Platform reviewed on: Xbox One.

Also on: Playstation 4, Playstation 3, PC, OS X, Switch, Linux, iOS, Xbox 360.

General/ Plot:….9.5

Well, initially I would like to be crystal clear to you. I am not a fan of adventure games and walking simulators. I always believed that they were very boring, due to the fact that their gameplay was tedious and there is no action whatsoever. Last adventure game that I remember playing was Dark Matter for the PC 5-6 years ago, which was a generally decent point and click adventure. When I purchased my Xbox One, the first episode of Life is Strange was available for free on the Xbox Store,  so I decided to give it a shot. I have got only one word to say: WOW

You step in the shoes of Max Caufield, an 18 year old girl who studies photography in Blackwell academy. But one day, an incident happens (no spoilers about it, sorry) and she is granted the ability to turn back time, altering anything she wants. Yes, indeed. You can reverse time. You cannot imagine how the whole story eventually perplexes itself with all those interactions and events that occur. I will not spoil anything more. You have to find out by yourself. A word of advice: The developer, SQUARE – ENIX,  created an internet site offering psychological assistance to everyone affected by the game’s incidents and story. You have been warned, ladies gentlemen…

Graphics:….8.5

The game is absolutely a work of art. It’s like some ‘’Leonardo Da Vincis’’ of today took their brushes and unfolded all their talent in creating Arcadia Bay, the town where the story takes place.  Everything feels like it is hand drawn (it might be, I am not sure). The protagonists, Max and her punk friend Chloe are beautifully designed and they will remind you of your old classmates at school. Each and every moment, their feelings reflect on their faces. Environments are fantastically created. Blackwell academy is designed as  a contemporary college brimming with life. However, this is only one of the many fantastic places you will visit. The only disadvantages considering the graphics are that some secondary characters are not that well designed and the lip syncing is a bit off sometimes. Also there are some invisible walls that could have been avoided.

Sound design:…..9.5

Have you ever caught yourself leaving your character sitting on a park bench doing absolutely nothing, while you are just taking your time listening to the game’s soundtrack playing in the background? No? Well, here you will. The soundtrack is an amalgam of original songs from different genres (pop, rock, country etc) that form an album that you can easily save in your phone and listen to it wherever you go. Furthermore, the voice acting, which is an essential factor for a story driven game,  is superb. As you walk with your character in the courtyard of Blackwell, you can hear birds singing, squirrels climbing trees and eating nuts and a lot of other sounds that will make you feel like you are the one walking the streets of Arcadia Bay. Everything just feels right.

Gameplay:….8

Max moves effortlessly around the games’ areas , interacting with the environment and characters easily by the push of a button. You can choose what to answer to the many confrontations and disputes in the game by pressing the corresponding button on the screen that represents the most suitable answer for you. Just be careful; decisions might potentially alter the way the story progresses and characters might turn against you, ultimately making your life a living hell. This is an adventure game, do not expect it to provide you with complex control schemes and one thousand weapons to use in order  to annihilate the population of planet earth.

Value for money:….10

Seriously, how far can 5 Euros take you? Well…approximately 15 hours. Seriously, there are full priced games out there that do not even last 4 hours. And these 15 hours are just for one play through. If you want, you can play the game again collecting everything and making other decisions, thus developing the story differently. It is a definite purchase for every gamer out there, from casual to professional. Masterpiece.

SCORE:…9.1, ”Epic”.

”For all the moments i was flabbergasted by its awesomeness”.