Life is Hella Strange

[Caldwin]

Well, Life is Strange True Colors is coming out in a week. So I think a thread is in order. Sooooo, possible convo starters...here we go.

Life is Strange:
I saved Chloe because of course I did.

Life is Strange Before the Storm:
I told Rachel the Truth. It would be rather shitty to lie about something like that.

Life is Strange 2:
Didn't like it so much because I don't like politics in my games.
I did finish it though. I crossed the border but the little brother got out of the car and they were separated.

Titan Comics:
If you haven't gotten any of these, definitely check it out. It follows Max and Chloe...and Rachel. Dun dun duuuuuun!

Life is Strange True Colors:
I preordered it today. I preordered bundle that includes the bonus story "Wavelengths," A hero Outfit Back and the Remasters of Life is Strange as well as Before The Storm.

I hope this good. I want this to be good. Please let this be good.

 

[Caldwin]

True Colors is out today. It's downloading now, so I should be able to start playing tonight. I'll let you know what I think.

Prediction: since the remaster of LiS 1 and Before the Storm also comes out today (and is part of the bundle I bought, I predict that Max (and Chloe if you saved her) will make a cameo in this game.

If I'm right
, prepare yours for some ear-piercing squeeing.

 

[Caldwin]

I'm only on Chapter 2 so far, but I'm abs loving this. As much as I love the first LiS, I can say I'm relieved that this doesn't have the same teen drama angst as that one did. Also, so far, I'm not seeing any in your face politics either (unless cannabis is still a hot button topic). I'm loving the characters and there's been a few real wham moments.
again, only on chapter 2, but I'm abs loving this so far.

 

[Caldwin]

I just finished it. It's too late to do a big review tonight. But I dare say it's even better than the first one. Definitely glad I got it.

 

[Bass X0]

I can't bring myself to pay full price for this, and I 100% completed the other three. I'll wait for a sale.

Didn't like it so much because I don't like politics in my games.

I liked it. But yes, even though he wasn't mentioned by name nor did he make a visual appearance at all, Donald Trump was the main villain of the story. It was to show just how bad Mexicans living in America had it under the Trump dictatorship. And to Mexicans in America during those four years, it is a fair word to use.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Without getting into that, can we say it's still better than the teen angst?

I found the first LiS fascinating but wow did did it try to be heavy with the angst.

 

[Caldwin]

Not really. MHO, I'd rather have angst than politics. In fact, I absolutely love Max and Chloe. The comics even follow their story.

True Colors is honestly the best of the LiS games. I don't want to risk spoilers, but on the bittersweet scale of endings, it's probably the happiest of the games.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

I love depressing stuff. But that first game tried to lay it on so hard that the impression I got was that the final choice was between letting your friend die or letting Sodom and Gomorrah burn, and I was surprised to find that the "correct" choice wasn't letting Sodom and Gomorrah burn.

 

[Caldwin]

The correct choice was absolutely letting Sodom and Gomorrah burn. BAE before Bay.

 

[Caldwin]

By the way, I'm just wondering what made you think which choice was correct? Was it the % players chose this bit? I know the majority of players sacrificed Chloe. But it is one of those "hotly debated to this day" type things.

I know when the remastered version hits, I'm going to do the same thing again, save Chloe.

 

[Caldwin]

So when I got True Colors I got the version that came with the remasters of the first game and Before the Storm.

I don't know if I'm the only one here playing this, but I started Before the Storm and I seem to be getting a lot of crashe. Is it just me?

 

[Caldwin]

I finished Before the Storm last night. I hope to start LiS tonight but haven't yet. So what I'm about to say applies to Before the Storm. It may also (likely) apply to the main game, but I don't want to commit to that until I've actually played it.

If you want to play these games, get the originals, don't get the remasters. The originals are perfectly fine. The original graphics are early gen, but the remasters are a complete mess.

Colors get wonky, the final cinematic was horribly choppy. I'll post examples when I get home tonight.

Also, I just got a lot of crashes. It's not too bad since it auto-saves frequently. But frequent crashes are still irritating.

Like I said I haven't gotten to the actual LiS game yet. So far I'm only talking about Before the Storm. But this hardly inspires confidence.

My suggestion truly has to be to get the originals if you can find them and keep away from the Remaster.

 

[Caldwin]

Oh sweet! I just saw this. Max is finally back!

 

[Caldwin]

First two Chapters of Double Exposure is out. Just started it, so I can't say much yet. But it's nice to be with Max again.

 

[Caldwin]

Sooooo, kinda feel like I'm talking to myself here, but I really do like this franchise (except the second game)...soooooo.....

I finished the two early release chapters. I don't want to post spoilers, so I'll just say holy hell! My interest is piqued.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

I've been in my own world the last couple of years. I didn't notice this series is still going.

I know there's different endings, but how crazy can you get with different paths along the way?

 

[Caldwin]

Not sure what you mean by crazy. Likemost games I've played where you have "choices," well let me put it like this...

Mass Effect:

Some choices you just make: do you do the mean or nice response, do you side with the guy who wants his wife's body to be given a proper burial or the bureaucrat who thinks some important discoveries for fighting the enemy could be made by studying the body.

Some choices really count on other things. Killing Wrex/Ashley depends on how much you talk to them beforehand and maybe getting them a gift (family armor and a book of poetry respectively).

Some choices you may completely miss and not even know you could havre done something there. You could go the entire game and not even talk to some major quest givers.

Some decisions matter more than others when it comes down to who lives or dies, who's in a romantic or platonic relationship. But in the end, the ultimate decision of how the war ends in the last game is a choice between three options.

Life is Strange:

Kind of the same thing. Some choices you'll just have to choose what you want to do. Some choices depend on what you've already done. So many things you may not even know were things that could be done. If you want examples...

LiS1
Do you form a relationship between Chloe or Warren. Do you pull the plug and end *spoiler* suffering or not. Can you talk someone down from jumping off a roof or not.

Ultimately the big decision will come down to Save Chloe or save the town.

I don't remember quite as much about LiS 2 and True Colors. 2 was just a crap game and it's just been a while since I've played TC.

I would definitely suggest trying the first game. Don't get the Remasters since last I heard, they were pretty buggy. But the original version should be fairly cheap at this point.

 

[Caldwin]

Well, the rest of Double Exposure is out today. So I'm just waiting until I get home after work.

I hear the entire game got leaked and few days ago and that spoilers are out there. So I guess I'll have to be careful venturing into the realm of YouTube for a while.

 

[Caldwin]

I finished Double Exposure. How to say this without spoilers...?

I guess the big final grade boils down to I absolutely loved it...until the very last chapter really let me down.

Okay, in order to just that statement, I'm going to have to get into spoilers, including endgame. So...be warned.

Spoiler: Major Spoilers

So look...I'm absolutely team "BAE before Bay." Nothing anyone says will ever change my mind on that. So was I disappointed when not only was Chloe a no-show, but at best, she and Max broke up? Hell yeah I was disappointed!

But I could except it. If you were going to make both choices for the first game compatible with this one, I guess Chloe would have to be pretty much out of the picture. Squeenix isn't on Biowares level, I guess.

But one thing that kinda stuck in my craw was that Max calls Chloe, at best, a high school sweetheart. That feels a bit belittling for someone whose life you saved multiple times up to and including SACRIFICING AN ENTIRE TOWN FOR HER! Even then, they stuck with each other for quite a while afterwards. That's more than just "high school sweethearts."

But in any case, that was only slightly annoying. It didn't even remotely bring down the rest of the game. The rest of the seriously kept me wondering what was going on and how everything was going to turn out. I didn't know who to trust. It was really exciting. It was fantastic!

UNTIL...

Honestly, I can't really fully put my finger on what made Chapter 5 come to a screeching halt. I have some ideas of what it might be. But it just...it was n't satisfying in any way.

So you find out at the end of Chapter 2 that Max is the one that kills Safi. Was it a Doppelgänger? Was it actually Max but she had a really good reason? Would killing or sparing her become the final decision?

Well, there's the problem. Yes it was Max. Yes she had a decent reason. And if this played out like any other LiS game, it would have been the final decision and I would have crapped my pants trying to decide.

But no, the big decision is made for you. Max throws the gun away, sparing Safi and "refuses to make another impossible choice between two shitty futures. What the entire game was building up to...and the decision is made for you.

The "big decision" comes down to Safi going away to find more super-powered people, in effect becoming the Nick Fury starting a LiS multi-verse and asking Max to wait for her. The big decision? Does Max promise to wait for her or not? Well, that's the last you see of Safi. So either choice you make, you don't get a resolution. In every way it was an anti-climax to what should have been the big choice, shoot or or spare her.

So yeah, I was really enjoying the game. But boy oh boy, that last chapter was such a huge letdown.