February 1, 2022
DON'T NOD

Life is Strange Remastered Collection

Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection allows a new generation of gamers to experience one of the 2010's best adventure games. Just don't expect the labelled 'remaster' to provide much of an added sheen

94%Game Brain Score

emotional, optimization

graphics, story

94% User Score Based on 2,308 reviews

Critic Score 60%Based on 12 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $15.76

Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store

Buy NowGet on PS Store$39.99

About

The "Life is Strange Remastered Collection" is a visually enhanced release of the award-winning games "Life is Strange" and "Before the Storm." The remastered versions feature improved character animation, updated gameplay puzzles, and engine and lighting upgrades. Players can look forward to immersive storytelling with multiple endings, and the ability to change events using Max's rewind ability or Chloe's quick thinking.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Life is Strange Remastered Collection screenshot

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,308 reviews

emotional2 positive mentions

story2 negative mentions

Life is Strange features a strong narrative and well-written characters that resonate emotionally.
The collection allows new players to experience two beloved games from the 2010s.
Certain aspects of the presentation, like motion capture and lighting, have seen improvements.

The remaster feels more like a port, with poor visual quality, including texture pop-ins and muddy environments.
Load times are excessively long, detracting from the overall experience.
Technical issues and bugs are prevalent, making it hard to recommend for those who already own the original games.

graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics of the "Life is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection" have received mixed reviews, with some improvements in lip-syncing and color tone noted, but many players feel it suffers from significant drawbacks such as texture pop-in, muddy visuals, and long loading times. While the art style is appreciated, the overall presentation is considered outdated and marred by bugs and clunky animations, detracting from the experience.
- “I want to believe that the Switch is capable of supporting graphic adventures, compelling stories, and riveting experiences that are expected from other consoles.”
- “Certain aspects of the presentation have been improved, such as the lip-syncing and overall color tone.”
- “[Writing and characters are excellent, great art style, exploration is constantly rewarding.]”
- “For the case of Life is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection, I cannot help but express concern that this remaster is less of a remaster and more of a port of the original 2015 game, graphical artifacts and outdated loading times included.”
- “Certain aspects of the presentation have been improved, such as the lip-syncing and overall color tone, but at the same time you've got some pretty unforgivable presentation drawbacks like texture and asset pop-in, muddy environmental visuals, and absurdly long load times.”
- “Too many bugs, some scenes are graphically terrible, controls and animations are clunky.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story in "Life is Strange" and "Before the Storm" is deeply emotive and well-written, resonating strongly with players, particularly through the character-driven narrative. While it effectively explores themes of choice and emotional depth, some technical issues, such as texture and animation flaws, detract from the overall experience. Nonetheless, these titles are highly recommended for fans of narrative-driven adventures.
- “The story of Max and Chloe still hits you hard, but overall, it's let down by various texture and animation issues.”
- “Deeply emotive, well written, respectful of player choice, and with a great look and atmosphere, Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm are must-haves for anyone interested in narrative-driven adventures that focus more on the characters than the plot itself - even when taking their flaws into consideration.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that "Before the Storm" resonates deeply on an emotional level, with many highlighting its significant impact on their feelings and personal experiences since its release in 2015.
- “Before the Storm runs alright; in 2015, this story meant a lot to me emotionally.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with users noting artistic downgrades, subpar texture quality, and imperfect performance. Additionally, issues such as non-functional subtitle backgrounds and heavily compressed pre-rendered cutscenes have been highlighted.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere in "Life is Strange" and "Life is Strange: Before the Storm" is characterized by deep emotional resonance, strong writing, and a visually appealing aesthetic, all of which enhance the narrative-driven experience. The games prioritize character development and player choice, making them essential for fans of immersive storytelling.
- “Deeply emotive, well written, and respectful of player choice, with a great look and atmosphere. 'Life is Strange' and 'Life is Strange: Before the Storm' are must-haves for anyone interested in narrative-driven adventures that focus more on the characters than the plot itself, even when taking their flaws into consideration.”