Life is Strange - Cocoon
Overview -
French studio Dontnod Entertainment narrowly avoided bankruptcy after the poor sales performance of their previous title, 2013's 'Remember Me.' With Square Enix providing the funding and publishing (presumably where several other publishers where shy), the developer has returned with an episodic series, 'Life Is Strange,' and the first episode, 'Cocoon,' has been pitched as something different, but worth playing.
Video Review
Dontnod’s licensing of the Unreal Engine 3 allows for more visual detail than is typically offered by an adventure game. In particular, the effects during rewinds stand out. The lighting and shadows are quite detailed, and the depth of field during cutscenes is suitably cinematic. Issues are limited to mild chunking and pixelating.
Audio Review
The game’s soundtrack is a mix of indie rock and folk that protrudes warmly into the foreground during otherwise quiet exploration segments. Some of it is licensed from such bands as Local Natives and Mogwai, and the rest is composed by Syd Matters frontman Jonathan Morali. The music is rather sad in a hopeful way, or perhaps hopeful in a sad way. Much of the voice acting is convincing, with only a few performances that miss the mark. The only real hang-up is the lip syncing, which doesn’t line up all the time.
Final Thoughts
The script has its moments, but I was more interested in 'Life Is Strange's approach to decisions than I was in its dialogue. The seed is there for many of the characters though, and I think with the right narrative they can grow into something much more complex. The second episode ought to be here soon, and I am looking forward to finding out.
