episode is because of a video of her at a Vortex Club party being drunk and kissing several guys at a party goes viral.
Game Play
I go more into detail about the main gameplay in Episode 1's
(review here)
In this episode, the choices you made will snowball (for the better or the worst) and suits the games theme of affecting the 'past, present and future'.
Example, cause I didn't tell the principle about Nathan and comforted Victoria in Episode 1, they didn't trash Max's room and were actually 'nicer' to Max.
In this episode, the game rewards you for not only paying attention to your surrounding but also to detail as it will be helpful later in the game. Example is when you're in Kate's room there are letters, photos and emails you can read where you not only get more information on how the viral video is affecting her but also by paying attention to small details like cross out post it in a bible will help you later on in the game.
Another example is when you're in the Diner and your want to prove Chloe about your rewind powers, you not only have to look at the items but also its details like the exact change she has in her pockets to the time on her parking ticket.
While there are some cool 'side missions' like helping Warren with his Chemistry project, but there was this one mission involving Max going around a junkyard, looking for 5 freaking bottles. You can already guess that that's my least favorite quest.
This episode features a puzzle that was heavily shown in the trailer of Chloe being stuck on the railway tracks and it was INTENSE! Its like the bathroom puzzle in Episode 1 but longer as you have to look for some tools to free Chloe.
Favourite Mission: The Diner where you prove Chloe you have rewind power by Predicting the future. Not so sure how proves it but hey it convince her.
Least Favourite Mission: LOOKING FOR 5 FREAKING BOTTLES! (RANT: AN ENCLOSE SPACE FOR A BOND FIRE??? ARE YOU HELLA KIDDING ME?? PEOPLE WILL DIE OF CARBON MONOXIDE !!! NO WONDER RACHAEL IS MISSING! Heck my Max almost die getting that last bottle!)
There are a couple more 'puzzles' i wanted to mention but are too spoilery so I'm gonna review it in my Game Discussion for this episode. If you want to know what I'm talking about its the last two major choices in the game and they were both FLIPPING intense and emotional. No joke when I was done with this episode I could not move on to episode 3 as my brain was drained and literally lay down for an hour staring at the ceiling pondering about life.
Characters
I talk more about most of the 'major characters' in my review for episode one aka the characters that Max have a profile in her journal. In this episode the last two character profile are filled up with one that I love and another I hate.
I love Joyce and she's my favorite adult in the game. Strong and interdependent woman who is also Motherly, kind and hella sassy (now we know where Chloe get's that sass from). Like Chloe she's been trough a lot in the last five years but unlike Chloe she handles moving on better. Though some might question her marrying David just after William's death especially after what we saw in the last episode, I see this like asking around about Nathan or Rachael where they might see something that others don't. I love her relationship with Max where she's literally like a second mother to her. I feel bad for her relationship with Chloe as she genuinely does care and worry for her. Also I want to add that if you look around the Price's house in the last episode you'll know that they are actually behind on their bills so Chloe's rebellious mix with financial problems = one very worry and stress out Joyce.
Frank Bowers creeps the hell out of me! Yes he is a sketchy drug dealer but I think there is something about Rachael that he's hiding.
I like the character development in this episode especially those that you developed a relationship in the previous episode. There are some characters I have some suspicion on *cough* JEFFERSON and some that I've grown to like like Dana and Warren. Mostly I like how we get to see a different side of some character I was not a fan of in the previous episode like David and Principal Wells.
Problem/Glitches
Episode two was probably the only episode I had no problem/ glitches in my gameplay even on high resolution (in my EP 1 AND EP 3 gameplay i had problems with interacting with some of the rooms and had to reduce the resolution to low). Good job dontnod.
Look/Sound
This episode we explore more of Arcadia Bay with the Two Whales Diner and Chloe's 'secret hide out' aka the junkyard.
Okay so I've been to an actual diner when I was a kid called Anna Miller's and gosh that diner scene reminded me of that place. Also hands up if that diner scene made you hungry as I want Joyce's waffles and bacon after playing that scene (though I thank god had my coffee when I was playing that scene). Its so cool and old school on how the diner looks and even for Max it brings nostalgia to her childhood.
As mentioned I was not a fan of the bottle hunt in the junkyard but I did appreciate the environment. It reminds me of the environment of 'The Last Of Us' which even has its on tagline 'Wasteland beautiful' !
Once again the soundtrack of the game was spot on! I found some great song like Crosses by Jose Gonzalez to Something Good by Alt-J which all suited the mood of the situation Max was in.
Narrative/Writing
BOOK RECOMMENDATION FOR OUT OF TIME
Okay so while writing this I am also reading All The Bright Places by Jeniffer Niven and if I were to compare this episode to any YA book it will be this along with Falling into Place by Amy Zhang and This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales. All of this books deal with suicide/ attempt suicide, bullying and depression in a honest way and have some sequence parallel to what's going on in this episode of Life is Strange. Also like the episode they were an emotional roller coaster to follow.
I like the story in this episode as Max and Chloe not only learn more about Max's powers but we also see them reconcile their friendship, picking things up like five years have not change. Also we get to see more of other characters like Max's classmates, picking up based on decisions made in the previous episode. Like because I was nice to Victoria in the last episode her minions Taylor and Courtney were actually nicer to me.
Mostly the story that hit me the hardest was the story of Kate. In the last episode we learn that Kate is Max's only girl friend since coming to Blackwell Academy and that something was bothering her. In this episode you as Max is to be that friend to her by helping her out and doing small task like erasing a weblink in the washroom to even answering Kate's call. All this little things add up and helps not only in the game but also in reality. I really like what they done to Kate's story and while I still don't understand why Kate of all the people at Blackwell was at a Vortex Club party, I do think this has a link to Rachael's disappearance. Even so what Kate went trough was unfortunate as no one in both a game and reality should go trough this. If one thing this game show was that if anything is bothering you, speak out to someone you can trust as it can really help.
Favorite Quote : I'm in a nightmare and I can't wake up (practically sums up what Kate is going trough)
Not gonna give my least favorite quote as I can't think of any but will update if I think of one
Overall this episode was well written and well balance with both bright
and dark moments. This episode was filled with life and death situation not
to mention a train wreck of emotions but still being a strong follow up
to Episode one where its a solid and well rounded story yet leaves room for me to anticipate the next episode.
Overall
Once again its hard to talk about the game without going into too much detail and I might have given out some mild spoilers for the game.
This episode impacted me in a way I have not felt in gaming in a long time and as mention is a game one needs to at least experience whether is watching a walktrough or playing the game yourself the narration of the story is beautifully done and deep and often got me to think of my own life.
A few months ago I went trough something similar to Kate where I was bullied for being an international student at my dorm both at the dorm and online. I am not going into details but if you want to hear my story and how I overcome it you can check out
(Here).
At the end of the game when the credits was rolling they added a link on the
Life Is Strange website (Link Here) where
if anything that happens in the game that bothers you, they have listed
hotlines and sites INTERNATIONALLY for you to talk it trough to
someone. This moved me as little things in the game that makes me not only
loves but respect the game more on where the narrative is going but also
what the developers are doing in the gaming world.
We usually see such themes in books, movies or tv shows but in gaming
this is a first I've ever experience such. I appreciate what the game
has taken the narrative to
and I can say this episode is an essential in not only as a game but as
an experience.
If any of you guys are effected by what happened in this episode please reach out to someone and talk to them about your problems as it really will help lift your weight on your shoulders.
Also if any of you guys want to talk to on what's bothering you or you just want to crap about life you can always write to me in the comments or find me on :
or @rotanrm@gmail.com
You are not alone. There's always someone out there willing to listen to you.
Also thanks to you guys for always listening me ramble about my thoughts on this blog.
Till Next Time
Happy Playing
Fun fact: Am writing this while downloading Episode 4!!! Excitedddd!! Episode 3 review and discussion should be up in a couple of days from this review but till then Episode 2 Discussion (SPOILER) should be up right NOW!
Expected publication:
November 3rd 2015
by Harper Teen
