Blog #6: Life is Strange

            Allowing the reader/player of the game to select what interactions and items are significant to the overall narrative is one of the most notable ways that Life is Strange as a game differs from how the story would unfold if it were a novel. As Caleb pointed out in his accidental selection of the “wrong” answer to save Kate, there are pieces of the text that are only seen if the person navigating through the game finds specific clues. If certain objects are unseen, like the notes in Kate's bedroom, the gameplay changes. A game allows each person who enters the narrative to play a slightly different role even if his or her character’s actions are coded at times to do what is necessary to propel the narrative forward. Some choices, like the initial choice to save Chloe, is not entirely up to the player of the game. Initially it allows for the decision not to be made, but the scene will continue to stall at this point until the decision to save Chloe is made the story can begin to unfold. It allows certain pieces of the story to be predetermined, but still allows the person playing the game to become immersed in the story and the fate of Arcadia Bay as a whole. It creates a sense of investment in the story by providing deeper access than a novel or other written text would be able.

Screen Shot from LiS

The aspect of control and decision making adds that extra layer of involvement that a written text cannot, because although the world and characters are already built and visually constructed for the viewer, these can be changed by the decisions that are made. The first time “This action will have consequences” appears with a butterfly at the upper corner of the screen it reminds the player that they have some level of control over the narrative, which immediately sparks curiosity. It introduces questions of how much control is afforded to the player and how much remains in the hands of the programmers that created the games and coded the options available in each scenario. Sometimes these decisions are determined and required to progress, but sometimes they have consequences that leave the player wondering what it may have caused and how their involvement may influence the future chapters. The plant in the first episode plays no larger role in the future of the game aside from living or dying based on decisions of when and how frequently to water it, but the consequences of the death of the plant are only Max’s realization and acknowledgement that the plant was affected by previous choices.

Screen Shot from LiS

            Adding the personal involvement also provides opportunities to form meaning within the game as a text that is fluid and different for each individual’s experience. One example of this is the arc of Max and Chloe’s relationship and whether it breaches the line between a platonic friendship and a romance. The trajectory of their relationship is dependent on the person behind the screen and develops in whatever way the player chooses. The introduction of variants makes the narrative in some ways more difficult, and in some ways more expansive, to discuss than if it were a linear written narrative. It opens the narrative and the character or role of Max up to a larger audience. A novel could provide opportunities for personal interpretation, but this is overshadowed by the author’s written narrative and what romance they are implying within their written characterization. Life is Strange, by providing multiple narrative branches to choose from allows Max romantic response options to Chloe, Warren, or both.

Screen Shot from LiS

            Decisions Max makes at some points in the game lead to pivotal moments in the narrative. Kate’s possible suicide based on decisions made by the player through Max is the first serious example and reminder to the player that their decisions “have consequences,” and that the narrative will change depending on their actions. Discussion can open up in this way to allow comparisons of how certain actions and decisions pieced together for the resulting consequences. Further into the game Victoria’s trust in Max is based on how Max has treated her in small moments building up to this point. The narrative can be looked at in regards to why certain decisions are made, whether the narrative is trying to point the player in certain directions, and how the option to replay certain scenes and try each option may influence the way that the narrative unfolds. The option to see the immediate, although this does not include the long term ramifications, of a decision can lead the player to decide against their initial selection based on what could happen next.

Screen Shot from LiS