I had the opportunity to play the first 2 chapters of the new Life is Strange entry, and I am pleased to say that the game is still as full of twists and turns as I originally expected it to be. With just a cursory look at what the first 2 chapters have to offer, I can definitely say this is easily one of the most thought out stories told in the universe of this series.
Story
The game takes place many years after the event of the first Life is Strange, and without giving too many spoilers, you can decide the end of that game without needing a save file early on in the story.
Max is now a teacher at Caledon University in Vermont and has made a crew of new friends. With how the first game gave us a rich cast of characters, the number here is slightly bigger and offers more character development as you build your own Max Caulfield through the choices and decisions throughout the story.
The story starts strong with the death of Max’s close friend, and it sets her on a journey to find out who and why did the deed. Along her investivagation she discovers an ability to travel between different timelines where the people and events overlap but is set in the past.
Aided by friends and peers, Max soon unravels a complex web between different dimensions, and how her powers may be causing problems on both sides of the fence.
Gameplay
Previously, Max had the powers to reverse time in the present, and we briefly saw another power where she could travel to a moment in time in a photo. This new power lets us do a lot more bolder choices without the luxury of rewinding and second guessing our decisions without another playthrough.
The gameplay is your standard third-person title, and Max is capable of interacting with items and hints in each world to solve a problem or puzzle in the other. Solving puzzles is not on the same level as beating one of the expert levels in Portal, but there are a few sprinkled here and there to really make you stuck and think carefully as you travel between both worlds to find a solution only present in one of them.
Max is equipped with a camera that can take pictures of friends and environments at certain moments in the game, and yes, if you did miss a collectible in your playthrough, you have the option of going back and getting it without consequence via the chapter select to help with your trophy cleanup .
Presentation
The game lives up to the original art-style of both games, but comes with a slightly better polish. When you compare the previous entries, even the 2021 entry - True Colors, they have consistently kept the visual appearance close.
In addition, the soundtrack is as memorable as the previous entries. There are a good blend of songs delivered at just the right moments that had me in surprise and I know that the next episodes will definitely offer a ride that will be worth the price of admission.
The graphics will by no means compare to realistic fiedelity, but the setpieces and different locations you go to between the campus, the cafe, and other venues in the game definitely come to life with a good level of detail and interactivity.
Conclusion
Based off the first two episodes thus far, this is easily my favorite game in the series. The new powers Max has allows her to be a more fleshed out protagonist. You no longer have the luxury of rewinding time because you did not like the outcome of a previous choice.
Max is now an adult who has to navigate the same troubles as she did when she was a teenager with lasting consequences. The university makes for a compelling setting and the story has already piqued my interest significantly, making me all the more ecstatic for things to come!
