Life is Strange

Life Is Strange is a story-driven game made by Dontnod Entertainment and distributed by Square Enix. Launched as episodes in 2015 for platforms like PlayStation and Xbox, it later came to OS X, Linux, iOS, and Android. In February 2022, an improved version, the Life Is Strange Remastered Collection, was introduced.

The story revolves around Max Caulfield, a young photography student. She learns she can rewind time, causing every decision she makes to have a ripple effect. Players mold the story based on their choices and can even change past decisions by rewinding time. The game also involves puzzles, which are mainly about interacting with the environment and making dialogue choices.

The game’s creation began in April 2013. The episodic design was chosen for both budgetary and artistic reasons. To make the game realistic, the developers visited the Pacific Northwest and created unique characters, avoiding cliches. Feedback from players helped refine the episodes. The narrative and character growth are key elements of the game, and Square Enix’s European team collaborated closely with Dontnod during its making.

The game was well-received overall, with praise for its characters, unique rewind feature, and emotional depth. Some critics didn’t like the game’s dialogue, lip-syncing, and some story aspects. By May 2017, 3 million players had bought it. Later, a prequel named Life Is Strange: Before the Storm came out in August 2017, followed by a sequel, Life Is Strange 2, in September 2018. The series continued with Life Is Strange: True Colors in September 2021.