Life is Strange

Is it actual implication or just... dramatically appropriate imagery? If she actually has powers, it's bad writing that they never clarify or really do anything with it. It just sounds more likely to me just symbolism and dramatic themeatics changes.

That and the fire powers and the deer ghost don't seem to have any connection to each other.

I'm pretty sure it was dramatically appropriate imagery:

• The first dream where Rachel catches fire
• Rachel starting the forest fire
• The fire (Rachel) catching the attention of everyone
• Chloe observing the fire - something destructive and strange, yet beautiful
• The creepy fire dream where William warns Chloe about getting burnt
• The candle scene in which, yes, Rachel's anger seems to make the flames heighten
• Chloe visits the smoldering forest after Rachel has been hospitalized/lost consciousness

The candles growing in height though... if I'd noticed the candles back when this came out I'd certainly have questioned it more.

Edited by Soble on May 10th 2020 at 7:32:46 AM

Rachel's connection to fire is more symbolism than actual plot-relevant powers, unlike Max's time travel. That's why it is not explicitly stated that she has these powers. It's the same with the doe and the butterfly.

Yeah, that's what I was trying to say; it's interesting to think Rachel might have had powers, but ultimately pointless because it could never have been plot-relevant, because, as was pointed out, Chloe never knew about such things until reuniting with Max.

I've been thinking a sequel focusing on any of the first game's characters, or another Before the Storm, could work as some kind of grief/coming-of-age/accessory, just like BTS.

• Steph (be an LGBT protagonist and use DND as your superpower)
• Nathan
• Jefferson (switch things up and play as the villain)
• Samantha (Max without powers)
• Frank (beans!)
• Homeless woman (kind of like that section in Beyond Two Souls where Jodie is homeless, but a full game of it)

The beautiful thing about this setting's magical realism is that darn near any of these people could have a "strange moment in their lives" that could develop into it's own story. There's so much left unsaid about the Prescotts and the Storm.

Could probably do the same with Life is Strange 2.

A review of LIS popped up in my Youtube feed. It's mission statement is "Chloe is a terrible friend."

A couple of points I disagree with:

• Chloe doesn't change at all from Episode 1 to 5, or at least not in an acceptably-written way
• Chloe isn't sympathetic at all - albeit, he does admit that he sympathizes with Alt-Chloe, but that it doesn't transfer from Crip!Chloe to Blue!Chloe
• Episode 4's alternate timeline doesn't matter because Max undoes all of it
• The whole Shadow Max scene wasn't as good as the similar scene from Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya where you actually disagreed with the shadow self's points

Points I agree with:

• Chloe is toxic/hypocritical/reckless as all heck, and a greater threat to herself than anybody
• A more interesting story could've been told with the alt-timeline
• Going to the lighthouse was dumb
• Awful people can be interesting, but the story tries too hard to convince you that Chloe is Max's friend

I want BEFORE THE STORM 2 with Rachel as the protagonist.

Er... k.

Can that actually happen. I'll admit I've never played a video game with a plant fertilizer protagonist.

I watched the video, and while he makes some valid points, I don't share the conclusion. Max and Chloe indeed have an unhealthy relationship, but not as much as the video implies. I especially disagree with Chloe liking Max just because of her powers. But ultimately I chose Sacrifice Chloe because I was thinking as a realist and from their character dynamics I cannot imagine their relationship ending well in the long term. However, that's what I would choose. If I choose the ending based on what Max would choose, then Sacrifice Arcadia Bay is the more realistic choice.

Lots of video games end in the death of their protagonists.

Plus there's like 3 years until the murder.

It'd be interesting if you could also do an ending where she lives.

I'm not of the mind Max would kill her other friends to save Chloe. I suppose it depends on how intense you have Max's feelings for Chloe or are pursuing a romance but it will kill Kate and Warren plus Chloe's mom.

I do feel its a terrible ending for removing Max's agency and "don't try to help people."

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Sep 4th 2020 at 4:43:26 AM

Kate at least is easy enough to headcanon as being able to survive (we don't actually know where the hospital is in relation to the rest of the town - plus I'd expect a hospital to have a tornado shelter - and it was said her parents were going to be picking her up that morning IIRC), even if the sequel doesn't support it. Warren is an acceptable casualty.

Edited by TheAirman on Sep 4th 2020 at 8:43:47 AM

David at least survives even if you sacrifice the town so I think it's possible others might've as well. Still, Max has no way of knowing who will and who won't die so I think she wouldn't be the type to put Chloe ahead of everyone else.

Edited by Chariot on Sep 4th 2020 at 11:32:07 AM

x2

A hospital would have a tornado shelter? In the Pacific Northwest? A region famous for their tornados???

While Oregon isn't huge on tornados, modern hospitals tend to be built to withstand extreme weather, precisely because they're where people go after they've been injuredby extreme weather.

Maybe not a tornado shelter specifically, but what said, and modern hospitals in my experience tend to extend underground. If the basement David was in could take it, I expect a modern hospital's basement floors to have safe enough areas.

Eh, LIS II establishes that everyone in the diner died.

Kate dying is also implied.

Yeah, the book she wanted to write only appears in the "sacrifice Chloe" scenario.

The sequel should reveal Max's powers isn't what caused the tornado.

:)

Considering the first vision of the tornado occurs before Max’s power manifests, which is to say before she (or anyone) does anything that could somehow cause it happen and need a vision in the first place, that’s always been my headcanon.

The choice is stupid and the sequel doubling down on the choice nullifying all previous choices is stupid.

Chloe: Yeah Max, uh, turns out tornados are... are pretty common in the Pacific Northwest. Like, that tornado we thought we stopped? Yeah, well I mean, we stopped that one.

Edited by FOFD on Sep 5th 2020 at 7:19:41 AM

"Uh... global warming! Man was the cause of this!"

I like the "Rachel's revenge" theory best personally.

I go for the "This story wasn't entirely thought through" theory. Because there's a lot more than just the tornado that doesn't make total sense in the story.

And that's ok.

The ending was massively truncated due to budget cuts, we know that.