Life is Strange, choices are hard, people are complicated… but in the end, I knew what I had to do

Warning: This entry contains spoilers for Life is Strange.

As promised, here’s an entry with all the spoilerific goodness that I couldn’t talk about in the entry for Life is Strange And yeah, prepare for another insanely long post by Lynk Former, because it’s that time again!

I’ve read quite a lot of impressions from other people who have posted their own take on this game and how it affected them personally. There’s a lot of touching stuff being shared across the Internet and it’s nice reading them all and realising that this one game has driven so many people to share the experiences of their lives and what this game means to them. Of course, along with all the positive things said about Life is Strange, there are still plenty of negative things being said as well… and none of that surprised me in the least. I admit that this game requires a certain understanding and disposition toward that period in one’s life to really enjoy.

I honestly can’t say that my experiences really hold up against theirs, or that I’ve had any profound insights or breakthroughs thanks to Life is Strange, and the story it tells, that can even compare to the stories and reactions others have posted… but here is my take on Life is Strange anyway. Perhaps me being a teacher will add a different perspective into the mix, who knows.

I’ve spoken about this before in the Game Spotlight, but it serves to reiterate my thoughts on the first episode and to expand on a few things.

I had been aware of Life is Strange after seeing the reveal trailer in December 2014. I was intrigued, as were the people I spoke to about the trailer. The comparisons to the many adventure games by Telltale and the attempts at interactive story telling by David Cage and Quantic Dreams were being made and there was big talk about the potential of this game. Though, as I said in the previous entry, it wasn’t a game that was really on my radar.

However, the day that the first episode of Life is Strange was released, I decided to take the plunge and buy it along with the season pass for the rest of the episodes on my Xbox One. I honestly didn’t know what to expect.

So here goes. Let’s take a ride through my journey with Life is Strange from episode to episode as I recount my experience with each episode as they happened.

Episode 1: Chrysalis

My first impressions of Life is Strange were positive, though, there were a few issues with the game that I did pick up on. I remember halfway through the first episode, I was telling people I was messaging to on Skype how the voice acting was a little bland and there were some things that were nagging at me. By the end of the first episode, things finally clicked with me, the way the voice acting was produced, the way the characters spoke, the setting, the art style, the music… everything.

I think it’s the very ending, when Syd Matters – Obstacles starts playing showing a montage of various characters that really helped me figure out where this game was trying to take me. As soon as that last moment at the light house started that montage, my thoughts immediately went back to the end of Donnie Darko which featured a similar montage.

I think, without that connection, I probably would have dismissed the first episode as a stock standard adventure game about teenagers and time powers. However, I think Dontnod have done a really good job at conveying how they wanted you to feel about Blackwell Academy and Arcadia Bay. We were introduced to a number of characters who set up the tone for this series which, aside from the crazy time powers, seemed very normal… and that’s the key, the fact that everyone seemed to be just normal people.

We also got to hear Max’s thoughts all throughout the game that let us get to know her more as our player character. It felt as if, slowly, through the course of the first episode, instead of being in control of Max, we became Max… at least, I became Max. As she explored, I explored, and I was getting to know these people along with Max since she had only been at Blackwell Academy for about a month and hadn’t really gotten a chance to socialise with many of them.

It has its flaws, just like everything else, but it’s also a game that has just the right mix of certain elements that managed to evoke a very strong response from myself and from many others.

My choices for episode 1

As for my actions throughout the first episode, naturally I informed Principal Wells about Nathan waving a gun around in the girls toilets. It never even occurred to me to hide that information since it felt like the right thing to do. As for the minor decisions right after that, I kinda skipped them since, for some reason, I wasn’t in the exploration mindset at the time. I bypassed Ms. Grant and Daniel and every other character at the front of Blackwell Academy and headed straight for the girl’s dorm. I guess, after what had just happened, I just wanted to get the hell out of there.

Arriving at the girl’s dormitory, it didn’t take me long to figure out how to start using my new time powers to get Victoria out of the way. And sure, she is a bitch, but even if she is a bully, I decided to comfort her after she got covered in paint… even though that was my doing. I have no sympathy for bullies, but I also recognise when someone is being a bully because they themselves feel insecure as opposed to someone who is being a bully just because they’re an asshole.

“Max, you are not crazy. You are not dreaming. It’s time to be an everyday hero.”

For the minor choices during this section, I totally rubbed out the message to Kate on her slate. Again, fuck bullies. Having spoken to Kate at the start of the game, she seems like a really nice person and I was totally on board with the Kate fan club right from the start. I also helped Alyssa, something I continued doing all the way through each episode, and I did water Lisa. One thing I didn’t do was touch Dana’s pregnancy test, not even to rewind it and have the extra conversation… seriously, I was staying the hell out of her business for that one. Finally, I didn’t even realise you could mess with the photos in Victoria’s room.

Coming back out with Warren’s flash drive, I absolutely intervened when David was bullying Kate. Now, remember kids, when you see someone being bullied, you have to intervene in some way because inaction in such an event is just as bad as being the bully yourself. And sure, taking a photo can build evidence to use later, but the point is that you need to let Kate know that she’s not alone at Blackwell, that someone has her back and actually cares enough about her to help her. On a side note, when I got back to Warren, I just walked straight up to him without even seeing Frank’s RV parked there… which begs the question, what the hell was Frank doing there? I mean, I realise why Chloe was there, but not Frank… he doesn’t seem stupid enough to park his RV right AT the school to sell drugs… unless he is.

Finally, while at Chloe’s house, I didn’t snoop around upstairs, so the bird did die, and I did rewind to fix Chloe’s snow globe. Downstairs, while snooping around David’s stuff, I didn’t leave any evidence while I was gathering all that juicy information from his investigation into Kate. Now for the big one… I got into that closet and I stayed hidden… which meant that Chloe got slapped. I did feel bad, but I didn’t rewind… I kinda regret not rewinding actually.

Episode 2: Out of Time

Months went by and the second episode finally rolled around. I have to say, I was pretty interested to see where this game was going to take me after leaving the first episode off on a high note.

It’s probably a good thing I felt that high continue with the beginning of this episode too, because right off the bat, Chloe was annoying the hell out of me. That said, I still didn’t dislike her and kinda felt that I was being nudged in a direction to dislike her by all the compounding actions she made through each scene. Later on, when I had time to reflect on the events of this second episode, I did think about what life is like for Chloe at this point in time.

Sure, Chloe can be pretty demanding, but the more I thought about her as a person, the more I started to understand that, okay, she’s someone who has lost her best friend and feels distant with her old best friend who has only recently come back into her life. Things are shitty in her life right now and she feels lost, she doesn’t know where to go from here and is frustrated. Saying that, I’m not excusing her for some of her actions, such as going off on me just because I answered Kate’s phone call, I just understand why is is the way she is.

While playing through these first two episodes, I was naturally worried about the turn Kate was taking since things were getting worse and worse for her. However, I didn’t expect the big dramatic event of the episode to be Kate’s attempted suicide. It was a shock to me, not because I didn’t think Kate was quite that far into her despair, but because I didn’t think this kind of scene would actually be in, what I thought at the time, was a simple video game.

When I saw Kate fall, I was right there with Max, desperately using my time powers to not let it end like this. I couldn’t let that happen to her, not Kate. And so, with that huge event near the end of the second episode, I got my first kick in the guts with this game… in a good way. I was glad that this game was being released episodically because, holy fuck, the amount of feels I was having at the end of that second episode was overflowing. I was literally light-headed after playing, it affected me that much.

Life is Strange went from a game that had potential, to a game that punched me right in the face with how special it was. I realised, at this point, that I was playing something unlike anything I had played before.

My choices for episode 2

I watered Lisa again… which is a big mistake, I know that now… but what the hell do I know about plants? And of course, I helped Alyssa in this episode too, how could I not? And I DEFINITELY erased the link to the video that Victoria left on the bathroom mirror. Fuck her. I mean, I realise why Victoria is being such a fucking bitch since she honestly thought Kate was being a hypocrite, preaching about abstinence then tonguing a bunch of guys at a Vortex Club party. She obviously didn’t know that Nathan dosed her and that shit was getting nuts, but fuck Victoria… I know, I know, I was nice to her in the last episode… but that doesn’t mean that her stupid actions don’t piss me off and that her justification for those actions are fucking moronic too.

Now, on to the big decision about whether Kate should go to the police or not… I told her to wait until we had more evidence because… well, it’s not what she wants to hear, but it is the smart decision to make. You can’t go up against the Prescott family without some hard evidence of your own. Kate didn’t feel like I was being very helpful at all… but I learned my lesson from before on matters that require authorities to step in and realised that it wasn’t going to be that easy, not with Nathan Prescott involved.

On my way out, I did catch Taylor and we were civil, and I totally blew off Warren, not because I didn’t like him. To be honest, at this point, I didn’t really have any feelings for Warren one way or the other… kinda like Max, I just felt that with all that was going on right now, going to see The Planet of the Apes marathon really isn’t the best thing I should be doing right now.

“Max, I’m in a nightmare and I can’t wake up… unless I put myself to sleep.”

As mentioned before, I totally answered Kate’s call because, why the hell wouldn’t I? She’s in a much darker place than Chloe is right now and she needed someone to be there for her.

While at the junkyard, I added myself… er, Max, to the wall of “Chloe and Rachel were here” messages and, while I did find the correct tools for the job, I ended up tampering with the rail tracks to save Chloe. I didn’t realise what the prompt would do and before I knew it, it was already done and the scene transitioned to the next, oh well. Oh, and I didn’t try to shoot Frank. I know that scores me big points with Chloe, but I wasn’t about to become a murderer, even if I do have rewind powers.

I did manage to get myself into the Vortex Club party and I didn’t help Warren… it was too fun blowing him away with science. As for Mr. Jefferson, I didn’t tell him shit because he was being an asshole to Kate too, just like everyone else. I mean, as a teacher myself, fuck that guy. I think it was at this point when I made up my mind about him and started not liking him… that very act of just being a total asshat to Kate. Bastard.

For the finale of the second episode, I did my best to save Kate and ended up talking her down from the ledge. It was pretty tense up there, but I’m so glad I was able to save her because it would have made for a very depressing third episode had I not. And yes, just like most other people, I ended up blaming Nathan and got him suspended from Blackwell Academy. Out of all the information I had at the time, it all led back to him.

Episode 3: Chaos Theory

After that second episode, I was super excited to get my hands on the third episode after so long. I remember, at this point in time, I was jumping off the walls trying to get people to buy into Life is Strange… and no one did because no one ever listens to me when it comes to video game advice.

This episode finally had me enjoying Chloe’s company now that Kate was safe and sound. Though, she still has a long road to recovery ahead of her at this point, I had done my part and I let Kate know that I was there for her. Now it was time to do the same for Chloe which meant a lot of delicious snooping around Blackwell Academy.

This felt like a really relaxing episode and was a nice change of pace from the previous one that ended with such a storm of emotions. I was finally spending some quality time with Chloe and getting to know her, something I’ve wanted to do properly from the start, but wasn’t able to because of various events and Chloe’s disposition at the time. Thankfully, she finally opened up and we had some nice moments together.

I really want to place some emphasis on the mini-pool party Max and Chloe had together. It felt really nice and was very well done, there wasn’t anything sleazy or creepy about it and it felt very natural. The way Max and Chloe interacted with each other, the conversation they were having and the general mood of the entire scene was perfect. I really felt like there was a connection happening between them, one they hadn’t felt in a very long time with each other… and things were great.

Of course, just as with the second episode, the third episode reminded me that I shouldn’t get too comfortable because shit was about to go down… and I didn’t realise how hard it was going to go down until that very last shot.

Fuck me.

This is probably the only moment in the entire playthrough where I butted heads with the game as to what decision I should make. We’ve jumped back in time to a pivotal moment in Chloe’s life where any change could have profound consequences for the future. Like Max, I’ve absorbed myself in enough science fiction and time travel fiction enough to know that this is a really, REALLY BAD IDEA.

You don’t FUCK with the space-time continuum on this level and I don’t care how much of a hypocrite that makes me sound since I’ve used those rewind powers constantly. With the rewind powers, you’re going back on a linear path of time and any change you make can be small to very large, but you still have a measure of control over what is happening in the timeline.

With the photo dive five years into the past, I knew it would lead to bad things and I didn’t want any part of it. I looked around the entire scene at everything, watching as William answered the phone, found his car keys and left only to see the game freeze time, forcing me to rewind. I didn’t want to do it, but the game wouldn’t progress, so I ultimately had to go along with what the game wanted me to do.

Seeing Chloe in that wheelchair in the alternate timeline, my heart broke. I knew this entire event was going to be trouble, but I still wasn’t ready for this. All I could think as the credits rolled was, “Fucking hell, I didn’t want to do it… why did you make me do it?”

I was light-headed, just like the end of the second episode, but it was worse. I literally sat there in front of the TV trying to think through the scenario that was presented to me at the end of this episode. So many things were rushing through my mind and I couldn’t wait to play the fourth episode to see how it would all be resolved.

At the same time, it was way too much for me to handle and I’m glad that this was an episodic series because I needed time to process everything that had happened in the game up till that point.

My choices for episode 3

Lisa is DEAD!

I also didn’t help Warren cheat his way through the science exam… again, I’m a teacher, that kind of decision only goes one way with me. As for the money that Chloe tried to take while we were snooping in Principal Wells’s office? Fuck no, Chloe. You’re my friend and all, but I’m not going to let you take that money because it’s a shitty thing to do and because I don’t want you to become that kind of person.

As for the Vortex Club list, I was already on it so I didn’t add myself… again, I didn’t add MAX to the list, and I didn’t erase anyone’s name off the list either.

However, what I did do, and with absolutely no regrets and no take-backs, is kiss Chloe. I know what some of you might be saying, heterosexual male goes for the two girls kissing option, how original… and sure, that played into it somewhat, but not 100%. Part of me took Chloe’s challenge to heart and part of me was reminded about an incident in my youth during a similar challenge. It felt like the only natural thing to do.

On the small matter of the answering machine… eep, I must have missed it because i didn’t end up erasing the message… and as for which side I took. Sorry, David, but Chloe has my back on this and with the evidence I had, you were being a huge asshat to Kate over the last couple of days.

Back at the Diner, I totally helped Alyssa again but I didn’t help the homeless woman. I didn’t realise she was still back there, whoops. Oh, and yes, I went through every single variation of fucking with Frank before I got the keys from him. Finally, I totally did not let anything bad happen to Pompidou. Now, kids, don’t be dicks to animals and get them run over… just don’t. Oh, also, I didn’t get the gun back from Frank since I didn’t look hard enough.

As for my little trip back into the past, I did take the picture but I didn’t leave the butterfly mark… for the rest… I had no choice.

Episode 4: Dark Room

I have to tell you, I had honestly no idea what to expect from the fourth episode of Life is Strange. I was sure that Max would return back to her own timeline somehow, but the events that were being presented to me at the start were difficult to play through.

Of course, I underestimated how much things would escalate yet again in this episode and, yet again, it caught me off guard, both times. I mean, I like to think I’m pretty good at figuring out what the mystery is behind these kinds of stories before the end comes, but for some reason, it never occurred to me that it was Mr. Jefferson who was the real mastermind behind the events in Arcadia Bay with Rachel, Kate and everyone else.

Even with that suspicious phone call, the most obvious sign we got in the game that something was up, and his stupid behaviour toward Kate, I was oblivious. I think it’s because I actually am a teacher and, for some reason, because he’s in a teaching role, I automatically didn’t suspect him of something that horrible. I felt really stupid for pointing everything at Nathan, especially since he has his own issues he’s been trying to deal with that don’t automatically make him a murderer.

First Kate’s attempted suicide, then alternate reality Chloe and finally, the reveal of the true villain in this story. When Chloe was shot dead, I was so fucking pissed off, I held down the rewind button instantly… fuck. There was nothing I could do… and as Max blacked out, I had to wait another excruciating period of time to get to the final episode of Life is Strange.

One way or the other, I was going to end this. I was on a mission, I wanted to save Chloe somehow and make sure Mark Jefferson was put away for the rest of his miserable life.

My choices for episode 4

So to start, yes, I did go ahead with Chloe’s request, but not immediately. I was so glad there was a third “I don’t know” option that I could pick because I sat there for a good long time before pressing any buttons. However, when Chloe finally told me her reasoning, I couldn’t say no. I couldn’t.

As for the minor choices coming back out of the alternate reality, I don’t think I saved the Blue Jay simply because I was too preoccupied with other things going through my head to even notice it. I didn’t disturb the nest either. I did end up busting David’s lock open since I didn’t remember that I had already seen the combination from a previous episode… it has been a few months after all.

At the boy’s dorm, Kate did help me find Nathan’s room, I didn’t write on Warren’s slate and I must have missed Daniel entirely. Also, despite what I had wanted at the time, I did stop Warren from beating up Nathan. I think, at this point, I was starting to feel kind of sorry for Nathan since it became clear that he wasn’t in control of his own actions due to his mental instability.

Before we get to the other big ones, I didn’t end up figuring out Nathan’s pin for his phone and again, I did save Alyssa.

As for that infamous conversation with Frank… I tried, I really did, but the best I could do was have Frank wounded. I know now that there’s a way to get through that entire conversation without anyone getting hurt, but it felt like I had no options with Frank by the fourth or fifth try. Sorry Frank, I tried.

Now, for the one I really regret now after I realised what it changed… I did end up convincing Victoria that Nathan was dangerous. I thought I was helping her, I really wanted to help her. And yeah, I did get into the Vortex Club area of the party pretty easily thanks to all the decisions made in previous episodes. That’s a plus, I guess.

Episode 5: Polarized

We’re finally here, the final episode… even before the last episode, I was in full fanboy mode, but fuck, when this episode was released, I was in FULL fanboy mode.

This episode felt a hell of a lot more linear than the previous ones, and there were plenty of people online who criticised the game for getting this way. However, I find that this worked out well for that kind of narrative that Life is Strange was portraying. This isn’t Mass Effect where you’re Commander Shepard, a person who ends up powerful enough to change the fate of the entire galaxy. You’re just Max Caulfield, a teenager, and despite your time powers, you can only do so much.

The fight scene between David and Jefferson was really well done, though it was unintentionally funny seeing just how inept David was despite being a soldier. I especially love the limp table kick that I had to rewind just to see it again. I liked the idea of being able to play out an action sequence with Max being tied to a chair using her time powers to help someone else do all the fighting.

Moving forward into the nightmare scene… man, I loved it. It was so… confronting. I got what they were trying to do, making me go over everything that had happened in the previous episodes and examining them in painful detail. Even down to Warren’s uncomfortable crush on Max and finding those bottles for Chloe in the second episode. It’s nice when developers add something to their game that acknowledges the reactions of the fan base.

Yes, there are some loose ends and things that don’t quite make sense in this episode, especially when dealing with the issue of time travel and all that it entails. With that said, there was so much that did work well, in my mind, for this episode and for the entire game that I didn’t care about any of those loose ends and any time travel related issues that cropped up.

Life is Strange had already caught me in its grip and my suspension of disbelief was in full force. I was in this game and went where ever it wanted to take me.

My choices in episode 5

Let’s get this out of the way, because the real choice everyone wants to read about is the one that happens at the very end of the episode.

David did get a scar during the fight with Jefferson and I did make the stupid mistake of confessing what happened to Chloe. As soon as he shot Jefferson, I hit that rewind button and told him she was okay. David saved me and I regretted leaving him like that… plus, I also wanted Jefferson to face actual jail time and for him to see himself exposed to the world for what he truly is.

I must have missed the trucker and Ethan, but I did end up saving Alyssa and the fisherman. And yeah, after David saved my life, I made sure to let Joyce know that he was a good guy and to take him back in. I also buried the hatchet with Frank and as for Warren… no affection at all. I think, by this point, I was kind of over Warren. I don’t hate him, but he was so nothing in my world at this point that it seemed like the only right choice.

Now, on to the final choice you can make in Life is Strange:

Bae or Bay?

There is only one right answer: I chose to sacrifice Arcadia bay in order to stay with Chloe. I didn’t even hesitate and my gut tells me right now that I don’t need to validate my choice with an explanation… and normally, I wouldn’t. However, that would be like cutting this entire entry mid-sentence, so I may as well go all the way with this.

Does that make me a huge hypocrite? After worrying about Kate and saving her life, burying the hatchet with Victoria, being Alyssa’s guardian angel, trying to do right by everyone and use my powers for good, only to sacrifice them all for my own selfish reason? Yes, it makes me a huge hypocrite, but at that point, when the choice of whether to sacrifice Chloe or Arcadia Bay popped up and I had to choose one or the other, I chose to sacrifice Arcadia bay without hesitation.

Depending on how you have played this game up to this point, there are plenty of people who will play the choices they think Max will make while others will play the choices they would make themselves. I played the game based on decisions I would make if I were Max, not Max as a separate entity, but the me that is Max Caulfield.

For me, personally, if I were presented with time powers, I would try to do good by everyone around me in a genuine effort to help and make things better. However, there is a point where I will choose the selfish route over everything else, and that’s when it involves the person I love.

If I were presented with this choice, I would choose the person I love over Arcadia Bay even if the universe has been trying to kill Chloe this entire time because it is her time to die. If I have this power, I would use it to fight back against the universe no matter how many people died around us and no matter how many calamities it caused. I would go as far as PUNCHING THE UNIVERSE RIGHT IN THE DICK if I have to.

And yes, I realise this is all very “Anakin Skywalker” of me to say all that, but I don’t care. I’ve already been through the “Sacrifice Chloe” ending myself and I’m not ashamed to say that if I had these powers, I would do anything I could to keep the one I love beside me, going as far as it takes, even ripping the space-time continuum asunder in the process. And yeah, like I said, I’m a huge hypocrite in this matter, especially after I ranted about how you should never fuck with the space-time continuum when discussing my choices in the third episode.

No fucks are given. I stand by my decision.

Why?

I have to admit, at first, I was frustrated with Chloe and the way she acted, particularly early on in the series and especially when she wanted me to blow off Kate’s phone call in the second episode. However, as I spent more time with her, I started to understand who Chloe Price is and what drives her. She’s not some two-dimensional character that we’ve grown so accustomed to in many other video games.

Chloe Price is a complicated person and one of the most real representations of a flawed human being I’ve seen in… well, just about any form of fiction I’ve seen/read/whatever. I think it’s because it hit close to home in terms of her character reminding me a lot of people I’ve known in my life, the “punk girls carrying the banner of empty rebellion” kind.

Not only that, but I understood Chloe more as a character between the release of each episode of Life is Strange. As I’ve said before, this game does a great job at using the time between episode releases to let you reflect on everything that you have experiences with the game so far… so I spent a lot of time thinking about Chloe and what kind of person she is.

I started to see why she acted the way she did, toward Max and the world in general. What motivated her, her fears, her hopes, everything. My hats off to everyone at Dontnod Entertainment who had a hand at crafting this character including Ashly Burch who voiced Chloe so magnificently. Through their combined efforts, they have created a frighteningly accurate representation of a teenager going through this kind of trauma at this point in their life.

Anyway, enough gushing… Throughout the entire series of Life is Strange, we see a lot that drives Chloe. Her single-minded drive to find Rachel Amber is ever present. She already knows loss and doesn’t want to experience it again. Her greatest fear is that Rachel has abandoned her, she has already felt abandoned by Max when she moved to Seattle years ago and by her father who died tragically. Throughout her life, people have left her one way or the other and it has scarred her deeply.

So then how can I even think about leaving Chloe to die like that in the girl’s toilets in Blackwell Academy, shot by Nathan Prescott? At this point in her life, Chloe has lost William, Max and now Rachel. She has nothing, she has been abandoned by three of the people she has cared for the most. That is how she dies in that moment.

Fuck that, no. I’m not going to let that happen.

Yes, Chloe does give Max a way out, she does say that she’s not worth saving over the lives of all the people in Arcadia Bay, but she also hopes that Max will choose to stay with her, she doesn’t want to be abandoned again.

When I accepted Chloe’s request in the alternate timeline where she became a quadriplegic and was dying, I did it because, in her heart, this is what she truly wanted. When I sacrificed Arcadia Bay in order to stay with Chloe, I did it because, in her heart, she didn’t want to be abandoned again, even with the horrible consequences of Max’s actions.

I know that many people will look at my actions and judge me a horrible person for both, and I’m perfectly fine with that. I know that many people see this game as a look at how people deal with loss and how they overcome it and move on, however, this game is more about simply getting over the loss of a loved one and moving on. This is a game about choice and what you do with the power of choice when it is presented to you.

In real life, none of us have time powers which would enable us to save people from dying based on our choice to use that power. In real life, if you lose someone you love, you are forced to overcome that emotional turmoil and move on. There are many people who have the strength to do so and there are many who don’t, but either way, you have no real choice in the matter.

In Life is Strange, you do have the power to choose. And that is the key to this game right there… no matter what choice you make in those last moments, the entire point of this game is to have you reflect on who you are as a human being.

After all, just think about all the moments in this game that allow you to reflect on what is happening as well as all the time you spent outside of the game waiting for each episode to be released doing the same thing.

This game is a mirror that’s held up to your face, showing you who you truly are.

My choice is my choice.

The next day, after finishing the final episode for the first time, I did go onto YouTube and find a video of the “Sacrifice Chloe” ending just to see how it played out. It was hard to watch… REALLY hard to watch. I mean, I didn’t have an emotional breakdown like a certain video that has been floating around YouTube, I’ve already done that many years ago, so I’m well past that.

However, I did feel bloody depressed for a few days afterwards and I can still feel it, even now. I wish I hadn’t watched that ending at all. In my ending, Max and Chloe leave what’s left of Arcadia Bay behind them and spend as many of their days together as they possibly can.

It’s a bitter-sweet scene and it’s short, but I do not consider it a “bad” ending or the “incorrect” ending. It is a shorter ending than the “Sacrifice Chloe” ending and I feel this is done for good reason beyond supposed budget concerns.

The people who choose this ending don’t need to see any more than what was already shown. I already realise the magnitude of the decision that I had made so there’s no need to linger on it. All I needed to see out of that entire scene is that Max and Chloe are together and that, despite the huge sacrifice, all the lives of Arcadia Bay, they have each other. It was an ending that made me happy because I could see that they were happy to be together.

And that is the ending I chose for myself, because I had the power to choose.