Life is Strange Review

Spoilers follow for Life is Strange!

Life is Strange is an episodic teen-drama game. It received praise for tackling serious issues like domestic abuse, drugs, kidnap, and the dangers of using your time powers too much to the extent that it causes a natural disaster (okay so maybe that last one isn’t a real-life ‘issue’ per se).

You play as Max who has moved back to her hometown, Arcadia Bay, to attend Blackwell Academy (after a few too many playing Dragon Age I want to write Blackwall Academy, but that would probably have less photography and more whittling). Here she discovers she has the power to rewind time after she saves her childhood friend Chloe from being shot. The pair catch up by running in front of moving trains (as all great friends do) and discussing how Chloe’s friend Rachael has been kidnapped. Soon they begin planning how to use Max’s power to find the kidnapper. However, there are also the problems of... deep breath… a bullied friend, a controlling step-father, an angry drug dealer and his dog, random dead birds/whales, a gun-wielding psychopath, an imminent natural disaster, and winning a photography competition. Pretty standard teenage problems then.

How on earth can one game cover all of that in just five episodes? Well poorly unfortunately. The first episode does well to introduce key characters, setting, and conflicts whilst staying engaging. However, after this the mid-section of the game spends a lot of time following Max and Chloe on adventures that do little to move the plot. It isn’t until the final episodes that major plot move towards a conclusion. At this point I found myself hopping between time zones, alternate realities and broken plains of existence. I couldn’t help but feel more than a little lost. What explanation I received rushed past me in a bid to get to the next scene. Had I not have had the entire collection on disk, I would probably have given up at episode two.

That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the story. There were aspects that I liked, for instance when Max is kidnapped it genuinely becomes nerve-wracking. It is also the only point when you feel like Max has actually become stronger as a character. I actually enjoyed the way that she manages to escape by hopping through time via photos, especially how we still have to deal with some consequences of changing history. I was also satisfied by the ending, and not in a thank god the credits are rolling kind of way. The idea that Max saving Chloe’s life so many times meant that other lives needed to be forfeit to restore the balance fitted in with the games themes and made sense (as much as any time travel plot can).

Playing on train tracks the perfect way to catch-up.

The puzzles involving time manipulation aren't anything newer then those seen before in games like Singularity or Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, but they are a little more intricate. The rewind ability did bring a cool twist on stealth, although many reviewers have slated. However, I thought that the rewind power brought an interesting twist on usual track the guard’s movements before walking slowly behind them action of most stealth games. There is also an interesting deduction puzzle where you need to pair up clues to find the kidnapper’s lair. This took a bit more thought than pairing random clues and made me feel like the world’s greatest detective (if only the Batman Arkham games had done the same).  And whilst there was nothing that set the world on fire, the gameplay was pretty solid throughout and the difficult progressed well.

What didn’t progress so well was the character development. I mentioned before how I liked that Max’s character changed that's true, but it isn’t until very late that this occurs. To add to this I took an immediate dislike to Max’s hipster personality, mainly because it was often rammed down my throat. It was her use of a polaroid camera, and wearing the hoodie and skinny jeans. I didn’t need every other character asserting it for me. There was also the problem of her inner monologue. After any action Max has a tendency to say something cynical which doesn't fit with her naïve exterior. When this happens she just comes off as being fake and I don't think it is intentional.


Chloe suffers from being a one dimensional character. Everything around her is ‘hella lame’ and she rants about pretty much everyone and everything. It pinpoints her father's death as the reason for her attitude, but it seems like a flimsy excuse. She reaches a moment of selflessness at the end, but it's a little too late. Considering the amount of time spent building the characters up a gradual character change could have been implemented better.

The background characters are fleshed out quite well. Every student at the academy felt they had history beyond the game. This was a nice touch that made Blackwell Academy believable as long as you are able to look past the clunky voice acting.

One thing I couldn’t look past was the character’s reactions to your dialogue choices throughout the game. Often when choosing dialogue characters would barely react to what Max actually said and would soon revert back to a neutral stance afterwards. I understand that in any choice game there is only so much a player's choice can branch away from the main plot, but usually the ease back into the script isn’t quite as bumpy.

The crucial story choices struggle with the same issue, and the course of action you choose soon becomes inconsequential. Two moments (Kate's potential suicide and Chloe asking to be euthinised) in the game which should be powerful lose impact as they are negated by the plot later on. However, whatever you choose in either instance is negated later on when Max has to fix the timelines Both instances lose a lot of impact because in the end the game will strong hand your choices to keep to the script.

By far my favourite aspect of Life is Strange is thesoundtrack. It has some great tracks including songs from Foals, Amanda Palmer, and José González, as well as many others. They are all indie tracks which go well with the atmosphere of the game itself. It is used very well to add extra emotion to integral scenes. The final scenes almost brought a tear to my eye which was helped more than a little by the track playing over the top. And in the end the Life is Strange soundtrack is probably the aspect of the game that will stay with me the longest.

There's a reason hipsters have become a bad thing.

Life is Strange made me feel quite sad after its completion. Surprisingly this sadness wasn't from the ending, but from the lost potential. In the moments when I enjoyed playing Life is Strange I could see that it could quite easily have been one of the most impact-full games I have played for a long while. Unfortunately a muddled midsection meant I was progressing through due to my own stubbornness rather than genuine enjoyment.

Score: 6 out of 10

What did you think of Life is Strange? Let me know in the comments section.

Pax East Round Up/Rant Down

PAX East wasn't the only source of news, I also read that Tim Burton is making a live-action Dumbo movie. Clearly, I haven't seen everything after all.

On set photo of Burton's live-action Dumbo (joke)

But before I get onto a rant about another franchise being Burtonised I will talk about what I had intended for this blog-post. Very recently we had this year's PAX East event, this time being held in Boston. PAX are the Penny Arcade eXpos, established by the creators of the popular web-comic Penny Arcade's as a series of festivals dedicated to gaming. The festivals area place for games that are soon to be released to be aired, and demoed, and should hype gamers up for the year's releases.

I say should because, unfortunately, I feel like the games took a backseat this year. The focus shifted towards demonstrating virtual reality hardware instead, and as a result I feel like the event suffered in the same way that E3 suffered a few years ago when the new consoles took centre stage. Hardware advances are all well and good, but should not eclipse the software (games, apps etc.). Without that software the hardware has no purpose. And the software that was presented didn't get my gaming juices flowing, and felt rather stagnant.

It may be hard to believe that this is a game, not a film.

The parts I paid most attention to were those displays by Square Enix. Final Fantasy XV looks amazing and to see it in demo form got me excited. The cut scenes shown previously at E3 made my jaw drop as they looked almost like a live-action film and not a video game. But this has happened before, with games promotional material looking stunning but the game play looking like it's made of play dough. A clear demonstration of this divide was seen in Alien Colonial Marines, and all gamers know how that turned out. Too often shiny clips promise something that game play just can't fulfil. Yet, looking at the gameplay footage of Final Fantasy XV it would appear like this issue has been solved. And the gameplay visuals appear just as photo-realistic as the cut scenes. I should mention that I acknowledge that graphics aren't everything and a games story and gameplay are major deciding factors on whether it is a great game. But remember that this is a Final Fantasy game so story is hopefully assured. And gameplay wise it is looking rather innovative, for a FF game, which too is reassuring. Overall, I am really looking forward to FF XV's release, and hope that by then I will own a console that can play it.

The Alien Colonial Marines demo looked good... looked!

Other highlights include the trailer for Bloodborne by From Software (yes that is the developing companies name), the studio that have recently brought us Demon Souls, Dark Souls and Dark Souls II. All of these were dark bleak games, which were brutal in difficulty, and yet were both very enjoyable and beautiful in design. And it would appear that their trend continues to Bloodborne. The trailer shown at PAX showed a nightmarish land that had rich detail hiding beneath. It even made Amy, who is far from an avid gamer, sit up and take note. Stating that it looked beautiful. I have faith that this game will be just like the aforementioned, even if it has become a PS4 exclusive.

Worryingly little was heard from camp Nintendo. Although this could be due to an upcoming Nintendo Direct. Perhaps like their announcements during E3 they allow us to think there is nothing before blowing us out the water in private. Splatoon, their new first-person painting shooter got an airing. It still looks rather cool, but the real testament for me will be whether it has any single player appeal. As mentioned in this post, I am rather hesitant about Splatoon as I am no longer a big online gamer.

Courtesy of Forbes

Also worrying was the announcement that Mass Effect 4 will be including multiplayer. But then again the whole existence of the game confuses me. I would have preferred if Mass Effect had remained a trilogy, especially considering such a final end. Not that I am surprised considering it was a major franchise, but sometimes even that doesn't warrant not allowing something to end before it grows too old.

I was sad to hear that Sony have allowed the patent on The Last Guardian to run out. As this could be a sign that they have given up on the game. Considering how long it has been since any news appeared it could be rather likely that the game has been abandoned.

The Last Guardian, gone, but hopefully not forgotten.

Things that passed me by, other than the virtual reality, was that Far Cry 4 now has yetis. I guess at least it now has something that is different from Far Cry 3. And also the fact that Uncharted 4 has been pushed back and that the Assassin's Creed film has gathered some momentum with cast being announced. Neither of which made me excited as both franchises have become examples of overstaying your welcome.

I will try to end on a enthusiastic tone however. Indie games on show were all rather cool looking, which just reaffirms my belief that right now indie gaming Is the way to go. Which is my main reason for not buying either the PS4 or the Xbox One. Also we have heard some of this year's E3 line-up which includes some exciting titles. So, perhaps the gaming horizon isn't as bleak as PAX would suggest.

What do you all think of PAX East? Let me know in the comments section.

Unicycle elephant from johnlund, FFXV image from galleryhip, Aliens image from Scified, Final image from DualShockers.

Halloween - Practical Magic

It’s October, which can only means one thing: the supermarkets are acting rather schizophrenic right now. Half of the shops shelving is being taken up by Christmas tat (despite the fact that it is about three months away); the other half is still clinging onto a sense of everyday life. The untouched part is worryingly eyeing up what happened to a large portion of the floorplan, dreading when its tinsel-time will come too. Christmas aisles are like a virus, one that we have no hope of stopping before it spreads. Then there is one lonely aisle, perhaps one and a half if its lucky, dedicated to an event that is actually coming rather soon: Halloween.

This yearly cycle always frustrates me, not because of ridiculously early preparation which angers most people. But because of the way Halloween gets overshadowed. Last year, for instance, some shops were pulling down their Halloween stock the week before the 31st of October. In its place stood more Christmas stock, seemingly five other shelves just wasn’t enough.

I love Halloween, perhaps more so than Christmas. There is less pressure to be happy, to see people and generally less expensive; it makes the experience overall more fun. Christmas becomes so hyped with expectations that it can never live up to it. After eagerly opening my advent calendar last year I spent the actual day watching TV like a zombie. I didn’t even like the programmes that were on, nor do I watch TV regularily (for some reason becoming a student actually made me more proactive, clearly an oddity).

Halloween on the over hand, is barely celebrated in the UK and what is celebrated isn’t my take on it. I don’t trick or treat (often), I don’t have a séances board (the Milton Bradley board game that’s fun for the whole family, even great, great, great grandpa Joe) and I am not part of a cult. What I actually do is bake, carve pumpkins, dress up with friends and watch a scary film.

My personal belief of Halloween is similar to the older Pagan views and other festivals like Obon (Japan) and Mexico’s Day of the Dead. Basically I believe if anything does happen on Halloween it is that the spirits come back to our world once again. Not to spook us out of spite, I can’t imagine the dead would make the effort just to troll the living, but to revisit their ancestors. Having said that I am a realist at heart and don’t hold much belief in ghosts anyway.

Last year for my first blog SaxonDaze, I reviewed a ghoulish confectionery item each day for October. For this blog I plan to celebrate by charting the best and worst examples of horror related games, films and books.  The first of this could have begun with a review of PracticalMagic, which Amy (from the Willow Web) and I watched recently. It won’t however, partly because it would be a rant rather than a review. But mostly because it is one of Amy’s favourite films and I really don’t want to be slapped.

I will briefly discuss some of my VALID reasons for disliking the film and I will try to back them up. Firstly I felt it have a few pacing problems. There were moments in the film were time will have moved on in the story with little indication as to how long has passed. It left me rather confused on more than one occasion.

Scenes seem to change at whim, sometimes I thought it changed without fully completing its purpose. Scenes like one where one of the sister visits to comfort the other. One moment they are talking in bed and raising each other’s morale, the next they are back to everyday life. They had about two or three lines of comforting each other, acting rather sombre, before skipping to the next moment where they are laughing and joking. It is a technique that, if handled properly, could be effective. If we know the characters well enough we can assume what may have occurred between them.But I didn't really connect enough with them, I didn't feel like I had time to. Any poignant or character building moments flashed to the next. In my opinion the scenes change a lot without indication of time, purpose or place and felt rather jarring.

I think the main issue is the source material. It is based on a moderately long book and a film with a running time of around 90 minutes can’t hope to do justice. It does devote a lot of time to other scenes, usually ones featuring cheesy nineties pop and cringe worthy family fun. I understand the need for this as the relationship is the films focus and in films it is better to show and not tell. I am not asking for dialogue where characters just say 'Oh what fun we had earlier'. However, had they made it a bit longer they could have avoided the many times in which scenes change without much explanation. It made it seem rather erratic and flighty to me.

Here looking like Mary Poppins with magical powers

My second issue is the male characters, who really lack any personality of their own. They are pretty much stock characters; you have the perfect husband who tragically dies, the dream guy and then the abusive one. None of them say very much and what they do say is rather cliché. Again, I think this comes down to time: the men aren’t really the story and therefore don’t get the screen time to be fleshed .

Also the treatment of the men in the film is rather worrying. Both the perfect husband and dream guy fall in love due to spells cast upon them. They have no choice but to fall in love and possibly die if the sister's curse is to be believed. The main character doesn’t even warn her husband of the curse that befalls men who marry into her family. The other sister isn’t much better and often drugs her partner each night after sex; I’m pretty sure that is illegal in most states. You could say it is refreshing that it is men who are finally getting these poor character profiles, but really that is a poor excuse.

Overall you could say that I wasn’t very taken with Practical Magic. I know the film doesn’t really target me as its audience, but that’s a flimsy excuse. Many may argue that technically it isn’t a horror film and shouldn’t be the beginning of my horror themed posts. On the other hand, from a male perspective, it is a rather chilling tale of men being controlled by the magic surrounding two sisters.

I will now pass over to Amy at the Willow Web, if she would like to respond to my criticism.




Halloween Image from Pics Hunger, Practical Magic image from Daniella's Bureau, Film still from Spooky Things Online

Banned Book Week

Apparently this week (Sept 21st-27th) marks the annual event Banned Book Week. Launched in 1982, the event seeks to celebrate the freedom to read and also as a protest against censorship.

I decided that I would check out a list of books that have in the past been banned by governments. I was quite surprised to find that a few of those on the list I had read. A lot of these titles I have also included on my Top Ten books that have had an impact upon me; make of that what you will.

Damn those anthropomorphic animals

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

It was banned in China in 1931 for its portray of intelligent animals. I myself can’t quite see why this was deemed harmful for the reader. Surely the fact that it can be seen as a advertisement for drugs is more concerning.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

I wasn’t surprised this one was banned; it was, after all, a clear attack on the USSR political system. What did shock me was that it is still banned, and censored, in some Asian countries. Once again the problem seems to be for its intelligent critters.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

The book was banned in Ireland for its portrayal of sexuality. However, as anyone who has read it will agree, the promiscuous activities aren’t looked on favourably in the novel.

The Canterbury Tales  by  Geoffrey Chauncer

It was banned in the U.S for its ‘filthy’ language. I must say The Miller’s Tale does indeed make me blush.

The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank

It was banned in Lebanon for its sympathetic portrayal of Jews.

Not sure if I fancy it myself.

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

China banned this beloved childrens’ book for its Marxist ideas. To be honest the Marxism isn’t that obvious, especially to a child, but I agree that persuasive political ideologies should stay out of childrens’ literature.

1984 by George Orwell

Like Animal Farm, this anti-soviet novel was banned. But this time for its political satire, not talking animals.

Overall, I have to say I applaud an event like Banned Book Week that seeks to highlight the dangers of censorship. Thankfully most of these bans have been lifted and we theoretically live in an age where censorship is harder to hide (in this country at least).

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland image from illustrators lounge, Eggs and ham from yeunglei

DLC Done Right

One of the best innovations the last generations of consoles brought to gaming was DLC. DLC, or downloadable content, is content games developer create for the game after it has been released. This gives the opportunity for the games to expand beyond their original limits in ways that were not afforded to them before. In theory it is a great development in gaming, but as any politician can tell you, theories are open to abuse.

Unfortunately, it didn't take long for this abuse to occur either. The worst examples came in the form of on-disc DLC, which was content provided on the game, but locked until a pass was bought online. Capcom have become known for deploying this 'business strategy', which seeks to squeeze as much money out of the consumer as possible; they even tried to defend their action. Their defence is that by locking away content they can extend the life of the game. Giving gamers gameplay to look forward to way after release. I agree with the idea in theory, but it doesn't explain why the gamer needs to pay for these passes. After all haven't we already bought the disk and everything that is included on it?



Gamers are wise to the tactics.

DLC also gives publishers another benefit as well as being able to charge additional fees after purchase. By promising that DLC will follow they can coax the gamer into keeping the games and not trading them in. This was just another tool in publishers long standing battle against second-hand sale of games. I can see why publishers loathe second-hand games, they see none of the money that stores get from the sale of used games. But, I think a better incentive to buying a game new would be to stop increasing the price when they hit the shelves. It is no wonder that gamers will purchase a used game when the alternative, new games, come at a hefty price tag that is only seeming to increase.





However, I personally am a fan of DLC; or rather a fan of the concept. If done correctly it can breathe life into a game to keep it from going stale. A recent example of this is Mario Kart 8. Nintendo have announced two DLC packs (something quite new for a Nintendo game) that will be released later this year and early next. The packs will incluede new racers, vehicles and tracks for the game with the theme of other franchises. The first pack will include Link from Legend of Zelda and the second will have content inspired by Animal Crossing. Since the original game only had Mario characters the DLC expands the original game beyond what many, myself included, expected. Added to this is the staggering of it's release Mario Kart 8 arrived late May 2014, which means when the first DLC lands it will have been out for a while. Long enough to have allowed people to have played the game thoroughly, and if they are like me, they are eagerly anticipate a reason to hit the tarmac once more.

Luigi's deathstare should put the fear into bad DLC developers.

Not only does staggering release give people an excuse to delve back into a game they love, if they need more reason then enjoyment alone. But it also means the game isn't confusing at release. A game series I love is Mass Effect, but the third installment arrived with additional levels and characters already available. It left me slightly confused as to in what order I was supposed to play the game in. Did I download these extras first, or play the game and risk missing their mission start points if they took place during the main campaign.

DLC when used effectively can be a force for good. It breathes new life and potential into a game. Unfortunately at present I believe that there is more cases of misues than not.

But enough of my opinions. I want to hear yours. Rant, rave and recommend in the comments, I will always reply.



Luigi image from SuperLuigiBros, DLC chart from IGN comments.

Seventh Son

What type of person are you? Let’s do a little test to find out. I want you to imagine that you have just found out a beloved book or series of books is about to be made into a film. Are you type A, who upon hearing this news buries their head into their arms and silently weeps. Type B, who gets super excited exclaiming that you finally get a chance to enter an exciting land. Or are you type C, who reserves judgement until later. Well reader, which are you?

Right now I am quite firmly type A after seeing the second trailer for Seventh Son; the upcoming film 'inspired' by Joseph Delaney's Spook's Apprentice series of books. I put inspired in quotations because after seeing the trailer I can't imagine much inspiration came from the page.

To start with the main character Tom Ward, in the books, is aged twelve in book one. Seventh Son's Tom is played by Ben Barnes, a man aged thirty-three almost three times the age of his character. The same can be said of Tom's love interest Alice, played by Alicia Vikander who is twenty eight. In my mind these casting choices have been made so that the film can target an older age range. An age range that has had enough pandering to, in my opinion. Twilight, Hunger Games, Divergent, The Mortal Instruments and The Host, films whose central characters end up in an teenage angst-fuelled romance. Yes, Tom and Alice have a romance in the books, but at their age it's a subtle one that doesn't match the audience the film makers are targeting. That audience is rather removed from the original book's, which targeted children aged between nine and fourteen. I have to wonder why the makers are shifting the focus of the viewers, especially when this shift dramatically alters the story.

I will give them credit in casting Jeff Bridges as the Spook. He's tall, gangly and sports an impressive beard. He is a great choice for the role and matches the image in my head. The costume he has doesn't quite match. It has the appearance of a knight from the crusades but with a gothic twist: too much chain mail for my liking. Delaney's Spooks wear a long black cloak that leaves them rather fragile and their greatest defence is their knowledge of the dark. In my opinion plates of armour offer little protection from the magic of a witch or the mental torment of a boggart.

This brings me to my next gripe with the film. The book series fits comfortably in the horror genre, it even states on the back 'Not to be read after dark'. I remember when I first read the books feeling slightly uneasy at some of the horror found in its pages. An unease that came from a very psychological place as the story took advantages of very subtle, yet powerful fears. One part that was rather effective came early in the first instalment and young Tom Ward's training. He was tasked with spending a night alone in a cellar haunted by a ghost known for killing those who dwelled within. Before the task begins Tom is briefed on the ghost and the cellar's history, then the candles blown out and we are left alone with Tom in that cellar. Soon thumps and groans are heard from its darkest corner and Tom slowly begins to investigate. The tension created from the approach to the pile of sacks is almost unbearable with great detail made about the slow walk. I won't ruin it for you by detailing his grim discovery; you'll have to read for yourself.

I say this because I can't imagine the scene will be brought to the big screen. From the looks of the trailer subtlety flew out the window when the four-armed monster opened the blinds. It looks like horror isn't the genre the film sits in; instead it looks like a fantasy/adventure film. So, not only does the film want to get in with the tween romance trend, but also wants to ride The Hobbit 's tail-coat too. If the directors don't have enough confidence to allow the film to stand on its own merits why should the viewers?

Talking of The Hobbit, I can't help but think that it 'inspired' the setting of the film. The books are firmly set in England, specifically around Lancaster. It anchored the plot and made it more believable, which when dealing with the horror genre is very important. Freud's work The Uncanny tells us that when what we find familiar is altered it becomes unfamiliar and a sense of unease is created. Think about the view you get every time you open your front door, it's an image that I'm sure is pretty strong in your mind. Now I want you to imagine something that doesn't belong there, for instance a sinister clown, it would unsettle you to say the least, am I right? By changing the setting to something that looks a lot like Middle Earth shatters any familiarity and horror it may have. 

With his cloak on the Spook does look right I must admit.

Lastly, perhaps most tragically, the film appears to mess with the rich lore that the series created. In the trailer spooks are described as being 'noble knights'. Anyone who has even read the first chapter will know this isn't true. Spooks are seen as a blight on society, omens of death and misfortune, they are an unfortunate necessity. If one has to call a spook in then one would hope it leaves soon. They are seen as anything but noble. The books also utilize Celtic folklore and contain creatures and myths from the British Isles. I can't imagine much of these are included and indeed the monsters in the trailer look rather CGI and far removed from ancient.

It is a shame the film seems to deviate so much from the source material, especially when other films have shown it can be done, and done successfully. Harry Potter did it right, J.K Rowling kept a firm grasp on the treatment the films delivered and it paid off. The films are a gift to the fans of the book and a joy for them to watch. Twilight does this too, mainly because the makers had true passion for the books. If Twilight can get it right, then surely anything can, am I right?

I found this map which illustrates the books locations.

As you can tell I'm rather disappointed in how Seventh Son is shaping up. I have a feeling that Delaney signed away the rights to the film and ran with the money. Researching this post reminded me of a film adaptation being made of another of my favourite childhood series, Artemis Fowl. I then looked that up and it seems that the film will cover book one and two, this news sent my head right back into my arms, and I'm not coming out.

What do you think about film adaptations of beloved books, or perhaps the other way around? Let me know in the comments section.

Back cover image from Bookcrossing, Cast image from Comingsoon, Map from Larissabookgirl.