5 Reasons We’re Loving Life Is Strange

If you’re looking for something fresh and different to play on your Xbox One, we recommend 2015’s critically acclaimed episodic adventure Life Is Strange, which just received an awesome retail edition on Xbox One. Part teen mystery, part superhero story, part tense thriller, Life Is Strange is a game that sticks with you. Check out some of the reasons why it’s such a memorable experience.

It’s Like Playing a Compelling Teen TV Drama

Life Is Strange is very much a high school story, putting you in the shoes of Max Caulfield – a very typical teenage girl, though one with a power that makes her special. Many episodic adventure games are far more fantastical in nature, so it’s cool to see one that’s more grounded.

The Unique Time Travel Mechanic

Max wields the power to rewind time for a short period. But instead of using this to avoid spike traps or something, Max’s time travel is – in terms of game mechanics – conversation-based, allowing you to replay conversations and change your answers. It’s the power that we’ve all wished for right after putting our foot in our mouths… and Life Is Strange uses it strategically.

Minigames… with a Time-traveling Twist

There are a lot of puzzles and minigames in Life Is Strange, but our runaway favorites are the memory games. In these, Max uses her powers to outwit other people or make them think that she’s psychic. It’s all very clever – and, at times, humorous.

Exploring Max’s World Feels Real

The world of Life Is Strange is unique, in that it feels completely alive and genuine. The high school that you’ll explore a lot during your time with the game is full of diverse and interesting characters. Even the relationships between these characters come across as more real, thanks to their fluidity between the dramatic and the mundane.

The Slow-burning Story Flares Up at the End

While Life Is Strange initially seems like a slice-of-life, coming-of-age story, there’s so much more here. It’s a tense, psychological thriller of a story that will have you rewinding time over and over, trying to nail some very tough decisions.

All five episodes of Life Is Strange are included in the new retail edition, out now on Xbox One – so you can binge-play the entire story if you’d like. Or, take it one episode at a time (available on the Xbox Store!) and savor the experience. Either way, this is definitely a game that you need to play.