Life is Strange: Episode 1 – Chrysalis

Life Is Strange Has Strict Time Travel Rules And A Unique Photography Aesthetic

by Mike Futter on Jan 23, 2015 at 03:08 AM

The most important part of any story involving time travel is the ruleset. Back to the Future, Doctor Who, and even Time Cop have a set of strictures to which time manipulation must adhere.

Dontnod’s Life is Strange, which centers on a young girl that can rewind time, also has a set of principles. In a new developer diary, Dontnod explains the design decisions that govern Max’s power and how the team experimented to reach its conclusions.

You’ll also get a look at the visual cues in play when Max’s power is active. Dontnod has modeled its aesthetic techniques after photography.

For instance, you’ll see double exposure when she’s rewinding time, along with different celluloid effects and even film burning as she tries to go too far backward. Life is Strange is being released episodically, starting with the first installment on January 30. You can play it on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PC. You can read our previous coverage for more.