On the surface, Life Is Strange appears to be an adventure game about time travel, teenage drama and certain mysteries right out of Twin Peaks. At its core, however, Dontnod Entertainment have crafted a wonderful love story. Max and Chloe are best friends since childhood, reconnecting after five years apart. Its obvious from the get go that they care deeply about each other, meshing perfectly as a duo despite the ludicrous amount of emotional baggage both from the past and present. Probably the coolest thing about their romance is that it comes in the form of a revelation, both to the player and Max herself. Theres a moment in the games final episode where, after going through scores of alternate, splintering timelines in order to keep Chloe alive, Max breaks down, begging Chloe to stay safe. Its at that moment where it becomes clear to her, and to us, that shes fallen in love. Or alternatively, that shes loved her all along. It's a wonderfully emotional moment that puts the entirety of the last twelve hours of play in a new, emotionally devastating context. Life is Strange is far from a perfect game, but it perfectly captures the feeling of falling in love with your best friend, which just isn't an experience any other games can boast about.
