Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: 9th September 2021
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series & PC
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
▫️ Code provided by the publisher ▫️
Life is Strange is a series I have had a lot of fondness for ever since the Dontnod developed first episode launched back in January 2015. Despite being similar to the Telltale formula in focusing on narrative-heavy experiences, Life is Strange managed to set itself apart with a more colourful art style, a greater focus on personal relationships and the added importance of music. This has continued on throughout the series, whether it be with Dontnod, or now Deck Nine.
This is developer Deck Nine’s second run at the Life is Strange franchise, having been at the helm for the super underrated Life is Strange: Before the Storm. A three-episode off-shoot of the first game that tells one of the most powerful stories in the series to date. But can they catch lightning in a bottle twice? Or is this franchise on life support?
The story follows the journey of Alex Chen, a young girl who has spent years in the foster care system but is now leaving to reunite with her brother in the picturesque fictional town of Haven Springs in the Rocky Mountains. Alex is looking for a new beginning, but she is carrying a secret that no one else knows. She is able to read the emotions of people around her and even intervene to resolve or better understand the situation.
Her abilities don’t stop there though. Alex is also able to interact with certain objects, which reveal moments in time from characters that have previously interacted with them. This does an excellent job of fleshing out characters backstory and giving the overall narrative more depth. The story Deck Nine tells throughout this 10-hour story rivals the best entries in the series and is perfectly complemented by the optional objectives you can seek out, such as making an old man’s night by deducing the perfect song and inviting him to dance.
While this release ditches the episodic release schedule, it does retain the end of chapter stats, giving you percentages of what players chose during key moments of the previous chapter. I was glad to see this return, as it is always interesting to see how other players handled game-changing moments.
Haven Springs is small, but beautiful and really well realised. The town is essentially one street with a few off-shoot locations. There’s the flower store, run by Elanor. The record store, which also doubles as a radio station, providing the town – and the game – with great music. The dispensary, run by your brothers free spirit girlfriend and finally the Black Lantern. A bar that acts as the hub of the town and also doubles as your accommodation.
The residents of Haven Springs play a huge role in the game and this is by far the best lineup of characters in the series to date. While Alex is the obvious standout, the best of the rest is likely to divide opinion. Characters who would have been background fodder in games of a similar ilk are given full and often emotional backstories if you choose to explore deep enough.
The gameplay will feel instantly familiar to returning players, with pop-ups appearing next to objects that you can interact with. You can activate your power with the trigger button and a mildly faster walk/jog is also available. There is a point where the game uncharacteristically switches up the formula to an interesting and heartwarming effect, but this is something you should uncover yourself. There are also retro video arcades littered around the town, which proves a welcome addition.
Music has become a calling card for the Life is Strange series and this is no different. Each song feels perfectly picked for the moment in question and Alex, who plays the guitar, is on more than one occasion called into action to emotional effect.
The game is not without its issues though. There are some technical problems which do unfortunately hamper the experience. The decision was made before release to limit the game to 30fps for artistic reasons, but this often dips well below that intended target, resulting in some choppy gameplay. During my playtime, this happened more frequently in outdoor scenes, but not exclusively.
The trophy/achievement list is pretty standard fare for the series. Tagging graffiti has been replaced by mostly accessing memories this time around. There are a few misc objectives thrown in, as well as digital validation awarded for completing each chapter. Beware that without a guide you are likely to miss one or two as they can be well hidden, but anything missed is easily picked up via chapter select once the credits have rolled.
-Craig 🧐