#Life is strange analysis

[asm5129]

I’m playing the new life is strange game and apparently people are pissed at how it handles following up the original because OF COURSE THEY ARE.

The first game has two endings, one where Chloe survives and one where she dies.

Officially, neither is the “canon” ending, that’s been made repeatedly clear since the original game released.

But a bunch of people keep demanding more of the Max and Chloe story. It doesn’t matter that they’ve gotten comics about it and a prequel, they still want more. They don’t want to let Life is Strange be an anthology series.

So here, Max is back as the protagonist. But guess what? Chloe isn’t a main character.

Because she fucking DIED in one of the endings, and both are canon.

So even if you choose to play in the timeline where she survived, they had to write her out or they would have had to develop two different games, one with Chloe and one without.

So instead they made it an interesting character issue. Max is stuck in the past, in the trauma of the events of the first game while Chloe wants to move forward.

It was never going to be Max and Chloe living happily ever after. It couldn’t be.

That’s not an interesting game, and it flies in the face of the ending of the original.

This game is in many ways rooted in Max dealing with that trauma and like…that’s an interesting story.

But you’re mad because the story you wanted isn’t the story they made, even though that was literally never going to happen.

The LiS fandom is shitty sometimes

Very gatekeep-y

There’s a sort of notion that there’s only one way for a Life is Strange game to be Life is Strange, but the people that buy into that don’t seem to realize that their criteria is literally just the game that already exists.

Maybe I’d give more credibility to the current criticisms if I hadn’t had to deal with YEARS of so-called “fans” harassing me for being a legitimate fan of every LiS entry, rather than just the ones it’s most popular to like. I have had to deal with this toxic gatekeeping and backlash for fucking EVER so it’s hard to give much of a shit about y’all not getting exactly what you want here.

[fablefrogg]

Character Study: The Invisible Complexity of Vinh Lang

This is going to be a self-indulgent ramble solely to organize my thoughts out so if you don’t care for Life is Strange: Double Exposure or if you don’t want any spoilers, feel free to skim past this post.

I enjoy the Life is Strange series precisely because it is character driven. I love exploring everything as thoroughly as I can because through hearing the protagonist’s inner dialogue about their environment and the conversations they engage in, I get a sense on how they view the world and how they view the people they meet along the way.

My favorite game in the whole series is the first Life is Strange game, and I really enjoyed Max Caulfield as a character, so I was looking forward to Double Exposure. Even though it was made by a different developer, I do think that Deck Nine did justice to Max's characterization. You can see how much she has grown without losing her essence of what makes her “Max”. She still maintains her sense of humor and her bouts of awkwardness but it’s clear that she’s grown more self-assured in herself and her abilities as a photographer. And it shows in how she doesn’t hold herself back when she doesn’t hesitate to quip back with a witty retort.

Other than Chenrich (Alex & Steph from True Colors), I wasn’t invested in any other ships in the LiS fandom so I was open to any love interests that Max will have in Double Exposure and how Deck Nine would portray these characters and the development of their relationship with Max.

Character First, Romance Second

I was surprised to find myself liking Vinh Lang, one of Max's love interests in DE, and this is coming from someone who didn’t have a favorable first impression of him. I thought his flirting game with Max was a bit too strong at times but now that I'm reflecting back on my first impression of Vinh, I think it had less to do with Vinh and more to do with the fact that I was unused to Max flirting back because I was very much used to her shy and withdrawn 18-year-old self from the first game. And that really isn't fair on Vinh... and on Max. She is now 28 years old, a decade older than she was in the first game. It would be unreasonable to think that she would stay the same after factoring in her maturity and her life experiences in the ten years that have passed. Regardless, even before I came to this realization, I was indifferent to his character overall. Until Chapter 3 came around and Vinh became much more interesting as a character.

After finishing Life is Strange: Double Exposure, I am of the firm belief that out of all the new characters introduced, Vinh Lang is one of the more complex and nuanced characters of the main cast. This is not the same as me saying that he is well-written because I honestly think that there are better ways that Deck Nine could have scripted the scenes and dialogue without sacrificing his characterization. But I still firmly think that he is an intriguing character who makes me curious to get to know him more and when I get curious, that's a good sign that I'm getting invested. What helps in that regard is that Vinh is not there just to be a love interest for Max; he is actively involved in the plot and has personal connections to almost all of the characters that Max interacts with in this game.

With Vinh, we are slowly revealed pieces of who he is underneath his persona. It is not mandatory for the player to know these pieces of his life but if they take the time to explore the environment, listen in on conversations, and read the Crosstalk posts, there is actually more depth to him than what meets the eye. It gives the player a better understanding about his motivations and why he behaves the way he does. It makes it all the more satisfying and rewarding to learn about Vinh because it is not given to the player on a silver platter.

We find out that Vinh grew up poor because the only job his parents had was owning a liquor store and that despite it, he chooses to enter the acting industry (which is already very unreliable on its own and adding on the fact that the roles with the most visibility are still written for and going to white actors). We know that acting isn't just a passing fancy and that he's passionate about it because of his numerous acting accolades and the praise of his performances from the Abraxas society. But despite knowing that Vinh has the talent, we are shown that he has failed to get in his foot in the door in the acting industry by looking at his computer to see his search for numerous acting/modeling job openings online and his resume thrown in the trash. We find out that he still holds guilt from accepting Yasmin's deal in gaining a secure job as an administrative assistant to the president of a prestigious university in exchange for stating that his own friend, Maya, had mental health problems that resulted in her suicide. Underneath his cocky and flirty veneer, he is haunted just like Max. I haven't even mentioned Vinh's rocky relationship with Safi and Reggie but already, it goes to show that there is so much to discover and analyze about his character.

Vinh even has his own character arc as shown in Chapter 4 when he agrees to help Safi and Max with their plan to expose Lucas on Maya's behalf at the bar. Even though he couldn't fully go through on his end, what with Lucas threatening him (and just like that, my distaste for Lucas grows ever so larger), I'm glad that he at least gained the courage to confront Lucas publicly at the start and that this scene played out the way it did in the end because it would seem unrealistic for his character whose defense mode is self-preservation. What does ultimately matter is that Vinh tries and honestly, not many people can do even that. He is a very flawed person but that is what makes him feel real and relatable.

The Expectations Set on Love Interests in Media

Love interests in any media are inherently set up as competition to each other because only one love interest can "win" the heart of the one that they are competing over. Using games as our medium since we're talking about DE here, the player can only choose one. Because if you choose to romance multiple people, it typically doesn’t bode well for the player. All too often, it's commonly seen online that it's very easy to pit love interests against each other instead of acknowledging how they both can have meaningful relationships with the character they're in love with (romantic or otherwise).

I'm not faulting anyone for this at all because of how romance is generally socially accepted in the form of monogamy thus it is inherently set up like a sport in that only one "team" can win. Because it was revealed that Vinh would be a love interest for a fan favorite like Max, I do think there were high expectations set for Max's love interests.

There is a reason why this quote is so well-known: "first impressions make a lasting impression", and Vinh certainly didn't make the best first impression. Compare the first interaction you've had with him to Amanda, Max's other love interest, and Vinh looks a lot less impressive next to her. Once someone has made a bad first impression, you don’t want to keep interacting with that person. If you tack on the fact that he participates in hook-up culture and flirts with Max in almost every interaction they've had, this doesn't improve his reputation in the public's eyes.

Controversial opinion: I do not think that hook-up culture is inherently bad. As long as those involved are consenting adults, I do not see the issue.

As much as I like Vinh, I can see why there is such a negative perception that is widespread among the general audience who played DE towards his character. But just like how first impressions make a lasting impression, first impressions aren’t indicative of a person’s whole character.

Now, I know that Vinh was not planned to be a love interest for Max from the beginning and I believe that if they had stuck to their original plan in having Vinh only be a suspect in Max's investigation, he would receive much less hate. However, I'm actually really glad that they made Vinh a love interest for Max because getting to know who he is as a character feels very realistic. Just like in real life, not everyone is going to make a good first impression and we get to decide if we want to interact with them in spite of it.

And there's bisexual representation on top of it all so what better than one bisexual disaster than two bisexual disasters?

Complementary Opposites

At first glance, Vinh seems like the kind of person that Max would never fall for. And truth be told, if Max and Vinh had both met in high school, they wouldn’t even consider the other person either. But at this time in their lives and personality-wise, I think that they actually do have a lot more in common than one would think.

They share similar experiences, no matter whether Max chooses Bay or Bae. In the Bae route, Max and Vinh relate to the other in that they were, respectively, the ones who were broken up with and still carry a longing for their respective exes, Chloe and Safi. In the Bay route, Max and Vinh relate to the other in that they carry guilt over the death of a close friend. These two understand each other in a way that most people can't relate to, and I think that they both need someone like that in their lives. I chose the Bay route where Max chooses Arcadia Bay over Chloe and what made me like Vinh was this line that he shares about himself with Max at the bar: “Does the past version of you ever feel like an alien? Like, the shit that person cared about is so worthless that you can’t even remember being them?” It was that moment that I knew that Max would find a kindred spirit in him, whether as acquaintances, friends, or as a romantic partner. And I was proven right because at the end, regardless of whether you romance Vinh or not, he isn't scared of Max when he discovers that she has the power to cross timelines and what she could do with it. Instead, he is immediately on board for whatever chaos is going to unfold.

Max and Vinh both have similar coping mechanisms in that they are very avoidant about their issues and aren’t comfortable sharing their vulnerabilities with anyone, opting to keep to themselves. That’s why I enjoyed their bar scene because they willingly open up to the other without being pressured by the other to do so and are completely understanding of the other without judgement. And once their shared mood becomes too dark and depressing after sharing their experiences and vulnerabilities, they effortlessly shift the conversation back to being more light-hearted because they know that it's what is needed at that moment. I personally enjoyed their little Smash-or-Pass scene because it was just two grieving adults exchanging hypothetical scenarios as a way to escape from their problems for a while and to just feel normal for once.

Max and Vinh are both very adept in in their observation skills. First of all, they understand each other well even though they’re not close with the other prior to the game and aren’t known to be open about themselves in general. Max accurately assesses that Vinh has a prickly exterior who has a softer side to him underneath while Vinh accurately assesses that Max is “haunted” just like he is and unlike Safi, he doesn't press her about it when she confirms it. Secondly, they each catch on to the other’s discrepancies. Max catches Vinh’s lie about the cow skull and Vinh catches Max on how she knows that he slept with Safi when he knows for sure that Safi would never tell anyone that. Not to mention that Max figured out the Abraxas' puzzle box pretty quickly (requiring an eye for detail), which is implied to be made by Vinh (who is the president of Abraxas). If Vinh isn't a romantic option in the next game, would absolutely love to see these two be a detective duo the very least.

In terms of their interactions, Max enjoys flirting with Vinh as much as Vinh enjoys flirting with her. She has never expressed discomfort specifically about his flirting in her inner dialogue and even initiates flirting with Vinh herself with her one-liners (even without the player having to do so on her behalf). The fact that Vinh gets noticeably flustered or caught-off guard by her than the other way around is so funny to me, considering that he likes to keep up the appearance that he is suave and cool. If the player chooses to not go along with his flirting, Vinh doesn’t push you and simply accepts it.

If you take the time to read the messages and Crosstalk posts, you’ll find that Vinh is canonically a nerd too i.e. he watches anime, reads fanfiction, and has expressed that he wants to play in a TTRPG. (I would also bet my pinkie toe that Vinh would roleplay as a bard who would flirt with all the NPCs in a D&D game, but I digress.) The funniest thing is that when you read the replies to his nerdier inclinations, they are always one of surprise as if there’s no way he’ll be into it.

These are just a few things that they have in common and I'm sure that there are many more I haven't even begun to analyze yet. I know that I haven't wrote about the areas in which they are on opposite sides of the spectrum (and how it could be complementary), but this section is mainly to show that even though they appear as complete opposites, they are very alike underneath it all.

Conclusion

Overall, I think that too many people judge Vinh Lang right off the bat and boil his character down to a one-note archetype and in turn, miss all of his complexity. You'll only see his character as the persona he portrays, a flirty and cocky playboy, if you don't even give him a chance to get to know him better. Only then can you decide if you want to keep interacting with him or not. And I'm glad that despite my unfavorable first impression of him, I gave him a chance and that I got to realize on my own terms that he isn't as bad as one may think.

[angelicsatin]

fuck your time travel bullshit, we just need [hella] love in this bitch

[polorizetheory]

Like Mother Like Daughter

I never noticed this before, but it's interesting how in a way, Joyce and Chloe both found different people who helped them move on from the people they loved and lost. Joyce lost William, and Chloe in turn lost both William and Max. William and Max were part of a happy life, an era where while things were not exactly perfect, they were still memorable and good. So good in fact, when William died and Max had to leave for Seattle, Joyce almost immediately began dating another man while Chloe was spiraling into self destruction. Going into dangerous places and associating herself or getting into trouble with dangerous people.

Chloe, for the life of her, could not understand how or why Joyce would practically run into the arms of another man when her own father's funeral wasn't that long ago. How she could betray William, a good man, like that over David who is a total stranger.

Which makes so much sense as to why Chloe never made that comparison with Rachel, a total stranger at the time became who Chloe fell head over heels for. To Chloe, at least she had reasons. Max abandoned her (granted Max was 13 and had no control over the situation and in theory was afraid Chloe was the one moving on without her.), and in addition was not even feeling comfortable in her own household. Rachel gave Chloe reasons to keep going forward in life, she came to her like an angel ascending in to the darkest period in her teenhood.

Chloe never once thought that was probably why Joyce did what she did. For Joyce, it felt like what Chloe felt about William all this time.

"HE CHOOSE TO LEAVE ME!"

Joyce might have been angry at William for dying, as irrational as that sounds. "Why didn't he just took the bus to pick me up? Why couldn't he leave home earlier? How could he do this to me?" This of course does not excuse Joyce for choosing a man over her own child and make excuses for his actions instead of being understanding of what her daughter was going through. But it does show that in some ways, Chloe did get her irrationality and a desperate need to move forward as a coping mechanism from her. With David, he gave Joyce a reason to be happy, and like Rachel to Chloe, he showed her that she could find love in her life again. Unlike Chloe, maybe Joyce saw that comparison too, and was at least grateful that while Chloe was still a delinquent, Rachel was there for at least a distraction.

And it couldn't be just a coincidence that after the anniversary of William's death, that's when Max popped in to Chloe's life and saved her.

[tornadoeffect]

Hello, Tumblr.com!

Finally decided to make a side blog dedicated to one of my favourite games of all time!! So... hi!

This is a side blog where I'll mainly be posting my thoughts and analyses of LIS, primarily the 1st game but also the prequel BTS as I believe you can't fully analyse the former without the latter. I have many thoughts and ramble a lot ™ so expect fairly text posts.

I'd love to receive asks to engage with fellow fans or have writing prompts, so don't be shy about sending me something :]

Now for some extra (still relevant) info for anyone interested:

𖦹About me𖦹

Call me by my username, an abbreviation of it, or anything you'd like tbh

Lesbian from France, Ukraine, Tunisia and the UK

I've been obsessed with LIS 1 since it came out in 2015

My favourite character is Max Caulfield <3

Currently mainly studying Economics and Mathematics (but deep down an English Literature fan)

𖦹Useful info𖦹

Pricefield has always been the OTP for me, but I'm also a multishipper and can respect/see the appeal in ships I'm not interested in

Bae>Bay fan, but love both endings regardless

I have barely any sympathy for Nathan. I think he's a great character, but otherwise I'm a hater lol

Complicated feelings about BTS and Rachel Amber (mainly execution)

I think Warren is a bit creepy, but ultimately a good friend and decent dude

Not super excited for the new game tbh?? At least not anymore?

I will occasionally reblog LIS art and such, but otherwise will try to keep this blog focused on rambles :}

[asm5129]

I love the nuance of Rachel. My interpretation is that I absolutely think she cared deeply about Chloe, but I also think she was never able to solidify her own identity, and tended to transform herself into what people wanted from her. Rachel was liked by every single person who knew her (except Victoria, but that was her own insecurities, it wasn’t really about Rachel), and the thing is….no one and nothing is liked by every single person in that way. People are simply too different for all of them to agree she was perfect, unless she was changing herself into what they wanted from her. We know from Before the Storm that she did absolutely experience that pressure, but I think it goes beyond pressure and became a compulsion for her. That she needed to be loved by everyone.

I actually think her truest self was with Chloe, but it wasn’t enough to free her of her of that compulsion, that need; especially because Chloe put her on that same pedestal as everyone else. And whether he knew it or not, that’s what Jefferson took advantage of. He treated her like she was special, so she morphed into what he wanted her to be.

My interpretation of Rachel is as an unconscious chameleon who craved feeling loved, and who couldn’t help herself from working to be perfect in the eyes of every person she met. Rachel wanted to be free of that pressure, that’s why she used Chloe as she did; Chloe was an outlet for that desire to be imperfect and to escape, at least for a while (again, Chloe ended up putting her on the same pedestal as everyone else; See: “Rachel was my Angel”).

It’s, uh, a pretty tragic reading of the text 😅

What's your take on Rachel? Do you think she was using Chloe or had genuine feelings for her?

Yes.

I do think Rachel used Chloe to a certain extent. Their conversation under the street light heavily implies that Rachel saw Chloe as someone convenient. She had a little cash, was working on getting a car running, and had no reason to stay in Arcadia Bay. That makes her the perfect accomplice to escape with. It's also implied in Life Is Strange that Mark and Frank were also used as a way to leave. So I think to an extent Rachel was viewing most people through the lens of "How can they get me out of this shithole town?"

However, I think she had feelings that were real. You don't come back as a ghost deer to lead your love interests childhood best friend to safety if you don't care. Plus the letter you find in the junkyard shows that Rachel was scared of hurting Chloe because of her relationship with Mark.

There's also small details like the postcard you find in Chloe's room from a past Amber vacation and friendship bracelets you find in the junkyard hideout.

Also, I don't think Rachel was maliciously using Chloe. I think Rachel got lost in the excitement of leaving town and the idea of going to LA, and I genuinely think she wanted to leave with Chloe because she enjoyed her company. I think she would never get to LA and ditch Chloe.

So I think both ideas hold truth. Rachel saw Chloe as a convenient way to go on this big adventure, but she also really cared about her and wanted to leave town by her side.

[pomribs]

me when someone brings up the fact that sean diaz thought his life was ending at 16, little did he know it actually did and he would never feel normal again

me when someone brings up "finn is so fucking smart. if he wasnt such a fuck-up, he couldve taken over the world"

me when someone brings up cassidys letter

me when someone brings up how the group got seperated after the incident even though they only had each other

me when someone brings up how every character had so much potential but were just dealt shitty cards in life and will forever face the consequences of not being good enough to combat the struggles they never asked for (ESP sean, cass, finn and lw daniel)

me when someone brings up the fact that its implied that max and daniel meet in the pw ending, and they finally wont feel alone for the first time in their lives

me when someone brings up how bad seans writing and drawing got after losing his eye, and he would get a migraine whenever he tried to focus, stripping him of the one thing that ever calmed him down

me when someone brings up the fact that daniel quit drawing after lisbeth manipulated him, but started again after sean died because he told him to never stop

me when someone brings up what seans teen years in prison mustve been like and what daniels first meetings with him wouldve been like

me when someone brings up how sean never even gave a second thought about being straight before meeting finn, but after he kissed him he wanted to do it again and kept telling everybody because it was such a personal thing for him

me when sean had no one to talk about prev with because his life was so fucked up and he had no outlet for being a normal teengaer

me when sean literally dreamt about telling his dad he kissed a boy because it was so important to him and he never got to have that conversation before he died, and he imagined his dad supporting him endlessly because he was experiencing a lack of that irl

me when sean got awoken from prev dream to get beat bloody and bruised by a fuckass racist (he will never experience peace)

this post is already too long and i could still go on why is this game so tragic

[diazmaximoff]

I just realized how similar the final decision is in every mainline Life is Strange game: barring the specific context of those decisions, each one revolves around a choice between staying in a familiar place or stepping into something unknown.

In the first game, Max spends a lot of time in Arcadia Bay which is her childhood town, but if she chooses to save Chloe, they both drive off into the sunset, heading into the unknown.

In the second game, most of Sean and Daniel's journey takes place in the U.S., but if Sean chooses to cross the border and Daniel agrees, they leave for Mexico, somewhere they've never been.

In the latest game, Alex is trying to build a life in Haven Springs, but if she chooses adventure, she ends up traveling to new, unfamiliar places.

Each game shows you one side of the story—Arcadia Bay, the U.S., Haven Springs—but leaves the other part, the unknown, up to you. It’s your call whether to take the risk and explore or stay in the comfort of what’s familiar, always wondering what could have been.

[whatsjulietslastname]

expending on the mlm pricefield thing (and i’m not talking about double exposure anymore), i think if pricefield had been one of the first mlm pairing to be openly queer in video games history, it would’ve been way more of a big deal back when the game was released and years later. i also think little to no people would be debating whether their relationship is platonic or not, and people would’ve been way faster at jumping to the conclusion that you were homophobic if you thought they were.

historically, the most popular mlm pairings (i’m thinking johnlock, kirk and spock from star trek, merlin and arthur, all the h*rry p*tter and marvel gay ships) have a way bigger fanbase and are way less denied than the wlw ones (i’m thinking supercop, emma swan and regina mills, betty and veronica from riverdale etc). (for the record, i looked up “queerbaiting” to make this post and have examples, and found like a dozens of mlm pairings and always the same few wlw ones…) AND it is way more socially acceptable to say “those two women have a platonic relationship” whereas, if you do the same with johnlock, for instance, you WILL get an angry twenty paragraphs long reply about how there was nothing platonic about it (even though John Watson married a woman).

my point is not “he married a woman so he wasn’t queer” my point is, whenever one part of a wlw pairing has a boyfriend, or a man who she shows a glimpse of interest in (*cough cough* Warren Graham *cough cough*), it is IMMEDIATELY used as ‘evidence’ that this character cannot be queer since she can be in a heterosexual relationship — which is an argument that, again, you will practically never find directed at a gay ship. and, again, the few people who do use this argument against mlm pairings are called ‘homophobic’.

AGAIN, i am not saying that you cannot ship Warren and Max or are homophobic if you do, i’m saying that if Chloe and Max had been two guys, people would’ve been so focused on them, on Max’s diary’s entries, and the two possible kisses they can share onscreen, and the flirting and implications in their relationship, and Chloe’s obvious attraction to Max, that grahamfield would’ve had a way smaller fanbase — or no fanbase at all. and people would’ve absolutely disregarded the fact that you can make Max romance Warren (who is a girl in this scenario). they would’ve seen Warren’s nearly one-sided flirting, and would’ve immediately gone “she (Warren) is in love with him (Max) and he doesn’t give a fuck” (and the kiss in the Two Whales would’ve been collectively ignored by the entire fandom, as is Mary Watson, or Pepper Potts, or Tonks, or Ginny Weasley).

but BECAUSE Max and Chloe are girls, people are still debating whether she is even queer or not by saying “if i make her romance Warren she experiences no attraction towards Chloe and therefore is straight” which is false, because the attraction is HERE. all you, as a player, get to decide is whether or not Max acts on it. and no matter how much evidence there is that Max is indeed romantically interested in Chloe, you will NEVER convince those people, because to them, the moment a woman and a guy interact in a non-platonic way, this woman has to end up with said guy, no matter how queer-coded her relationship with another woman is.

and now that pricefield is broken up, people who would’ve been rioting if it had been guys are calling people who are rightfully upset ‘dramatic’. just try and imagine the reaction of the Sherlock fandom if Sherlock was returning without Watson because “they argued off-screen and decided to stop seeing each other”. those guys aren’t childhood best friends, are never romantically involved, their fandom hasn’t been begging to have a glimpse of them together for ten years, and yet i can’t even imagine how angry people would be. all this fandom was asking was to at least not destroy Max and Chloe’s friendship, and look where we are now.

[agalychnisspranneusroseus]

What drives me insane about marcanne is that Anne could only fall in love with Marcy when she's matured and grown and developed a stronger sense of self and emotional intelligence and empathy and the capacity to truly see her. Early S1 Anne would never appreciate S2 Marcy the way S2 Anne does. She wouldn't see the change for what it was. She wouldn't understand the transformation.

All while Marcy fell in love with Anne ages ago, while she was still deep in her silent denial, her comformity, her eternal tolerance, her unfairly unwavering patience, accepting any crumbs of love Anne gave her. She snapped in a moment of desperation and made the mistake of bringing her friends to a new dangerous world without their knowledge. She saw them drift away. She saw Anne hug her goodbye and willingly leave - willingly separate from her, because unlike Marcy, she was so confident in their friendship that she didn't think leaving would be a threat. And because she overestimated Marcy's growth. Because she thought Marcy saw the way Anne had changed in the same way Anne understood Marcy's growth. But this was an incomplete, eldritch metamorphosis - a half-melted butterfly that came out of its chrysalis too soon. She could have been something beautiful but she got scared midway through and that fucking blue lizar played the role of the devil on her shoulder and told her she didn't need to change. She didn't even need to accept Anne had changed. She could indulge in her most possesive, dishonest and selfish desires shamelessly. By S2, Anne understand Marcy in a level in which Marcy does not understand Anne, and even then, Anne still only gets half the picture until True Colors, and by then it's too late. The girl she fell in love with has been a farce this whole time, and in her desperate attempt to save her, she's killed right before her eyes.

[asm5129]

….i think one of the reasons DE feels so off is that True Colors felt like such a fantastic follow-up to the Dontnod titles.

I know many LiS fans have had their issues with Deck Nine as the devs in charge of LiS but god I really just fell in love with Alex and with her story. The empathy power was fantastic. The location of Haven Springs was great. the choices were really hard, the cast was compelling.

And as much as I genuinely do like DE, it feels like a step backwards from all that.

I enjoyed Max’s story here but I was nowhere near as emotionally affected as any of the games that came before, including D9’s previous work.

If they wanted to pick up on the threads of the first game I would have much preferred to center on a character like Victoria. Max could still be a supporting cast member but Victoria being able to switch between Bay and Bae timelines and wrestling with who she was in Arcadia Bay is actually something I’ve been tossing around as a fanfic idea.

[amber-jinx]

Amazing plays from lis bts. Rachel as a teenager in 2010 being absorbed in plays from the early 1900s, is such a dreamy-Cali-kid thing. "Full of imagination", as Chloe says.

Rachel "delving into the mind of Chloe Price" by reading the book Chloe liked while she waited for Chloe to dye her hair.

Oh Chloe you'll realise Rachel's such a big fan of Tennessee Williams & Shakespeare, she even hangs posters of their plays in her room.

Kiss Me Kate inspired from Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Some of these giving me 🏳️‍🌈 vibes

Blanche fits Rachel like a shirt. Imagine her own heartbreaking take on it.

Reading book "recs" from a fandom is such an experience

More to come!

[celestialastronmy]

Social Network Analysis: Nathan Prescott in Life is Strange

Nathan Prescott is a complex and troubled character. His relationships and interactions with other characters play a crucial role in shaping both his own arc and the overall narrative of the game. This analysis aims to provide a detailed examination of Nathan's connections, analyzing the nature and quality of each relationship, and exploring how these relationships influence his actions and decisions.

Throughout the game, Nathan's behavior is deeply influenced by his mental health issues, family pressures, and the manipulative influence of Mark Jefferson. His interactions range from hostile confrontations to moments of vulnerability, painting a picture of a young man struggling with his identity and place in the world.

Mapping Nathan's Connections

To begin our analysis, let's map out Nathan's key relationships in Life is Strange:

1. Sean Prescott (Father)

2. Mark Jefferson (Teacher/Manipulator)

3. Victoria Chase (Close Friend)

4. Chloe Price (Antagonist/Victim)

5. Max Caulfield (Protagonist/Antagonist)

6. Rachel Amber (Victim)

7. Frank Bowers (Drug Dealer)

8. Kate Marsh (Victim)

9. David Madsen (Authority Figure)

10. Principal Wells (Authority Figure)

Now, let's delve into each of these relationships in detail, analyzing their nature, quality, and impact on Nathan's actions and decisions.

Detailed Analysis of Nathan's Relationships

1. Sean Prescott (Father)

Nature of Relationship: Familial, Authoritarian

Quality: Strained, Pressure-filled

Nathan's relationship with his father, Sean Prescott, is perhaps the most influential and problematic connection in his life. Sean is a powerful and wealthy businessman who exerts immense pressure on Nathan to uphold the Prescott family legacy. This relationship is characterized by:

- High expectations and constant pressure to succeed

- Emotional distance and lack of genuine support

- Financial control used as a means of manipulation

- Possible emotional and psychological abuse

The impact of this relationship on Nathan is profound:

- It contributes significantly to Nathan's mental health issues, including anxiety and possible personality disorders

- Fuels Nathan's desire for power and control, often manifested in bullying behavior

- Creates a deep-seated fear of failure and disappointment

- Drives Nathan to seek approval and validation from other authority figures

Nathan's actions throughout the game, including his involvement with Jefferson and his aggressive behavior towards others, can be seen as attempts to gain control and assert his identity in response to his father's overwhelming influence.

2. Mark Jefferson (Teacher/Manipulator)

Nature of Relationship: Mentor/Manipulator, Accomplice

Quality: Toxic, Exploitative

Mark Jefferson, Nathan's photography teacher, presents himself as a mentor figure but is, in reality, a dangerous predator who manipulates Nathan for his own nefarious purposes. This relationship is characterized by:

- False sense of mentorship and guidance

- Exploitation of Nathan's vulnerability and desire for approval

- Complicity in criminal activities (drugging and photographing young women)

- Manipulation of Nathan's mental instability

The impact of this relationship on Nathan is severe:

- Deepens Nathan's involvement in criminal activities

- Exacerbates his mental health issues

- Provides a false sense of purpose and importance

- Ultimately leads to Nathan's downfall and arrest(or death)

Jefferson's influence on Nathan is a dark mirror of his relationship with his father - both men use Nathan for their own purposes, disregarding his well-being and exploiting his vulnerabilities.

3. Victoria Chase (Close Friend)

Nature of Relationship: Friendship, Peer Alliance

Quality: Supportive but Potentially Toxic

Victoria Chase is perhaps Nathan's closest friend at Blackwell Academy. Their relationship is complex, marked by mutual support but also by shared negative behaviors. Key aspects include:

- Shared social status and participation in the Vortex Club

- Mutual support and protection within the school's social hierarchy

- Enabling of each other's bullying behaviors

The impact of this relationship on Nathan:

- Provides a sense of belonging and acceptance

- Reinforces his elitist and bullying tendencies

- Offers emotional support, albeit in a potentially unhealthy manner

- Serves as a connection to "normal" teenage life

While Victoria is one of the few people who seems to genuinely care for Nathan, their relationship also reinforces some of his more problematic behaviors.

4. Chloe Price (Antagonist/Victim)

Nature of Relationship: Antagonistic, Victim/Perpetrator

Quality: Hostile, Violent

Nathan's relationship with Chloe Price is fraught with tension and violence. Key aspects include:

- History of drug dealing (Nathan as supplier)

- Attempted assault (Nathan drugging Chloe)

- Violent confrontations

- Murder (Nathan killing Chloe in one timeline)

The impact of this relationship on Nathan:

- Escalates his violent tendencies

- Increases his paranoia and instability

- Leads to one of his most extreme actions (murder)

- Serves as a catalyst for the game's main events

Nathan's interactions with Chloe represent some of his most violent and uncontrolled moments, highlighting the extent of his mental instability and the dangerous influence of Jefferson.

5. Max Caulfield (Protagonist/Antagonist)

Nature of Relationship: Antagonistic, Investigative

Quality: Hostile, Potentially Redemptive

Max, as the game's protagonist, has a complex relationship with Nathan. Initially antagonistic, their interactions can potentially lead to a moment of vulnerability for Nathan. Key aspects include:

- Initial hostility and threats from Nathan

- Max's investigation into Nathan's activities

- Potential moment of confession and vulnerability (depending on player choices)

The impact of this relationship on Nathan:

- Increases his paranoia and defensive behaviors

- Potentially provides a moment of catharsis and confession

- Indirectly leads to the unraveling of his criminal activities

Max's role in Nathan's story is crucial, as she has the potential to either further antagonize him or provide a moment of potential redemption.

6. Rachel Amber (Victim)

Nature of Relationship: Victim/Perpetrator

Quality: Tragic, Pivotal

While Rachel Amber is missing for the majority of the game, her connection to Nathan is central to the plot. Key aspects include:

- Nathan's involvement in Rachel's disappearance and death

- His guilt and mental anguish over the incident

- The catalyst for the game's central mystery

The impact of this relationship on Nathan:

- Deepens his mental health crisis

- Increases his dependence on Jefferson

- Fuels his paranoia and erratic behavior

- Serves as a source of deep-seated guilt and trauma

Rachel's death represents the darkest consequence of Nathan's actions and his manipulation by Jefferson.

7. Frank Bowers (Drug Dealer)

Nature of Relationship: Criminal Association

Quality: Transactional, Potentially Threatening

Frank Bowers, the local drug dealer, has a business relationship with Nathan. Key aspects include:

- Drug purchases and distribution

- Potential blackmail or threats (Frank knows about Nathan's activities)

- Shared connection to Rachel Amber

The impact of this relationship on Nathan:

- Facilitates his drug use and distribution

- Adds another layer of criminal activity to his life

- Represents a potential threat if Frank decides to reveal information

While not as central as some other relationships, Nathan's connection to Frank adds to the web of criminal activity surrounding him and represents another potential source of exposure.

8. Kate Marsh (Victim)

Nature of Relationship: Bully/Victim

Quality: Abusive, Guilt-inducing

Kate Marsh is one of the students victimized by Nathan and Jefferson's scheme. Key aspects include:

- Nathan's role in drugging Kate

- His participation in her bullying and public shaming

- Potential guilt over his actions

The impact of this relationship on Nathan:

- Demonstrates the extent of his involvement in Jefferson's crimes

- May contribute to his increasing mental instability and guilt

- Represents another potential exposure of his criminal activities

Nathan's treatment of Kate is one of the clearest examples of how his own victimization (by Jefferson) leads him to victimize others.

9. David Madsen (Authority Figure)

Nature of Relationship: Antagonistic, Investigative

Quality: Hostile, Threatening

David Madsen, Blackwell's head of security, represents a threat to Nathan's activities. Key aspects include:

- David's suspicion and investigation of Nathan

- Nathan's fear and hostility towards David

- Potential confrontations between the two

The impact of this relationship on Nathan:

- Increases his paranoia and defensive behaviors

- Represents a constant threat of exposure

- May contribute to his escalating erratic behavior

David's presence serves as a constant source of stress for Nathan, adding to his already fragile mental state.

10. Principal Wells (Authority Figure)

Nature of Relationship: Authority Figure, Potentially Complicit

Quality: Complex, Influenced by Prescott Power

Principal Wells has a complex relationship with Nathan, influenced heavily by the Prescott family's power over Blackwell Academy. Key aspects include:

- Wells' reluctance to discipline Nathan due to his family's influence

- Nathan's sense of immunity due to this protection

- Potential guilt or conflict on Wells' part

The impact of this relationship on Nathan:

- Reinforces his sense of being above the rules

- Potentially enables his continued negative behavior

- Reflects the broader theme of corruption and power in the game

This relationship demonstrates how Nathan's family influence extends beyond his personal life, affecting his entire environment and contributing to his sense of invulnerability.

Conclusion

Nathan Prescott's social network in Life is Strange is a complex web of toxic influences, manipulative relationships, and missed opportunities for genuine connection. His actions and decisions throughout the game are deeply influenced by these relationships, particularly:

1. The overwhelming pressure from his father, driving his need for control and validation.

2. The manipulative influence of Mark Jefferson, exploiting Nathan's vulnerabilities for criminal purposes.

3. The enabling friendship with Victoria Chase, which provides support but also reinforces negative behaviors.

4. The antagonistic relationships with characters like Chloe and Max, which escalate his paranoia and erratic behavior.

These relationships create a perfect storm of negative influences, exacerbating Nathan's mental health issues and driving him towards increasingly destructive behavior. The tragedy of Nathan's character lies in the fact that he is both a perpetrator of horrible acts and a victim of manipulation and abuse.

Understanding Nathan's social network provides crucial insight into his character, the events of the game, and the broader themes of power, influence, and the consequences of unchecked mental health issues. It also highlights the game's nuanced approach to morality, showing how complex and intertwined the relationships between victims and perpetrators can be.

Ultimately, Nathan's story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of toxic relationships, unchecked privilege, and the failure of support systems for troubled youth. His social network is a key element in understanding not just his character, but the entire narrative and thematic structure of Life is Strange.

[moldypoff]

If I’m not commenting on mouthwashing posts assume I’m dead

[tornadoeffect]

Thinking about how similar yet how different Max and Rachel are...

Rachel is obviously destructive and impulsive in some ways, whether it's intentional or not, but so is Max! She does fix things a lot in the game, or at least tries to, but there are various occasions where she can act upon destructive desires mainly thanks to her newfound powers. For example, she immediately decides to blow up the doorknob to the principal's office when she can't find a key with Chloe and the latter can't pick the lock open. She can also spill Frank's beans onto the ground unprovoked. These are minor examples, but the greatest one of course is the Bae>Bay ending where she quite literally lets a tornado swallow up her entire childhood town to keep her best friend (girlfriend?) from dying. Her very powers are associated with the chaos theory. She says herself in her dream: "You're a goddam hypocrite. You've left a trail of death and suffering behind you.". She also says later in the game: "I can't keep fixing everything, if all I'm gonna do is just break it, over and over again!" Sure, this is her low self esteem and slight self loathing talking (as well as her having a normal reaction to the awful situation she's been put into), but the words have some merit if you look into them. Her powers, seemingly designed to fix things, seem to just make everything worse or break something else instead.

More under cut.

Meanwhile, Rachel turns a small, controlled burning of a picture into a forest fire. She spikes Victoria's drink on one occasion to keep her role in a play. She throws a bottle near Chloe in a junkyard in anger. She develops a self destructive drug usage habit. I'd argue her relationship with dangerous, older men is self destructive. Her difficulty with communication adds a chaotic element to her and Chloe's relationship (even though she's by far not the only guilty party involved). She breaks a table when her pent up anger towards her father escapes containment. She's associated with fire and the storm. There's obviously nuance to her actions, which is why I mentioned them being intentional or not at the start, but it doesn't erase their destructive or impulsive nature.

Now, I use the terms "destructive" and "impulsive" loosely here. And obviously, most of the examples I provided for Rachel are a lot more extreme than the ones I provided for Max, but I still think I got my point across. They both cause chaos, destruction, and disharmony around them, mostly guided by their feelings and what they consider to be "right" or "wrong", "deserved", "necessary", etc. And if the theory about Rachel being the one to grant Max her powers is true, then destruction links them together even more.

Furthermore, they're both young women onto whom destiny shoves great burdens and seems to play painfully ironic games with: Rachel must maintain her perfect appearance despite her unstable and crumbling sense of identity and freedom and the sudden revelation of her family's past, and she ends up an aspiring model dying horribly in a dark room; Max unlocks super powers out of the blue one day and tried to do good with them, but as she figures them out she ties them (and by consequence, herself) to a deadly approaching tornado without mentioning the extremely traumatic events she goes through in a matter of a week, and ends up having to decide whether to sacrifice an entire town or her closest friend.

And most importantly of all: they are both trapped by or in Arcadia Bay, albeit in differing ways. Rachel's case is more obvious: she's literally, physically trapped due to her family's unwillingness to move and her inability to leave alone, which is especially suffocating for her free spirit, and she's also metaphorically trapped by heavy expectations from everyone around her, feeling like she has no room to define herself.... herself. She's buried in the town's junkyard after years of dreaming of freedom. Max physically leaves/"escapes" Arcadia Bay as a child with her move (though she didn't especially want to), and does go back voluntarily, but is almost immediately chained to the very fate of the place and its people out of nowhere. I'd also argue that her past with Chloe and the guilt she feels because of it also traps a part of her in Arcadia for a long time. And after the ending, no matter what she chooses, Arcadia Bay will never let her go for the rest of her life.

[arcadiabaytornado]

Here's a compilation I made of Max being unhinged in Episode 4.

"Eat shit and die Max." is loading.