With great power comes great responsibility. That’s the feeling I get from Episode Two of Life is Strange. The first half is spent exploring Max’s powers and getting to grips with what she can and can’t do. This is the one where Dontnod reminds us this is a game, but it’s also the one where we come face to face with the consequences of our decisions in episode one.
Out of Time kicks off directly after the events of Chrysalis. Max is in her dorm and about to meet Chloe at her mother’s diner. But before she gets there, Max becomes embroiled in Kate Marsh’s subplot.
Kate is the quiet, religious girl who got bullied by the school security guard in episode one. Things go from bad to worse for Kate when a video of her at a party goes viral. She can’t remember the event, which only adds to her distress and she turns to Max for advice, who suspects Kate was spiked.
Kate’s story, is central to this episode and gives Max plenty of dilemmas and opportunities to help. You can choose to wipe the video url off the mirror in the girls’ bathrooms. At one point, Kate asks Max if she should call the police. There are also moments, throughout the episode, where Max can help gain Kate’s trust, which could be crucial later on.
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Out of Time also focuses on Max’s relationship with Chloe and Chloe’s friendship with Rachel Amber, the missing girl. We meet Chloe’s mother and see a more sympathetic side of David Madsen, her step dad.
Chloe is excited by Max’s powers and uses their time together to see what they can do. It becomes clear that turning back time is taking its toll on Max, who keeps getting nose bleeds, adding a limiting factor to the game. At this point Life is Strange also decides to add some gamey elements. Unfortunately, these segments are a bit dull.
In the diner, we watch a scene and then rewind time, so that we can predict what will happen next and prove Max’s power to Chloe. Then we have another memory test to see what’s in Chloe’s pocket and later, collect bottles to shoot.
When the story continues, we meet a new character and Max is faced with another crucial (or maybe not) decision, which adds another facet to both Chloe and Max. There are layers being added, in every scene, so I can forgive the little things.
Life is Strange is at its best during the slow moments. Whether that’s talking to people at school or in town or just wandering down a railway track, reminiscing with Chloe. The obvious memory test and hidden object puzzles just feel like padding. Despite this, the episode feels short, but delivers such a bombshell at the end, that all is forgiven.
The dialogue is still problematic. Plus Max is so earnest, she’s really beginning to get on my nerves. At one point she looks at a flyer for a party and sighs “if I was normal, I’d probably be excited about going to a party”. I actually snorted in agreement, when one character accuses Max of being a self-conscious hipster.
I didn’t enjoy Out of Time, as much as I enjoyed episode one. It felt like there were less choices being made. However, the characters were given more depth, messing with your preconceptions – no pantomime villains here. And the episode’s climax will have many people restarting their game to get a different outcome. I know, I almost did, but resisted.
For all its shortcoming’s Life is Strange still has me watching my twitter feed for news of episode three. By the last scene, I was looking back through all my decisions and thinking – ‘Oh, no. If only I’d told that person about A, then I could now tell them B and they’d believe me.”
Life is Strange delivers a body blow, at the end of this episode, as only the best interactive storytelling can do. So far, it’s a masterclass, in that respect. I just hope it continues in episode three.
Developers: DONTNOD Entertainment
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Would be alright if I use the picture of Chloe and Max holding hands on the train tracks for a phone case I’m making? Thanks =D