DON'T NOD, their writers and their collected work are aggravating. I don't think they have the ability to write any supernatural elements into their story competently, and yet most of their game's plots have a heavy focus on time travel of telekinesis or whatever superpowers Diana Troy had. It's not even like I can write their games off, because despite some awkward dialogue at points, DON'T NOD is able to write fantastic characters and interpersonal conflict that's so compelling, I feel like I have to sift through the time travel bullshit to get to the best parts.
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit eviscerated me. It's the best demo I've ever played, and the best thing the Life is Strange alumni ever put out. The fantasy aspects to the plot don't have any real impact on the overall way the story plays out, and the way that Chris interacts with them shows him more respect than was awarded to any of the other LiS protagonists. The character writing of the cast in this 150 min long game is as strong as the other games in the series, except there aren't any expectations that the plot has to go in these weird, discordant tangents because of the alignment of Jupiter. There's enough confidence in their writing to put the spotlight on a 10 year old boy playing with dolls.
Their confidence was well founded, I broke down multiple times playing this game. It's not a game that spends its runtime wallowing in how awful Chris's situation. He's still written like a kid, he likes to game and play with toys and fucks up around the house and makes a mess. There weren't any lines that didn't make me think "this is an adult writing for a kid", nor are there any overly profound statements on loss, because he's fucking 10. Lesser writers wouldn't add in little details, like Chris having to tiptoe around his own house. Even the more benign actions with his father are tense. The abusive elements of their relationship cut so much deeper than any game I've played with a similar dynamic because the game doesn't allow Chris any more emotional (or physical!) agency than what a preteen could expect. There are no "shacka brahs" or "hellas" (I think the focus on LiS's out of touch lingo is a bit overblown) in a game where they could have totally gotten away with it.
I don't know how they got the rights to use Death with Dignity, and the game would still be great without it, but the Sufajn Stevens motifs in the story make this game so special. I don't have much else to add on the soundtrack, I couldn't imagine any replacement that would be more fitting, it's as perfect as you're gonna get.
The ending tie in to Life is Strange 2 was gratuitous, but doesn't impact the experience overall. Life is Strange 2 ended up living up to my expectations sadly. Sean and Daniel ended up being compelling, well written characters shoved inside a 2/5 game overall. Even if you have no intention of playing LiS2 or any of their other games (even the good ones like Before the Storm), this game is free and won't take more than an afternoon to finish. This game is in my top 20, and if there's any fault I can find with it outside of the ending (which, again, not that big of a deal), it would be that the writers and developers would take very little from this game going forward.
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit eviscerated me. It's the best demo I've ever played, and the best thing the Life is Strange alumni ever put out. The fantasy aspects to the plot don't have any real impact on the overall way the story plays out, and the way that Chris interacts with them shows him more respect than was awarded to any of the other LiS protagonists. The character writing of the cast in this 150 min long game is as strong as the other games in the series, except there aren't any expectations that the plot has to go in these weird, discordant tangents because of the alignment of Jupiter. There's enough confidence in their writing to put the spotlight on a 10 year old boy playing with dolls.
Their confidence was well founded, I broke down multiple times playing this game. It's not a game that spends its runtime wallowing in how awful Chris's situation. He's still written like a kid, he likes to game and play with toys and fucks up around the house and makes a mess. There weren't any lines that didn't make me think "this is an adult writing for a kid", nor are there any overly profound statements on loss, because he's fucking 10. Lesser writers wouldn't add in little details, like Chris having to tiptoe around his own house. Even the more benign actions with his father are tense. The abusive elements of their relationship cut so much deeper than any game I've played with a similar dynamic because the game doesn't allow Chris any more emotional (or physical!) agency than what a preteen could expect. There are no "shacka brahs" or "hellas" (I think the focus on LiS's out of touch lingo is a bit overblown) in a game where they could have totally gotten away with it.
I don't know how they got the rights to use Death with Dignity, and the game would still be great without it, but the Sufajn Stevens motifs in the story make this game so special. I don't have much else to add on the soundtrack, I couldn't imagine any replacement that would be more fitting, it's as perfect as you're gonna get.
The ending tie in to Life is Strange 2 was gratuitous, but doesn't impact the experience overall. Life is Strange 2 ended up living up to my expectations sadly. Sean and Daniel ended up being compelling, well written characters shoved inside a 2/5 game overall. Even if you have no intention of playing LiS2 or any of their other games (even the good ones like Before the Storm), this game is free and won't take more than an afternoon to finish. This game is in my top 20, and if there's any fault I can find with it outside of the ending (which, again, not that big of a deal), it would be that the writers and developers would take very little from this game going forward.