Warning: This article contains spoilers for FINAL FANTASY VI, DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, Life is Strange, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE and FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered. Scroll beneath the spoiler-Barret at your own risk.

We expect games to be full of twists and turns, but sometimes a title does something so unexpected that it leaves us literally open-mouthed.

These magical moments can be tragic, amusing or just plain awesome, but they all have one thing in common: they’re utterly unforgettable.

So without further ado, here are just a few of the times Square Enix games shocked us to our cores.

Kefka’s betrayal - FINAL FANTASY VI

The true genius of Kefka is that you don’t really see him coming. Yes, he commits terrible acts of brutality throughout the story, but in the hierarchy of villains, he appears to sit securely at the ‘henchman’ level.

Until suddenly he doesn’t.

For much of the adventure, Emperor Gestahl’s the big bad. He’s the one who’s out to conquer the world and gain ultimate power - his court mage Kefka’s seemingly just along for the ride. But just when it seems like the Emperor’s plans are about to come to fruition, Kefka kills him and takes the power for himself.

Now Kefka’s essentially a god, which you have to admit is quite the promotion from high-ranking minion.

Not only that, his actions plunge the world into a year of darkness and ruin, sends the heroes into an emotional spiral they can barely recover from… and leaves players in disbelief

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A tragic tail - DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is a story full of stories.

The grand narrative is supported by lots of smaller scale adventures and quests along the way. One of the most shocking of these is the tale of a love-struck mermaid, Michelle.

The hero and his companions meet Michelle on a small rocky outcropping in the middle of the ocean. They need her help to gain access to the underwater kingdom of Nautica, so she makes them a deal.

She’s waiting for the return of her love, a sailor called Kainoa, and asks the group to find him. The sun’s shining, and like all mermaids in the game, Michelle speaks entirely in charming rhyme. It seems we’re in for a jolly time.

Then we find out the truth. Mermaids live much longer than humans, and Kainoa is long gone. Not only that, mermaids are feared and hated by the populace, figures of superstition, and this has had big implications on his life, and his descendants.

So the heroes are faced with a choice - tell Michelle the painful truth, or lie and leave her waiting for a love that will never come. If you choose the path of honesty, Michelle sets out to verify your story, and when she does… well, let’s just say that it’s a scene you’ll never forget.

Despite our best intentions, we couldn’t help Michelle. So with a very heavy heart, we bade a sad farewell.

• Get DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

Mushroom - Life is Strange 2

Torn from their comfortable life in Seattle into a life on the road, it’s clear that Sean and Daniel Diaz are not going to have an easy time in Life is Strange 2.

True enough, their long journey towards Mexico is fraught with hardship and adversity, but amid all the struggle there are some bright spots. Mushroom for example.

Daniel ‘adopts’ this adorable little puppy in the first episode, and it accompanies them on their long trek across America. At least, she does for a while - very early in the second episode, Mushroom goes missing. The brothers find her lifeless body - gored by a wild cougar.

What makes the moment so shocking is how understated it is. There’s no drama or ceremony to the event - it just… happens. That quiet sense of horror is only emphasized by Daniel’s angry unleashing of his hidden powers - and how far you decide to let him go.

Fun fact: I was so shocked by this moment, I directly confronted the writers about it, essentially wailing: “How could you do this?” at the poor guys.

Michel Koch told me: “We wanted to establish the ground rules for Daniel’s powers, and then present a situation where those rules are tested.

“It’s basically a battle between heart and mind, right? You’re telling Daniel not to use those powers, but then we hit the player with an emotional scene that challenges the very rules they set.”

Well mission accomplished - you can’t deny it’s an effective moment. Still hurts though.

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Seifer kills a Guardian Force - FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered

Guardian Forces - or GFs - are hugely important in FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered. These powerful supernatural beings can be equipped to characters, and summoned into battle to deliver brutal attacks.

Odin is an optional GF that acts a little differently to most. Rather than being manually summoned, he randomly appears at the start of fights to take down all your enemies in one go.

He doesn’t typically show up for climactic boss battles though, so it’s a surprise when he appears to take on Seifer. But what happens next is the real mind-messer: Seifer fights back. He uses his limit break Zantetsuken to turn the tables and cleave Odin in two.

You’re left reeling - what the heck? This isn’t how things are meant to go! GFs appear, do their thing and get out - that’s how it’s always worked. Seifer’s suddenly broken all the rules - anything could happen now.

And the biggest surprise is yet to come…

• Get FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered

Shinra pushes the button - FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE starts with a bang. Literally.

The opening bombing mission is an exciting assault on the Shinra Electric Power Company’s Mako Reactor 1 - a power plant that’s sucking the planet of life-giving energy.

Cloud, Barret and the rest of the team battle their way past Shinra security, wall mounted lasers, and a boss with a real sting in its tail, set the bomb and make their escape. As planned, the explosive detonates, damaging the reactor - mission accomplished, right?

And that’s when it happens. It turns out Shinra’s executives have been watching the whole assault play out. With a nod, President Shinra gives authorization for a sinister plan - the Reactor’s army of bots and turrets activate and lay waste to the reactor, causing a massive explosion that takes out the entire complex - and part of the streets outside.

It’s a moment that left many a fan on the back foot - why would Shinra obliterate one of their own reactors? That feeling of deep unease is only increased by an extended tour of the aftermath - with its many burning buildings and ruined lives.

In short, it’s a shocking turn of events acts an early warning of just how far Shinra is willing to go to achieve its goals - and how little it cares about collateral damage.

• Get FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE

Those were just a few of the shocking moments that left us flabbergasted - but do you agree? Let us know by following the team on social media:

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Two of the best stories in gaming history are now playable on Nintendo Switch!

The Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection is out now. If features the original Life is Strange and prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm - enhanced from their original release with reworked textures, improved lighting, new facial motion capture for Life is Strange and more!

In addition, both games have been specifically optimized for Switch to ensure they look and run great, whether you’re playing docked or handheld.

• Get the Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection

The Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection may well be the best way to experience these games, and the incredible moments they offer. Each title is full of unforgettable scenes that will shock you, shake you, make you laugh and feel much more beyond.

In honor of the release, we thought we’d look back at these remarkable moments, and share just a few of our favorites:

1. Life is Strange Episode 1: Chrysalis - Max’s powers emerge for the first time

The seemingly typical life of budding Blackwell Academy student Max Caulfield takes a twist for the dramatic in this very early scene from the first episode.

A trip to the bathroom takes a dark turn when Max witnesses an altercation between the troubled Nathan Prescott and Max’s former best friend Chloe Price. What starts as a simple argument soon escalates into something more terrifying, and before Max can react, the young woman lies dead on the floor.

And then it happens - Max discovers she is somehow able to rewind time itself and stop this tragedy before it happens. A life is saved, a power unveiled… and Max’s life will never be normal again.

2. Life is Strange Before the Storm Episode 1: Awake - tabletop gaming Chloe-style

In the prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm, you take control of Chloe - and she’s a very different protagonist to the introspective Max. She’s outspoken, rebellious and goes all-in - as is the case when she’s invited to play a tabletop game.

In this wildly entertaining scene, you get to play out the entire game - and in true series style, you have a lot of choice over how it goes.

For example, in my first playthrough, Chloe – or, more accurately, the elven barbarian Callamastia - is an aggressive disaster. She intimidates an elderly guard with threats so vivid they die of fear, repeatedly attempts to punch enemies in the crotch and accidentally mutilates an ally. But it’s all in good fun.

Of course, when you play it, you may get a wildly different outcome - that’s one of the most glorious things about this scene. But whatever happens, you can bet it’s one of the most entertaining moments in the episode!

3. Life is Strange Episode 3: Chaos Theory - a late night swim

Max and Chloe have reconnected, coming together to investigate the dark secrets of Blackwell and the mystery of a missing student.

After some shocking revelations, some tense encounters and some tricky ethical dilemmas, Chloe persuades Max to break into Blackwell’s swimming pool for a late night dipl.

This scene that follows is a real standout - as deep as the pool itself. It’s a welcome breather after all the tension and intrigue as Max and Chloe take some time to just unwind and act like teenagers. It develops the bond between them, revealing how close the two are becoming, and it even throws in a fun stealth-lite section at the end to mix up the gameplay!

4. Life is Strange Before the Storm Episode 2: Brave New World - The Tempest

Chloe’s ability to think on her feet is put to the ultimate test when she’s drafted into a production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, alongside her friend Rachel Amber.

As a very last-minute addition to the cast - the intended actor is held up - Chloe gets barely any time to look at the script. It’s up to you to try to remember her lines - or improvise if you can’t.

Regardless of whether you walk the boards like a seasoned thespian or turn the play into a bumbling comedy through frantic ad-libbing, the situation provides an opportunity for Chloe and Rachel to have a heart-to-heart live on stage.

Their words may deviate from the bard’s, but as the director says: it’s magical.

5. Life is Strange Episode 4: Dark Room - Max faces some unintended consequences

Max’s ability to affect time is extremely useful (not to mention an excellent gameplay mechanic)… and it only grows over the course of the series.

But such an awesome power is also dangerous - and this is laid bare to Max and the player in harrowing fashion at the start of Episode 4.

An impulsive attempt to undo one of the great tragedies of Chloe’s past leads to an uncertain future. Rather than improving her friend’s life, her tampering has caused a chain reaction of events and a reality in which Chloe’s… well, if you haven’t played it, you’ll find out (hence the non-spoilery image above).

Max is left with no choice but to undo her mistake in some deeply affecting scenes that show that for all her godlike power, she’s still merely human.

6. Life is Strange Before the Storm Episode 2: Brave New World - Dreams of fire and ravens

Throughout Life is Strange Before the Storm, Chloe has dreamlike conversations with her late father. These scenes are all impactful, showing how the young woman struggles to deal with events, and her own sense of loss.

One of the most powerful dreams is in Episode 2. Chloe and her father sit by the burning husk of a car, toasting marshmallows on the blazing hood. As ravens look on, the two gently discuss the beauty of fire - before the conversation takes a much darker turn.

It’s a shocking scene that drips with meaning - accompanied by some of the most striking visuals of the series. It leaves a mark.

7. Life is Strange Episode 5: Polarized - The final choice

If you know, you know.

…and you’ll never forget.

Those were just seven scenes that we love - but Life is Strange, and Life is Strange: Before the Storm are so full of memorable moments, we could create dozens of equally valid lists.

You can experience (or re-experience) them all for yourselves on Switch in the Life is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection - out now.

• Get the Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection

Alternatively, the Life is Strange Remastered Collection is available now for PS4, Xbox One and PC.

• Get the Life is Strange Remastered Collection

Finally, be sure to follow Life is Strange on social media. And if you have favorite scenes of your own, be sure to let them know!

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Two of the greatest stories in games are coming to Nintendo Switch in the Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection!

What’s more, they’re coming soon! The collection’s set for release on September 27, 2022! These versions of the game have been specifically optimised for the Switch across characters and environments - whether you play docked on the TV, or handheld with headphones in a comfy chair, you’re going to get an amazing experience.

Take a look at the new trailer and you’ll see what we mean…

What’s in the Arcadia Bay Collection?

The collection contains Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm.

These two narrative adventures both set in the small town of Arcadia Bay (hence the name of the collection) and are renowned for their emotional stories, unforgettable characters, impeccably curated soundtracks, and compelling choice-based gameplay.

Life is Strange

The original Life is Strange follows Max Caulfield, a promising young photo artist at the prestigious Blackwell Academy.

But Max doesn’t just have a gift with a camera - she also discovers she has the ability to rewind time. When her new powers lead to her to reconnect with former friend Chloe Price, Max begins a journey to discover herself - and the dark secrets lurking in the shadows of Arcadia Bay…

Life is Strange: Before the Storm

Set three years before the events of the original series, Life is Strange: Before the Storm puts you in control of a sixteen-year-old Chloe, who forms an unlikely friendship with the beautiful and popular Rachel Amber.

When Rachel learns a secret about her family that threatens to destroy her world, her friendship with Chloe gives her the strength to carry on. Together, the two girls must confront each other’s demons and find a way to overcome them.

The Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection includes all the DLC released for the game, including additional outfits and the bonus episode “Farewell”.

What improvements have been made to the games for Switch?

Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm are the best they’ve ever been on Nintendo Switch. This is no simple port - almost every aspect of the game has been optimized for the platform to deliver the best possible experience. It looks great, and more importantly feels great to play.

Both games have been greatly enhanced from their original release, with improved lighting, character models and more. Life is Strange has also been remastered with full facial motion capture, making these beloved characters more expressive and engaging than before.

In addition, all the bug fixes and enhancements added to the Life is Strange Remastered Collection since launch are all included in the Switch version as standard, making it the complete package in more ways than one!

It’s hella cool, as the inestimable Ms Price would say.

When is the Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection coming out?

Here’s the best news of all - you won’t have to wait long to play the Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection.

The game launches physically and digitally on September 27, 2022 - yes, it’s just a few weeks away!

• Preorder the Life is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection

We can’t wait to show you more about this extraordinary Switch collection in the coming weeks. To see more screenshots, news and updates about the game, be sure to follow Life is Strange on social media:

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Feeling snacky? If you’ve been playing videogames we can’t really blame you.

Food plays a big role in many of our favourite games, from managing hunger meters in DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2 to buffing your buddies in FINAL FANTASY XV. And that’s just for starters.

So let us be your maître d, and showcase just a few of the things we have on the menu…

Joyce’s Belgian waffle - Life is Strange

You face many choices in Life is Strange, but few as difficult and emotionally draining as this big one in episode 2: what do you want for breakfast - a bacon omelette or Belgian waffle?

Wow. Yeah, that’s a toughie. Erm…I guess I’d go with the omelette.

Wrong. The correct answer was waffle.

I thought Life is Strange doesn’t have wrong choices?

Well, it technically doesn’t but… what kind of crazy person would choose an omelette over a waffle?

I like eggs!

Ugh - I can’t even look at you right now.

Anyway, the choice comes before an important discussion where Max proves to her friend Chloe that she has the power to rewind time at will. It’s a fantastic scene that’s a perfect accompaniment for that buttery battered beauty.

If I could, I’d rewind time so I could eat the waffle again.

Right? And yet Max never does! It’s a real wasted opportunity.

• More about Life is Strange

Pork bun - Sleeping Dogs

No trip to Sleeping Dogs’ version of Hong Kong would be complete without trying one of the city’s famous pork buns.

Ooh, that sounds delicious!

Yep. A man who never eats a pork bun is never a whole man.

Um… excuse me?

It’s what the vendors say. Again. And again.

And again.

Okay, but what does it mean?

I think it means they want you to buy a pork bun.

In fairness, they do seem to be remarkably nutritious. A quick nibble on this meaty treat and your character Wei Shen gets a health regeneration buff that lets him even shake off knife wounds.

And that’s very useful when you’re trying to infiltrate the Triad.

I see. So you could argue that unless you eat a pork bun, you’ll never be at full health. And therefore, never a whole man.

Oooooh! Now it all makes sense!

…no it doesn’t.

• See Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition

Gysahl Greens - Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY!

If you want a really healthy option, try a pile of Gysahl greens. These vegetables - a staple of the FINAL FANTASY series - are big, green and absolutely delicious.

I dunno, they don’t sound all that good…

They do if you’re a chocobo!

Our fine feathered friends love their greens - particularly the descriptively-named Chocobo from the wonderful Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY!

Exploring dangerous temples is tough work and Chocobo gets hungrier and hungrier as he explores. If the hunger level gets too high, the poor little chap will pass out.

I feel like that at work sometimes.

…well ignoring your obvious cries for help, there is one thing that can keep Chocobo going - Gysahl Greens.

Not only do they sate his hunger, the contented little ‘wark’ he gives out when he chows down is will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

But presumably still hungry.

Well if you’re hungry, this next meal will definitely solve that problem…

• More about Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY!

The Stacked Ham Sandwich - FINAL FANTASY XV

FINAL FANTASY XV is an inspiring story about four friends who travel the world trying to eat every meal in existence.

I don’t think that’s exactly what it’s about…

It is the way I play it.

FINAL FANTASY XV is a food lover’s dream - wherever you go, you’ll be confronted with the most mouth-watering meals imaginable.

But few meals are quite so drool-inducing as this: The Stacked Ham Sandwich.

Oh wow. That is… ample.

Pretty big right?

Yeah. Shut up and give it to me already!

Ah. Well about that. First it has to be made at camp by super-chef Ignis.

That seems fine…

But before that, he has to learn the recipe.

So buy him a cookbook already!

Actually, to get the recipe you need to eat another sandwich: the Fat Chocobo Triple Decker.

That doesn’t seem so bad…

But first you have to go to Wiz’s Chocobo Post….

Inconvenient, but okay.

And then you have to get the owner to add it to the diner’s menu.

…I’m starting to get a bad feeling about this one.

He’ll only add it when you’ve completed a series of quests for him, mostly involving risking life and limb to save different types of chocobos.

And how long will that take!?

Well, depending on where you are in the story, you can probably get through them all in a few hours.

Seriously!?

Look at it this way - to eat a sandwich that size, you’ll need to work up an appetite, right?

(Sobs)

Okay, okay! We’ll look at something a bit quicker.

• More about FINAL FANTASY XV

All the food - DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2

There’s a lot of food in DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2. Like, a lot.

Eating plays a big role in the game. It’s important to keep your hero and allies well fed - and fortunately, the game contains more delish dishes than you can count.

Wow. More than 10?

A lot more than 10, yes.

From simple snacks like a freshly cooked cabbage, to elaborate dishes with multiple ingredients, there’s sure to be something that will make you lick your lips.

Awesome. So it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Well more like an all-you-can-make buffet. You’re a Master Builder remember - if you want something nice, you’ll have to create it yourself.

Aw man… you mean I have to cook my own dinner?

Well yes, but it’s actually really fun!

Remember - DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2 is all about creativity and experimentation, and playing around with the different meals is every bit as rewarding as building a house or slicing up a Slime.

As you explore, you’ll collect all sorts of ingredients, which you’ll be able to combine and cook up in all sorts of ways. You can even make your own farm to create a steady supply of eats to throw on the grill.

Actually that does sound pretty awesome.

Yep. It just goes to prove that when it comes to cooking, the more effort you put in, the more rewarding the result.

Well there’s some food for thought.

• Get DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2

That was just a small canapes-worth of the culinary delights (and not so delights) in Square Enix games.

But we want to know what you think. Did we miss any examples? Do you have any alternate selections? Did you successfully get and eat the Stacked Ham Sandwich? Share your thoughts in the comments and on social media:

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Life is Strange: True Colors has arrived on Nintendo Switch! It’s a fully featured version of the game, with visuals and gameplay comparable to other, more powerful platforms.

That didn’t just happen by magic - there’s no ‘Export Version To Switch’ button that magically ports everything from a PlayStation or Xbox over flawlessly. In fact, a whole lot of work has gone into making sure you don’t notice much of a difference - and it’s taken a lot of time and effort to get there.

To give you an idea of what it took to bring Alex’s journey and the soaring Coloradan mountains of Haven Springs to this amazing console, we’re going to dive into the development and explain seven reasons the Switch version of the game is so impressive.

Dragons, Decks and Squares

Together with developer Deck Nine Games and publisher Square Enix, a team of 30 at Dragon’s Lake Entertainment worked solely on the Switch port for a whole year - including programmers, 3D artists, and specialised QA dedicated to optimising its visuals and performance.

This collective of industry veterans ensured that players get the same experience on the Nintendo Switch as they would on any other gaming platform, and also that the game was optimised for both docked and “on-the-go” handheld modes.

All Killer, no filler

The Nintendo Switch version of Life is Strange: True Colors contains exactly the same content as the other platforms, including all of the character performance capture and facial animations, plus full, uncut audio and extensive licensed music soundtrack.

That means players on Switch get the full, uncut game just as it’s meant to be - including the awesome Steph-focused DLC, Wavelengths, included in the Deluxe Edition.

Let there be lighting

The lighting engine has been entirely rebuilt, including a bespoke LightBaking pipeline and new approach to reflection probes, shaders, and dynamic shadows for dynamic objects.

In addition, a new Switch lighting model has been created specifically for the rendering of lights on faces. The result of all this work is that the reconstructed, Switch-specific solution reaches a similar level of lighting as on the other platforms - albeit via a different route.

It’s been optimised from the ground up to work efficiently with the way Switch processes graphics, so think of this as one of those ‘iceberg’ moments – as a player, you’re seeing the beautifully lit tip of the iceberg that looks much like the other versions. But underneath the surface, the lighting on the Switch version is working in a totally different way, with a whole bunch of Switch-unique processes set up to deliver each frame, and squeeze out every bit of performance and quality, especially in handheld mode.

Supermodels

Every character model and environmental object has been optimised and reworked in the game, preserving fidelity during decimation while optimising polycounts. If, like me, your response to that was “uh… what?”, I asked a member of our production team to explain.

Basically, the number of polygons, or triangles, have been reduced in most of the models, while still keeping the amount of detail and quality, AKA ‘fidelity’, within them. Decimation is another term for ‘LOD’ing – or Level of Detail. Long story short, at the Switch’s handheld and docked resolutions, the character and background models look pretty darn good.

Another trick we’ve done to speed up rendering time is a process called ‘batching’, whereby static items that are close together are clumped into a single item. A bunch of plant pots in the flower shop, a pile of rocks by the river, or a set of trees in the park - while all platforms have some form of batching in play, the Switch version is optimised to ensure performance.

To put all this into perspective, the Haven Springs Main Street saw total scene polygons reduced from 13 million to 9 million, and the Processing Plant at the Mine reduced scene polygons massively, from 21 million to 10 million. Despite this, very little will be noticeably lost to the player - thanks to the wonders of game optimisation, it’s performant but still looks good.

To cut a long story short, developers are geniuses.

Anti-aliasing awesomeness

As you probably know, your display is composed of pixels - the smallest element of every digital image - and these pixels are rectangular in shape. What this means is that when round shapes are shown on screen, you’re almost guaranteed to see some jagged edges - known as aliasing.

Anti-aliasing refers to a process of eliminating these angular edges and smoothing them out. For the Life is Strange True Colors Switch port, anti-aliasing has been reworked using a TAA solution, yet optimised to be as performant as FXAA. If these all just sound like a bunch of letters to you, let me break it down a bit.

TAA and FXAA come into play once the computer has already rendered the object, which allows for the more efficient and less resource-heavy removal of jagged edges.

The primary difference between TAA, which stands for ‘Temporal Anti-Aliasing’ and FXAA, which stands for ‘Fast Approximate Anti-Aliasing’, is the method in which they identify and eliminate aliasing, or ‘rough edges’.

FXAA directly analyses every pixel, identifies the jagged bits, and corrects them before pushing the frame to your screen. TAA, on the other hand, compares the frame with the previous frame to identify edges and prevent issues.

Basically, Life is Strange: True Colors’ Switch version makes use of the gorgeous visuals provided by TAA, with all the advantages of minimal GPU load when using FXAA. Result!

Docked mode

The beauty of Nintendo Switch is having the best of both worlds. If you fancy a chilled session on your big TV at home, dock the console and settle in on the sofa - completely uninterrupted.

Within Life is Strange: True Colors, we have integrated the AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) technique for when the game is docked, which increases performance at 1080p without a hit to visual quality.

Post-processing features

In an effort to match the visual quality of the other platforms, we’ve also built and reworked unique post-processing features, adding in the Atmosphere, Light Shafts, Bloom, Depth of Field and screen space ambient occlusion (SSAO) that conjure the unforgettable world of a Life is Strange game.

You can see all these things in action in the video at the top of this page, but hopefully we’ve done a good job of explaining how much time, expertise and passion have gone into the Nintendo Switch version of Life is Strange: True Colors!

Thanks for reading and to all Switch players, see you in Haven Springs!

• Get Life is Strange: True Colors

Love is in the air here at Square Enix.

Or to be more accurate, love is in the games. Our titles feature many memorable romances, from adorable match-ups to world-spanning romantic tragedies.

We wanted to celebrate our loved-up couples, and what better time to do so than Valentine’s Day? With that in mind, here are seven timeless tales of romance that continue to win our hearts:

Tidus and Yuna - FINAL FANTASY X HD

On the surface, Tidus and Yuna couldn’t be more different. He’s a free-spirited jock drifting in a world he doesn’t understand, while she’s a studious summoner, bound by duty and expectation.

But as the two get closer, they begin to grow and develop as people. Each brings out the best in the other - Tidus helps Yuna find joy and strength for the trials ahead, while she helps him discover purpose and responsibility.

And together they learn to laugh in the face of adversity.

Steiner and Beatrix - FINAL FANTASY IX

Now here’s a knight to remember - Beatrix is incredibly strong, extraordinarily skilled, and wholly dedicated to her master’s orders.

Then there’s Steiner. His dedication to knighthood makes him somewhat inflexible and stubborn with his charge, Garnet. Also… well, let’s just say he’s not the sharpest sword in the scabbard.

Understandably, the pair don’t really see eye to eye at first. Beatrix has a very low opinion of Steiner and the company he keeps - plus she beats him up at least once. But as she realizes that maybe she hasn’t been on the side of justice, her opinion begins to soften.

When the two finally fall in love, it’s one of the sweetest and most charming moments in the game. All together now: D’awwwww.

It may not be the grandest romance in the series, but it’s certainly one of the most adorable.

Lenne and Shuyin - FINAL FANTASY X-2 HD

Sometimes love can send you down a dark path.

Lenne was a songstress and a summoner, and loved deeply by her partner, Shuyin. When she’s sent off the frontlines of a brutal war, Shuyin resorts to… extreme measures to end the conflict and save her. No spoilers, but the path of love doesn’t always flow smoothly…

Of course, in FINAL FANTASY X-2’s world of Spira, death is not always the end. As Yuna and the Gullwings discover, a love this strong can transcend morality, time and even life itself...

Chloe and Rachel - Life is Strange: Before the Storm Remastered

One of the coolest things about the Life is Strange series is that there is no ‘canonical’ timeline. The choices you make and the story that you get are all equally valid - which is a long-winded way of acknowledging that for some players, Chloe and Rachel shared a strong friendship and nothing more.

Those who did guide the pair towards a deeper connection, will have experienced one of the most naturalistic and believable romances in gaming. Over the course of three episodes, see these two young people work through their pain, and come closer through a newfound zest for life.

Of course, if you’ve played the original Life is Strange, you know that the story doesn’t necessarily have a happy ending. But if the series teaches us anything, it’s that you should remember to treasure what you have now, not the things you’ve lost.

Cecil and Rosa - FINAL FANTASY IV pixel remaster

This was the first love story in the FINAL FANTASY series, and it remains one of the most satisfying.

Childhood friends, Cecil and Rosa have a connection that’s obvious from the beginning of the game. As dark knight Cecil grows increasingly troubled by his King’s erratic orders, his first thought is to turn to Rosa for support and advice.

Then, when Cecil goes missing, Rosa doesn’t just sit and wait - she heads off to find him, despite the obvious risks of travelling FINAL FANTASY IV’s dangerous world alone. She even becomes a full member of the party, using her skills as a white mage to keep her beloved hale and hearty.

It just goes to show - the couple that ATBs together, stays together.

Squall and Rinoa - FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered

Well, they couldn’t not be on the list, could they?

Squall’s not exactly the most emotionally available FINAL FANTASY hero - despite the best efforts of his classmates and teacher, nothing can dispel the barrier he’s placed around his heart. At least, until Rinoa comes along.

From the moment they meet and she forces him to dance (he is the best-looking guy there after all), the strong-willed freedom fighter is able to pierce his defenses. Over the course of the game, the pair are pushed closer together, until they finally accept their feelings in one of the most overtly romantic moments in the series history.

That also takes place in space because FINAL FANTASY.

Those were just some of the love stories that made our hearts pitter-patter, but what about you? Share your thoughts with the team on social media:

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The release of Life is Strange Remastered Collection is but a few days away! It is - as a certain Chloe Price might say - hella exciting.

For those very late to the party, the original Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm have been remastered, with improved textures, lighting, animations and more.

• Get Life is Strange Remastered Collection

But you may be wondering: how do the updated visuals compare to the original release? What does the Remastered Collection look like vs the originals?

Well, we can show you! Whilst nothing compares to seeing the game in motion (which you can check out on our YouTube and social channels!), here’s a detailed look at some screenshots from the original release of Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm and the Remastered Collection versions of each game.

Life is Strange Remastered Collection comparison screenshots

The first two games in the Life is Strange series have been enhanced with a host of visual improvements. As you peruse the shots below, here’s just some of what you’ll see:

• Native 4K rendering in Unreal Engine 4 and Unity
• Updated 4K-ready character models with increased polycounts
• More detail on character models, including updated fabrics, tears, injuries and more
• More expressive animations
• A brand new lighting system
• Motion-capture on faces in Life is Strange
• Improved lip-syncing
• Improved hair physics
• Deluxe content for Life is Strange: Before the Storm included as standard (additional outfits for Chloe and the ‘Farewell’ bonus episode).

Let’s take a look at some of the characters across both games:

Max (Life is Strange)

Lots of love was given to Max’s character from head to toe. For example, she now has smoother, more natural hair that has movement physics. In addition, her most prominent freckles have been kept, and some additional subtle ones have been added to give her face a more realistic appearance.

Even her hoodie has been given attention. As you can see, the ambiguous white line on her hoodie is now clearly defined as a zipper!

You can also see the more realistic expressions. In this emotional scene, when Max wakes up in the classroom after rewinding time for the first time, you’ll notice the tip of her nose is red, and her eyes are glassy with tears.

Original

Remastered

Chloe (Life is Strange)

In addition to smoother, more natural-looking hair that moves realistically, there’s much more definition on Chloe’s face. For example, she now has more defined eyebrows, small freckles on her cheek, chin and forehead, individual eyelashes, visible furrows in the irises of her eyes and subtle textures on her lips.

Her clothes also have more realistic details, such as raised edges where seam lines would exist and rounder, smoother geometry for her necklace. Her beanie also has a subtle fabric texture too!

Original

Remastered

Joyce (Life is Strange)

Joyce’s hair has been split up into finer strands that have movement physics. Her face has also been given upgrades including freckles, subtle make-up blush on her cheekbones and eyeshadow and lipstick that matches her style from the original game, but with a more natural application to suit the more detailed models.

Her skin also has a subtle pore texture to make it look more realistic, and the geometry of her face has been adjusted to slightly round out her cheeks.

Original

Remastered

Mr Jefferson (Life is Strange)

In this scene, Max is being told off by her teacher, Mr Jefferson. His expression has been adjusted - his eyes opened slightly to give him a more alert look, and his eyebrows narrowed in anger as he expresses his annoyance at Max.

In fact, his character model is now more detailed and defined than before. His teeth shape has been tweaked, and realistic shadows added to his mouth. More volume has been given to his sideburns to create a smoother progression from hair to beard.

His hair has retained his ‘cool guy’ style but also given a more naturalistic cut, and the arms of his glasses have been slimmed down to better suit the new model’s fidelity. Finally, his clothing has also been given extra detail, with new textures, shadows, and buttons added to his collar.

Original

Remastered

Kate (Life is Strange)

During this scene, Max is standing up against David’s harassment of Kate. Notice Kate’s expression is more nuanced, now filled with a nervous defiance to match her dialogue.

You can also see general updates to her character model, including smoothed out hair, and altered clothing textures, with a more realistic bag strap location and shoulder geometry.

Original

Remastered

Victoria

The team has smoothed out Victoria’s hair and given it natural strands, along with an adjusted, more photo real color.

The collar of her shirt now has a defined pattern, and the buttons and pearls have been rounded out and slightly defined. Her cashmere jumper also now has a subtle fabric texture to it.

Her new eyeline here sees her glaring directly at Max, and her expression is also more nuanced as she sasses Max for being, “Totally stuck in the retro zone, sad face.”

Original

Remastered

Warren (Life is Strange)

Poor Warren’s showing off his fresh black eye to Max, received after getting into a fight with Nathan. His expression has been updated to make him look a lot more sympathetic, with a wry smile, creased brow and more squint to his eyes as he braces himself for her reaction.

You can also see how the lighting has been reworked to give the scene a more cinematic look that matches its tone.

More general changes to Warren include reworked hair, with completely redrawn textures. The jagged geometry has been removed to smooth out shadows, while still retaining his original style. His clothes have also been upgraded with fabric textures, raised edges and stitch lines.

Original

Remastered

Ms Grant

Ms Grant’s hair has been entirely remodeled, and there are also clothing improvements, including stitching on her shawl, definition added to her sticker, textures added to her pink jumper, and edges smoothed out on her white tie.

Original

Remastered

Nathan (Life is Strange)

Here you can see what the improved expressions add to scenes, as Nathan now has wide eyes and an open mouth that signifies his panic, as he tries to calm himself down before he confronts Chloe with a gun.

His character model has received many upgrades. His hair retains its original style, but now sports a more defined hairline at his temples, sideburns and the nape of his neck. His ear has also been remodeled and has more natural shadows.

His varsity jacket now has increased fidelity fabric textures, with chunkier, shiny buttons and a more defined front pocket.

Original

Remastered

Samuel (Life is Strange)

As well as an uplift to skin textures and materials, Samuel’s expression is also more nuanced now, as he chats to Max in a calm manner, with a gentle smile and slightly crinkled eyes.

His hair, eyebrows and beard have all been redefined and the geometry of his glasses has been smoothed out and given a metallic shine. His clothing has seen some subtle adjustments too.

Original

Remastered

Daniel (Life is Strange)

The team made a real effort to retain Daniel’s painterly style, while giving his model some high-fidelity upgrades.

His hoodie has been given a subtle bump map to make it look like real fabric, and the collar of his t-shirt has realistic weathering to indicate that it’s well-loved and often worn. His skin was also given a subtle texture, and his ears now have a more realistic shape and shadow.

Note how his expression is more hopeful in the Remastered shot, as he politely asks Max if he can draw her portrait.

But perhaps the most obvious change is in the background, with the new vegetation introduced across the Blackwell campus, including the tree behind him and the grass, which now has greater variation, definition, and texture.

Original

Remastered

Hayden (Life is Strange)

Even tertiary characters like Hayden have seen subtle upgrades. For example, he has been given more realistic textures on his clothes, with realistic seam lines especially noticeable on the shoulders, around the neck and on the sleeves.

His expression is more relaxed in the Remastered Collection, which matches his laid-back attitude when he chats to Max.

Speaking of Max, you’ll spot loads of character detail in this shot for her too, including realistic folds on the back of her pants and hands which have a more realistic shape and pose than before. Note, too, the buckles on her bag, with new metallic textures and rounded geometry.

But it’s not just the characters who have been upgraded - you can also see how much work’s gone into enhancing the environments of Arcadia Bay. Take a look at the trees, which now have realistic patterns and bumps. You can tell without a doubt that these are birch trees now!

Original

Remastered

Taylor (Life is Strange)

Taylor’s hair has had a complete overhaul, with individual strands now drawn. This is especially noticeable when it sits against her neck and over the back of her shoulders.

Her eyes have also been lit to make them look more focused and her teeth have been remodeled to give her mouth a more realistic shape.

Her clothes have been given an update too, with improved textures, stitches added to seams, and her necklace geometry rounded out.

Original

Remastered

Chloe (Life is Strange: Before the Storm)

Chloe takes center stage as the playable protagonist of Life is Strange: Before the Storm, and her character model has been greatly updated.

As with her appearance in Life is Strange, her face is now much more clearly defined, with extra detail on her face, improved hair and more.

Also in this scene, you can see how foliage in the background has been altered to create more visual interest.

Remastered

Rachel (Life is Strange: Before the Storm)

Rachel already looked good, so her changes are subtle - but they add a lot!

She now is affected and lit by the new global illumination, giving her more subtle shadows across the face and neck. Her earring has been given a texture upgrade, with the strands of the feathers being drawn out.

Her makeup style has been retained from the original game, but defined more naturally, while the blurry eyelashes have been replaced by individual lashes for more realism. She’s also been given some subtle freckles to her forehead and cheeks and some very subtle textures on her face to make her look more human… albeit with a really good skincare routine! Her hair has also been remodeled and smoothed to remove jagged lines.

In the scene below, her irises are now lit up and her eyeline corrected so she's looking directly at Chloe during their intense chat in the truck.

Original

Remastered

David (Life is Strange: Before the Storm)

David’s model has been given a subtle re-sculpt, retaining the key features that make him recognizable. Bump maps create a realistic stubble texture on his chin and neck, and his skin now has pores.

His hair has also been completely remodeled, moving from a rough representation of hair to individual fibers.

In the scene below, more light has been brought into the eyes to create a focal point and emphasize the emotion of the situation.

Original

Remastered

Steph (Life is Strange: Before the Storm)

Steph’s skin has been given some very subtle pore textures and freckles, and her hair has been broken up into more diffuse strands.

Her beanie and t-shirt have new fiber textures, with individual stitches on her collar and a raised edge for the flame patch on her hat. Her dragon necklace has also been given a shiny, metallic finish.

Her eyeline in this scene has also been corrected, so she looks more directly at Chloe.

Original

Remastered

Frank (Life is Strange: Before the Storm)

Frank’s beard and eyebrows have now been given more defined texture, his chunky hair has been broken up into smaller, more realistic wisps, and even his irises have been resized to be more in scale with his face.

His tattoos are clearer than before, and his necklaces have been rounded and now have clearer designs added to them. You can also see how the brim of his hat has been given thinner geometry, with stitches and seams added.

Original

Remastered

Skip (Life is Strange: Before the Storm)

Skip’s uniform has been enhanced with new fabric textures and shiny buttons. Even his walkie-talkie looks more realistic.

His hair has been remodeled slightly to give it more shape while keeping the original style, and definition and shadows have been added to his nose and eyes. His eyebrow shape has also been altered slightly to give him a more hopeful look as he nervously asks Chloe if she’d like to listen to Pisshead’s new demo.

Also, check out the trees behind him!

Original

Remastered

Damon (Life is Strange: Before the Storm)

Damon’s skin has more texture with pores, individual strands of hair are now defined on his head, and his beard lines have been improved.

His necklaces have been refined and given clearer designs and a metallic finish, and his lone piece of gold jewelry has been swapped for silver to match the rest of his gear. Fashion faux pas begone!

If you look behind him, you may also spot that extra foliage has been added to the junkyard to give it a more overgrown appearance.

Original

Remastered

Justin (Life is Strange: Before the Storm)

Justin is another example of how even tertiary characters have had a glow-up. Check out his garments - his hat, jacket and shorts have all been given natural clothing textures, stitches and seams.

The probably the biggest difference you can see in this image is the grass! It really shows off the major vegetation upgrades from the original game.

As for Chloe herself, you may well notice additional details in this shot, including a more relaxed hand shape and pose and a seam line down the side of her jeans.

Original

Remastered

You’ll be able to see all these improvements and more first-hand in the Life is Strange Remastered Collection, available Feb 1, 2022 for Stadia, PS4, Xbox, PC and GeForce Now.

• Get Life is Strange Remastered Collection

To stay up to date with news and information about the game - and to see even more comparisons - make sure you follow Life is Strange on social media:

• Life is Strange on Facebook
• Life is Strange on Twitter
• Life is Strange on YouTube

2022 is here! A new year full of new experiences, new possibilities and - yes - new games.

It’s going to be a particularly exciting year if you’re Square Enix fan. In 2022, you’ll set off to battle the darkness in STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN, discover a whole new world in the stunning Forspoken and reunite with some old friends in the Life is Strange Remastered Collection. And that’s just scraping the surface of what we’re releasing this year!

So let’s take a look ahead at just some of the console and PC releases you can look forward to in 2022!

Life is Strange Remastered Collection

• Release: Feb 1, 2022

Get ready to reunite with Max Caulfield, Chloe Price and Rachel Amber!

The Life is Strange Remastered Collection includes the original Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm. Both games have been seen significant improvements, with remastered character and environment assets, improved lighting and full motion-captured facial animation in Life is Strange.

Fans will get a real thrill out of seeing these beloved games looking better than ever. And if you’ve never played one or both of these seminal narrative adventures before… well, here’s the definitive way to do it.

• Preorder Life is Strange Remastered Collection

BABYLON’S FALL

• Release: March 3, 2022

This exciting new co-operative game has been developed in partnership with PlatinumGames - the action masters behind games like NieR:Automata.

You and your friends take the role of powerful warriors known as a Sentinel and enter the titanic Tower of Babel in search of the great legacy that sleeps inside.

As you ascend this deadly tower, you’ll face hordes of dangerous enemies - fortunately, the ability to equip as many as four weapons at a time means you’re more than equipped to survive. There’s an enormous number of builds to experiment with, and it’s intensely satisfying taking on the challenge of the tower.

And, of course, it’s all presented with a beautiful brushwork art style, which makes every frame look like a painting.

Long story short, there really aren’t many games that look and feel like BABYLON’S FALL - it’s definitely one to watch out for when it releases on March 3, 2022.

• Preorder BABYLON'S FALL

Chocobo GP

• Release: March 10, 2022

What kind of vehicle does Chocobo drive? A Gysahl-guzzler!

Ok, so that joke isn’t great, but this new racing game is. Speeding onto Switch on 10 March 2022, it brings together lovable characters from across the Chocobo and FINAL FANTASY series and pits them against each other in a race for the ultimate prize - anything their heart desires!

With lots of modes, including Story Mode and online races for up to 64-players and more, it’s sure to be… a Kweh-zy time.

That one was better.

STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN

• Release: March 18, 2022

Team NINJA from KOEI TECMO GAMES present a savage new take on the FINAL FANTASY series.

You take control of Jack Garland on a quest to defeat the darkness that threatens the land of Cornelia. You’ll explore sprawling locations full of monsters, traps, and secrets - and switch between a dizzying number of jobs in order to overcome them, from Swordsman to Mage.

Of course, it’s not just a compellingly challenging action RPG - it’s a love letter to the FINAL FANTASY series as a whole. You’ll visit locations featured in the original FINAL FANTASY I, including the Chaos Shrine and Pravoka as well as some others that might cause a few twinges of nostalgia for fans of the series. Plus the attentive among you may have already clocked Jack’s last name…

It’s shaping up to be an amazing game that offers all the brutal challenge and customization that fans of action RPGs adore.

That said, if you’ve previously been put off the genre due to their difficulty, STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN also includes a ‘STORY’ difficulty setting, which balances the strength of enemies and allies in such a way that anyone can get through the adventure. In short, it lets you become the punisher rather than the punished.

However you choose to play it, we can’t wait for you to experience Jack’s journey into darkness on March 18, 2022!

• Preorder STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN

Forspoken

• Release: May 24, 2022

This striking new action RPG from Luminous Productions has turned a lot of heads - and for good reason.

You play as Frey Holland - a seemingly normal New Yorker who is thrust into the dangerous and unfamiliar world of Athia. This world may be beautiful but it’s also cruel - its ruled by a group of destructive and ruthless matriarchs known as ‘Tantas’. As if that wasn’t problematic enough, a relentless miasma called ‘the Break’ has ravaged the land, corrupting all it touches.

Long story short, Frey’s got a big job ahead of her to save this world. Fortunately, she’s equipped with powerful magic that lets her take on dangerous enemies and flow through the world with incredibly smooth and satisfying parkour.

Forspoken releases for PS5 and PC on May 24, 2022. We’ll have much more to share about this next-gen exclusive game in the future, but for now, make sure you follow the team on social media so you get all the big news first:

• Preorder on PS5
• Pre-purchase on PC
• Forspoken on Twitter
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• Forspoken on Instagram

FINAL FANTASY VI pixel remaster

• Release: February 2022 (TBD)

One of the all-time great RPGs returns in 2022!

FINAL FANTASY VI has been updated with beautiful new 2D visuals, quality of life improvements and more.

If you’ve played the rest of the pixel remaster series (FINAL FANTASY I - V are already available), you’ll have a good idea of what to expect - a loving remaster, amazing art and a rearranged soundtrack that absolutely slaps.

It’s coming in February 2022 and will be available to buy separately, or as part of the full pixel remaster bundle.

• Wishlist the FINAL FANTASY VI pixel remaster
• Buy the FINAL FANTASY pixel remaster bundle

Outriders Worldslayer Expansion

• Release: 2022 (TBD)

Outriders won a lot of fans last year thanks to its crunchy combat, super-flexible skills system, and compelling loot. Late last year, the game got even better with the massive New Horizon update, which improved the endgame, loot drops and customization system.

But we know that fans want new content, and that’s exactly what’s coming in 2022. The Worldslayer expansion will take you to the furthest reaches of Enoch, where new stories, new challenges and new threats await.

We’ll have more to share on the upcoming expansion this year, so make sure you follow the team on social media to hear the big news first:

• Outriders on Twitter
• Outriders on Facebook
• Outriders on Discord
• Outriders on Instagram
• Outriders on Youtube
• Official Outriders website

STAR OCEAN THE DIVINE FORCE

• Release: 2022 (TBD)

STAR OCEAN THE DIVINE FORCE is a brand-new RPG that fuses science fiction and fantasy. With two protagonists, several allies, beautiful character designs by renowned artist Akiman, and an unprecedented level of freedom for the series, it’s shaping up to be something very special.

You play as either Raymond or Laeticia. Raymond hails from an advanced civilization, and the captain of the space trading ship Ydas, whereas Laeticia is a princess-knight from a kingdom on an underdeveloped planet.

Regardless of which you choose, you’ll have a genuinely impressive amount of flexibility over how you traverse the world - not only can characters run freely on the ground, they can also fly! Explore the mountains, valleys and towns of the world freely!

The combat system’s equally nimble, with fast-speed attacks, and enemies that force you to dodge and think about your position.

Unfortunately, we can’t give you a release date yet, but the game will release for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Steam in 2022.

• Star Ocean on Twitter
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As you can see, it’s going to be a bumper year for games. We hope you’re as excited to play these as we are!

Of course, we may well have some surprises to share over the course of the next 12 months, so make sure you visit the blog regularly and follow Square Enix on social media to see all the announcements.

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We previously showcased some of the lovable parts of Square Enix games that make us grin from ear to ear - but what about the other side of the coin? The things we fear.

There are some enemies in Square Enix games that make us feel more than a little nervous. Some are ruthlessly difficult, others are just kinda unpleasant, and a few are a heady combination of the two.

Here are just five examples:

PLEASE NOTE: Mild spoilers for FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE, FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered and Life is Strange

X-ATM092 - FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered

Here’s the horrifying thing about the mechanical X-ATM092. It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.

…oh wait no, that’s Terminator. Still, the X-ATM092 is equally persistent. Also known as Black Widow, this massive spider-shaped robot pursues Squall and his fellow mercenary trainees around the town of Dollet during their very hands-on exam.

Making things worse is the ticking timer - you only have a few minutes to get back to your transport and escape. That’s not easy when you’re constantly being drawn into battles with this powerful mech. Even if you can win those fights, X-ATM092 will bounce back in seconds and you’re back to square one.

Stay on the run, and you’ll eventually lead it to the beach, where instructor Quistis will blast it apart with a mounted machine gun. It’s a blessed relief.

Experienced players may know a few coping strategies for this boss, as well as a few tips and tricks to avoid it - but the first time you play, it’s pure panic.

• Get FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered

Malboros - the FINAL FANTASY series

A giant plant with a serious halitosis problem, malboros have been ruining people’s day since 1988’s FINAL FANTASY II.

Whenever you run into one of these big mouthed monsters, you know you’re in trouble. They’re often very tough, high level foes that can dish out massive damage on a whim - but that’s not what makes them such a sweat-inducer.

No, undoubtedly the scariest thing about malboros is their signature ‘Bad Breath’ attack. This rancid cloud inflicts pretty much every debilitating status ailment in the FINAL FANTASY handbook onto your party.

The exact combination of Bad Breath effects differs depending on the game, but you can expect the likes of Poison, Silence and Slow at a minimum. Plus you have to assume it smells really bad.

A special shout out for the Great Malboros in FINAL FANTASY X-2 and their particularly noxious (and obnoxious) Really Bad Breath attack. Trust me - it ain’t that great.

• Get FINAL FANTASY X/X-2 HD Remaster

Nathan Prescott - Life is Strange

Nathan Prescott is not a nice person.

He’s cruel, aggressive, condescending… and dangerous. We see that in the very first moments of the game, when student Max Caulfield witnesses him lose control and accidentally kill her former (and future) BFF Chloe Price.

She’s able to reverse time with her newly manifested powers, but subsequent interactions with Nathan are knuckle-whitening. He’ll shout, he’ll insult and even resort to violence - and the worst thing is that Max, as a fundamentally decent person, doesn’t really have a good way to deal with that unpredictability.

Nathan also treats Blackwell Academy as if he owns it - which in a way his does. His wealthy family is a major financial donor to the school, and the powers that be seem willing to overlook much of his behavior for the sake of that cash.

Of course. Nathan’s as much a victim as he is a villain. He struggles with drugs and mental illness, and his family situation is dysfunctional to say the least. But that doesn’t stop Max and Chloe’s interactions with him from feeling deeply unnerving. He puts them on edge - and us too.

• Get Life is Strange

Tonberries - the FINAL FANTASY series

They say that good things come in small packages. Well, bloomin’ terrifying things do too, as tonberries demonstrate.

Anyone who encounters one of these knife-wielding nightmares likely goes through a phenomenon I like to call ‘The 5 Stages of Tonberry’.

1. Delight - Aw, that’s adorable. Look at its diddy widdle legs and cute hoodie.

2. Suspicion - Wh… why’s it moving so slowly? Why’s it not really doing anything? Something feels… off.

3. Dread - Um… it’s getting closer. What’s it doing? Why is it not dead yet? I’m scared.

4. Despair - AAAAARGH - help me! It’s killing EVERYONE.

5. Resolve - …well that went very badly. Next time will be different (NARRATOR: It wasn’t).

Tonberries appear throughout the FINAL FANTASY series, and though their characteristics vary from title to title, they typically have a few things in common - slow speed, high HP, and a ruthless compulsion to stab your party into oblivion.

From the majestic Tonberry King in FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered to its memorable appearance in FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE, every version of this gaming icon commands both respect and pants-wetting terror.

Well, all except these plushie versions perhaps. Just look at them - d’aww sooo cute!

• See more tonberry plushies!

Those were just five things that make us nervous in Square Enix games, but what do you think? Do you agree with our choices? Which enemies make you clench up? Let us know on social media:

• Square Enix Blog
• Square Enix on Twitter
• Square Enix on Facebook
• Square Enix on Instagram

Life is Strange: True Colors is out now!

This new entry in the narrative adventure series is an all-new, self-contained story that focuses on Alex Chen - a young woman with a mysterious power, on the search for answers in the seeming idyllic town on Haven Springs.

It’s already proving a resounding success with critics and fans alike, but what about those of you who are yet to dip your toe into the series for the first time? What should you expect from the game, and why is it such a special experience?

Read on and we’ll explain all:

1. You forge your own story

What is life if not a series of decisions? What shoes should I wear today (the grey ones), what should I have for lunch? (salad or sandwich), should I play Life is Strange: True Colors after reading this (yes, obviously)?

In Life is Strange: True Colors you’ll constantly be faced with interesting choices to make. Some are large and dramatic, others so small that you may not even notice you’re making them.

Regardless of what you do, the actions you take and the decisions you make can greatly affect both the story and the way characters interact with you. Even if something you do doesn’t seem to have much of an impact in the moment, the effects can ripple down to affect future events in ways you don’t expect.

So, remember decisions have consequences in Life is Strange: True Colors - but just as in life, there are no wrong choices. Just choices.

2. You can play with an amazing - but volatile - power

Alex Chen has an amazing secret. She has the unique ability to ‘see’ people’s emotions as colored auras, and even interact with them directly.

This psychic power of Empathy adds all kinds of fascinating gameplay opportunities. Alex can utilize the power in different ways, depending on the subject and situation. For example, if a character is hiding secrets, or holding something back, Alex can reach into their feelings and use this unspoken information in conversation, helping to get them to trust her.

Alternatively, the emotional aura may be so strong that it transforms Alex’s perception of the world around her. She can then explore this altered environment and search for ‘emotional insights’ that shed more light on what the character has been going through, and what lies at the root of this turbulent emotional state.

There are other ways to use the power too - Game Designer Christopher Sica walked us through these in more detail on the blog. Read it here:

• Life is Strange: True Colors - how powers work in gameplay

3. The characters are interesting, relatable, and believable

Videogame characters tend to be larger than life. We’re used to dealing with the likes of giant sword-swinging soldiers, super-cyborgs, or unusually athletic archaeologists. In Life is Strange: True Colors, you’ll interact with something far rarer in games: normal people.

…except, there’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ person, is there? Everyone is unique, and that’s something the game really drives home. The residents of Haven Springs come from all walks of life, but each one is richly defined, each with their own personalities, passions, and character arcs.

As Alex, you’ll get to know them inside and out. You’ll explore their successes and failures, fears and frustrations, and in doing so gain an intimate knowledge of what makes them… them.

As a result, you’ll discover – and become part of! - one of most memorable groups of characters you’ll encounter in a game this year.

• Meet the characters of Life is Strange: True Colors

4. The town of Haven Springs begs to be explored

It’s a cliché to say you’ll think of the world of a game is almost a character in itself… so we won’t. Even though it’s completely true.

Instead, we’ll say this - the Haven Springs is a beautifully realized, fully-formed town full of amazing things to discover. While previous games in the series guided you from place to place as the plot demanded, Life is Strange: True Colors lets you really soak in this picturesque Colorado mountain town.

You can take your time wandering the high street, check in with friends and acquaintances throughout the game, and really luxuriate in your surroundings. It gives Haven Springs a palpable sense of place that’s quite unlike anything else in the series. You’ll almost want to move there yourself!

Of course, all towns have their dark side…

5. You’ll uncover a compelling mystery

We’re stepping into very mild spoiler territory here, so if you want to play the game completely blind, avert thine eyes.

Alex Chen enters the town of Haven Springs to reunite with her brother Gabe. But tragedy strikes when Gabe dies. It’s seemingly an accident, but Alex isn’t convinced, and she starts peeling away the layers of secrets in Haven Springs to get to the truth.

That’s the central mystery that drives the story in Life is Strange: True Colors, and it’s brilliantly constructed, with revelations and surprises that will change the way you think about the town and its inhabitants.

6. You’ll hear one of the best soundtracks in gaming

The Life is Strange series is known for its amazing soundtracks, and True Colors is no exception. The game features brand new original songs by some of the hottest artists out there, including Novo Armor, Angus & Julia Stone, and more.

They sit alongside a wider playlist of amazing tunes, including tracks by Kings of Leon, Phoebe Bridgers, Mura Masa, Gabrielle Aplin, and many others.

Of course, we’d be remiss not to mention the incredible mxmtoon, who has not only produced new original music for the game, but also performs as the singing voice of Alex Chen. You may have heard her cover of Creep - it’s something special.

You can also check out Angus & Julia Stone’s full soundtrack album on YouTube, along with an exclusive acoustic performance.

The soundtrack is available now on Spotify so take a listen:

• Listen on Spotify

And don’t forget to check out the Lo-Fi is Strange: True Colors playlist of unique remixes!

7. You’ll get the whole experience

Previous Life is Strange stories have been released episodically, but things are a little different this time. Life is Strange: True Colors includes the full story from beginning to end.

Want to experience the entire game as a single continuous experience? That’s entirely possible. Alternatively, if you’d rather take a break between chapters to let the characters and themes rattle around in your head for a while, you can do that too.

It’s entirely your decision on how you want to play it - and what could be more Life is Strange than that?

Life is Strange: True Colors is available now for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows Store, Stadia, GeForce NOW, and PC Steam, and is coming to Nintendo Switch later this year.

• Get Life is Strange: True Colors

For more news about the Life is Strange series, including the upcoming Life is Strange Remastered Collection, make sure you follow the team on social media:

• Life is Strange on Facebook
• Life is Strange on Twitter
• Life is Strange on YouTube

Dear Life is Strange: True Colors players,

Thank you for taking the time to play and review our beloved Life is Strange: True Colors. This game was born out of a question that fascinated us during the development of Before the Storm - how can video games act as tools for exploring empathy?

Today, this question grips us and beguiles us as much as ever. After 17 months, and counting, of global trauma, isolation, and loneliness, we are deeply humbled to be offering up a story about connection and hope against all odds. Much as Alex’s power allows her to feel the emotional truths of others, we hope players will feel the love we poured into the game as an expression of the immense gratitude that we share for each other and our Life is Strange community.

For both Alex and the player, the journey through Haven will reward what you put into it. We encourage you to explore every shop and alleyway of Main Street, delve into the lives of each character you meet, and unearth all the memories buried just beneath the surface. Alex’s path is winding and sometimes painful, made all the more so by her power. But she will come to discover that her empathy, like a supernatural prism, has refracted the light of all the lives she’s touched into the colorful tapestry of her own life.

In the end, that tapestry will reflect each player’s journey through the game, a culminating statement on who their particular Alex is - and, perhaps, a deeper knowledge of who they are as well. We hope you enjoy exploring this question as much as we did

Best,

Deck Nine Games

Hi everyone - this is Christopher Sica, Game Designer at Deck Nine.

Life is Strange: True Colors stars main character Alex Chen, a gifted individual with the unique psychic power of Empathy. This power allows her to connect with individuals around the town of Haven Springs, learning about who these characters are, the struggles they face, and the backgrounds that shaped the dynamic characters we interact with throughout the game.

From a gameplay perspective, the development team wanted a fun gameplay mechanic that supports our strong narrative and allows players to use the Empathy power in unique ways to learn more about Haven Springs, the characters surrounding Alex, and ultimately Alex herself.

Gameplay Mechanics

Alex’s power can be used in a few ways throughout the game:

Environmental Power Moments

Life is Strange: True Colors allows players to use the Empathy power in “environmental power moments” that are frequently found in the open spaces and the town of Haven Springs. Here, the power can be used in different ways to advance gameplay and deepen the player’s engagement with the narrative.

Here are just a few examples:

Characters will be hiding secrets, and not telling Alex everything they know directly up front. For example, if a character is afraid in the moment and does not want Alex to know how they are truly feeling, they will only give her a shallow response.

Alex can use her psychic power of Empathy to gain more information from these characters, delving into how they truly feel, and using this unspoken information to help characters trust Alex and connect with her.

Many of the townsfolk on the streets of Haven Springs will have storylines that you can follow across the chapters in the game. You can, for example, chart the story of a young couple as they try to figure out their relationship.

These storylines are completely optional. If Alex wants to skip these interactions, she can, but they bring additional color to those willing to explore further, and allow Alex to connect deeper with the town of Haven Springs – and its uncertain future.

Other characters will offer additional insight into the current situations in the game. These moments give Alex background on what is happening around town, and allows her to better understand the people of Haven Springs and connect with the struggles, triumphs, and experiences they are going through.

Pressing and holding the power button allows Alex to see nearby “emotion auras” on NPCs. The emotional auras on these NPCs are subtle, and Alex can only see them once she actively looks for them. Alex can walk up to the NPCs to interact and trigger an emotional insight. Alex will respond to each of these insight interactions with her thoughts, observations, and how she is feeling in these moments.

Story-Vital Power Moments

Life is Strange: True Colors also features “story-vital power moments” where Alex will explore the emotions of the primary characters in our story in depth. These characters have an emotional aura around them where the aura is so strong that Alex can always see it.

Alex absorbs a character’s emotional aura by connecting with the character, to truly feel their emotional state. At this point, Alex is transported into the unique emotional world that this character is feeling, the emotions of the other character coloring and transforming Alex’s perception of the world around her.

The player then explores this new emotional environment, looking for “emotional insights”. These emotional insights lead to hidden secrets about the character and give the player more information on the emotions that the character is going through. Alex can then use the secrets she learns from these insights to interact with the character and help them.

Visual Design

The development team worked hard on the visual design for the psychic power of Empathy to help players understand and feel immersed with Alex’s power.

Characters will shimmer with different colors of emotional auras, to help Alex identify which emotion they are feeling.

Blue auras symbolize Sadness; Purple auras symbolize Fear; Red auras symbolize Anger; Gold auras symbolize Joy. Each emotion has a unique UI icon, animation, and VFX to connect the visual design with the emotion. Characters where Alex can use her Empathy power will also feature unique “hotspot UI” with an animating circle dot next to their name to help indicate this is a special power interaction.

Emotional auras also feature different intensity levels depending on how strong of an emotion the character is feeling. Alex will come across various emotional intensity levels throughout the game - be prepared for surprises in store as the intensity of these emotions increases!

So that’s a brief explanation of how Alex’s powers work in gameplay, and some of the ways you’ll be able to use it to discover the secrets of Haven Springs.

You’ll be able to try it for yourselves in just a few months, when Life is Strange: True Colors releases for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC on September 10, 2021.

• Preorder Life is Strange: True Colors

We’ll have much more to share about the game in the coming months, so make sure you follow the team on social media for updates:

• Life is Strange on Facebook
• Life is Strange on Twitter
• Life is Strange on YouTube

Hi, this is Jonathan Zimmerman, Narrative Director for Life is Strange: True Colors.

The Life is Strange series is all about making decisions, and in Life is Strange: True Colors, we’ll present some of the most difficult and emotionally-complex choices yet.

The many residents of Haven Springs are fascinating and fully-rounded figures, each with their own strengths, desires and flaws. Using Alex Chen’s psychic power of Empathy, you won’t just get to know these people by what they say and do, but also by what they feel.

You’ll need to consider on this information when making decisions in the game, as many have lasting consequences that will shape the story and its characters dramatically. To give you a sense of what I mean, I thought I’d walk you through a choice from early in the game, and look at some of the outcomes that can result from it.

The decision

This decision focuses on three characters: Mac Loudon, Gabe Chen, and Riley Lethe.

Mac Loudon is the hot-headed, jealous boyfriend of Riley. Gabe Chen is the amiable bartender and transplant to Haven Springs. Gabe has become something of a confidant for Riley for a decision about her future that she hasn’t even shared with her boyfriend Mac.

This infuriates the hotheaded Mac, who has grown convinced that Riley is cheating on him with Gabe. These are all key pieces of information for the player to gather as Alex, as she moves through the Black Lantern and Haven Springs.

What’s more, a bruising encounter between Mac and Gabe acts as an unfortunate welcome for Alex on her first day in town, and neither she nor Mac are at all sure what to make of each other in its wake.

All of this tension remains unresolved as Alex begins her first shift as server at The Black Lantern, and runs into Mac, still licking his wounds in the back room. If they wish, the player can choose to use Alex’s power to empathically connect to Mac.

Through her power, Alex can feel Mac’s genuine love for Riley, his regret for the encounter with Gabe, and his fear that Riley is slipping away - and may even break up with him. Mustering the few scraps of humility of which he is capable, Mac makes a heartfelt plea to Alex. He begs her not to tell Riley how aggressive he was with Gabe.

Choice and consequence

Sure enough, Riley arrives on a warpath, laying into Mac and telling him that, unless he can give her a good explanation, they’re finished. Mac spins up a version that makes him and Gabe equally culpable - which is when Riley spots Alex. “Oh god, were you there too?” she asks, prompting Alex to choose how best to respond.

If Alex felt Mac’s true emotions, she may choose to let him off the hook, giving him the chance to save his relationship and hopefully do better in the future. Going forward, Alex could see Mac and Riley’s relationship blossom in unexpected ways, and may even be able to tap Mac for crucial information about Gabe’s death.

Alternatively, Alex may also choose to disregard Mac’s hidden emotions, or avoid engaging with them all together. Instead, she will call out Mac’s bull and tell Riley the truth, unvarnished and ugly. As a result, Mac and Riley’s relationship will be forever altered and Mac’s animosity toward Alex will grow ever stronger.

Neither decision is right and neither decision is wrong - it’s up to you to decide what the best course of action is. Either way, this is a choice made very early on in the game that has lasting consequences throughout. Mac and Riley’s status affects not just their relationship with each other and with Alex, but with the rest of Haven Springs’ expansive supporting cast.

That’s just one decision out of many you’ll have to make in Life is Strange: True Colors… but I’ll avoid saying more because I want you to discover them - and their outcomes - for yourselves.

Life is Strange: True Colors releases for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on September 10, 2021. It’s available for pre-order now, and if you choose the Ultimate Edition, you’ll also get the Life is Strange Remastered Collection included!

• Preorder Life is Strange: True Colors

We’re excited to show you more about the game in the future, so make sure you follow Life is Strange on social media for updates:

• Life is Strange on Facebook
• Life is Strange on Twitter
• Life is Strange on YouTube

Hi - this is Jonathan Zimmerman, Narrative Director at Deck Nine Games.

During Square Enix Presents, we introduced you to Alex Chen and her astounding - and volatile - psychic power of Empathy. But she’s just one of the many fascinating people you’ll find in the town of Haven Springs.

Let me introduce you to them:

Alex Chen - 21

• DOB - July 10, 1997
• Performed by - Erika Mori

Long before her arrival in Haven Springs, Alex Chen has already faced far more than her share of adversity. Even her singular attribute, the supernatural power of empathy that allows her to feel and understand others’ emotions, preys on her like a curse rather than a gift. Only her music offers a respite. In accepting her brother’s offer to come to Haven Springs, Alex is performing an act of radical hope, believing that she may yet find the home and family she has been searching for. To do so, she will need to confront her past trauma and find the strength to withstand the roiling emotions both outside and inside of herself.

Gabe Chen - 25

• DOB - December 2, 1993
• Performed by - Han Soto

Beyond being Alex’s older brother, Gabe is also the perfect role model for her journey. After years adrift, Gabe finally found a home in the Rocky Mountain enclave of Haven Springs. More than anyone, Gabe has Jed Lucan to thank, the father figure who saw his potential and helped secure his place in the community as a beloved bartender and friend to so many. Now, with the support of his girlfriend Charlotte, Gabe hopes to extend the same generosity to his estranged sister Alex. But even with this newfound maturity, Gabe has never lost the playful wit and roguish charm that are his hallmarks.

Jed Lucan - 67

• DOB - February 29, 1952
• Performed by - Stephen F. Austin

A lifelong resident of Haven Springs, Jed is a stalwart member of the town and the owner of the Black Lantern bar and restaurant. Before opening his iconic watering hole, Jed spent decades working at the mine outside town and maintains strong connections to the mining community. While he can come across as gruff, those in the know praise his compassion and love for his son Ryan and the entire town of Haven. It is this same compassion that led Jed to help carve out a place for Gabe, and Alex hopes that she can similarly find her way into his good graces.

Ryan Lucan - 25

• DOB - September 14, 1993
• Performed by - Eric Emery

Ryan Lucan is Jed’s son and Gabe’s best friend. With his job as a park ranger, plus his plaid jacket and all-consuming love for nature, Ryan can seem like the quintessential Colorado outdoorsman. But Ryan possesses a sensitivity that belies his burly persona. Unlike his father, Ryan is a true introvert, preferring his own company and the quiet of nature to the bustle of the bar. But to his friends, Ryan is unfailingly loyal and kind. Gabe has been fortunate enough to find himself in that circle, impressing Ryan with his willingness to throw himself into outdoor activities and serve as the perfect companion. Despite their differences, Ryan and Gabe share a similar pain from their pasts that binds them together and creates the potential for Ryan to understand Alex better than most.

Steph Gingrich - 25

• DOB - December 17, 1993
• Performed by - Katy Bentz

Born in Oakland and raised in Arcadia Bay, Steph has taken a long and winding journey to find herself in Haven Springs. For many years, Steph was running from her past without any clear purpose or destination in mind. While nothing seemed to stick for long, Steph found something more surprising while passing through Colorado — a home. After an all-nighter with Gabe and Ryan, Steph made the impulsive decision to take the open job at the local record store and try her hand in the DJ booth. It is an ideal set up for Steph’s rare combination of talents and interests, but time will tell how long this moment of stasis can last.

Charlotte Harmon - 28

• DOB - February 13, 1991
• Performed by - Exzinia Scott

Like much of Haven, Charlotte arrived in town in search of new start. She is a woman who wears many hats - single mother, dispensary proprietor, visual artist - and has become beloved around town for her sensitivity and passion. Most recently, her relationship with Gabe has grown more serious, as Gabe has taken a more active role in her son Ethan’s life, and she has helped Gabe reconnect with Alex and bring her to Haven.

Ethan Lambert - 10

• DOB - November 10, 2008
• Performed by - Ignacio Garcia-Canteli

Ethan is a creative and energetic child, with a rebellious streak that sometimes gets him into trouble. He is a lover of comics, both reading them and drawing his own, and exploring the mountains around town. Despite Gabe’s awkwardness at trying to affect any kind of parental authority, or perhaps because of it, the two have grown very close as Gabe and Charlotte’s relationship has blossomed.

Eleanor Lethe - 54

• DOB - November 1, 1964
• Performed by - Karen Slack

Eleanor is a respected citizen of Haven, cherished for her curation of the Bridge of Flowers and the annual Spring Festival. She has an artistic eye and a sweetness that is sometimes offset by a sharp sense of humor. Eleanor took over as her granddaughter Riley’s sole guardian and has raised her for most of her life.

Riley Lethe - 20

• DOB - June 12, 1998
• Performed by - Danielle Renee Vivarttas

Riley was born and raised in Haven Springs and is well known in town as Eleanor’s granddaughter and her assistant at Lethe’s Flowers. Despite her strong ties to Haven, particularly her grandmother and her boyfriend Mac, Riley’s curiosity about the world has her considering what to do next.

Mac Loudon - 23

• DOB - August 2, 1995
• Performed by - Dwight Braswell

Another Haven lifer, Mac began working at the local mine straight out of high school and has risen quickly to the role of Safety Manager. He typifies the stout, competent, and sometimes brash culture of the local mining community. He can also be hot-headed and prone to conflict, particularly with Gabe. But despite his rough edges, Mac is known for being intensely loyal to his town and close relationships, most notably his girlfriend Riley and her grandmother Eleanor.

Diane Jacobs - 34

• DOB - April 8, 1985
• Performed by - Anastasia Davidson

Intelligent and savvy, with a mastery of both the core science and business of mining, Diane has risen quickly through the ranks at her job and become the chief liaison on the massively valuable Colorado mining project. While very much an outsider in Haven, Diane has done a good job fitting into the local culture and ingratiating herself to the community. She has also become a regular at The Black Lantern and can be found most nights bantering with Gabe or Jed.

You’ll meet this intriguing cast on September 10, when Life is Strange: True Colors launches for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Steam and Stadia.

You can preorder the game now:

• Preorder Life is Strange: True Colors

To stay up to date with news and updates about the game, make sure you follow the Life is Strange team on social media:

• Life is Strange on Facebook
• Life is Strange on Twitter
• Life is Strange on YouTube

Today, as part of SQUARE ENIX PRESENTS, the next major game in the award-winning Life is Strange series was revealed.

Featuring a brand-new cast, power, and story, it offers the perfect starting point for anyone new to the series, without any need to have played previous games. If you missed the show, here are 5 quick facts to get you up to speed.

1. You'll play as Alex Chen

In Life is Strange: True Colors, you’ll play as Alex Chen. At the age of 21, she travels to Haven Springs for a chance to reunite with her estranged brother.

Alex is sharp and witty, but initially keeps her distance from others, in the hopes of hiding her ‘curse’…

2. You'll wield the psychic power of Empathy

Alex has long suppressed her ‘curse’: the supernatural ability to experience, absorb and manipulate the strong emotions of others, which she sees as blazing, colored auras.

However, Alex must embrace her volatile power to solve the mystery that haunts Haven Springs.

3. You’ll solve a dark mystery

When Alex’s brother dies in a tragic so-called accident, Alex senses there’s a larger story behind what happened to him, and she sets out to discover the truth.

Only Alex – using her psychic power of empathy – can uncover what really happened. In doing so, she’ll uncover the dark secrets buried by the small town of Haven Springs.

4. You’ll find friendship – or possibly romance

Alex will need to build trust with the townsfolk to understand what happened to her brother. She’ll also meet two new friends who will support her through the investigation: Ryan, a kind-hearted, dorky park ranger, and Steph, a local radio DJ and LARP enthusiast.

Whether these friendships spark something more, is entirely up to you.

5. You'll choose your own path

Life is Strange games are all about making tough decisions, which impact your story and Alex’s future. Now, with a new level of freedom for the series, you can roam the streets, stores, and hidden spaces of Haven Springs, solving puzzles and helping the local townsfolk with your power.

You can also decide Alex’s style, with up to 24 outfits in your wardrobe to choose from – making your playthrough completely personal to you.

In the end, it will be down to your choices that will help Alex decide whether she can make this remote Colorado town somewhere she can finally call home.

Does this sound like your kind of game? If so, you should check out the trailer now:

Life is Strange: True Colors arrives on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Steam on September 10. Unlike previous titles, it’s releasing all at once, so you can either binge-play it or use the chapter breaks to take an emotional breather now and then.

The game’s available to preorder now, with some great bonuses, including exclusive outfits, and the Deluxe Edition bonus story ‘Wavelengths’.

What’s more, if you preorder the Life is Strange: True Colors Ultimate Edition, you’ll get the Life is Strange: Remastered Collection included. This new bundle features the original Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm, both remastered with improved visuals and animation.

• Preorder Life is Strange: True Colors

Finally, to stay up to date with news and information about Life is Strange: True Colors, make sure to follow the team on social media:

• Life is Strange on Facebook
• Life is Strange on Twitter
• Life is Strange on YouTube

In Best Bits, we look at some of our favorite moments from Square Enix games, and why we think they stand out. To be clear, we’re not declaring them to be the pinnacle of the game, merely one of many moments that we love. So don’t get upset with us if you disagree, okay?

While Life is Strange put developer DONTNOD on the map as masters of the interactive narrative, it was the follow-up, Life Is Strange 2 that really cemented their status as the best in the biz.

From the very first episode, Life is Strange 2 hits gamers with a story that’s in equal turns imaginative, unique and emotional - and where your decisions and actions really do make a difference.

With that episode now available to play for free on PS4, Xbox One and Steam, we thought it would be the perfect time to take a look at one of our favorite sequences: a quiet night in the forest.

What happens in the forest?

16-year old Sean Diaz and his 9-year old brother Daniel have fled their home in Seattle following a tragedy that tore their lives apart. On the run and hunted by the police, the pair stop in the woods for some much-needed respite.

After the intensity of the previous scenes, the brothers finally get a chance to relax and take stock of the situation. They can scavenge for food, go fishing, skim stones, race or just sit and chat - it’s an area that’s positively overflowing with things to see and do.

As for what specifically happens… well that largely depends on you. The choices you make in Life is Strange 2 have a big impact on where the story goes, how characters react and more. This one scene has an impressive number of permutations - the events you experience may not be the same as someone else’s.

For example, on my first playthrough, Sean was very much the responsible big brother. He looked out for his brother at every turn, stopped him eating berries, kept him on task. As the brothers chilled out enjoying a moment of calm, they chatted and Daniel was able to have a good night’s sleep - even though he went to bed pretty hungry.

On a different playthrough though, Sean was a bit more relaxed with his brother. He was more playful and teased him in the way that very specific siblings do. While more fun was had, I accidentally went too far and scared Daniel, resulting in an upset and restless little brother.

What makes this section so good, and such a highlight of the series, is that both versions were enjoyable, each with very different buy equally satisfying payoffs. And that was just two ways of many the scene can go.

But why? What exactly makes this part of the game work so well?

It’s stunningly beautiful

The forest is one of the most visually spectacular areas in Life is Strange 2 - one look at the screenshots will tell you that. The game’s vivid colors and almost painterly art-style combine to create an environment that looks great, and just feels good to inhabit.

In short, it’s pretty impressive - emphasis on pretty. That beauty didn’t come easy though - it was a lot of work for the team at DONTNOD.

According to the game’s Director Michel Koch: “It was one of the very first parts we worked on, as we started production of Life is Strange 2.

“The scenery was a challenge because we’ve never worked on that type of environment before - We went hiking in Washington and took lots of photos, which we used as reference when defining how it would look and feel.

“But while we were building the scene, we were also using it to do things like work out the mechanics of the game. The whole thing was quite challenging!”

It’s a pivotal moment for Sean Diaz

By the time we head into the trees, we’ve spent a good amount of time as Sean Diaz. We’ve seen what kind of person he was, but the sequence in the words lets us really define the type of person he’ll become.

Will he grow up fast into a stern and protective guardian to his brother or will he act like the teenager his is? Will he become overprotective and deprive Daniel of valuable experience, or give Daniel more freedom, despite the risks that come with that?

It all depends on you and what’s brilliant is that there’s no big decisions or binary choices here. You’ll shape Sean through a series of small choices - some obvious, but others far more subtle. Because the character is specifically yours, it’s all too easy to identify with him - and makes the emotional beats of the story hit so much harder.

Your decisions affect more than just Sean

But it’s not just Sean who’s shaped by this chapter - Daniel is too. One of the coolest things about the series as a whole is that Daniel learns from Sean’s actions. This system is invisible to the player, but almost every decision Sean makes, no matter how tiny, has an impact on Daniel’s behavior.

For example, if he sees Sean steal something, he may do the same later. If Sean swears, Daniel can start cussin’ like a sailor.

That’s why this section is so pivotal to the episode - and the series as a whole.

As Koch says: “it’s a really important scene. It’s the first major moment after the incident in Seattle, and we wanted to teach the player that they are now responsible for Daniel and will have to make decisions that affect both him and Sean.

“That ties into the theme of responsibility in Life is Strange 2 - when you take care of a child, your behavior influences theirs.”

In other words, the time in the woods sets out game’s stall and very subtly says to the player: your decisions may have more impact than you think.

All your choices are the right choice… and also the wrong ones

There’s a very clear creative intent behind the choices presented in the Life is Strange series - players shouldn’t have to worry about making a bad or ‘incorrect’ decision. Koch, explains:

‘The Life is Strange games are about life and real issues. We try not to portray anything as black or white, but instead as shades of grey.

‘There is no pre-defined right way to live - a person’s life is defined by the decisions they make. Some decisions may come to bite you, but you have to live with it. That’s what we try to emphasis in our games - it’s not our job to decide what’s right or wrong.”

That philosophy is on full display in this one section of the game. As Sean and Daniel explore the woods, there are plenty of decisions to make - some obvious and others more subtle, and they all affect how the scene plays out.

What’s key is that none of them feel like you made a ‘bad’ choice - they all feel like natural - and satisfying -consequences of the choices you made.

As the game’s writer Jean-Luc Cano says: “There are no good or bad decisions in life. There are just decisions.”

Sean and Daniel Diaz’s trip into the forest works as a perfect snapshot of Life is Strange 2. Decisions have weight, with meaningful consequences, it reinforces the themes of the game, and it has real emotion and heart - and it captures everything that makes this story such a wonderful experience.

But don’t take our word for it - the entire first episode is now available to play for free, so you can experience these amazing moments first hand.

• Get on PS4
• Get on Xbox One
• Get on Steam

So give it a go, and then visit us on social media to tell us how right we were about everything:

• Life is Strange on Facebook
• Life is Strange on Twitter
• Life is Strange on YouTube

Who doesn’t love a demo? After all, they’re a fantastic way to get a free taste of a game and see if it’s for you. That said, they do typically come with one minor downside: you have to download them.

That can be mildly frustrating right? You sit there, twiddling your thumbs(ticks), waiting as the progress bar slowly inches towards completion. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just immediately jump in and start playing?

Well, if you’re on PC, that’s exactly what you can do with Life is Strange 2. We’ve teamed up with our friends at Polystream to create a free streaming demo of the critically-acclaimed adventure game.

It’s available now across North America and Europe - simply visit the Life is Strange website and, if your PC and broadband connection meet the minimum specs, you can start playing a sample of the game in seconds. Here’s how you do it:

Step 1: Head over to https://lifeisstrange.com

Step 2: If your PC and broadband connection meet the specs, you’ll see the ‘STREAM DEMO’ button. Click it to download and open the bitesize Polystream launcher – and start playing!

Step 3: Enjoy the demo and get ready to make some tough decisions…

For more information, availability, minimum PC specs, and broadband requirements, please refer to the FAQ.

It’s a great way to experience Life is Strange 2 - and if you haven’t already, you really should, because it’s a truly unforgettable game.

Developed by DONTNOD, it follows two brothers: 16-year old Sean and 9-year old Daniel Diaz. A traumatic incident tears them from their home in suburban Seattle, forcing them into a dangerous life on the road. Adding to the chaos, Daniel is developing a new telekinetic power. The bond between the brothers will be tested to the limit, but as for what happens… that depends on you.

Life is Strange 2 features a very complex choice system, in which your actions and reactions determine not only how scenes play out, but also how characters interact.

There’s another good reason to play the demo too - the technology is really cool! The streaming demo uses the Polystream platform, which delivers real-time 3D experiences on demand from the cloud. Because there are no downloads, you can jump straight into the meat of the game with no hassle, faff or waiting.

If you like what you play, all 5 episodes of Life is Strange 2 are available now on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

Get Life is Strange 2

To stay up to date with news about the Life is Strange series, make sure you follow the team on social media too:

• Life is Strange Blog
• Life is Strange on Facebook
• Life is Strange on Twitter
• Life is Strange on YouTube

Schadenfreude - a German word that means to take pleasure for someone else’s misfortune.

It’s something that many of us seek out in our games - the small, pointless and petty acts of cruelty that make us feel… satisfied. We attempt to ‘trick’ AI for comedic effect, find ways to make our heroes fall over, or just try to make them look silly.

Sometimes developers intentionally add opportunities into their games to accommodate these darker urges, but much of the time it’s up to the player to abuse or manipulate the mechanics in a way that was never intended. Usually for a laugh.

We’ve already talked about times games made us villains, but we thought it would be interesting to find out whether any of us at Square Enix HQ were jerks in games through choice. We quizzed the team and what we learned was… disturbing.

So here are a few times we indulged our worst impulses in Square Enix games:

Tripping Vivi - FINAL FANTASY IX

Vivi is one of the most charming and likeable FINAL FANTASY characters. The young Black Mage is awkward, clumsy and desperately in need of a friend. Honestly, to be mean to Vivi would be akin to kicking a puppy - it’s just… wrong!

And yet, at least one person, who works for this very company, admits to torturing Vivi for his own entertainment.

In the city of Alexandria, right at the start of the game, Vivi can approach some kids and try to play jump rope. The aim is to leap over the rope as many times as possible, but this particular player, played over and over again to intentionally trip poor Vivi!

Why? Because he thought it was funny. We’re a bit scared of that person, to be honest.

Get FINAL FANTASY IX

Denying Prompto’s passion - FINAL FANTASY XV

This act of petty and unnecessary cruelty sits almost entirely in the head of the individual who suggested it, but it’s so weirdly well-considered, we have to mention it.

Prompto - and his photography - is one of the many highlights of FINAL FANTASY XV. He has a rich and compelling backstory and his quirky quips and snazzy snaps make him a genuine joy to have as a traveling companion. He’s just so… nice.

So naturally, one of the more cruel in the office admitted to an attempt to crush that spirit.

According to this member of the team, on his third playthrough, he decided to run a campaign of demoralization on the put-upon Prompto. Specifically, he decided to deny him any pleasure from his true love - photography.

Throughout the game, Prompto will show the gang pictures, ask to stop the car for a photo op, and even ask the player what they want him to take pictures of. In all cases, this player either ignored the request, showed disinterest (“whatever”), or actively denied him the opportunity. He even refused to look at the day’s pictures when he rested.

Prompto never showed any sign of disappointment, outside of the occasional groan when you deny him a picture. Throughout the adventure, he’s still the same cheerful Prompto - the game doesn’t care if you photo-block your friend.

But in this particular player’s head-canon, that upbeat attitude was masking a thick, rich seam of misery and despair.

All I can say is wow man… that’s dark.

• Get FINAL FANTASY XV

Bullying the baddies - DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

We’ve all done this one.

In the early stages of an RPG like the DRAGON QUEST series, all monsters are a threat. Until you build up your experience, you have to keep your wits about you, because any attack could be your last.

So you fight and scrape your way through, use valuable restoratives and eventually make your way to the nearest church battered and bruised.

So there’s a certain sadistic satisfaction in going back to those areas when you’ve leveled up to teach each and every Slime and Dracky a little lesson about power. Let’s see how they like it.

There’s no real advantage to doing this - the experience gain is negligible and enemies don’t drop much valuable loot - so it’s all rather petty on our part. But oh boy, it feels good.

• Get DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

Rico-rolling - Just Cause 4

Rico Rodriguez has fought armies, taken down dictators and saved entire countries. But there’s one threat he’ll never be able to defeat… us.

One of the best features of the recent Just Cause 4 is the ability to keep Rico in a ragdoll state indefinitely. Essentially, if he takes a tumble, we can hold down a button and he won’t try to get up until gravity stops doing its thing.

It’s really satisfying to smash a wingsuiting Rico into a mountain, and make him tumble all the way down, bouncing over and over. And over again. All while poor Rico yelps out in pain and anguish. Mwahahaha!

...ahem.

You can enhance the effect further by activating the secret laughter track, making every pratfall sound like a cheesy studio sitcom.

It’s utterly undeserved, and yet endlessly compelling - though perhaps that says more about us than the game.

• Get Just Cause 4

That was the team here, but what about you? Have you ever indulged your dark side like this, or are you above such things? Share your memories in the comments or on social media:

• Square Enix on Facebook
• Square Enix on Twitter

Here we are: the end of the road.

Daniel and Sean Diaz have gone on quite the journey in Life is Strange 2. Ever since their lives were torn apart in Episode One, they’ve been forced into a life on the road, made new friends, faced dangerous new foes, learned uncomfortable truths about themselves and the world, and had their brotherly bond tested to the absolute limit.

Now, the conclusion to this dramatic tale has arrived: Life is Strange 2 Episode 5 is available to download today.

• Get Life is Strange 2

What happens in Life is Strange 2 Episode 5?

Despite their many trials, the Diaz brothers have nearly made it to the border with Mexico.

But getting to freedom won’t be easy - a brutal gauntlet of challenges stand ahead of them. Sean is surrounded, and caught between his sense of responsibility and desire for freedom. Will he be able to find a way out of his predicament - and will Daniel follow his lead?

Make no mistake: this is it. All your decisions have been leading to this point. The game’s complex Choice and Consequence system means that more than 50 choices have affected Daniel’s Trust and Morality so far.

Some will have been obvious, others a lot more subtle - but the sum of all these choices will shape the story you play in the finale.

Will Daniel and Sean survive? Will they stay together or be torn apart? There are all kinds of ways the story can go - I wonder what ending you’ll get…?

How do I get Life is Strange 2 Episode 5?

The final episode is out now on PS4, Xbox One, and Steam. If you have the Complete Season, it’s ready and waiting to download now.

The episode is also available to buy individually - simply head to your respective platform’s store to get it.

• Get Episode 5 on Xbox One
• Get Episode 5 on PS4
• Get Episode 5 on Steam

Finally, you can purchase the Complete Season - both digitally and physically.

The digital version is available now on all platforms:

• Get Life is Strange 2 on Xbox One
• Get Life is Strange 2 on PS4
• Get Life is Strange 2 on Steam

The physical version is available now on the Square Enix Store:

• Get Life is Strange 2 Collector’s Edition
• Get Life is Strange 2 Standard Edition

To stay up to date with information about Life is Strange, make sure you follow on social media:

• Life is Strange Blog
• Life is Strange on Facebook
• Life is Strange on Twitter
• Life is Strange on YouTube

The physical version of Life is Strange 2 is out now on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

The Box Edition of DONTNOD’s award-winning narrative adventure series released December 3, 2019 in Europe, and will be out in February 2020 in the US.

Here’s everything you need to know about these new editions - and the game itself.

What is Life is Strange 2?

Life is Strange 2 is an exciting, and moving, narrative adventure, in which your decisions influence both the story and the characters.

A tragic accident tears Sean and Daniel Diaz from their Seattle home. On the run from the police, and dealing with Daniel’s emerging telekinetic powers, the brothers decide to head towards Mexico for safety.

Suddenly, the 16-year old Sean finds himself responsible for keeping Daniel’s safety. Not only does he have to keep him alive, he has to teach his brother how to control his new powers and tell the difference between right and wrong.

The road to Mexico is long and fraught with dangers - Sean’s choices will shape the brothers’ journey, and the lives of the many people they meet on the way.

How do I get the Life is Strange 2 physical edition?

Two versions of Life is Strange 2 are available: Standard Edition and Collector’s Edition. Here’s what’s in each:

Life is Strange 2 Collector’s Edition

This edition of the game is exclusive to the Square Enix Store. Here’s what’s included:

• The Complete Season - episodes 1-5 of Life is Strange 2
• Bonus Game - The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit
• Arcadia Bay Patches - these let you customise Sean’s in-game backpack.
• Jonathan Morali’s official score - 4x 7 inch Vinyl Box Set featuring the game’s amazing music
• 32-page hardcover artbook - featuring concept art from Life is Strange 2
• 4 inch Sean and 3 inch Daniel vinyl figurines
• Collector’s Edition presentation box

Please note that this edition of the game is a limited to a single production run, so if you like what you see, you should move fast and get it while it’s available.

Get Life is Strange 2 Collector’s Edition

Life is Strange 2 Standard Edition:

Here’s everything that’s included in the Standard Edition of the game:

• The Complete Season - episodes 1-5 of Life is Strange 2
• Bonus Game - The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit
• Arcadia Bay Patches - these items let you customise Sean’s in-game backpack

Get Life is Strange 2 Standard Edition

In addition to the above, order from select retailers and you can receive a bonus Mascot Bundle. This lets you customize Sean’s backpack with a selection of patches and a keychain featuring Life is Strange icon Hawt Dawg Man.

If you want to check which retailers have this offer available in your region, you can do so at https://www.BuyLiS2.com/.

Life is Strange 2 is also available to buy digitally now, on Xbox One, PS4 and Steam.

• Get Life is Strange 2

For more information on Life is Strange 2, including dev diaries, fan discussion and behind the scenes secrets, head over to the Life is Strange Tumblr, and follow on social media:

• Life is Strange Blog
• Life is Strange on Facebook
• Life is Strange on Twitter
• Life is Strange on YouTube

In Life is Strange 2, teenager Sean Diaz and his brother Daniel are torn from their home and forced to live rough. Now homeless, they face danger, illness and hostility - their very lives are at risk.

But while Life is Strange 2 is a videogame, these challenges will be real for as many as 22,000 young people in the UK this Christmas. To raise awareness of this important issue among our fans, we’ve partnered with Centrepoint - the UK’s top youth homeless charity.

Centrepoint delivers critical help for people aged between 16-25 who are homeless, or facing future homelessness. It provides housing and support to thousands of young people across the UK each year, and offers practical and emotional guidance that can help them find a job and live independently.

It also runs a free telephone, email and online chat service for any 16-25 year olds who are homeless, or worried about becoming homeless. And its work is needed now more than ever - since 2010, there has been a 165% increase in rough sleeping in the UK.

In short, youth homelessness continues to be a vital issue, and we’ll be promoting Centrepoint’s ongoing campaigns through our Life is Strange channels during December.

We’re also holding a special Life is Strange 2 livestream on 3 December, 2019, featuring Influencer Lomadiah at 4pm GMT. It’s sure to be fascinating viewing for fans - and any donations during the event will go to Centrepoint to fund their vital work.

You can watch it here.

To find out more, head over to the official Life is Strange 2 Blog, or follow on social media:

• Life is Strange Blog
• Life is Strange on Facebook
• Life is Strange on Twitter
• Life is Strange on YouTube

We all need friends, and videogame characters are no exception.

Square Enix games are full of buddy-buddy relationships that will make you feel the warm and fuzzies. Not only do these friendships deepen the characters, they also enrich - and in some cases define - that games they appear in.

Here are just a few of our favorites:

Noctis, Prompto, Ignis and Gladiolus - FINAL FANTASY XV

Beyond the world-threatening threats, political turmoil and mouth-wateringly massive sandwiches, FINAL FANTASY XV is a story all about friendship.

Prompto, Ignis and Gladiolus act as bodyguards to Noctis, but the relationship between the crew is more than purely professional. They’re all good friends, and that friendship only grows as they travel across half the world, bickering and bantering as only true pals can.

One of the joys of the game is that it lets you roam around the expansive world, completing side quests, taking on hunts and searching for the perfect meal - but mainly just hanging out with four people who love each other. It feels like being on a jolly holiday with a group of chums.

Until suddenly it doesn’t. While the first half of the game builds the bonds between this band of brothers, the second pushes them to their breaking point.

Stakes are raised, and the situations become increasingly intense, and each of the group faces his own tragedies. The scars start to build - both physically and emotionally - and cracks in the friendship begin to show.

What would once be a friendly disagreement turns into a full-blown argument, while characters act selfishly or lose confidence in the others. It’s telling that the threat to the friendship feels as serious as any of the physical challenges ahead.

• Get FINAL FANTASY XV
• Follow FINAL FANTASY on Twitter
• Follow FINAL FANTASY on Facebook
• Follow FINAL FANTASY on Instagram
• Follow FINAL FANTASY on YouTube

The Builder and Malroth - DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2

You wouldn’t think that the Builder and Malroth would get on very well - after all, they have very little in common.

For example, the Builder is a genius creator - he or she can construct everything from humble toilets to complex multi-tiered palaces.

In contrast, Malroth can’t rub two twigs together, but boy howdy - does he excel when it comes to destruction! Get into a fight, and the spikey haired hoodlum wades in without fear, dealing serious damage to his foes. And while he can’t help with the building, you won’t find many better at smashing up the scenery for resources.

There’s a big personality clash too - the Builder is kind and helpful to a fault. Even when captured on a boat full of monsters, they can’t help but assist the creepy crew tidy the cargo hold or patch the hull.

Malroth, on the other hand, is a prickly ball of aggression. He tends to rush into problems club first and regularly clashes with his fellow islanders.

Yet despite all these differences, the two figures build a firm friendship that forms the core of DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2’s lengthy story. In this case, opposites really do attract.

• Get DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2
• Preorder DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2 on PC
• Follow DRAGON QUEST on Facebook
• Follow DRAGON QUEST on Twitter
• Follow DRAGON QUEST on Instagram

The Balamb Garden Disciplinary Committee - FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered

Students at FINAL FANTASY VIII’s Balamb Garden should be careful not to break the school rules, lest they fall afoul of the Disciplinary Committee.

This self-run group consists of three friends: the brash Seifer, monosyllabically aggressive Fujin and the overly talkative Raijin, and it’s as close-knit a group as you’re likely to find.

It’s rare to see them apart from each other - even when Seifer goes out on his exam mission early in the game, he almost immediately reunites with his friends when he returns.

That’s not to say it’s all sunshine and rainbows between them, of course. Raijin’s tendency to run his mouth typically results in a sharp, painful kick from Fujin, ya know. And there’s definitely a power imbalance in the relationship too - Seifer’s undeniably the top dog here.

Even so, they remain together and loyal to each other even at the darkest times, such as when Seifer joins forces with the malevolent Sorceress Edea.

His decision puts him in direct conflict with his school and classmates. Fujin and Raijin must choose between their beloved buddy or their alma mater - and even though they’re a little concerned about his erratic behavior, they still side with Seifer.

It just goes to show - antagonists can have good friends too!

• Get FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered
• Follow FINAL FANTASY on Twitter
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• Follow FINAL FANTASY on Instagram
• Follow FINAL FANTASY on YouTube

Sora, Donald and Goofy - KINGDOM HEARTS III

When Sora says: “My friends are my power”, he ain’t kidding!

The big-hearted hero’s adventures across the many Disney and Pixar worlds included in the KINGDOM HEARTS series have earned him the friendship of everyone from Hercules to Buzz Lightyear - but his most steadfast companions are Donald and Goofy.

Like the best friendships, each member of the group brings something different to the party. Donald may sometimes disapprove of Sora’s ways, but his heart’s always in the right place. Without his magic, the group wouldn’t even be able to operate on some worlds, let alone save them.

Goofy is rock solid. He has his friends’ backs even in the most dangerous situations, and his humble brand of wisdom repeatedly steers the group in the right direction.

And as for Sora himself, his bravery and generous spirit keeps the group together no matter how difficult things get.

By the time the most recent game in the series - KINGDOM HEARTS III - starts, the trio has become as close as any pals could hope to be.

There’s a natural warmth and familiarity to their interactions, from their good-natured teasing of Sora, to them always having Sora’s back in battle. But it’s the team’s emotional support that proves most valuable.

Sora experiences some tough times in KINGDOM HEARTS III - he worries that he’s not strong enough to fulfill his duties, and even starts to fall into a funk. But Donald and Goofy are there to prop him up - their unwavering confidence is just what Sora needs to push through his doubts and carry on.

Honestly, he couldn’t ask for better friends.

• Get KINGDOM HEARTS III
• Play the demo on Xbox One
• Play the demo on PS4
• Follow KINGDOM HEARTS on Twitter
• Follow KINGDOM HEARTS on Facebook
• Follow KINGDOM HEARTS on Instagram
• Follow KINGDOM HEARTS on YouTube

Max and Chloe - Life is Strange

One of the most fascinating things about Life is Strange is that it’s not a story about a friendship being formed - it’s about a friendship being reformed.

Max Caulfield and Chloe Price were almost inseparable as kids. The two would often spend their time at Chloe’s house, dressing as pirates, playing with Chloe’s dad… generally having a lovely time.

But then Max moved away, and, as so often happens, over time the two drifted apart and fell out of contact.

So when Max encounters Chloe again many years later, she’s shocked to see how different she’s become. She’s angry and rebellious - a far cry from the happy, cheerful girl she once was.

As the two hang out together, we see them start to repair their friendship and witness the two growing closer once again. Max starts to understand the pain that Chloe’s experienced in their years apart - pain that her absence contributed too - and help her friend come to terms with her trauma.

Chloe in turn makes the shy, introverted Max let her hair down a little and enjoy life a little more. They help each other, just as friends should.

Of course, being Life is Strange, there’s another element at play too: you. While Max and Chloe will always be friends, the exact nature of their relationship is left up to the player.

It’s your decisions that drive the details of their relationship - will Chloe encourage the typically restrained Max to break some rules? How will Max’s involvement affect Chloe’s relationship with her stepdad? Will they start to edge towards becoming more than friends?

Whatever path you take them down, Max and Chloe’s friendship remains engaging and relatable throughout. They may be the ultimate BFFs.

• Get Life is Strange
• Get Life is Strange 2
• Follow Life is Strange on Facebook
• Follow Life is Strange on Twitter
• Follow Life is Strange on Instagram
• Life is Strange on YouTube

So those were just a few of our favorite videogame pals, but do you have any suggestions of your own? Let us know in the comments, or on social media - and head to the Square Enix Blog regularly for news and articles about your favorite games!

• Square Enix on Facebook
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• Square Enix on YouTube

The climax of Life is Strange 2 Episode 3 genuinely left me open-mouthed - it was shocking, dramatic and one of the most surprising moments in a season that’s had no shortage of them.

Like many of you, it left me desperate to know what happens next* and today’s the day we all find out! Life is Strange 2 Episode 4 - titled ‘Faith’ is available to play right now!

• Get Life is Strange 2

What happens in Life is Strange 2 Episode 4?

After the shocking events at the end of Episode 3, Sean Diaz wakes up in hospital to find that he’s under arrest and his brother Daniel is missing. Running out of time and options, Sean will have to rely on quick thinking and unexpected allies to secure his freedom.

Now Sean must search for his brother, facing scorching Nevada sun and freezing desert nights, and making the most difficult choices he’s had to so far.

Puerto Lobos and the dream of freedom have never felt so far away. Will Sean’s faith in Daniel be rewarded – or is the young wolf lost forever?

How do I play Life is Strange Episode 4?

If you have purchased the full Life is Strange 2 season, you’re all set up to download Episode 4 right now.

The Episode's also available to buy and download as an individual episode from the Xbox Games Store, Steam or PlayStation Store for £6.49.

• Get Life is Strange 2 Complete Season

Sean and Daniel Diaz's journey continues in Life is Strange 2 Episode 3: Wastelands... and it's available right now.

The latest chapter in the season introduces the duo to the stunning Californian Redwoods, where they can build new relationships - even while their own is tested like never before.

Here's everything you need to know about Wastelands:

• Get Life is Strange 2

What happens in Life is Strange Episode 3?

A few months after the dramatic events in Beaver Creek, Sean and Daniel reunite with Cassidy and Finn. They take refuge in the Redwood forests, with a close-knit group of outsiders, drifters, runaways, and find work farming… well, let’s call it an ‘illegal product’.

Over the course of the episode they’ll make new friends and build new relationships. But rising tensions between the two brothers threaten their bond like never before…

Read more:

• Choice and consequence in Life is Strange
• The Life is Strange creators discuss powers and puppies
• A night in the woods with Life is Strange 2

How do I download Life is Strange Episode 3?

Episode 3 - Wastelands launched May 9, 2019, so it's available right now. If you’ve bought the complete season, you can download it from the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store or Steam, depending on your platform of choice.

• Get Life is Strange 2: Complete Season on Xbox One
• Get Life is Strange 2: Complete Season on PS4
• Get Life is Strange 2: Complete Season on Steam

Alternatively, you can buy episodes of Life is Strange 2 individually, for £6.49 each.

• Get Life is Strange 2 Episode 3

The Life is Strange series is all about making choices - but how far do the consequences go?

Our latest video looks at the different ways in which decisions can play out in DONTNOD’s Life is Strange 1 and 2, and Deck Nine’s Life is Strange: Before the Storm. Take a look:

As you can see, even the smallest choices can have long-term consequences, either for people, or for the world. Much like they do in real life… (/rubs chin and nods sagely).

Cod philosophy aside, if you enjoyed the video, you can watch more on the Life is Strange YouTube channel, where we’ve begun a regular series of deep-dives and explorations of the wider world of Life is Strange.

• Life is Strange on YouTube

And don’t forget that episode 3 of Life is Strange 2 launches May 9, 2019. It’s titled ‘Wastelands’ and sees Sean and Daniel reach the towering redwoods of California on their journey to Mexico. There they’ll meet a group of drifters, but new friendships and relationships cause friction between the brothers.

As for how they react to the unfolding story… well, that’s up to you. Didn’t you watch the video?

• More about Life is Strange 2

Most of the time we play the hero in games. We fight the villains, save the day and are generally really lovely people.

On occasion though, Square Enix games give you an opportunity to indulge your darker side. Sometimes it’s an intentional choice, while others it’s a nasty surprise that shocks or upsets you. It is, however, always memorable.

In honour of Villain Week, here are 5 times Square Enix made you the bad guy:

Following orders in FINAL FANTASY IV

Cecil and Kain in FINAL FANTASY IV are not bad people, but they do some bad things.

The opening of the game sees them participate in a couple of events so awful that they spend the rest of the adventure seeking redemption.

At the beginning of the game, Cecil’s unit, the Redwings, invade the city of Mysidia to steal their crystal. In the aftermath of the violence, Cecil starts to wonder about the motivations of the king, but upon airing his concerns is stripped of his rank.

He’s then sent, with his friend and rival Kain, to deliver a ring to the Village of Mist, but when they get there, monsters burst out of the jewelry and massacre the entire town. Only one young lady survives the truly shocking assault.

Unlike Terra in FINAL FANTASY VI, Cecil and Kain don’t have the excuse of being made to act against their will. Instead, they - and you - act out of loyalty to their king and country, and in doing so become complicit in some truly villainous acts.

• More about FINAL FANTASY IV

Meeting with ulterior motives - I am Setsuna

The world of I am Setsuna is cold, bleak and dangerous. Monsters roam everywhere, and some people are chosen as sacrifices to help keep them at bay. These people are considered important and necessary - to kill one would be a crime far beyond simple murder.

Yet this is what you, as mercenary Endir, are out to do near the start of the game. He accepts a contract to assassinate the most recent sacrificial candidate Setsuna, and encounters her on a clifftop. There, he and you are offered a choice - spare her or swing her sword.

Although the plot continues regardless of what you choose, it’s an interesting test of your own villainy…

• Get I am Setsuna

Read more

• 5 under-appreciated FINAL FANTASY villains
• 5 Square Enix houses we'd consider moving into
• What's so good about... FINAL FANTASY VII?

Getting a little… too into roleplaying - Life is Strange: Before the Storm

In one of the highlights of Life is Strange: Before the Storm Episode 1, your character Chloe Price, can take part in a short tabletop role-playing game. As you’d expect from series, you have a lot of choice over how you proceed.

In our playthrough, Chloe - or more accurately the elven barbarian Callamastia - is aggressive, threatening, and quick to anger. As she gets more and more into the game, her behavior only gets more extreme.

It all culminates in a disastrous, albeit hilarious, sequence of events in which our ‘hero’ intimidates an elderly guard with threats so vivid that it dies of fear, repeatedly tries to punch her enemies in… let’s politely call it a ‘sensitive area’, and accidentally chops off her ally’s feet.

To be honest, we don’t know if we’d call Callamastia a villain in the truest sense… but she certainly ain’t a hero.

• Find out more about Life is Strange

Running a protection racket in Sleeping Dogs

Wei Shen, the main character of Sleeping Dogs, is a man caught between two worlds. On the one hand, he’s a member of the Triad, working his way up the criminal ladder and bringing his childhood friends with him. On the other, he’s an undercover police officer tasked with bringing those gangs to justice.

Over the course of the game’s missions, Wei Shen discovers that both sides are morally ambiguous at best, and is repeatedly put into positions that fly directly against his - and our - moral code.

For example, one of his first tasks is to collect money from the local market traders for ‘protection’. Most pay up, without question, but there’s a gang war brewing and a couple of shopkeepers back the other guys.

Wei Shen is forced to bust a few heads, mainly rival gang members, in order to remind the holdouts who’s in really in charge.

It’s not the most extreme crime in the game, but there’s something about bullying those who can’t defend themselves that makes it feel particularly cruel. It’s also Wei Shen’s first step towards much, much worse…

• Get Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition

Becoming a Warrior of Darkness in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers

FINAL FANTASY XIV Online typically puts you in the role of a do-gooder. Even if you spend time doing basic fetch quests for the people of Hydaelyn or working on your Triple Triad card collection, you’re still considered a Warrior of Light.

But the incoming expansion FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers mixes things up – you must become the Warrior of Darkness in order to destroy the light and save the land of Norvrandt.

For the first time, you’ll be able to see how the other half lives - and trust us, being bad can be a lot of fun.

Of course, as with all great stories, it’s not quite as simple as saying ‘you are now the bad guy’. There are some twists and turns on your journey into darkness… but to spoil anything before the game is out would be… well, pretty villainous.

You can preorder the game here:

• Preorder FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers

Alternatively, if you’d like to try the game without making a commitment, there’s an extensive free trial available. It lets you play up to level 35 and keep your character if you upgrade to the full version.

• Try FINAL FANTASY XIV for free

Those are times that games made us the bad guy, but what about when we're evil through choice? Join us tomorrow, when we take a look at times that we've tormented video game characters for our own selfish pleasure.

Mwahahaha. Et cetera.

Our discussion with Life is Strange 2 co-Creative Director Michel Koch and Writer Jean-Luc Cano continues. In this spoiler-filled interview, we talk about the dangers of fan service, the best and worst bits from each season and Mushroom surprise.

If you missed the first (spoiler-light) part of this discussion, head over here:

• Life is Strange 2 interview part 1

Warning: Unrestrained spoilers for Life is Strange and Life is Strange 2 from this point

It must be tempting to cram each new Life is Strange 2 episode with Easter Eggs and references to Season One - how difficult is it deliver callbacks without negatively impacting the story?

Michel Koch: It’s tricky - callbacks and references to previous games shouldn’t impact story. There’s always opportunity - these games exist in the same world after all, but we add them only where it makes sense.

So the Arcadia Bay scene in the first episode is a good example - it was an organic way to reference the earlier games that fit logically into that part of the story.

Jean-Luc Cano: If you add too many callbacks or, you know, ‘fan service’ there’s a risk that we start to follow the story of the first game. That would be the wrong move. We’re moving on from the story and setting of Season 1.

But there are a few more subtle references planned for this season - I don’t want to spoil anything though!

I’ve written before about my favourite part of Life is Strange Episode 2 - where Sean and Daniel spend a night in the woods (read that here) and I’d like to talk about it a little. Firstly the scenery in those woodlands is stunning - how did you go about creating those ‘sets’?

Jean-Luc: I’m so glad you enjoyed that part of the game - it was one of the first things we finished when we started making Episode One, and I’m glad it turned out well.

Michel: The scenery was a challenge because we’ve never worked on that type of environment before. We went hiking in Washington and took lots of photos, which we used as reference.

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The scene features loads of little decisions that fold in on each other - how long did it take to get right?

Michel: It took a long time! It was one of the very first parts we worked on, as we started production of Life is Strange 2. So not only were we building the scene, we were using it to work out mechanics and things like that!

Jean-Luc: it would be much faster to make now!

Michel: (laughs) - yes it would. It also took time because it’s a really important scene. It’s the first major moment after the incident in Seattle, and we wanted to teach the player that they are now responsible for Daniel and will have to make decisions that affect both him and Sean.

It also felt like the moment you started to drive some of the main themes you’ve discussed home - such as Sean becoming a ‘parent’ to Daniel.

Michel: Right - it asks questions you wouldn’t normally have to think about as a teen. What do you eat? Where do you sleep? It’s where Sean - and hopefully the player too - starts to realise how hard life is going to be now.

Jean-Luc: And then you have Daniel in there too, as contrast. He’s enjoying himself, but he also gets scared, and you have to try to comfort him. I think it captures the main themes well - the responsibility of growing up.

What scenes from the entire Life is Strange series are you particularly proud of? What makes them work in your opinion?

Jean-Luc: …favourite moment in the games. Too many!

(After much thought) I think the end of the first episode of Life is Strange season 1 works really well. It introduces the relationship between Max and Chloe and I think the use of the song is really effective.

Also the end of Episode 3 - again, it changes the Max and Chloe relationship in a dramatic way, but in a way that ties in really well with the themes of that series.

In terms of Life is Strange 2, the first scene came together in a way I liked - the interactions with Esteban, the fight with Brett… I think it works.

Michel: The quieter moments are actually my favourite. After Max and Chloe go swimming in Season One - Max wakes up and you can just lie in bed and listen to music. Quiet Eyes, I think the song is.

When we have the chance to do those quiet moments… I love it.

As for Life is Strange 2, I like the part where Sean and Daniel are in the old house in the snow. The part when Sean goes for a smoke - you can tell from his face and body language he’s worried. Then he tries and fails to lift a rock, you can see the frustration that he’s not the one with the powers.

And it’s all done with just music and no voices.

On the flipside of that, if you could have a do-over, which parts of the game would you change and why?

Jean-Luc: Oof - that’s a good question. I don’t think I’d change anything now - no scene is ever perfect, but they are what they are, you know?

Michel: I think… Episode 5 of Life is Strange Season One - I’d make Mr Jefferson a bit less shady. It was a bit… “mwahaha - now I will tell you my master plan.” I think that section went on a bit long - but I’m not sure how I’d change it!

Finally, the big one… WHY DID YOU KILL MUSHROOM?!

(Both laugh)

Michel: It was actually in the very first draft. We killed the dog because we wanted to establish the ground rules for Daniel’s powers, and then present a situation where those rules are tested.

It’s basically a battle between heart and mind, right? You’re telling Daniel not to use those powers, but then we hit the player with an emotional scene that challenges the very rules they set.

So it’s not because you’re heartless monsters?

Jean-Luc: (laughs) Well, that too!

• Read more about Life is Strange 2

The Square Enix blog recently sat down for a chat with Life is Strange 2 co-Creative Director Michel Koch and Writer Jean-Luc Cano to discuss the latest season of the critically-acclaimed series.

The wide-ranging conversation that followed covered the process of building a sequel, how success breeds pressure, why superpowers actually make their characters weaker and much, much more.

Note: This part of the interview doesn’t go into any major story points but does touch on themes for both Life is Strange 1 and 2. For a fully spoileriffic discussion, check out part 2.

The first series of Life is Strange was received incredibly well. What was the impact of this success on DONTNOD?

Michel Koch: We certainly didn't anticipate it!

When we started five years ago, we just wanted to create a game we loved. We didn’t know if it would find an audience, or even if it would work - we’re obviously very happy it did.

But that positive response also puts a lot of pressure on us to work on the second season - to find a good story and a good set of characters.

Jean-Luc Cano: And because we don’t want to let down the community.

Michel: Right - it’s challenging because the first season told a complete story. And that’s what we basically want to do - tell good stories. But to do that, you have to be renewed - doing the same thing again with the same characters would have impacted creativity.

So with this season, we wanted to do something new - deal with new themes, look at social issues and show characters from different backgrounds.

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On that subject, Life is Strange 2 deals with a lot of issues most games don’t - like abuse, alcoholism and racism. How do you make sure you present these issues sensitively, without it looking like you’re going for shock value or courting controversy?

Michel: So one of our goals is to talk about the things we want to in the right way.

When we start working on games, we take elements from our own backgrounds. In that way we use ourselves as reference. But obviously we can’t use that for everything, particularly some of the more unpleasant issues we deal with in Life is Strange 2.

So we read books, look at biographies and watch documentaries to try to get good reference points for how to approach these very serious topics with sensitivity.

Then, when we get to the process of writing, and actually making the game, we do focus testing and try to get a sense of how things are being perceived. If they aren’t being treated in the perfect way, we need to identify that, and rework the scene so that they are.

Some narrative games make choices explicitly clear - for example Telltale’s famous “Clementine will remember that” messages, or Detroit: Become Human’s flowcharts. Life is Strange 2 keeps a lot of its key decisions largely invisible to the player - why did you choose that approach?

Jean-Luc: When you make a decision in life, you don’t always see the consequences right away. That’s something we’ve always examined in Life is Strange and wanted to continue into Life is Strange 2.

We do show the player some key decisions but, as in life, there are lots of consequences to little decisions. A perfect example of this is that the behavior of Daniel is shaped by the small choices you make as Sean.

That ties into the theme of responsibility in Life is Strange 2 - when you take care of a child, your behavior influences theirs. So Daniel learns from you - if you steal, he may steal later in the story, for example.

One thing I think’s good about Life is Strange is that there doesn’t feel like a ‘correct’ path, or a ‘good’ ending. How do you design decisions to be impactful and dramatic, without making the player feel punished for their decisions?

Michel: The Life is Strange games are about life and real issues. We try not to portray anything as black or white, but instead as shades of grey.

There is no pre-defined right way to live - a person’s life is defined by the decisions they make. Some decisions may come to bite you, but you have to live with it. That’s what we try to emphasis in our games - it’s not our job to decide what’s right or wrong.

Jean-Luc: There are no good or bad decisions in life. There are just decisions.

One thing I loved in Episode One is how subtly Daniel’s powers are represented - particularly in the opening section. There’s nothing showy - it’s fast and matter of fact. Why did you choose to present it this way?

Michel: Well, Life is Strange 1 and 2 are not about the powers. We’re not creating, you know, ‘sci-fi’ stories. We use supernatural twists to add another layer to the story and characters - to increase the characters weakness.

In the first Life is Strange, Max is still a teenager. She doesn’t know who she really is or what she wants to be. She’s at the point in her life where she has to make decisions. So her rewind power amplifies that weakness - she’s no longer locked into one path, which makes it even harder to pick the right thing to do.

In Life is Strange 2, Sean has to take responsibility for Sean - basically become a father. By giving Daniel powers, it amplifies the amount of responsibility he has to deal with.

Jean-Luc: So powers need to be couched in reality, right? They have to seem like they fit in the world we’re creating.

But, as Michel says, Life is Strange is not about superpowers. We don’t want the player to ask where the powers come from and we don’t explain it. It’s not about what the power is, but how the characters deal with it.

So there’s some insight into the creative thinking behind the Life is Strange series. But we’re just getting started.

Check out part 2 of our interview, where we get into spoilers about Life is Strange 1 and 2, discuss the dangers of fan service, and have a frank discussion about a certain puppy...

Read more about Life is Strange

While the Life is Strange game franchise continues to chart bold new frontiers with the Diaz brothers and their year-long road trip, the story of Max and Chloe continues in the pages of Titan Comics’ Life is Strange series.

Written by Emma Vieceli, with art by Claudia Leonardi and coloring by Andrea Izzo, the book's been telling a compelling and emotional story about the next stage in these young women’s lives.

With the third issue now available, we thought we’d give you a brief look at where it all started - so you can see why it’s the perfect time to jump on board if you haven’t already!

DANGER! SPOILERS START HERE

…a multiverse of infinite possibilities

The first Life is Strange game ended with an impossible choice: save Chloe or save Arcadia Bay?

When brainstorming the plot for a Life Is Strange comic, the creators chose to spin out of the ending where Max saves Chloe and dooms the town because it offered a lot of potential for future stories - as well as plenty of drama and surprises for these two beloved characters to grapple with.

As the comic’s own introduction makes clear, Life is Strange takes place in a ‘multiverse of possibilities’, with the comic’s tale being one possible future timeline out of many.

The ‘official’ ending of the game will always be the one that you chose yourself - but we hope you’ll still be entertained by all the twists and turns that lie ahead for Max and Chloe in the issues to come… whatever you made Max do!

The wings of a butterfly

As well as introducing us to Claudia Leonardi and Andrea Izzo’s stunning art, it also emphasizes one of the central themes of this initial arc - just how much control over fate does Max really have?

After the storm

The story proper picks up nearly a year after the events of the final episode of Life is Strange, and answers one of the biggest questions of that ending: where do Max and Chloe go from here?

As it turns out, they went home. Or more specifically to Max’s home - Seattle.

Right away it’s clear that Max is still the Max we know and love - photography remains a focal part of her life, and she’s still deeply uncomfortable acknowledging her own skills.

When we meet Chloe, she’s tagging a wall with graffiti. Her rebellious streak’s still alive and well, but it’s clear that the events of the past year have had a profound impact.

A new life

Max and Chloe have formed a new life together in Seattle. Max’s parents helped Chloe get an internship as a mechanic, and the two have developed a friendship circle in Dex, Dwight, Pixie, and Tammi - collectively the band The High Seas.

It looks like both Max and Chloe are starting to settle down, but Vieceli makes it clear that it’s not all plain sailing.

Reminders of the past are everywhere, from TV reports about the rebuilding efforts in Arcadia Bay as the town heads towards the first anniversary of its devastation, to memories of those lost, and it’s a clear source of tension between the leads.

What’s happening to Max?

Over the course of the first issue, odd things start happening to Max. She starts experiencing conversations that, from the other person’s perspective, didn’t happen. Couldn’t happen.

Characters seem to drift in and out of existence, the art of posters changes in the background, memories start to get confused… and every time, this is what happens to Max:

As anyone who’s played Life is Strange knows, that’s not a great sign.

As the mystery deepens, these incidents increase in frequency, leading Chloe to make a big decision. And you’ll have to read the issue to find out what that is - we don’t want to spoil everything.

That’s just a small taste of Life is Strange #1.

You can catch up with the full story yourself on comiXology, and in all good comic stores. As issue #3 has just arrived, now’s the perfect time to catch up with Max and Chloe.

The first episode of Life is Strange 2 set up some fascinating questions: how will Sean and Daniel Diaz continue to survive on the road? What is the mysterious power that Daniel’s developed? Will he be able to control it?

The good news is that answers are here. Life is Strange 2 Episode 2 - Rules - is out and available to download on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Steam right now.

Get Life is Strange 2

What can you expect in Episode 2 - Rules?

In the previous episode, Sean Diaz had a lot of things to worry about - the police are searching for him, strangers proved to be unpredictable and the secret he was keeping from his brother weighed heavily. In Episode 2, things don’t get any easier.

As the winter months arrive, the boys struggle to deal with the cold. As Daniel starts to fall ill, Sean decides to head towards a distant grandparent’s house so his brother can recover.

There, Daniel makes friends with one of the neighbours - Chris Eriksen or, as he likes to imagine, the superhero called Captain Spirit. So if you’ve been wondering how the free experience - The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit - ties into the main Life is Strange 2 story, you’ll find out in this episode.

And while all this is going on, Sean tries to set some ground rules to try to conceal the mysterious abilities Daniel possesses. The thing is, Daniel’s only nine years old, so that might not be so easy…

How do I get Life is Strange 2 Episode 2?

Life is Strange 2 Episode 2 is included in the Complete Season Bundle. If you’ve already picked that up, it’s available to download right now.

Alternatively, if you purchased the first episode standalone, you can get the Episodes 2-5 Bundle. That will give you access to the rest of the series.

Buy Life is Strange 2

We’re now mere days away from next installment of Life is Strange 2.

The next chapter of DONTNOD’s series launches on Thursday next week (24 January). It continues the story of Sean and Daniel Diaz, who are travelling across America following a dramatic and tragic event in Seattle.

Before that though, we have the weekend - and the perfect opportunity to revisit the first episode. It’s a chance to catch up with the story, remind yourself of events or even try out another path.

Or to revisit some of the best moments…

Spotlight: a night in the woods

The first episode of Life is Strange 2 is packed with incident. There’s tension, tragedy and quite a few sequences that are surprisingly intense. But my personal favourite section is a simple moment of quiet.

Sean Diaz is on the road with his brother Daniel, following a shocking event in Seattle that, yes, I’m being intentionally vague about. Looking for a quiet place to get some rest, the boys head into the woods.

There are three reasons I think the sequence is so effective:

1. It’s a chance to take a breath - Sean Diaz has been through the wringer at this point in the episode. His world has been shattered, and he has no idea how to deal with it, or how to protect his brother. He (and us) have just been moving forward one day at a time.

But in this sequence DONTNOD slow things down. The two skip stones, eat salty snacks, engage in a bit of competition and eventually share a quiet night under the stars. It’s a welcome spot of respite, that gives the story and the boys a much-needed break.

2. It deepens the characters - We’ve already seen Sean in carefree moments, but the woods sequence shows us what kind of person he is to become. Or rather, it makes us define it.

For example, my Sean developed into an overprotective guardian, trying to shield his brother from any harm, but in the process arguably depriving him of valuable experience. In contrast, your Sean might be more relaxed, and allow Daniel to run free and have fun. Or even needle and annoy him. Y’know, like a true sibling.

Either way, the characters are made richer, and the later choices more impactful as a result.

3. You may never experience all of it - Everything I’ve described… it’s possible you won’t see it. Life is Strange 2 is shaped by your choices - the woods sequence has a lot of permutations and my night could be wildly different to yours. That’s exciting, and it also makes each story feel very personal.

So, yeah. I’m really looking forward to continuing Sean and Daniel’s odyssey when Episode 2 - Rules - launches on Thursday 24 January.

But what do you think? What moments stood out for you, and are you planning to replay over the weekend? Make sure you share your favourite moments with Life is Strange on Twitter using the hashtag #LifeisStrange2.

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