Critically acclaimed adventure game Life is Strange has made its way to Android, and the first episode is free. The game uses a specialized touch control scheme crafted from the ground up for the platform, but you can also use any Bluetooth controller you happen to have lying around, including a Sony DualShock 4 or Xbox One controller. The first episode is free to give you a taste of the action, and if you want to go further in the story, you can snap up the second episode for only $0.99, and subsequent episodes for $4.99 each, making for a total of around $15 for the whole game. For extra savings, you can also get a full season upgrade pass for $8.99.
For those unfamiliar with the game itself, it’s a 3D adventure somewhat reminiscent of the ones pumped out by Telltale Games. The story is a classic case of “When it rains, it pours.” A girl named Max Caulfield has a vision of a tornado destroying her neck of Seattle, Washington, then shortly after discovers that she has the power to rewind time. That power helps her to have a fairly tense and awkward reunion with her old friend, Chloe. While all of this is going on, among other teenage drama, a girl named Rachel disappears without a trace. Playing as Max, you’ll manage drama and your relationship with Chloe while trying to find Rachel and reconcile with your powers and your visions, including the possibility that you saw a very real tornado headed for town.
Episodic mobile games on Android are nothing new, with the aforementioned Telltale Games being the most prominent publisher to use the format in recent memory. While the genre is a dime a dozen these days, Life is Strange is special in that it takes on themes and agendas that other games tend to sidestep or shy away from. It’s one of very few such games from Square Enix, a studio normally known for RPG hits like Final Fantasy and Star Ocean. The game is available on just about every platform at this point, making Android support the finishing touch of sorts. If you’d like to give it a whirl, hit the Google Play button below.
