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CRITICAL ANALYSIS. Life is Strange. Life is Strange reception. Life is Strange received critical acclaim among the gaming press, on multiple platforms*. Accolades at a glance (not limited to): Reached 1 Million Sales in July 2015 One of the top 100 best-selling games on Steam in 2016
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CRITICAL ANALYSIS Life is Strange
Life is Strange reception Life is Strange received critical acclaim among the gaming press, on multiple platforms* • Accolades at a glance (not limited to): • Reached 1 Million Sales in July 2015 • One of the top 100 best-selling games on Steam in 2016 • As of May 2017, more than 3 million copies sold • Nominated in 5 BAFTA categories in 2016 • Won the BAFTA award for Story 83 85 85 *Excluding other platforms (Playstation 3, Xbox etc) The game also had largely favourable user reviews and established a strong fan base. 8.6 8.6 8.6 Based on 175 ratings Based on 2018 ratings Based on 1086 ratings
Life is Strange: Before the Storm reception Life is Strange: Before the Storm received critical acclaim among the gaming press on multiple platforms, though not as much as its predecessor. 81 76 77 The game also had largely favourable user reviews and established a strong fan base. 7.7 8.1 8.0 Based on 175 ratings Based on 2018 ratings Based on 128 ratings
General response from Press and Players (Summary) Positives • Really strong narrative, original storytelling and good script • Believable characters that have depth (not just one dimensional) • Story tackles difficult subjects • Excellent audio • Excellent visuals • Intuitive gameplay (the rewind mechanic an intelligent choice for a branching narrative) Negatives • Choices aren’t always super impactful • Feeling that the end of the game boils down to a singular binary choice • Rewind mechanic reduces weight behind some key decisions • Bad lip syncing • Level of excitement and interest not consistent through episodes • Cringe teen-speak dialogue • Max talks too much
Indirect Exposition Incluing – “the process of scattering information seamlessly, as opposed to stopping the story to impart the information.” Jo Walton, fantasy and science fiction writer. • The narrative in Life is Strange is predominantly told through indirect exposition; a technique of world and character building in which we gradually expose the player to information, thus allowing them to make decisions that impact gameplay and narrative. • This technique is immediately evident as we’re clued into the life of protagonist Max Caulfield. We’re continually exposed to a series of internal monologues that reflect conscious/unconscious thoughts about herself, her situation and opinions of the people around her. • Indirect exposition in Life is Strange is also employed in other forms; in Max’s diary, or interactions that reveal interesting nuggets of information that may or may not clue into the main story. I.e. the Rachel Amber posters, information boards, carvings on tables etc.
Indirect Exposition: Pros and cons ✓ Cost-effective way of delivering a rich and detailed story with ample depth that doesn’t have significant overhead on a number of departments (animation/visual). ✓ It fits the character: Max displays the characteristics of an introvert. She’s shy, reticent and self-conscious. She likes to observe the world around her. The exposition we experience through Max emphasize her character traits, while at the same time direct the player through the story. ✓ Living vicariously through Max, her experience guides us: Our own emotional connection with the world and its characters are largely shaped by her feelings and experiences. ✕ Max talks too much. ✕ Sometimes a bit too overt, kicking the player out of the immersion. ✕ Would this level of exposition in this form work in another instalment without Max?
Indirect Exposition: Solutions ? Max should probably talk less. ? Expose the player to information through action and interaction. i.e. Rather than telling me Victoria is a bitch, show me. ? Better, narrative crafted solutions to cover overt moments – remove obvious hints that suggest you can alter the path. ? More focus on narrative storytelling and less focus on jarring gameplay.
Narrative: Pros and Cons ✕ ✓ The conclusion boils down to a binary choice that isn’t impacted by other choices made during the rest of the series. Your decisions impact low-level, moment-to-moment relationships with characters, but don’t really influence their character arcs on the whole. Was too obvious I was on a strict path through the game, despite being able to make choices. Some choices lost weight when simply rewinding out of a situation. Inconsistent pacing at times – mostly as a result of fetch quests. Some situations defy logic and believability… some felt contrived. Story seemed aimless for large periods, going from one plot to the next with no clear focus – particularly in the early game. Interesting, original story; themes of identity, coming of age, bullying (among others). Characters with personality and depth, they’re not one dimensional and react to the choices you make. Excellent use of misdirection, setting up the security guard as the threat before revealing the threat to be the teacher. Genuine and difficult choices to make. Sense of player agency; control over decisions that impact game world and have enough information to be able to make these decisions, through Max. Believable script & dialogue. ✕ ✓ ✓ ✕ ✓ ✕ ✓ ✕ ✕ ✓ ✕
Narrative: Solutions ? More variability in the endings. Note: This doesn’t necessarily mean more branching… Decisions you make should potentially alter character arcs – this could feed into the ‘variability’ of endings as suggested above. Make it less obvious that your path has been largely pre-determined and kill the predictable choices. Iron out contrivances. Ensure pacing is balanced across all episodes. Give clear, identifiable ‘mission’ to the player in Episodes. ? ? ? ? ?
Episode Delivery ✓ Consistent rollout of episode delivery. Narrative momentum killer. Devise a solution that would keep the players engaged during content droughts. (More on this later) ✕ ?
Rewind Mechanic: Pros and Cons ✓ Cool mechanic, fits in perfectly with the ‘choose your own adventure’ ethos. Increases replayability and longevity. Opens up unique and interesting gameplay possibilities – great in some puzzles. ✓ ✓ ✕ Very inconsistent gameplay ruleset. Could use it on some occasions, but suddenly not on the next. Could only use it when the story wanted me to. Contrived narrative to prevent usage at key moments of the game. i.e. Kate’s death. Reduced impact on choices. Poor controls and UI. Rewinding felt slow and sluggish. ✕ ✕ ✕
Rewind Mechanic: Solution ? Have to decide whether you can use it all the time, or not at all. Inconsistency on when it could be used was very frustrating and really kills the idea that you have any free will. Only lock in choices at the end of the episode, feels like more of a natural ‘cut-off’ – allow rewind through the whole episode? Let the player decide how much they want to rewind… R&D into a better UI for the rewind mechanic that better highlights what I’m rewinding to. ? ? Get rid of this…
Puzzles/Fetch Quests: Pros and Cons. ✓ Some puzzles were genuinely interesting and really sold the idea of being able to rewind time. i.e. the diner in Episode 2 with Chloe. Some indirect puzzles hidden behind discussions with multiple characters – forcing interaction and progressing narrative. i.e. Warrens little science project. Fetch quests were awful, needlessly difficult and not rewarding. i.e. Beer bottles in scrap yard. Had to look on YouTube… A lot of quests were narrative progression killers… A lot of the puzzles were contrived situations that wouldn’t happen in real life. i.e. splashing paint on Victoria in Episode 1 ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕
Puzzles/Fetch Quests: Solutions ? Seriously consider the impact of fetch quests on narrative. What do they bring to the table? Make them easier – no real reason for them to be difficult. Better conditions for failure. For example, if I’m taking too long, can Chloe help rather than just stand and wait? Use them sparingly. Only use them if they advance the narrative in a way that doesn’t kick the player out of the immersion. ? ? ? ?
Gameplay: Additional Thoughts. • Max’s diary: Great way to display key information on characters, your path through the game, photos etc. Fits the narrative. • Objectives: Always knew what to do (mostly because of the objects post-it note). • Photography: A neat little feature, would have liked to have the freedom to take pictures whenever. A little strange that they were mostly used for achievements… • Recap: Recaps at the start of each Episode a good way to refresh on narrative. • Ability to see what choices other players made in comparison to yours.
Locations ✓ Believable, memorable locations. Arcadia is a character in its own right. Locations ‘feel’ populated. Strong sense of place. Easy to navigate for the most part. Too open. Breaks immersion when Max turns away from your intended direction and says “I don’t want to go this way”. Craft narrative reasons for not being able to go somewhere, and tailor the environment to enforce this. i.e. junkyard and roadside diner… ✓ ✓ ✕ ?
Visuals ✓ Unique style on a budget that brings with it its own personality. Great lighting and shadows. Slightly wonky animations, particularly facial animations. Improve lip syncing and eye lines to improve believability of character performances. ✓ ✕ ?
Audio ✓ Fantastic audio, particularly ambient audio that captures the environment perfectly in all locations. Use of diegetic audio was exceptional in places. I.e. Max putting in her earphones in Episode 1 to begin the “intro” was a great touch. Sometimes the music got in the way of the ambience. Keep a consistent ruleset on how you use music in-game. Some appeared to be diegetic, aiding immersion while other times it was just placed over the top of a situation. ✓ ✕ ?
Looking Ahead: Pros and Cons of a direct sequel… ? Character/Story fatigue. Sticking to what works – tried and tested formulas. Is the story considered to be ‘tied’ up? Or is there more to tell? Lacking originality and freshness? Feeling that you have to play the original games to understand what’s happening in the sequel. ✓ A narrative ‘language’ has been formed through Max, the protagonist – would be a shame to lose it and it could be difficult to replace. The characters make up the identity of Life is Strange and are well loved by the community. The characters have rich backgrounds yet to be exploited. Potential to continue the story based on the decisions made, which means that ‘binary’ choice could actually play a crucial part in the sequel. A ‘safe’ option. ? ? ✓ ? ✓ ? ✓ ✓
