Life is Strange follows Max Claufiled as one day she gets powers to turn back time and she encounters an old friend from her past. Which leads to a conspiracy of a Missing Girl in Arcadia Bay where both Max and Chloe try to uncover, but time is not at there side as a tornado will destroy the bay on Friday. As the puzzles feel unique as they use the rewind power and also the choices as well as for the time and still feels unique as Max says what if you did the other choice, I love how they play with time, thematically, gameplay wise and story wise and that why it's such a critically acclaimed game.
Each character feels like they are well written and dealing with a lot of unique subject matter from bulling, to climate change, to psychology, to the composition of photography and so much more. Don'tNod taking inspiration from Twin Peaks helped evaluate the story that they wanted to tell with a missing girl but undercutting with the ideas of Friendship, Lost and Time. As Chloe is stuck in the past looking for a missing friend, wanting her live to like it was before with Joyce and William, where Max symbolises that past that she longs for but Max is different she has changed with new friends like Kate Marsh or Warren. However, Max internally she feels selfish as Episode 5 reflects her fears that she isn't a hero at all or an "everyday hero" her powers don't help but they hurt the people around her, the only time she doesn't use her power to save anybody is Kate as he used her power to reach her on the roof but nothing more, teaching Max and the player that changing back time cannot save friends from struggles. But Max abuses her power more and more from the influence of Chloe, but Saving Chloe was a selfish act that she didn't have to do as it was destroying the bay.
I understand people simping for Chloe but the writers make Chloe in a way that she is a complex character as she is going through a long stage of grief over her father, but doesn't make it right to treat her parents and people in a abrasive manner as we see in a different timeline if Willian survived, Chloe would be disabled and suffering in both timelines she is suffering and insecure about who she is but is destined to die if people like it or not. The choices that the player makes on Max's expense highlights if your Selfish or Selfless where the final choice highlights this perfectly, save the life of your best friend or save the lives of random people. This is what makes Life is Strange such as critically acclaimed game with the story and gameplay fitting together perfectly.
