Life is Strange (mobile game)

Life is Strange

Developer(s)

Originally developed by Dontnod Entertainment
Ported by Black Wing Foundation
Produced by Turn Me Up Games, Inc

Platform(s)

iOS (2017, 2018)
Android (July 2018)

Release date(s)

Episode 1: Dec 14, 2017
Episode 2: Dec 14, 2017
Episode 3: Dec 14, 2017
Episode 4: March 29, 2018
Episode 5: March 29, 2018

Genre(s)

Interactive Storytelling

Drama, High School, Adventure, Supernatural, Coming-Of-Age

Language(s)

Audio: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, German, Chinese

Rating(s)

Apple App Store: 17+^[1]
(Other versions: PG16, ESRB-M, USK12, ACB-M)

A ported mobile game version of Life is Strange was announced for iOS and Android on December 12, 2017.^[2]

On iOS the first three episodes were released on December 14, 2017 featuring an "enhanced user interface for full-touch screen integration", Unreal Engine 4 enhancements and optimizations, an in-app photo mode and exclusive iMessage stickers. An Android version and the other episodes were announced for early 2018.

On March 29, 2018, the final two episodes were released on iOS, Episode 1 became also free (as on the other platforms) and the Android version was confirmed for release later in 2018, targeting Summer due to needing more time for polish.^[3]^[4] The update's patch notes mention fixing issues relating to saving, loading, the iCloud saves and the photo mode now allows cycling between Max's skins and poses and additional photo settings. Chinese subtitles were also added to the game.^[5]^[6]

On June 4, 2018, the Android version was announced to be available in June with all five episodes and Android exclusive controller support.^[7] The game is listed on the Google Play Store with the ability to preregister.^[8]

In the iOS App Store, Episode 1 is free and the full season pass costs $8.99, offering a 10% discount on the episodes. Other purchase options are Episode 2 for $0.99, Episode 3 for $4.99, Episode 3-5 for $7.99, Episode 4 for $4.99, Episode 4-5 for $9.99 and Episode 5 for $4.99.

Prior to Episode 1 being also free on mobile (its price originally being $2.99), a trial version, which ends after hitting the alarm in the bathroom, was released for free as "Life Is Strange Lite" on December 14, 2017 and removed on March 29, 2018.^[9] Player progress was carried over to the full version via iCloud.

Official iOS Description

"Life Is Strange is a five-part episodic game that sets out to revolutionize story-based choice and consequence games by allowing the player to rewind time and affect the past, present, and future.

Follow the story of Maxine Caulfield, a photography senior who discovers she can rewind time while saving her best friend Chloe Price.

The pair soon find themselves investigating the mysterious disappearance of fellow student Rachel Amber, uncovering a dark side to life in Arcadia Bay. Meanwhile, Max must quickly learn that changing the past can sometimes lead to a devastating future.

Exclusively on mobile, the game comes with Life is Strange iMessage stickers. Additionally, you can seamlessly share your progress on social media, and compare your own story choices with friends. An all-new photo mode allows you to take pictures like never before, modify them with filters and easily share them."

[This version includes Episode 1 of Life is Strange. The other episodes are available for in-app purchase. A Season Pass is also available [Episodes 2-5 bundle] which saves an additional 10% via the in-app "Play Episodes" menu.]

Supported Devices: iPhone 6, iPad 5 (2017), iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 4 or newer devices.

Episode 1 size: 960 MB

Key Features:

A beautifully written modern adventure game;
Rewind time to change the course of events;
Multiple endings depending on the choices you make;
Striking, hand-painted visuals;
Distinct, licensed indie soundtrack featuring Alt-J, Foals, Angus & Julia Stone, Jose Gonzales and more.

Reviews and Accolades

Mac Game of the Year, United States
5/5 "A must-have." - The Examiner
5/5 "Something truly special." - International Business Times
"One of the best games I've played in years." - Forbes
10/10 "An impressive coming of age story." - Darkzero
8/10 "Rare and precious." - Edge
8.5/10 "OUTSTANDING." - GameInformer
90% "Dontnod have clearly put a lot of effort into the little details and it’s worth your time paying attention to their work." – Siliconera
8.5/10 “The climax of Episode Two is one of the most compelling — and devastating — things I’ve ever experienced in a game, because it’s so real, so understandable. Dontnod nails it.” – Polygon
4.5/5 "life is strange has me hooked" - HardcoreGamer
8/10 ".…has the potential to outdo both Telltale Games and Quantic Dream." - Metro

Android specific part of the Google Play Store description

"**Only support devices running Android 6.0 and support OpenGL 3.1. Requires ARM 64 and a minimum of 2 GB of RAM**

Exclusively on Android, the game comes with full controller support."

Reception

The app has been rated 4.1 out of 5 stars from 1750 reviews in the iOS App Store as of June 4, 2018. It received Apple's iOS "Editor's Choice" label. On February 22, 2018, it had 3.6 stars from 1032 reviews.

Common player review criticism seem to be bugs and the controls. Other players first impressions reported some minor differences of the port and a saving bug.^[10]^[11]

Sensor Tower estimated iOS app revenue of $80K in January, $100k in March, $50k in April and $50k in May 2018.^[12] Japanese users (5%) are the third largest userbase after China (60%) and the USA (15%), making up 10% of users and estimated revenue as of June 4, 2018. The USA achieves more revenue than China despite the notable userbase difference.

Mobile Reviews

The iOS version has a Metascore of 83.^[13]

Touch Arcade's review called the port "mostly great", praising Dontnod's "visual direction" as stunning and the touch controls as "great". It has "some low resolution assets but the overall feel is the same". Criticized was the still not properly lip synced dialog, some visual issues and the lack of proper controller support.^[14]

Destructoid's port report author was impressed by the presentation and criticized controlling Max's movement.^[15]

Hardcore Gamers's review noted in the closing comments, there are "different technical issues, much like its console counterpart in 2015, but it's not enough to detract newcomers from experiencing its riveting narrative in full effect." The review praised the feature additions of "Photo Mode and bonuses like the iMessage stickers", concluding "Life Is Strange reiterates why fans need to rewind time and once again step into the shoes of Max".^[16]

Apple's iOS "Editor's Choice" Award: "The fragility and fear of growing up. The terror of leaping into the unknown. Life is Strange tackles tough issues in a remarkable way, merging the superpowered and surreal with characters that feel authentic. You’re drawn into the adventure through gorgeous visuals. Sharp writing, excellent voice acting, and a compelling story make solving Life is Strange’s mysteries feel essential."

Controls

Main article: Control Scheme

Movement

- To look around: Swipe your thumb on the right side of the screen.
- To move: Tap anywhere on the screen or swipe your thumb on the left side of the screen.
- To interact with objects: Tap on an object and then select an action.

Max's Powers

- To rewind time: Tap on the spiral icon on the top left corner of the screen and then tap on the fast-rewind or rewind icon.
- Fast rewind: Step back in time to your last important action, represented by a notch on the spiral.
- Rewind: Go back to a particular time.
- When you rewind, you remember facts and keep things you've picked up.
- When you rewind, you remain in the same location.

Other Stuff

- Your current objective is always available in your Journal.
- The butterfly icon means your action will have consequences. You can rewind to change the outcome...
- "Speech bubble" rewind icon: This icon means you learned a useful fact that you may be able to use if you rewind.
- New entries in your Journal are indicated by a star symbol.
- Take all the remaining photos that match the drawings in your Journal.

iOS Updates

The current version of the mobile game can be found in the top right-hand corner of the menu screen.

Dec 12, 2017 - v0.0811 (First released version; 1.0 in the iOS App Store).
Dec 13, 2017 - v0.???? (1.1 in the iOS App Store).
Dec 15, 2017 - v0.0930 (1.1.1 in the iOS App Store).
Mar 28, 2018 - v0.2037 (1.2 in the iOS App Store). Added Episode 4 and Episode 5 and expanded the photo mode.
Apr 30, 2018 - v0.2102 (1.4 in the iOS App Store). Fixed issues with reloading checkpoints, localization and other various bugs.
May 29, 2018 - v0.2287 (1.5 in the iOS App Store). Fixed issues with localization and other various bug fixes and improvements.