While the Cats are Away.. Here I Come A Wandering Life is Strange: Episode 1- Pilot by Square Enix and Dontnod Entertainment for PC In a small Louisiana town in 1987, senior Max Caulfield is in for the most memorable year of her life. It’s a year where friendship, love, a little bit of bad luck, and the power of a strange blue butterfly will shape who she will grow up to be. Dontnod Entertainment in collaboration with Square Enix has created an emotional experience in a beautiful city of Jefferson, LA. Max is a relatable character with a relatable story as you are thrown into the plot quite quickly and without much introduction. You can get lost in the world as you get sucked into Max’s journey through time, space, and life. The world is quite breathtaking; it has all the beautiful colors of autumn, all the serenity of a calm lake, and all the wonder of a little child. The world creates a sense of loneliness and smallness that’s felt in the quiet moments of the story. The visuals have a very unique quality as well, almost like a painting that has layers of details or a photograph. The setting and music create an atmosphere where you are constantly being transported back in time, to your childhood, and feeling like you can do anything. There is something about this game that feels different than most games, it’s very relaxing yet you’re always caught up in the moment because of the music and environments. If you are looking for a game that’s just an experience, this game is for you. It will let you sit back and relish in the small things that you once took for granted. There’s a lot of emotional investment as you grow attached to Max, her boyfriend, her best friend, and all the other characters in the game. It’s something special. Story-wise, the story is amazing. It’s funny, dark, and even heartwarming. I’m always a sucker for stories that have a beginning, middle, and end; this story follows suit with a beautiful ending that leaves you wanting to return back to the beginning and start over again. It’s only been a few days since I started playing the game, but I have already felt connected to the characters and the story. Graphically, this game is done quite well. For the most part, the visuals are consistent with what we see in this world. The style of everything is nicely done as well, even the rain effects on the windows. One thing I will say is the water effects are a little bit of an issue. Many times throughout the story, I would walk through a lake, but during the last part of it, the water would be too cloudy and messy looking. You can’t see clearly through it. As well, some effects, like when the sun is setting, seem more like a movie than reality. I haven’t seen any frame rate drops at all, the game runs smoothly and there was never a screen freeze or slowdowns. You’re always able to see what you need to. However, it was slightly difficult at times to read certain text because there’s a bit of a blur on the screen. I don’t think it’s a hardware issue, it’s probably because the game is trying to focus on the beauty of the moment versus an emphasis on things going on in the background. As for the characters, the story focuses on Max who is the main character. She’s a unique young woman who goes through a lot as a child. The supporting characters are quite interesting as well, some have more development than others, but I’ve enjoyed them all. A special mention goes out to the story of Chloe, her background and story was a bit of a surprise and just as beautiful. I’m not going to spoil the story. For those of you who are afraid that this is a walking simulator with no action, then you are wrong. The game is a very action-oriented game. You can do several side quests, there are optional areas to unlock, and there’s plenty of exploration. If that wasn’t enough, there are side stories that are just for fun that add an element of fun to the gameplay. The game is a mixture of exploration, action, and puzzles. As far as gameplay goes, the controls are done well. The buttons are not too big or too small, there’s plenty of feedback when you hit something or miss something. The controls are also very precise and responsive. I like that you can interact with everything in the world and that it’s as easy to use as a controller. Controls aside, there is a bit of difficulty when interacting with the world as the game isn’t clear on what you need to do in order to accomplish certain things. In one scene, there was an interactive piece of furniture that you had to jump over or avoid in order to pick up a piece of paper. At times, I’d run into these objects and the game wouldn’t register my interaction, so I’d be stuck and not able to interact with anything until the game understood I was near it. You can easily move the camera around as well as pick up multiple interactive pieces at a time, this is very useful if you’re trying to find something that isn’t right in front of you. As far as the audio goes, the voice acting is done well. The story of the characters are written in such a way that the actors were able to fully explore the character and there’s plenty of emotion to create an atmosphere of sadness, happiness, and friendship. Overall, Life is Strange is an amazing game with an interesting story. The visuals, sound, and the story are very engaging and well done. I recommend this game to anyone who enjoys video games with unique characters and experiences. Pros- The story is very well written and has depth that keeps you reading- Beautiful visuals- The colors are very beautiful as are the scenes- Enjoyable puzzle-esque gameplay Cons- At times, it’s hard to tell what’s interactive and what’s not- Music was sometimes too loud at times and interfered with the visuals- The water effects can be a bit too cloudy or too dark at times If you enjoyed this review, please consider donating to help me maintain this website. You may also subscribe to the blog to receive email notification whenever a new article is published. I hope you enjoyed this review and that it didn't scare you off the game. Please leave a comment below regarding what you thought of the review or if you liked the review or hated it. Feel free to make a suggestion regarding a title you would like me to review or you can ask me questions about anything as well. Thanks for reading and until next time, game on!