Around the time I was playing the first season of Life Is Strange, I attended a family gathering at my in-laws’.
I overheard some of my younger cousin in-laws taking about video games. Having finally found some common ground with someone there, I joined the conversation.
Soon it came time for me to tell them about the game I was currently playing.
So I excitedly started telling them about this coming-of-age drama called Life Is Strange, starring a teenage girl studying to become a photographer.
I told them about how she has to deal with bullies and the failing economics of her small hometown.
How she and her estranged former best friend has to work together to solve the murder of your old friend’s lover.
And also how she can somehow rewind time.
Then I realised that my conversation partners were ten-year-olds. And that they were probably unable to find most of that stuff exiting.
They looked askew at me for a few seconds. Then they went back to talking about the latest shooters and racing games.
What I Love about Life Is Strange
I did not know a lot about Life Is Strange before I started playing it.
What got me interested in it to begin with were the fantastical elements of the story.
I have been a big fan of time travel since I started watching Doctor Who in 2005, but I have always found it fascinating.
But what kept me interested as I was playing through the game was not the science fiction elements, but rather the human drama.
I also think that a lot of what I enjoyed about the game comes down to nostalgia.
Something about this game reminded me of my own teens. Despite me being male, living in Norway, never having attended an academy, not being a photographer, and not being able to control time.
The different characters reminded me of various people I have known, sure. But many of them also reminded me of different aspects of myself.
This is not something I experience with most of the video games I play.
But then, most of them are filled with more fantastical larger-than-life characters than grounded ones.
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I loved Life is Strange also. I don’t play a lot of video games, but I saw my husband play some of it and decided I had to play it, too!
Nice 😎
Have you played Life Is Strange: Before The Storm and Life Is Strange 2 yet?
I have played BTS, but only the first episode of LIS2, and I liked it a lot 😀
Nope, I have not played them yet. Hopefully I will get around to it, glad to hear they are good as well 🙂
One of my favourite games! I was really ‘depressed’ after finishing the story back then. Can’t remember ever been crying so much over a video game and I just couldn’t let go the days after. But it’s in a beautiful way. I love how the story unfolds. I’m replaying it now ☺️
Yeah, really sad ending, but perfect 🙂
Gonna play the sequel soon, only played episode one back when it came out.