Tails by the Foxfire

Well, just like that, the leaves are turning gold, the days are growing greyer, and there’s a damp chill in the air that makes us older folks’ bones ache. Lucky for us, there are wonderful things like hot chocolate and warming foods to take the edge off, blankets to snuggle up under, and great stories waiting to comfort you, scare you, or do a little bit of both. Depends what you’re into.

As for me, if I had a nickel for every story about a woman named Max and her odd couple bestie with a C-name I picked up this month, I’d… well, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice, and honestly I wasn’t even thinking about it. 

Today we’ll be looking at Life is Strange Remastered. Double Exposure is dropping at the end of October, so now seems like the perfect opportunity to go back in time and discuss Max Caulfield’s 2015 adventure. 

I’ll get back to 2 Broke Girls at some point when I’m a bit further along my marathon.

Since this is an overview review, fear no spoilers ahead! I’ve only refreshed my memory up to Episode 2, so we’re strictly looking at artistic choices here.

For the Unfamiliar: What is Life is Strange? 

Life is Strange is an episodic adventure game developed by DONTNOD and published by Square Enix in 2015. It was remastered in 2022 by Deck Nine Games, who was brought in as a support studio for Life is Strange: Before the Storm in 2017, and who developed Life is Strange: True Colors in 2021. 

The first Life is Strange consists of five episodes that follow Max Caulfield: a photography student at the prestigious Blackwell Academy. Set in the fictional town of Arcadia Bay in Oregon, the story follows Max as she returns to her hometown and reunites with her childhood best friend, Chloe Price. A mixing pot of classic and contemporary sci-fi references layered with art trivia and Native American themes, Life is Strange follows Max and Chloe as they try to unravel the case of a missing girl, a secret club, and why Max can suddenly rewind time. Amidst immaculate fall vibes and an indie, folksy soundtrack, Max sees her hometown through a new lens (hee hee), including all of its struggles and dark secrets. Meanwhile, in her dreams, a looming storm threatens to tear it apart.

Original versus Remaster: is there a “Definitive” Experience? 

I should probably start by saying that I played the original Life is Strange back when the episodes were still coming out in 2015, so I’m going to have some amount of bias here. I remember all the wild theorycrafting that came out between episodes and everyone’s excitement while they tried to put all the pieces together. It was a really fascinating time to be a fan, and maybe I’ll do a retrospective blog sometime about my top Life is Strange theories. They’re so worth diving into! 

Regarding the OG vs Remaster debate though, there are definitely aspects of the remaster I appreciate (and we’ll get into those in a minute). The thing is, I’ve played the original Life is Strange and Before the Storm several times over the years, and immersed myself very much in those versions of the games. They’re kind of my go-to for what those titles look like, to the point where even the graphic novels and their interpretations of the characters took a little adjusting to. My opinions likely differ from if I had come to the remaster with fresh eyes, but even with that said, I’m not going to declare either one is the “definitive” version. 

I suggest that you go ahead and play whichever version you prefer if you’re interested. Heck, if you’re into appreciating cinematography and how subtle light changes and palette shifts can influence a scene, play both. They’re each wonderful in their own ways and bring their own atmospheric flavours to an unforgettable story that definitely deserves more than one playthrough, so why not compare and contrast?

Violetowy on YouTube has a great video showing the graphical differences between the original and remastered versions. 

The sentimental in me is tempted to say the original was perfect the way it was, but I’ve got to admit that wouldn’t be completely honest. 

The Eyes Have It

In many scenes, the remaster does sharpen the eyes and heighten the facial expressions of characters in ways the original just didn’t manage to. The first example that springs to mind is after Max’s first rewind. Thanks to its sharper definition, the remaster shows us tear-tracks on her face, because of course there would be–she just went through a highly traumatic event. We also see some amount of reflection in characters’ eyes that make them feel deeper and more human, whereas often in the original I found them to be kind of glassy, so it was a bit harder to connect with the characters in those moments by comparison. Max could look frustratingly vapid, whereas in the remaster I find her eyes more open and expressive. The sharpness adds more of a ‘presence’ that I find more engaging.

On the flipside, I have to acknowledge that this highlighting of the eyes comes with some downsides. At times they can seem too sharp, like cartoon eyes, and are more than once out of perspective with the rest of the face. They can appear too wide or too big, which proves to be distracting, especially when changes like the hair blending have attempted to boost the realism in this version. 

In exchange for sharper eyes, we lose small details like the redness under Max’s rims. In smoothing out skin textures, we lose her freckles. By buffing out hair shapes, we lose highlights and finer details, resulting overall in a doll-like look that does away with some of the model’s character. Especially when the eyes bug out and you can’t tell what the characters are even looking at, or why they’re looking at it like that.

A lot of the time though, I was pretty happy with the character models. They felt smooth and expressive. It’s just a shame about the lack of consistency.

Setting the Scene

One thing I did find strange was how dark the remaster felt. Sometimes this lighting choice lent a sense of atmosphere, but other times, it was just hard to see. It felt a bit like they turned down the brightness to hide textures or make it seem more gritty and ‘real’, which is often a shame when the game utilises so much colour. 

It could be the lighting was turned down to match the darker tones of the story. There is one instance in Episode 2 where the heavier lighting adds a whole new layer to the scene. Paired with a low piano tone in the background, things feel heavy and oppressive, like a cell or a cage. And it’s perfect. So, again, your mileage may vary depending on the moment. 

Is it Worth Playing?

All in all, I’d say yes. As mentioned earlier, I don’t think either version of the game provides the “definitive” experience. Each has their better and worse points, so ultimately I think you’re fine to play whichever you personally prefer the look of and/or have easier access to. Aside from the minor pitfalls mentioned above, Life is Strange Remastered is a worthy experience, and it certainly offers plenty of its own benefits in comparison to the original–at least, so far as I’ve seen. 

If you can overlook some minor weirdness with eye proportions, prefer a darker and sharper lens, and don’t mind some loss of details in smoothing out the models and making them more ‘real’, then I doubt you’ll have a problem. If, like me, you have sentimental attachment to the original, then there are some aspects you might miss. It’s nothing game breaking though, and this new view might help you see some scenes in a different light, add some layers to a moment, or appreciate a detail you perhaps hadn’t noticed before.

In summary, this return to Arcadia Bay has been a pleasant one, and in this golden age of remastered content, I’m excited to see whatever else comes our way. 

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