Time-bending teen drama Life is Strange debuts next month
The debut episode of the DONTNOD-developed Life is Strange arrives on January 30, 2015, Square Enix announced today. The publisher commemorated the news with a new trailer showing the game in action. To see how Remember Me studio DONTNOD is mixing emotional teenage drama with supernatural time manipulation, check out the video below the break.
Life is Strange caught our eye at Gamescom this year, particularly in the way it presented a convincing glimpse of modern teenage life. As Joystiq's Jess Conditt put it, "Life is Strange presents two fully realized, genuine young women navigating adolescence, betrayal, love and loss. Chloe's pot-smoking and profanity-laced room feel honest to her character, as does her reception of Max. Anyone who's drifted apart from a teenage best friend can relate to the guarded, chilly reunion between these two girls, as well as the spark of envy that Max can display when she learns about Rachel, the new best – and perhaps better – friend."
To fill you in on the details, the star of the trailer is Max Caulfield. Max is a high school senior who returns to her hometown after five years to find her classmate, Rachel Amber, has mysteriously disappeared. Things get complicated when Max discovers Chloe, her former best friend, got very close to Rachel while Max was away. Then there's the minor matter of Max realizing she can reverse time at will, allowing players to undo all their actions in the game.
Life is Strange may take place in the Pacific Northwest and underscore potentially romantic friendships between young women, but DONTNOD says the parallels between Life is Strange and the similar-sounding Gone Home aren't deliberate.
As Creative Director Jean-Maxime Moris told Joystiq, "We started working on this game before Gone Home got out, so when it got out we were like, 'This is great, we love this game.' But it's actually a coincidence."
So, we have to wait until late January to check out Life is Strange on PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. For now, you can find out more about it by reading Jess' Gamescom preview.
We're still waiting on word from Square Enix America, but the publisher's UK branch confirms the first episode of the five-part series is priced at £4. Episodes will be released a few weeks apart on a set schedule, with Episodes 2-5 available in a £14 bundle and the complete series going at £16. You can pre-purchase the series for Steam starting today.
[Image: Square Enix]
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RELEASE DATE AND PRICE ANNOUNCED
Episode 1 coming 30th
January 2015 – First Trailer Released Today
LONDON – December 17, 2014 – Square Enix and DONTNOD Entertainment today announce the release date and price of the brand new, episodic, narrative driven adventure game LIFE IS STRANGETM that is coming to the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainmentsystem, Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC.
Episode 1 of a 5 part series will be released on all platforms on 30th January 2015 and each episode will cost £3.99. Players can alternatively purchase the entire season* for £15.99. The PC version will be available for pre-purchase today.
Content Price (for all platforms)
Life is Strange Episode 1 £3.99
Life is Strange Season Pass (Episodes 2-5) £13.99
Life is Strange Complete Season (Episodes 1-5) £15.99
