Sorry, Square Enix, but Life is Strange is definitely a gay game. Patreon: / screentakes Twitter: / screen_takes Sources: www.ign.com/articles/how-hidd... www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/...
I personally think the sacrifice the town ending is the most narratively satisfying. Yes i wish we had more cutscene but thats my only problem. I just dont get how after getting to the end of the game, ruining timeline after timeline, people think "oh i know how to fix this, i'll use my powers AGAIN." Facing the storm is the point when max finally stops running away from her problems. Secondly, if you don't save chloe, she has one of the saddest lives. The version of chloe that dies in the bathroom died with a mother who she felt she burdened, a step father she hated, a girlfriend who either died or abandoned her and a best friend who never came back (Not even after being back in the bay for over a month). By saving chloe, you finally make amends. Everyone has left her, but you chose her over an ENTIRE town.
Using the powers wasn't the problem, or at least it isn't framed to be. The game really makes it seem like Chloe's death is inevitable while saving the town will even out the Karma. you have to keep saving her throughout the game, and the universe escalates to the point of only having those two choices. So the thought isn't "I'll use my powers to fix it" it's "the universe isn't going to try to stop Killing Cloe." There's no guarantee that letting Arcadia Bay die will stop what has happened, so what if you you save her and things just get worse? Now you have Cloe and Max dealing with threats on Cloe's life forever and leaving a trail of destruction. maybe that idea could be poetically sweet but it sounds like a nightmare. To me it isn't narrative satisfying because you don't know if they will be ok.
@@Gatekid3 Max literally says "this is my storm. I changed fate and destiny so much that I really did alter the course of everything." I interpret that as "hey, I've messed with time so much, going back and changing things over and over again and this is what it caused. I think the fact that the storm is the only event that Max saw in her premonition makes it seem like it is the end. Narratively speaking, if I see an Armageddon premonition, followed by a choice so powerful it splits the timeline in 2, id like to think the writers are trying to hint at the fact that it's the end.
@@duckydoombringer9206 I suppose, but then theres still the separate narrative of Chloe's life being threatened. even if the storm was from her messing with time, most of those times were to save Chloe, as was the catalyst that made Max gain or realize her powers in the first place. It's really hard to separate the storm/ Max's powers from Chloe's fate. If The storm has nothing to do with Chloe's fate, then she is just REALLY unlucky.
I am queer and I love this game. I saw Max as introverted, constantly pushed out of her comfort zone. When it comes to saving someone she loves, there was only one choice. I would have loved the Bae ending handled with the same care as the other.
I’m a firm believer that the storm is Rachel’s fury for what happened to her. Letting the storm take Arcadia bay feels like the closure Rachel’s pain deserves
Not you calling out Max's bisexual bob 😂 but for real Life is Strange *is* the gay game, the narrative is inherently queer, it's literally about a very homoerotic friendship. I like the way you put it, saving Chloe is fighting the bury your gays, fighting against queer erasure. I think that's what most people can't comprehend why saving Chloe is so important to us, saving Chloe is keeping queer love alive against all odds, it's the most emotionally powerful in the long run especially if you read the comics, it's queer people surviving and then thriving and having a fulfilling life Max and Chloe get a chance to spend the rest of their lives together and gay married like they should 😂
Woah, I've never heard anyone talk about the endings like this before, what a beautiful and thought provoking take. Sacrificing Chloe has always been seen as the moraly correct and selfless choice, and it's hard to argue against that even as someone who wants to save Chloe. Your argument for saving Choe could very well be the strongest one I've ever heard. It really changes your whole perspective on the endings and the game itself
To me the game is about two things which means that there is only one right ending. First it's about choices having consequences which is barely relevant if you chose to let Chloe die since you don't see the consequences of your powers playing out as dramatically. Second it's about your relationship with Chloe which ends if you don't save her. I save her every time.
I remember getting the season pass for LiS after the first chapter was released. My friends and i huddled around my little laptop to finish that game chapter by chapter. Truly one of the best queer experiences in the gaming space, the sequels kindof stain that legacy imo
Nice video! I can see how some of the people commenting about “right” or “wrong” choice didn’t finish watching the video hahaah don’t worry too much about it, I really like how you take it to a deeper understanding of choices in games and what they can mean for the game and for us c:
Very thoughtful take on the game. I love LIS , but I've always been angered by the false dichotomy in the Final Decision, because, as has been pointed out by others, it would not have been hard to write an ending in which EVERYONE lives -- Namely, Max goes back to the bathroom scene, and gets a quick photo of Nathan wielding the gun before smashing the fire alarm. Now she has photographic evidence, Nathan and Jefferson get their comeuppance on day one, Chloe lives, and no storm!
probably the best life is strange video essay i've seen so far 💯 for the longest time i preferred the bay ending from a narrative standpoint but i thought about it and realized that wasn't really what i wanted to take away from the story; if this is going to be my comfort series i might as well choose the theme that actually comforts me
I played it as a friendship and it worked just fine. It’s good there is options and people can play it how they like. I sacrificed Chloe, I think that was the best ending to the story. But again I like the option is there.
I remember looking back at the save Chloe ending, seeing all the people disappointed over it, and deciding that that's just what happens when you make the wrong decision. But it's bad story telling. Square Enix dedicates the entire game around developing he relationship between these two characters, easily outweighing the emotional connection you have with the town. And when you're given a choice designed to be difficult, you're punished for making a decision that feels right. But this perspective on the series makes this all feel much more sinister. If you choose to save Chloe, you aren't being punished for the decision you made,. You're being punished for wanting to make that decision to begin with, for being you.
Don't get me wrong, this is a great video, but it did fuck with my love for the game a little bit. I'm not one of those people who think you can't love something and look at it critically at the same time… You absolutely can. And you should. It's really the only way to love something truly I think, seeing the flaws in it. Cuz if you don't, it's just blind. But I will admit I had to force my way through this video... the life is strange franchise being something I think a lot of people here needed as like a weird sort of lifeline. I've never been clear on my own sexual or gender identity. Never really been sure where I fall. Whats strange about this game is that it rewires your brain. And you would think, because it gives you the option to rewind and go back, that it highlights Experience over consequences, but I think the truth is just the opposite… I think the act of being able to go back and change things highlights that all actions have consequences and nothing you do can save you from that. It sends you away with an impossible choice, all the while, having taken you through this story With choice after choice, and consequence after consequence.
I can understand why people would choose to pick Chloe over Arcadia Bay, but in my opinion, even when I first played, life is strange I always sacrifice Chloe because let’s say you sacrifice the whole town in theory. You don’t really get to see what happens to Marc Jefferson or Nathan everybody just dies but when you sacrifice Chloe, you get to see the pictures that Mark Jefferson is caught and Nathan is in jail and you somewhat get to see those consequences and they’re quite satisfying and when it comes to Arcadia Bay, I think the town represents life is strange as well. For me, it just seems like a more realistic ending, and like you mentioned in the beginning, Chloe mentioned it first at the last minute she was selfless and she cared about other people
That choice pissed me off so much when I played the game. Because, even now if confronted with that actual choice I'd definitely save the town. Because it's awful not to do it especially since chloe herself is ready to do that sacrifice and it would be a denial of her agency to save her. But she doesn't have agency and the scenario is a constructed one, and I don't think choosing "wrong" is a reasonable act of rebellion, it's the equivalent of voting donald trump because you are stuck choosing between liberals and fascists, it doesn't reject the choice itself it just accepts the worst outcome. It pisses me off because so much of this choice is forced on you in a way that's much worse than if there was no choice and they just told the story they wanted to. They construct this artificial scenario where you are forced to make a wrong choice and then smugly expect you to reflect on the morality of your actions and fuck that. I kinda want to list all the underlying assumptions that really make this choice so forced : 1) There is no other option. Despite the fact max can return and save chloe again and then figure out a way to save the town, nothing's showing that it's impossible you are just told that it is impossible that you have to accept sacrifice. 2) On a symbolic level that (very queer) relationship is put into conflict with the well being of everyone else. This is often something leveraged against marginalized communities, that our existence is a disturbance and ereasing ourselves, fitting in the mold is the only way to not cause problem. And that's just wrong, we don't cause problems by existing, not catastrophe is going to happen if we live happily. 3) The good choice being a return to status quo 4) The catastrophe also happening because saving a life would be in some way unnatural, something disturbing the very flow of the world. Like yeah, great power great responsibility, but saving someone's life is EXACTLY what power should be used for, and max lack of curiosity and experimental mind with her power was something that really bothered me. Like, she does some experiments but not really in depth or as a priority, she tries to figure out where it comes from but seems content to let it just be a thing, and more importantly the game only lets you revisit the same choices and consequences over and over again. Unless you are in a puzzle (like the one with the paint) you don't really use knowledge of the future to alter your behaviour, the framework of possibility is restricted and all you get to do is explore the options but not figure out more options based on the result. It's all a very conseervative "it is what it is" mentality that I'm sure is also due to budget limitations and just the difficulty of writing something more complex, but the story it tells is still one of a world that can't fundamentally be changed and that enacting change even for the better is unnatural. But funny enough life is strange has I think a much more impactful choice in the suicide scene that goes against that general idea because it's not stripped down to a binary choice, it's affected by your curiosity previously, your empathy towards your schoolmate, and it's not a "choice" either it's a trial, a problem to solve, yes you have limited options but it's not about choosing betweeen two fixed outcome it's about finding the right way to reach a specific desirable outcome. It was for me the highlight of that game, the part that really got me engaged. A game that gives you choices that are constraining isn't inherently a problem, but life is strange themes and mechanics are just not well suited for such a rigid framework. It doesn't earn it's emotional moment when it comes at the cost of making the story about self ereasure of queerness being the only shield against societal collapse. (note : if it sounds very rambly it's because it is, wrote that while I'm sleep deprived and struggling to keep my eyes open very literally. Just trying to get that general feeling off of my chest.
Just want to say that I agree that the decision is an artificially created one and has a lot of issues. When I said that my initial decision was “wrong,” I still stand by that choosing to save the town is the most morally correct decision within the game’s fictional universe. It’s just that I’ve grown to look at this from outside of its fictional universe, and instead as a piece of art where I have the opportunity to change the way a queer relationship is supposed to end.
Gay Not Queer Life is Strange is a wonderful game on many levels, perhaps even made better by its flaws. It is fundamentally the story of Max and Chloe. They have been close since they were kids, with multiple examples even before the time travel. When Max sits in Chloe’s backyard we hear the conversation between them when they were younger. Chloe believes in Max even when she doubts herself. Max’s powers came from seeing Chloe die, and saving her, multiple times. Chloe’s necklace has three bullets, representing each time she could die (bathroom with Nathan, shooting herself in the junkyard, shot in the head by Jefferson.) Chloe and Rachel obviously had a relationship and Chloe clearly loves her. Max asks if they were friends and Chloe says “that’s putting it mildly”. What else could she mean? To what degree Rachel felt the same is unclear, even after Before the Storm. Her reaction when they find her body leaves no doubt. Max goes back in time to save William, Chloe’s father, and then is confronted with her in a wheelchair and in poor medical condition. We start to understand that Max was a bad friend in both realities, which explains Chloe’s harsh attitude when they first get back together. But she’s also kind and friendly once she gets over that, giving her William’s camera and flirting not so subtlety. (in the diner, at the junkyard, at the pool, in her room, etc.) Nevermind if you steal the money or shoot Frank (both of which are the only correct choices.) Then you get a marriage proposal. Before the Storm gives a nice view from the other side, where Max is truly the insensitive one, while Chloe is suffering, but also gives us a greater peek into them as 13 and 14 year olds. It’s clear, retroactively, that Chloe is in love with Max, but she hasn’t gone through those experiences yet. If the Blade Runner movie night didn’t already do that. Chloe puts her life in Max’s hands twice, trusting her completely. She is completely helpless in the alternate reality and asks Max to help her, in a way no one else can. At the end of the game she is willing to sacrifice herself. In my playthrough, if you read Max’s journal, she admits her feelings are more than friendship, and she is in love with Chloe. But even if not, there is still a close bond and a different kind of love. Life is Strange is about coming of age, suicide, abuse, bullying, sexual assault, murder and many other things. But it’s really about Max and Chloe, and a bond and love (whether romantic or not) that extends beyond time and space. I don’t know if Max or Chloe are gay or bisexual and I don’t care, what a stupid thing to ask. I don’t know what “queer” is supposed to mean other than straight people trying to virtue signal. Leave Max and Chloe alone! I do think this game was very positively received by many gay and lesbian people who appreciate the representation. Life is Strange won many awards, and has produced a massive amount of online content, including re-enactments, fan movies, cosplay, music videos, fan art, stories, etc. This continues to this day. Does that make it a “gay” game? Maybe, but only in the most positive way. “Queer”? Insert Chloe with middle fingers raised. At the end of the game, fuck identities, saving Chloe is the *right* (and moral) thing to do.
Bisexual equals hair cuts is really offensive. So a women with a pixie cut is naturally gay? Or just confident straight? Or bi? Wow. Maybe a woman with a cool haircut is just cool, and your attraction to her, or lack of, no one gives a shit about.
Fuck off with this exclusionist bs. As a queer, non-binary lesbian, queer is a word the community has been reclaiming and rallying behind for years and I’m not going to go back on an identity that represents me and a huge group of people just because you as another gay person don’t understand it. You can define yourself however you want but queer identity are valid and queer interpretations of media are too.
It is a queer love story of two sapphic women. Sexuality isn’t always concrete. I’m not sure why people have to demand someone can’t be bi just because they choose a person over a gender.
Reeling from that title, looking forward to seeing you work 👍 Edit after watching the video: I feel so relieved that I’m not the only person who feels a vague Bi-ness from Life is Strange 😂 Awesome video, a very interesting and refreshing take on this well trodden game 🫶
