#passionforgames

Life is Strange is a story-driven 3rd person episodic graphic adventure video game, following the story of Max Caulfield, a photography student who discovers she can now rewind time!

Overview - 

Life is Strange is the 2nd major game from DONTNOD Entertainment after Remember Me, who excel in approaching games from a different angle than most developers. Life is Strange is a story-driven game that heavily relies on conveying the story through gameplay rather than cutscenes.

Gameplay -

Life is Strange is a bewitching exploration of a teenage girl deeply affected by loss and trauma and has the emotional closure completing a memorable and exciting journey.

Life is Strange fully commits to gameplay-derived storytelling, that strives in giving players a more personal story in every step of the way. The game plays on Max’s ability to rewind time and relive memories, which requires players to have a good sense in listening and observing everything going on around them, since every choice made has short-term or long-term consequences that affect the story and mood of the game.

Max’s thoughts often allow players to learn more about Max and how she feels about everything going on around her. Max’s moment-to-moment interactions felt real and fun. Although, the dialogue delivery in some places could’ve been better.

Life is Strange has a lot of little posters, sticky notes, emails and messages that players can read and spend time doing as it helps get a better sense of the story and helps make the game feel more personal and believable.

Though Life is Strange is a very linear game, it still allows for multiple playthroughs. Not only because of the multiple endings and choices the game has to offer but also since it feels great to play it again.

Verdict -

Life is Strange is not just a video game but also feels like an interactive movie that tugs at the heart strings of players, that is not only fun (and also emotional at times) to play but also an experience like no other. 

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a 3rd person action-adventure game, featuring Rockstar’s most authentic and lived-in open world ever following the epic tale of the infamous Van der Linde gang, where players assume the role of an outlaw Arthur Morgan, on the run across America from their long time enemy the Pinkertons.

Overview - 

With a story campaign of over 40 hours long and over 20 hours of side activities, there’s a lot of things to do, so many places to explore, so many people to meet and so many other fun activities to undertake like fishing, hunting and more.

RDR2 manages to keep the players excited even after hours of gameplay, not just due to the sheer size and variety of its intricate world, but how alive the world feels with every NPC performing their assigned tasks, their interactions with the world and reactions to the player’s actions.

Gameplay -

It feels like life goes on in the game whether or not players interfere in any events taking place around them, which makes the players feel like they're just a part of the world rather than making them feel like the center of the universe.

RDR2 provides players with a weapon and equipment wheel that allows them to choose among the various weapons purchased or picked up and to choose among equipment such as a fishing rod, health tonics and food, binoculars and more. Weapons need to be maintained regularly by cleaning them in order to perform efficiently. Players can add health tonics (purchased, obtained by looting enemies or looting houses) and cooked food to Arthur’s Satchel that help in recovering health, stamina and dead eye.

(Arthur’s cores are displayed above the mini-map)

Core Systems - Red Dead Redemption 2 features core systems for Arthur and his horse that manage their health, stamina and dead eye (Arthur’s ability). In RDR2, core refers to the circles with an icon associated to each of the cores and abilities and the rings around the cores are consumed when players lose health, stamina or dead eye and the cores are depleted when the rings are completely drained. Rings refill over time whereas the cores cannot be refilled until players consume tonics or food that help refill that particular if not all cores.

Bounty and Wanted System - The Bounty system is just fines for the crimes committed by the players. Having a bounty placed on the players’ head incurs the wrath of the law enforcement while in that area. Bounties can be paid off at Post Offices.

A notification reading “WITNESS” is received with the associated crime at the top right corner of the screen when a crime committed by the player is witnessed. Witnesses need to be stopped before they can report the crime. Not doing so leads to the law enforcement officers investigating the crime and eventually catching up with the player if still in the vicinity. Players can stop witnesses by tackling them and choosing to either Threaten or Beat them.

Honor System - Many in-game actions and decisions influence the Honor System that is divided into 17 ranks, ranging from -8 to +8 and determined by gaining or losing points (point values range from -320 to +320).

This Honor System determines how players are treated by other characters in the game. Players also get store discounts and Dead Eye tonics (if the player has -40 points or lower) based on the honor points accumulated by them. Having a high or low Honor meter also has an impact on the game’s ending (before the epilogue).

RDR2 has tons of content players can engage in, from playing the story missions, to completing side quests, robbing trains and banks or even just exploring the world. Players can also get their hair trimmed at saloons, change and equip outfits and weapons at the safe house, upgrade the safe house by donating money, fish and hunt animals and more, providing a varied and beautiful experience through and through for over 60 hours. Red Dead Online has its own short story and tons of other content players can engage in.

Conclusion -