Life is Strange is a unique video game series, known for its episodic storytelling and tricky decision-making. The first game, which follows protagonist Max and her old friend Chloe, has now become enough of a beloved game to see a remastered release coming later this year. Additionally, Life is Strange: True Colors is due out this fall as well, but some fans might be looking for something else in the meantime.
There's nothing out there quite like Life is Strange, with its culmination of gripping plots, realistic characters, difficult decisions, and beautiful art direction. The most obvious similar title is Tell Me Why, also made by DONTNOD, and it's often considered to be an honorary Life is Strange title. But there are other games out there that have similar bits and pieces. Here are a few games to tide fans over until Life is Strange: True Colors.
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The Walking Dead video game series might bear the closest resemblance to Life is Strange, but it's also the only game on this list that includes violence, albeit mildly in comparison to most video games out there. In fact, Life is Strange is often compared to The Walking Dead as Telltale was the flagship developer to creator point-click stories featuring heavy decision making.
While many might recognize the name Walking Dead from the long-running television show, the video games are set in the same world as the comic series with a similar art style. Throughout the zombie saga, like Life is Strange, players will have to make difficult decisions that influence gameplay down the line, though they will ultimately follow the same overall path. These changes often come in the form of character companions and securing the trust of party members. But while many may acclaim the Life is Strange games to be sad, The Walking Dead is infinitely more so. It's also episodic, another element that Life is Strange drew from Telltale, and there are four games to round out the story that largely revolves around the child Clementine.
Oxenfree is another cult-classic indie game that may not have blown up quite as much as Life is Strange, but is definitely one that fans of the series should check out. What makes it most like Life is Strange is its realistic depiction of teenagers, especially within the dialogue. Players assume the role of Alex, who's headed to an island for an illegal overnight stay with a group of friends. Through the use of a dialed radio, Alex, her stepbrother Jonas, and their gang discover something sinister going on at Edwards Island.
Here, Alex's decisions won't seem like a big deal the way Max's do in Life is Strange, but they can influence the ending, which comes in various forms. And while Oxenfree might get a little spooky and appeals to the horror genre of gaming, it doesn't have any jumpscares and is ultimately about friendships more than anything else.
Like Oxenfree and Life is Strange, Night in the Woods also slightly touches on horror, but doesn't all-encompass the game's main themes. Here, the anthropomorphic cat Mae is returning to her hometown after quitting college life, struggling with the realities of adulthood. Also like Oxenfree, its depiction of young-adult dialogue is spot-on and there's also something not quite right with the town. There are no true decisions to be made with Night in the Woods, and it's overall a bit satirical. Still, it speaks to the modern teenager much like how Life is Strange was inspired by the classic novel Catcher in the Rye.
Life is Strange: True Colors releases on September 10, 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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