The Life is Strange franchise is one that has rarely failed to deliver. Having started way back in 2015 when episodic storytelling was all the rage, it’s gone through multiple variations, telling tales as it does so. Today though it’s time to go back to where it all started with Life is Strange and the spin-off from that, Before the Storm. But why? Well, because they make up the entirety of the Life is Strange Remastered Collection.
Available to purchase and download right now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch and PC, Life is Strange Remastered Collection finally drops into the wild, after being pushed back from its original promise of a 2021 drop, to bring together the original Life is Strange, with Life is Strange: Before the Storm – both in remastered glory.
It’s priced at £32.99, which some may think is pretty hefty for a remaster, but when you consider the amount of narrative and lore that is hidden within, we think it’s just about worth it. In fact, we have this included in our Up Next article, covering the most exciting Xbox games to release in February 2022.
But what exactly will you be getting with the Remastered Collection? Well, it goes without saying that both games will be there in full, whilst Before the Storm also comes fully equipped with the Deluxe Edition content of new outfits and the Farewell Episode. There’s the Zombie Crypt outfit to purchase for £3.29 too.
What is probably the biggest draw though is that we’ll get to experience Max’s rewind magic and Chloe’s quick wit once again, just with newly remastered character and environmental visuals. With a new engine powering them along, lighting upgrades aplenty and some rather tasty looking fully motion captured facial animation in the original game, there’s much here to be interested in.
Jon Brooke, Co-Head of Studio at Square Enix External Studios states: “Firstly I wanted to recognise DONTNOD for creating the incredible original Life is Strange game and now offer thanks to Deck Nine Games for improving the emotional on-screen performance of these beloved characters. The result of both teams hard work is that the Life is Strange Remastered Collection can be the beginning of an exciting and emotional journey for many new players for years to come.”
Should you have never played Life is Strange previously, then we’d go as far to say that getting involved with the Life is Strange Remastered Collection is a bit of a no-brainer. Hell, even if the recent drop of True Colors was your first foray in, you’d do well to check out the beginnings of the franchise here and now. In fact, even if you have played all the games beforehand, this is still an extremely tempting proposition. Let us know what you think though – the comments are below.
We’ll be going hands-on with the Life is Strange Remastered Collection very soon, looking to build on our previous reviews with full thoughts of how this plays on Xbox Series X|S. If you wish to check it out for yourself, the usual digital stores will sort you out. It’s the Xbox Store for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S players, whilst the various digital stores of PlayStation, Stadia, Switch and PC will sort out those outside of the Xbox ecosystem.
Game Description:
Pre-order Life is Strange Remastered Collection and receive the ‘Zombie Crypt’ outfit for Life is Strange: Before the Storm Remastered Return to Arcadia Bay and experience two award-winning Life is Strange games like never before! Remastered visuals and animation breathe new life into the great cast of characters and gripping stories. The Life is Strange Remastered Collection includes ‘Life is Strange Remastered’ and ‘Life is Strange: Before the Storm Remastered’.
