Digital Media Concepts/Life is Strange

Life is Strange is a game where your decisions have consequences and was created by Dontnod and published by Square Enix. The game is available on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.[1] Fully released in October 2015, Life is Strange by episode in a total of five episodes. Playing as Maxine Caulfield, firmly known as Max, you go through her life as she attends her dream school and learns about her new power which is introduced in the very beginning of the game.

Life is Strange

Plot

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Life is Strange is about an 18 year-old girl named Max who just recently moved back to her hometown, Arcadia Bay. In Arcadia Bay, she is attending Blackwell Academy, her dream school, to follow her dream and become a photographer. She soons learns that she has the power to rewind time and in the very first episode of this game, she saves someone’s life which so happened to be her childhood best friend, Chloe Price. [2] The are subplots such as Kate Marsh being bullied due to a video of kissing multiple people hinting that she was drugged. [3] Max soon heads over to Chloe's house where she hides in the closet while Chloe and her step-dad, David, argue over whether or not the weed in the room is Chloe's. Depending on your choice of to take the fall for Chloe or to idly stand aside and watch affects the outcome.

Characters[4]

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  • Maxine Caulfield voiced by Hannah Telle
  • Chloe Price voiced by Ashly Burch
  • Victoria Chase voiced by Dani Knights
  • Nathan Prescott voiced by Nik Shriner
  • Warren Graham voiced by Carlos Luna
  • Kate Marsh voiced by Dayeanne Hutton
  • David Madsen voiced by Don McManus
  • Mark Jefferson voiced by Derek Philips
  • Principal Rey Wells voiced by Eric Morgan Stuart
  • Professor Michelle Grant voiced by PaSean Wilson
  • Joyce Price voiced by Cissy Jones
  • Frank Bowers voiced by Daniel Bonjour
  • William Price voiced by Joe Ochman

Gameplay

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In the game, you play as Max and make decisions that will affect the future of the game and the people around you. Although your decisions affect others, you can always change your choice thanks to Max’s ability to rewind time. With this power, you can chose different types of conversation, change your answer to get the question correct, or even to save someone's life. All of this is done in a third person point of view and requires some creative problem solving whether it would be shaking off some supplies from the top shelf. [5] Along with making decisions, there are multiple puzzles that players need to solve to continue along with the story. It can go from reaching items when things are in the way or trying to figure out how to save your friends from life and death situations.

Eduoard Caplain, Gary Jamroz-Palma, Fred Augis were a few of the artists who worked on the concept art behind Life is strange. [6] They worked on everything from character design to designing the different types of environments.

Music

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References

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  1. “LIFE IS STRANGE.” Square Enix Store, store.na.square-enix.com/games/life-is-strange.
  2. Fish, Autumn. “Life Is Strange Might Have the Most Realistically Flawed Characters in Video Games.” Game Skinny, GameSkinny, 30 Mar. 2015, www.gameskinny.com/w8lh7/life-is-strange-might-have-the-most-realistically-flawed-characters-in-video-games.
  3. Dontnod Entertainment (24 March 2015). Life Is Strange. Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360. Square Enix. Level/area: Out of Time.
  4. “Life Is Strange (Video Game 2015).” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/title/tt4375662/.
  5. “Life Is Strange Impressions: Stranger by the Minute.” Shacknews, www.shacknews.com/article/86683/life-is-strange-impressions-stranger-by-the-minute.
  6. Plunkett, Luke. “The Art Of Life Is Strange.” Kotaku, Kotaku.com, 28 Jan. 2016, kotaku.com/the-concept-art-behind-life-is-strange-1755297930.