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'Twin Mirror' gameplay trailer enters DontNod's episodic mind palace
Fight Club meets Memento in Dontnod Entertainment's (Life is Strange, Vampyr, Remember Me) gameplay reveal for the episodic game Twin Mirror. In this game, players play as Sam, a man returning to his West Virginia hometown to attend his best friend's funeral. But his alter ego, a snarkier more annoying version of himself, will be following him throughout.
The importance of sitting in 'Life is Strange 2'
Where is dad? The question rings in my head. I'm roughly 15 minutes into the first episode of Life is Strange 2 and I've just realized the real stakes at play for the two main characters, Daniel and Sean Diaz. Daniel is 9 and Sean is 16, and the two brothers are wandering alongside an empty highway on the Pacific Northwest coast, dense trees to their right and asphalt to their left. Their clothes and faces are dusted in dirt. This article contains spoilers for the first episode of Life is Strange 2
'Life is Strange 2' deals with brotherhood in the face of death
Life is Strange 2 begins with a bleak bang. Developer Dontnod shared the game's first 20 minutes this week on YouTube, introducing series fans to the Diaz family before diving straight into a chaotic, violent scene that sets the stage for the rest of the five-episode season. This article contains spoilers for the first 20 minutes of Life is Strange 2
'Life is Strange 2' trailer follows two young brothers on the run
The studio Dontnod Entertainment previously revealed that the sequel to its highly-acclaimed adventure game Life is Strange would debut with its first chapter on September 27th, 2018. But aside from some intriguing teaser footage, we didn't know what much about the game. Get ready, fans: An official trailer has dropped, and we've got a new pair of protagonists to follow and root for.
'Life is Strange 2' prelude proves superpowers aren't just for girls
In The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, the latest installment in the Life is Strange series, developer Dontnod once again taps into a deep and pervasive human emotion: The desire to have superpowers. However, where the first season approaches this feeling from the perspective of a confused teenage girl with the fate of an entire town in her hands, Captain Spirit puts players in the basketball-spotted socks of a 9-year-old boy playing pretend. Though the protagonist, Chris, is younger than the star of the original series, his problems are just as mature: His mother recently died in a car wreck, and in the aftermath, his dad is having a rough time creating a stable home life. Meanwhile, Chris attempts to escape his new reality by becoming the superpowered Captain Spirit -- in his imagination and possibly in the real world, too.
First episode of ‘Life is Strange 2’ debuts September 27th
A month ago, studio Dontnod revealed that its graphic adventure game Life Is Strange had sold 3 million copies -- and a sequel was on the way. Apparently it was pretty far along when they made the announcement. The first episode of Life Is Strange 2 is coming out on September 27th, with four more to follow.
Watch Square Enix's E3 keynote right here at 1 PM Eastern
How do you catch the news as it happens from Square Enix's E3 media briefing if you aren't in LA? You watch along with the publisher's livestream embedded below starting at 1PM Eastern, naturally. In a few minutes we'll (hopefully) find out more about Dontnod's next Life is Strange tale (above), Kingdom Hearts III and maybe an update about that Final Fantasy VII remake. Perhaps a few Marvel superheroes will show up as well? It's E3 week after all -- anything can happen.
How the 38 Studios scandal shaped 'Life is Strange: Before the Storm'
Passion doesn't equate success. It's a hard lesson to learn in any industry -- no matter how dedicated your team is, regardless of how invested they are financially or emotionally, the entire business could burst into flames at any moment. Factors beyond anyone's control can shift the course of a project in an instant, or kill it on the spot. Few people know this reality better than the developers at 38 Studios. Founded in 2006 by former professional baseball player Curt Schilling, 38 Studios recruited top talent including fantasy author RA Salvatore and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, with the goal of building MMORPGs -- huge, online games with dense ever-evolving worlds.
'Life is Strange: Before the Storm' ends with 'Farewell' DLC episode
If looking for more nostalgic content from episodic prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm, you're in luck. A new bonus episode, titled "Farewell," is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Steam (PC). It stars Chloe and Max's original voice actors Ashly Burch and Hanna Telle, too, so you know it will be up to snuff. In addition, the boxed retail version of the game will launch March 6th in the US, with PAL versions available on Friday, March 9th. The box will contain a physical art book and the licensed soundtrack on CD.
'Life is Strange' comes to iPhone and iPad December 14th
If you haven't had the chance to play 2014's Life is Strange or its recent sequel Before the Storm, now's your chance. The brilliant episodic narrative game revolves around teenaged Max and her ability to rewind time, returning to her hometown only to find it and her previous best friend Chloe in very different straits. Beginning December 14th, a whole new audience will be able to experience their story on iPhone and iPad.
How 'Life is Strange' landed in Deck Nine's hands
Idol Minds had been making video games for 20 years when it rebranded as Deck Nine in May. It's not just the studio's name that changed -- its entire mission refocused. Instead of working on titles like Cool Boarders 2001 and Pain, developers built a suite of storytelling tools ideal for crafting narrative-driven games. Deck Nine hired experienced writers and shopped itself around to major publishers, offering to take on emotionally complex projects with branching dialogue paths. Game director Chris Floyd didn't expect much to come of these early meetings. "And it was Square [Enix] that came back to us and said, 'What do you think about making the next game in the Life is Strange franchise?'" Floyd said. As fans of the series, developers were floored. And they were in.
Setting fire to teenage souls in 'Life Is Strange: Before the Storm'
There are plenty of reasons to be wary of Life Is Strange: Before the Storm -- it's the prequel to a highly successful, influential series, but it isn't being handled by the same development team. This time around, Deck Nine is in charge of a three-episode arc featuring two of the most mysterious characters from the full series. Even the voice actor for Chloe, the game's main foil, has been swapped out for someone new. The circumstances are ripe for Before the Storm to become a flimsy parody of Life Is Strange, full of shallow awkwardness and referential quasi-humor. Luckily, that's not what happened. Before the Storm slides into the Life Is Strange library like butter, opening up storylines that were only hinted at in the full game. Part of this insight surely comes from Chloe's original voice actor, (the Emmy-winning) Ashly Burch, who stayed on as a writing consultant for the prequel. But just because Before the Storm isn't an embarrassment to the Life Is Strange brand doesn't mean it's perfect. Engadget associate writer Timothy J. Seppala and senior reporter Jessica Conditt found different delights and drags in the first episode of Before the Storm, largely influenced by their own experiences as teenagers. Spoilers for the entire Life is Strange series, including Before the Storm, reside below; you've been warned.
'Life is Strange: Before the Storm' is all about being a wiseass teen
Before she was the absurdly cool burnout who stole our hearts in Life is Strange, Chloe Price was just a normal, melodramatic teenage loner trying to cope without her best friend. Chloe doesn't have the ability to rewind time, like the original game's lead Max Caulfield. But, in the prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm, she does have an impeccable wit and the courage to tell anyone off. As you'd expect, those are traits that can both help her and get her into more trouble.
'Life is Strange: Before the Storm' arrives August 31st
Life is Strange was an episodic hit across multiple platforms, and today during Microsoft's E3 2017 press conference we got a first look at its follow-up: Life is Strange: Before the Storm. This prequel is set three years before the original game and deals with the period when Max left Chloe and, (spoiler alert?) Rachel is there. The first of three episodes will debut August 31st, and since it wasn't announced as a console exclusive, we're guessing it will be available on more than just Xbox. Also, this game is not the sequel currently under development by Dontnod (along with Vampyr, and it's not here at E3), and is being handled by another team, Deck Nine.
'Life is Strange’ studio's ‘Vampyr’ arrives this November
Life is Strange was one of my favorite games of last year. Putting players in a refreshingly normal college setting, it was an interactive experience built around the complexity of human relationships. Now, with its latest title Vampyr, developer Don't Nod has decided to go completely the other way, fully embracing the fantastical. A new trailer shows more of the studio's supernatural take on 1918 London, and also confirms a November release date on PS4, PC and Xbox One for the choice-based action game.
A new 'Life is Strange' game is in the works
The episodic, time-bending teenage drama of Life is Strange is coming back for a second season. Developer Dontnod Entertainment confirmed the news in a brief YouTube video, but said little about the premise or when it will be released. "We've been working since the release of the boxed version last year on a new Life is Strange game, with the Life is Strange team, and we cannot wait to share more with you," Luc Baghadoust, executive producer teased. The original game has now passed the 3 million mark, which no doubt helped with the decision to green-light a sequel.
The strange life of video game voice actor Ashly Burch
It took two years for Ashly Burch to record all of Aloy's dialogue in Horizon Zero Dawn. This was after about a year of auditioning for a mysterious new project from the creators of the Killzone series -- Burch had no idea what this new game was or even which role she was auditioning for. She had no idea it was the beginning of a new mainstream, multi-million dollar franchise from Sony Interactive Entertainment, and she didn't even realize she was reading for the lead role. "I think I'm just extremely lucky," Burch says. "I had no idea what Life is Strange was going to be when I auditioned. I had no idea what Horizon was going to be when I auditioned."
Why young-adult video games are thriving
In the recent hit game Inside, you play a child on the run through a mysterious and horrifying surveillance state straight out of 1984. Oxenfree stars a group of teenagers with a complicated history arriving at a spooky island for an ill-advised camping trip. Life Is Strange puts you in the shoes of a young girl at a boarding school with burgeoning time-warp powers and messed-up friends. The common thread among these three highly acclaimed indie games is obvious: They star youthful protagonists facing confusing coming-of-age moments in worlds tinted by magic and mystery. They're what you might call "young adult" video games.
Rock the vote for your favorite game in the GDC awards
Want to make your voice heard in this year's Game Developer's Choice Awards? How about doing the same for the Independent Game Festival's accolades? Boy howdy, you're covered in both cases. Once again, the GDCA and IGF are opening up the floor for audience votes ahead of the 30th annual Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco this year. Winners will be revealed on March 16th and the awards will stream on Twitch starting at 6:30 PM Pacific that day.
Photo contest awards $10,000 for finding 'everyday heroes'
Attention class, it's time to get your submissions ready for Mr. Jefferson's "Everyday Heroes" photo contest. Well, not really, but Life is Strange publisher Square Enix is bringing the sweepstakes from its tale of a time-traveling teen into the real world. Unlike in the game, you aren't competing for a trip to San Francisco to showcase your work. Here you're vying for a $10,000 scholarship while you hopefully "discover and capture how normal people make the world a better place," as a post on the Square Enix blog puts it.
