Dear Dontnod & everyone playing a part in making Life Is Strange what it is,
I’m a woman who’s been gaming most of her life. I have never, in my whole life, felt this attached or been able to relate to a game and its characters like I experienced it in Life Is Strange. In a community where girls, women, LGBT and other minorities are often rejected and sometimes harassed just for liking something, especially if this thing belongs in an overwhelming white straight male community, few are the quality games that not only give us a sense of belonging but also touch our hearts and souls. Life Is Strange is one of these games and, dare I say, the best. But regardless of opinions, it exists and that alone is a true blessing. I lost someone very dear to me in between episodes 4 and 5 and waiting for the final chapter while following some of you people on Twitter, seeing this amazing community and its creativity and talent has helped me a lot to stay positive and it eased my mind a little. You made more than just a game, you made a real piece of art. Life Is Strange has a SOUL. Thanks to you, many players felt welcome and realized that their voices could be heard without having to switch to an online persona in order to fit, including adult straight males wh thought that it was, and I quote: “Tumblr, the game” before giving it a try. That’s what you have done. You created a fantastic game, you made some “hardcore” gamers think about what is important in a story, and you also gave a generally neglected section of gamers the message that it’s ok to like narrative masterpieces over FPS, to prefer complex and layered characters with a heart over supersized combat gear, to get absorbed into beautiful sceneries to the point of just willingly sit and enjoy the atmosphere instead of perpetual movement and speed. Don’t get me wrong, I love some of those games (and Square Enix has published one of my all time favorites, Sleeping Dogs) but something was missing. You reminded us that having a controller or keyboard in hand doesn’t mean that we have to stop dreaming or appreciate the emotions we are feeling during a playthrough. You managed to federate people from every gender, age group, country, color, orientation, and a tons of other things that usually are an excuse for being divided around your game, your universe and your characters. The premise and choice of leads of the game itself, the voice acting, the soundtrack, the mechanics, the pop culture references, the decision not to shy away from certain (some very dark) issues and the human emotions involved… everything was just fantastic. Others games have tried and sometimes managed to be open to everyone (The Sims being a prime example) but so far none has had the impact and has been as thought provoking as Life Is Strange has. Life Is Strange will forever be where it began to really change for me. That breath of fresh air comes at a time where many of us have been suffocating in an industry that has troubles to reinvent itself and relies too much on rehashing the same stuff over and over again while community-wise some players find themselves at the receiving end the online harassment, mostly young females but not only. I will never forget how I felt and how a studio one day had decided to be disruptive and to shake it up until it happens their way instead of selling out. THANK YOU.
-submitted by @simsarestrange via fanmail
