A Video Essay About Death... and Life is Strange. (Lis, Lis:BTS, Majora's Mask, Stormlight Archive)

Hey! I'm Finn, and today we'll be talking about Life is Strange and how it asks a question about YOUR mortality. This is probably my most high-effort video yet, and I hope you enjoy. thank you.

[@The_Story_Of_Us]

If you take a look at one of the core parts of the game's narrative, relating Max's powers to her character, you can see a common thread: Lost time. What her abilities allow her to do is to lose time. She can erase things that recently happened, robbing everyone around her of that lived experience rendering it only functional for her. She can stare into photos and go back in time, but only for brief fleeting moments as she wakes back up in the future having lived NONE of what she's changed, even erasing her own consciousness by way of the good old Ctrl + V pasting function, overriding the consciousness that has lived all that time she changed. After saving Chloe's father, she is taken back to a new present day Chloe that she doesn't know from any of that new experience. She can go back in time, but never in a way that genuinely gives her more life experience with anyone. She may get to know others better, but no one ever gets to know her better at the same time. If we look back at her past, this is her core flaw. She's a timid little wallflower, too affected by her guilt over the original sin, abandoning Chloe and denying them both 5 years of friendship. All that time lost, because Max was too afraid to talk to her. Lost. time. To me, the real ending is where Max refuses to let that continue. In going back to sacrifice Chloe at Nathan's hands, she is once again distancing herself from everyone, throwing away all that time. Every person at Chloe's funeral is someone Max doesn't know and who doesn't know her and can never know her. She has lived a different life with them, a life that's gone. In storytelling, a good thing NOT to do is to for character to narratively consecrate their development... by repeating the behaviour that they developed away from. The ethics and morality of it all... They don't really matter. Because Max cannot start the story by throwing time away... and then end the story by throwing time away. Characters must develop, and in their development tell us something meaningful. What Max's story has to say is exactly this: Don't throw away time. It's the same logic that tells us that even if Kate is meant to die, even if we're ALL meant to die, you don't throw these moments away. You don't jump off that roof, you don't abandon your best friend, you don't turn back time and throw it away because you're scared of what you think will happen because you're a timid little wallflower too afraid to express yourself and make friends. You don't wind back time just to tell people exactly what they want to hear because you want them all to like you. The act that consecrates this message... Is tearing a photo in half and saying "I accept this. I'm not afraid of what might happen." This is incredibly applicable given the setting of the game... Go to that party you're invited to. Go and ask out that person you like. Say yes if they ask you out. Put your work out there for people to experience. Don't lose touch with your best friend. Don't rob yourself of life. Don't let yourself fall from the top of that building. Live.

[@jonathanpanetta]

Wow. You perfectly described every takeaway I got from LIS 1. This game made me feel something mentally and emotionally I haven’t connected with with any other game. To stop fearing “what if” was a much more complicated concept to fully understand until after playing this game.

[@Zino_Kohiruimaki]

Like you got Absolutely all this wrong like she doesn’t even Like erase Consciousness like she when Like she goes back in time by focusing in the Photos where she temporarily possessed her Younger self while the yeah younger one is asleep/unconscious then after Changing things in the past she Like the Original Timeline then Is Altered/Rewritten/Changed which means that yeah she then returns to the Present ands back to Like her body so yeah she isn’t even erasing anyones Consciousness ands even overriding it Like also her Abilities/Powers are actually Time Manipulation ands he usually just Rewinds/Reverses Time to at least 10 Minutes (Temporal Rewind) ands rarely pauses Time (Temporal Stopping/Freezing) ands then she uses Her Photos to go back in time to Alter/Rewritte/Change the Original Timeline (Chronoskimming) Like yeah then Like

[@The_Story_Of_Us]

@@Zino_Kohiruimaki I didn’t get any of that wrong. When she travels back to a photo and changes something, she then jumps back to the future that has now been changed. But she doesn’t remember any of what she has experienced in that skip, that’s why she’s surprised to find herself in the Vortex Club and mortified to see Chloe paralyzed. In that timeline, Chloe thinks Max knew about her condition, because they had talked to each other after she moved, but our Max doesn’t remember any of that! There was a Max that had lived through those 5 years in that timeline, but our Max who has not experienced any of it hops into her body and erases that Max. After Max changes the timeline, she doesn’t remember ANYTHING that happened afterwards, when she saved Chloe’s dad, she literally took away 5 years of experience from her mind, it’d be like if you suddenly just forgot about your whole high school years in their entirety… And now everyone in that timeline know her, but not vice versa. Victoria is now incredibly close to her, but Max suddenly has ZERO friendship with her. Christ, dude… There are even TEXTS on Max’s phone THAT MAX DOESN’T REMEMBER SENDING! Literal proof that Max erases her life experience in the timeline she changes. I’m not wrong, I’m literally, factually right, dude…

[@Zino_Kohiruimaki]

@@The_Story_Of_Us Like you aren’t Right like she doesn’t even erase ands yeah you literally got that Right when you said that’s she Changes/Rewrites/Alters The Original Timeline buts that’s it also you didn’t even mention her Temporal Rewind which allowed her to yeah Rewind/Reverse Time to 10 Minutes ands sometimes even sometimes more than ands due to her being Immune to it she actuallY Remembers everything that happened ands has Recollection of it ands which means that she’s actually gaining time, she is she even robbing anyone of anything like I’m Sorry your perspective on this isn’t well Right

[@The_Story_Of_Us]

@@Zino_Kohiruimaki What fucking good is your experience if it's literally in a reality you aren't even in??? You're the one with the crappy perspective, because you seem to barely be able to understand what I'm talking about even though I was very clear on it. Again, I defer you to the alternate timeline, where Max LITERALLY HAS TEXTS SHE SENT ON HER PHONE THAT SHE DOESN'T REMEMBER SENDING! SHE'S BEST FRIENDS WITH VICTORIA, A PERSON SHE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW AT ALL! IN CHLOE'S ROOM, THERE IS A FUCKING HOLIDAY PHOTO FROM MAX ON A HOLIDAY SHE WAS NEVER ON! WHERE DID THAT MAX GO?! She's gone. No one in that alternate timeline knows it, but the Max they know has literally been erased and replaced with a different version of her just trying to pretend like that isn't the case. Literally like if your dad was just replaced with a clone of himself that doesn't remember the last five years he had with you. I'm done with this.

[@a.6637]

defintely worth saving kate every playthrough. even if she’s spends her last days stuck in some dank hospital, at least she dies feeling loved by others and gets the apologies she deserves

[@ardadeluxe]

well in the end it wont really matter

[@spideylexi]

@@ardadeluxe by that logic nothing matters at all either way cause we’ll all die some day

[@jamall7003]

Idk what your talking about, only one person dies at the the end of my game

[@spideylexi]

@@jamall7003 well then we’re clearing not talking about you let’s use our brain

[@motunuii]

@@spideylexi LMAOOOO

[@YoruWasTaken]

I think saving Kate is not just about giving her time to live. I’d personally still save her even if I’m picking chloe because to me it’s not about extending her life, she is going to die regardless so then the question becomes how does she die? If you don’t save her, Kate will die alone, thinking that she doesn’t deserve to be in this world with no one that loves her. If you save her, yes she will die regardless, but at least she will die comforted by the fact that she is not alone, and that she has people who care about her. I think that comfort and peace of mind is worth it, after all, life is not just simply about living, it’s about making the most of what you got in an attempt to be happy.

[@erenjaeger1738]

Life is strange...

[@LaraOlina]

its been so long since i played the game but... does kate die afterwards if you save her? you said, you saved chloe in the end, but what if you choose the people in the town over chloe? :o (thats the ending i choose, but i dont really remember parts of the story so well anymore...)

[@YoruWasTaken]

@@LaraOlina I don't think she dies if you save the town, but the whole discussion in this video was around the moral dilemma of saving her assuming you picked Chloe at the end in which case she would probably die regardless.

[@ravensucks]

@@LaraOlina kate doesnt die if you sacrifice chloe and not arcadia bay, shes seen at chloes funeral

[@Mahh_Nery]

Honestly, I think the same applies to Chloe. When we return to the day we met her again in that bathroom, she dies alone, thinking no one loves her and without accomplishing anything she ever wanted, believing the few people who have shown her care have abandoned her (dad and best friends). Her self that lived, changed and started to appreciate what was important doesn't exist anymore, nothing but a memory in Max's head that no one would ever know have happened.

[@adammyers7383]

As a suicide attempt survivor, Kate’s story meant a tremendous amount to me. It’s one of the best depictions of suicide in a story I’ve ever seen. Thanks for this video. Means a lot.

[@glowerworm]

Kate and a particular ending to Cyberpunk both impacted me greatly, in a way I can likely never forget, as someone who once struggled with suicidal ideation.

[@awesomesauce7446]

I feel you brother. Survived 3 attempts by now, been dragged to hospitals, forced psychiatric stay, all that fun stuff, and still struggling. Kate is a scarily accurate depiction. When I was younger, when the game came out, I thought it was dumb that you could say all the "right" things to her on the roof, and only get 1 "wrong," and she'd still jump. Now that I'm older I realized - that's exactly what it's like. There's practically almost, and sometimes just NOTHING stopping you once you're that low. It's very upsetting, yet cathartic to see to accurately depicted in a game without it being glamorized. Wishing you a healthy recovery my friend.

[@toolatetothestory]

You need to expand your horizons then. Silent Hill 2 may work for you. Nioh 2 even, still feel bad for Oichi myself, could fully understand her reason why she chose to go.

[@gmodstarstruct2815]

@@toolatetothestory you come off as a really insensitive person

[@TheJuliana0901]

this phrase is very overused by now but the first time i read it, it impacted me and maybe it'll do that for someone else. you don't listen to a song for it to end - you listen to it for the fucking song! for the chorus, for the bridge, for the vocals, for the guitar, the bass, the piano. you don't read a book to get to the last page, you dont call people for the end. you don't live to die. you just live!

[@neobridgey]

i live to die!

[@amy_grace]

My favourite thing about Life is Strange is that the people who love it the most also drag it the hardest 😂

[@elliewilliams1137]

It's a right of passage

[@julusa4]

Originally I chose arcadia bay. Ever since the love of my life died, I've been choosing Chloe over and over again.

[@crazystorm1659]

I am so sorry

[@zuzannaz3269]

Just hold on. Mourn. But also remember that, maybe someday, you will be happy again. And maybe someday you will again meet someone who is worthy of spending your entire live with. Sending hugs

[@Topdoggie7]

I can relate. Mine did too.

[@Kampfrattex3]

What a sad thread. But mine too. How you’re doing?

[@Topdoggie7]

@@Kampfrattex3 I'm aight, never recovered but recovering is not a thing that people quite do in whole.

[@zeyad5365]

Kate survived the storm Because she was in the hospital and the hospital outside the Town

[@sophiaingram9498]

I highly doubt the tornado knew the outline of arcadia bay....logically the tornado doesn't care about the fact its supposed to remain in arcadia bay. Game magic, i guess? But it is canon already Kate died in the tornado too.

[@zeyad5365]

@@sophiaingram9498 Literally the tornado destroyed only the first row of the neighborhood not the whole town there a couple of people survived too David said this in lis2 to Sean And they tried to rebuild + there also a lot of characters survived like Victoria Chase she survive because she was in the bunker with david The goal of saveing Kate from jumping is To live a happy life after everything she went through she will see things different now Sorry if my words not quite right English my second language ✨

[@Papa_Khan]

Her parents were supposed to get her and take her home the day of the tornado so hopefully she lives Seattle or Portland or someplace else (I dont think they specify where shes from)

[@zeyad5365]

@@Papa_Khan I'm trying to convince myself that is she still alive she was Young and beautiful innocent angel she deserve another chance to Live what's left in her life I really hope Deck Nine Tell us anything about the character's future or bring them back even better max and Chloe Victoria Chase ...etc 🦋✨

[@sophiaingram9498]

@@zeyad5365 it is implemented into the game MANY TIMES that the tornado destroys the ENTIRE TOWN, not just the first strip of houses. David and Victoria* were left in a hidden bunker, because of Jefferson, thats why they survived. It is quite literally canon to the game that the entire town died unless they were out of town (Steph and the only black kid you meet whose all nerdy, cannot remeber his name) or locked in a bunker with either a dead body or unconcious pedophile.

[@gena7129]

I found this game when i was 14, I’m 19 now and can still talk about it for hours. It’s a mess but a beautifully nostalgic mess.

[@emmarie2930]

"We shall face the morning...together." has stuck with me ever since I was a kid, playing Majora's Mask for the first time. There are a lot of moments from that game that deeply imprinted in my brain and my heart.

[@victorias.f.]

Meanwhile me in an alternative reality where Chloe was sacrificed because I really like Kate and was way more invested in her and Max's friendship and her recovery than Chloe's and Max's relationship: did you hear something? (Great video btw, will give your other videos a watch!)

[@confusedNarrator]

dont, my other videos suck

[@victorias.f.]

@@confusedNarrator you 🤝 me being hiper critical about the things we create But at least you put it out there so other people can watch. It takes a lot of courage! I admire it

[@Momo-po5tn]

Yes because Chloe was super toxic

[@Stigmatix666]

"Alternate"?

[@alliew31]

Yeah 100% never saved Chloe since every time can’t just let everyone else die for one person. Good reasoning on living in spite of the inevitable though

[@danh8804]

The narrative hangs together much better if Kate survives her suicide attempt. For one thing, you immediately go into Episode 3 and the most poignant and intimate moments of the story with Chloe and Max poolhopping Blackwell and then sharing Chloe'd bed. The exhilaration and energy of those scenes, especially from Max, doesn't hold up very well under emotional scrutiny if one of her only friends at Blackwell has just *died* and she had literally failed to prevent her from doing so. For another, and perhaps most importantly on a literary level, saving Kate is essential to the story because the story seems to want to have you feel torn on how to feel about Max's power and the implications of its use. I don't think the writers ever come close to making a convincing in-story pitch that Max is "to blame" for the storm, but they clearly think they did, so if you as the player are supposed to feel conflicted about this, there needs to be something arguing *for* Max's powers and their use beyond just "do you love Chloe?" Kate is that; saving Kate is an objective good. If you set aside the Inciting Incident with Chloe, the rest of the week is peppered with opportunities to use Max's powers for various ends, and for the most part the game will tell you that this is manipulative and selfish. And yet, the game will also be leaning heavily into the notion that Max is surrounded by, inspired by, and sees in herself the opportunity to *be* an "everyday hero" So what is propping that up, when most of Max's chances to use her power through the week are banal or ineffectual? Saving Kate. That's what props them up. That's the case that you can hold onto at the end of the week and say, yes, what Max can do isn't a net harm to the world. I save Chloe, 100% of the time, I consider it the stronger moral argument on every level, and I saved Kate

[@baydiac]

I thought saving Chloe vs. Arcadia was a Personal vs. Moral dilemma? Y'know, a classic Star Trek "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" discussion. Can you explain how you think saving Chloe is the moral thing to do?

[@danh8804]

@@baydiac ​​⁠happily! At its core, the game is asking you to validate ritual human sacrifice. Chloe is the Inca virgin and the game tells you that if Max throws her into the volcano, the rains will pass and the crops will thrive. This is not a moral proposition, in its face. Further, the equities of risk aren’t the same; to use that photo means Chloe will die; to face the storm means other people may die. If, or how many, is not known when this call has to be made. Further still, Max has to take an intentional act to take Chloe’s life; the storm is in every sense that matters just a thing that’s happening. If you even believe Max technically caused it, it’s not her “fault”, she did nothing reckless or malicious, and had no idea such a thing was even possible. If that didn’t matter, the trolley problem itself wouldn’t be very interesting, because the choice isn’t one of many, it’s to kill or not. The answer is not. Lastly - Spock’s choices were for him to die or for him AND everyone else to die. That’s what made it both logical and heroic. That doesn’t apply in LIS

[@baydiac]

@@danh8804 Oh don't worry, I know the entire point of Spock's dilemma was that at the end for once in his life he chose "the few". I don't really fw the "if you choose not to do anything during the trolley problem you aren't responsible for any of the deaths" philosophy, but that's mainly because I'm a "not choosing (inaction) is itself a choice (an action)" type of person. Because if we were to operate with that guideline, letting Chloe die *_also_* has no moral implications for Max--after all, it's not like Max is the one who shoots her. She just... doesn't warn Chloe that Nathan is on his way. It's Nathan who does it, not Max. If we use the "Max should be exonerated for choosing not to interrupt, after all she's not personally killing anyone" guideline then it really weakens LiS altogether since both outcomes are the direct result of Max choosing to do nothing in the face of the death of her loved ones. That could be intentional of course, LiS could just be an extremely dark game trying to hammer in "choices don't matter, you shouldn't have bothered doing anything"--but in that case what are the implications of saving Kate? Is another hurricane on the way..? However, I *_really_* like your ritual sacrifice analogy. That's *_exactly_* what it is and I love it being put so plainly that way.

[@spookypaladin4667]

My whole life I've struggled with suicidal thoughts. It's a constant voice in my head that never stopped suggesting it. Over the years it got better, it got quieter, but it's still there. Saving Kate on that roof gave me something, and I don't know how to describe it other than hope. It showed me that yesterday was worth it. Today is worth it and tomorrow will be worth it.

[@JM.piwz1]

It gave you the will to live. I’m only speaking from my perspective, don’t mean to interject mine with yours, but that’s what that sounds like to me.

[@azurastar3223]

I always kill Chloe. It makes the most sense. It saves the most people and is the best thing for Max in the long run. The story is about letting go. Chloe and Max were never meant to be. And Max cannot heal and move on without saying goodbye. The story has a better ending and message if you let her go.

[@SurprisedPika666]

Yeah, Chloe dying really works narratively. I think it is the better ending.

[@breadqueen5351]

dude, would you be able to sacrifice your best friend, your favorite person in the world for the ''greater good''? I think most people who choose this are able to do it just because its a video game. I would always choose my ''chloe'' in real life

[@jellobrain9094]

max wouldn't sacrifice chloe, though. that's been established in canon too

[@keith720]

I chose to save Arcadia Bay. Because it's one person over a everyone in town. Also if Chloe's theory is right then the destruction would continue even after Arcadia was destroyed. It wouldn't stop until she was dead. I also didn't like Chloe as a character so it was a no brainer for me

[@Wolpertinger-yl6ll]

@@keith720 thank you for pointing out what i've been thinking when the question of bay vs. Bae is brought up. Why would the universe suddenly stop in its unrelenting pursuit of murdering the f* ck out of chloe? Besides the fact that chloe and her track record of questionable decisions and life choices would probably get her and /or them both killed.

[@slurpwis]

I choose Arcadia Bay each time because it's the right thing to do.

[@f--ork99]

i came into this video blind, just something to listen to while doing an assignment. i am familiar with life is strange, its story helped me through tough times but this video proved something to me, awakened something. in summer 2019, my father got diagnosed with cancer, being told that he had at most 2 years to live if the treatment didnt go through. me being the 13 year old i was, i wept for him but looked for distractions, a way out of reality this video reminded me of the times i spent with him and how i could have spent with him before his passing in mid 2020. it really is just the act of appreciating someones company while they are still there. i think to myself, will i ever see him again? last time i saw him, i was 14 and now i am on my way to 17; did i really treasure my time with him? was my hope of him getting better just a delusion in my mind? this video made me think A LOT about who i am today but also about the people in my life, i would like to say thank you to life is strange for comforting me but more importantly, thank you to YOU finn for opening my eyes to the reality that is this life on earth. will be sure to stick around to future videos, keep up what you do!!

[@minteabee]

I chose arcadia over chloe, but I still think it's worth it saving kate even if you didnt literally just because she felt like nobody cared about her. And if I can make her feel like even one person cares about her and that she's loved and worth something, instead of her dying believing nobody did, it's definitely worth it.

[@Annaonesun]

I just finished watching a show called "Tomorrow" the other day. It's about a group of grim reapers whose job it is to save the lives of people who are suicidal. It brings up a lot of the same questions and arguments as in this essay and might contain some of the best portrayals of severe depression without romanticising it I've ever seen. Highly recommend to anyone who wants a good cry lol

[@RocketQueen6272]

I'm writing a thesis about Life is Strange and KZbin suggested me this video, so I thought "Good, more material to work on" I definitely didn't expect to get so damn emotional 😭 You did an amazing job, it's a great analysis and I LOVE your point of view, so incredibly wholesome.

[@pedrohirokomi659]

JESUS CHRIST, MY FAVORITE KZbinR IS BACK AND TALKING ABOUT MY FAVORITE GAME, IT WAS REALLY WORTH WAITING 8 MONTHS! THANK YOU FOR THAT AMAZING EXPERIENCE!

[@claudiob_]

For once the KZbin algorithm decided to recommend me a video essay that is actually intresting and in depth. Best of luck with your journey on KZbin, I'm sure you'll make it if you keep up this kind of quality!

[@multi-colorzart]

it feels like this guy just singlehandedly cured my depression

[@Squirreltasticqueen]

Isn't Kate out of the town during the final events? The hospital wasn't established as in the city.

[@PeNeTrAtOrX]

@10:55 fucking hell, my Rachel never met her mother again.... I started the series with playing "before the storm". so I was even more terrified as i realized that Rachel really might be dead at the end of LiS1. damn fucking heartbreak moment.... : ( after the Love Story in "before the storm" I was really hoping for a happy end for Rachel and Chloe.

[@crow6558]

thought this vid was really interesting and well put-together!! it always kinda struck me as odd that the game portrays saving chloe’s life as this unnatural, selfish thing but saving kate’s life is treated as the right thing to do and the “good end” to her arc. narrative whiplash. edit: the replies talking abt how it’s selfish to save chloe bc you have to save her over and over again and you only have to save kate once are missing the point. the whole reason WHY you have to save chloe over and over again is bc the game says that chloe was SUPPOSED to die in the bathroom and the world is trying to “fix” her being alive, and the typhoon happens when max won’t let her go. so why does the same thing not happen with kate?? why is it treated as selfless and pure to save a victim of suicide (it is, don’t get me wrong), but wrong and selfish to save a victim of accidental gun violence? how is nathan accidentally shooting chloe not just as tragic and senseless? i didn’t even like chloe on my first playthrough and i saved the bay but i still thought the way the narrative treated her life and death was kind of weird. second of all I DONT CARE about the “morality” of saving chloe just the difference in treatment. narrative choices don’t get made in a vacuum. kate = worth saving, chloe = not worth saving. they don’t make a real effort to make you WANT to save chloe and think it’s the right thing to do. i like the game, don’t get me wrong, but i think it just would have been WAY more interesting and impactful if choosing between saving chloe and the bay was actually a hard decision with pros and cons on each side.

[@idrk3707]

saving chloes life is selfish in context..its not just saving her bust saving her at the expense of thousands of people

[@Enigma-hm5cn]

Max needs to save Kate only once. Choe dies multiple times at different places, at different times. Max also tries to time travel and tries to change past to save Chloe. And that is the thing that makes them different. To be honest I never liked Chloe. So I might be biased here against her.

[@joelle4226]

@@Enigma-hm5cn fate just really wanted Chloe to die

[@EmberBright2077]

@@joelle4226 I don't blame it to be honest

[@Elleore]

Thing is, if you save Chloe, you sacrifice everyone in an entire town- men, women, and children. Kate only needs some time and effort, it costs no one’s life to save her.

[@savnoel]

this is so amazing. i'm planning on getting a tattoo in tribute to this game soon because of how much it has impacted me. i think it's so interesting how we can get so connected to video games, but lis is just so different

[@souleaterevans4589]

Wow, this video is great! I think it's got a very heartwarming message. In Kate's remaining life, which we know was only 2 days, we saw her go from the worst place she's ever been to one of the best. She can't be bullied by anyone, she's in a place of healing, and her belief that no one really cared for her was proven incorrect with no uncertainty. In what could've been her last moments, Max fights like hell to talk her off that ledge. I'm sure she died a much happier person than she would've if she had ended her life then.

[@RaphaelleLD]

this video was wonderful! I'm so happy to see some more LiS discourse, that game has such a special place in my heart. thank you for making this!

[@Nemo-kk7qg]

This just hit me: if the tornado is caused by saving Chloe with time travel, doesn't it mean that saving Kate, also with time travel, causes another tornado?

[@andream794]

In theory, but also the universe wanted Chloe dead. Such as getting caught o the track tracks, the gun ricochet. And other instances I forgot it’s been years. I don’t think the universe wanted Kate dead in the same way. Haha

[@Nemo-kk7qg]

@@andream794 That makes sense. My first reaction to your theory was going to be "But what has Chloe ever done to the universe!?", but then I remembered that we are talking about Chloe :)

[@skylerricketts7392]

If max caught it fast enough maybe she hadn’t died?

[@Ray-ot2bg]

she only use her powers to make it to the roof, after that her powers stops functioning, max saving kate OR NOT is totally herself, after that you can't go back and save kate, you can't stop kate and save her life like with chloe so many times, so yeah, that doesn't affect the timeline

[@gamernerd299]

Don't ask questions about this game's really dumb time travel rules

[@unhingedunit562]

IMMEDIATE RESPECT USING A WILLWOOD SONG. I usually wait til the end of this stuff to sub but I had such a visceral reaction at that moment and subbed.

[@Betroid]

Its crazy how you question how we can play a game when you know what’s gonna happen its the same way you live life when you know how it’s gonna end you live for the moments life is strange like that

[@goochjuice3250]

I didn't expect to cry today but thank you. This is a beautiful video.

[@Samakain]

What a great peice of work this is. Subbed. can't wait for more, at whatever pace you chose.

[@hila5693]

I played night in the woods and life is strange at around the same time, and found them to be really similar in some aspects but could never figure out exactly what they were. After watching this it made me realize that both games do have some very similar themes, other than the obvious "going back to your small childhood hometown and realising your friends are angy". Not gonna spoil nitw, but it does talk a lot about the worth spending time with the people you're close to even if things change eventually. I moved on from life is strange a few years ago and started thinking it was (sigh) cringe, but this video made me think about it again and appreciate what it's trying to say, so thanks for that :)

[@hila5693]

@@Othillde Wow, I forgot I made this comment (and only now noticed a typo lol). But yeah, while the script of LiS is pretty bad, the game was very important to me a few years ago and I'm thinking of replaying it sometime

[@Peach-mb7uo]

I sobbed all the way through the second half of this video and just kept nodding as you talked,, and i have a really big fear of death, and any mention of it is difficult for me to get through, so i was hesitant to watch this video. but i love life is strange, so i did, and im so happy i did. even if later down in life im terrified of death again, this video made it seem better. i do feel better right now. so thank you,, this was really nice to listen to while doing homework. and youre so right about it all. and i love you. and happy day

[@crystal4o681]

Yo this is a great video, Kate's story was intensely relatable to me for reasons I don't super wanna get into on this public platform and your take meant a lot to me to hear.

[@arthurkurbedzis]

Quite an inspiring material, and some great references have been mentioned.

[@positivesiennergy]

the whole video was great and all, but i completely fucking lost it when you put in will wood. holy shit that’s so good and so fruity

[@sadie1072]

Surreal to see two of my favourite things ever, life is strange and the stormlight archive, discussed in the same video

[@gaybeastgirl]

god, i miss this game... i would give anything to play it for the first time again. LIS marked me so much i had a tattoo of chloe and max. Masterpiece

[@amethyst6603]

i love this. The framing and construction of this video is beautiful. Keep working finn!

[@TheBarbourShop]

I'm almost 2 years late on this but this video essay is the first to ever make me cry. Masterfully spoken thoughts, and you're exactly right on all points. Thank you for this

[@omolisa3783]

I've only watched the beginning of the video so far & it already made me like the save-Chloe-ending more than I used to. But I still like the save-Bay-ending and think it's meaningful in a different way. Even if Chloe got killed, everything Max did throughout the game wasn't for nothing. She may not have gotten to save Chloe, but she got to spend precious time with her. And most importantly: say goodbye to her. It's tragic, especially since Chloe wouldn't have experienced all that time with Max, but it's still something, you know?

[@elliebronte1779]

Well that felt like several months of therapy compacted into a 30 minute video. Thank you for writing this, and shedding a hopeful light on a seeming grim/dark topic.

[@parkerislost6400]

Brilliant essay, I enjoyed every minute.

[@mynoseisrunning]

ur so smart and interesting and made an already extremely important game to me even better. I love hearing people like you talk about things I like. thank u

[@PumpkinJuicee]

This made me so emotional 😭 thank you for this essay!

[@seasonalfeathers1759]

Never played Life is Strange but I'm glad to have stumbled on this. Thank you making for such thoughtful video. Your handwork shows through, keep it up! :)

[@grandmyotismon]

Kate is not in the town when the storm hits

[@missmorganblue]

Honestly loved this so much. Amazing video

[@lewiswoodhall]

This made me cry. Thank you this was a nice video :)

[@Cherrykins]

this was such a 10/10 video, you're going to blow up dude. cant wait to see your journey!

[@HunnyBunnyBaker]

so glad youtube recommended this to me, really great video

[@Little_Lepus]

MINNESOTA GANG! WOOT! Also, that was an extremely high quality intro!

[@elladumpsterfire]

aaaaaah i really love life is strange and the cosmere (and Especially stormlight) so im so happy this video popped up on my youtube!! what a brilliant essay. it also made me cry at one point. ive been thinking about LiS a lot lately and have been considering making a video essay about some other aspects of it as well as some other time travel media I've enjoyed recently and this definitely inspires me to work on it! ps. also its just the stormlight archive, not archives

[@SlugcatEmporium]

That lighthouse is one of my faves. I'm happy this video came up on my recommended list. Anything LiS is a magnet for me.

[@inedia8871]

Well there's a saying a hero would sacrifice you to save the world while a villain would sacrifice world to save you. Well, in that case my Max became a villain. I chose to save both Kate and Chloe

[@bearstein]

the problem is, chloe is not meant to be saved at the end of the game. it does defeat the whole purpose of everything you did to save her because life is strange is about accepting the fact that we cannot change fate.

[@kurteisner67]

Is it? There's no evidence for this, it's just what you concluded for yourself. In fact, there's even massive evidence against it, since the producers themselves made it a priority to mention times and times again that Chloe's fate is definitely changed if Max decides to save her. Indeed, the fact that David Madsen in Life is Strange 2 is still in contact with Chloe and that Max and Chloe are alive both in 2017 really showcases that it makes a difference. For me it is more akin to Holocaust survivor syndrome or so to believe that either Max or Chloe - or both - are responsible for the storm or that their fate is predetermined.

[@Ana-bb1xh]

beautiful video finn, thank you ❤

[@princembat]

really good essay :] also to totally be that guy, i super recommend dontnods other games, especially 'tell me why'. i was never super into life is strange, nothing against it it just didnt connect with me as much, but i love tell me why, and it has just as much potential for picking apart and stuff as the other stuff imo! it even has its own themes of death and memory and all of that. (also im just forever sad that it didnt get as much attention as life is strange did when its just as good of a game, if not better for the lack of awful slang alone)

[@afro4640]

Never would've expected Stormlight mentioned on a Life is Strange video, but I'm here for the ride.

[@adri.c4]

“Little late” ya you were buddy but I’m happy that you got to experience this just like we did, also I love lis so I’ll never get tired of it.

[@calcoffey5495]

dude this video was so beautiful thank you

[@sanaseoudi]

Made me tear up at the end this was a damn masterpiece

[@hafiz7611]

Haven’t watched the video yet, but the title is the most fascinating thing ever, since I’ve experienced each of the videogames and the book in the title. Never thought I’d see Stormlight Archive in the same title as Life Is Strange lmao.

[@chloeprice9294]

Hella engaging video essay!

[@rae2613]

moonsetter being included in this gave me whiplash. beautiful video

[@MabiTales]

I really appreciate that you showed up to LIS late, because ive been looking for new content, perspectives, and discussions and can never find any! LOL Love the video, the topic, the humor, and discussion. Subbed! ^u^

[@sithro3961]

Beautiful video, deserves more recognition

[@Malory-Malicious]

Fun fact: there’s a surprisingly good comic continuing from the life is strange sacrifice Arcadia bay ending, I read through it recently and man it was nice, highly recommend it

[@oncefighting]

man, i hope you know that I'll be reading that book because you have ✨TASTE✨ so like... brb when I finish the books

[@gx_baum2114]

I am so thankful that you created this Video. Is is really special to me. Thanks

[@DigiVoices]

So the big question here being: What if I chose Arcadia Bay over Chloe? The many over the singular? The logical over the emotional? Because I liked the characters I met along the way more than I connected with Chloe?

[@peepawfart]

yeah tbh when I went through Life Is Strange I... Couldn't imagine letting an entire town die over 1 person? LOL. Like maybe i'm weird but Chloe spent the entire game being insufferable, I don't want to save her at all, I'm not going to sacrifice hundreds of innocent uninvolved people all because I cant let go of some girl who wasn't even good to me

[@DigiVoices]

@@peepawfart This is exactly how I felt when playing the game. I've had friends like Chloe who were genuinely awful to me, and I don't talk to them anymore. Beyond that I've been in Max's position somewhat, in that I lost track of my best friend for 5 years and recently reconnected, though it wasn't due to me just 'not reaching out and being a bad friend. We had a bad falling out that wasn't actually my fault and I was told not to talk to her anymore by her family. I had no choice in the matter. The difference here being, she wasn't mad at me because it wasn't my choice to lose contact. Similarly to how it wasn't Max's choice to move away right when Chloe's dad died. I'm also not certain how much Chloe reached out to Max.

[@minteabee]

I felt this too. I didn't care that much about Chloe. Also probably because she reminded me of people in my life that treated me like shit. I could relate a lot to Max tho but found Chloe and her are kind of a weird combo. I honeslty probably wouldn't have liked the game as much if Max wasn't the main character and it being as artsy as it is, I love art and vintage photography. I did not care about Before the Storm at all. I think I never cared about the rebellious cringe teenage side of life is strange. But it was still one of my absolute favorite games as a teen, probably played it 10 times lol.

[@LaraOlina]

that was my exact thought process and i did choose arcadia bay over chloe... as sad as it is, some things are meant to be and i think wanting to change what happened at all cost is very damaging (considering chloe was theoretically already dead). and i dont know if you really had to make this choice in real life, if you could live with the thought that hundreds of people, some of who you liked and where close with, died because of this choice...

[@DigiVoices]

@@LaraOlina Exactly how I thought about it. Clearly the timeline would stop at nothing to correct the mistake of Chloe being alive. She was meant to die, delaying that costs so many lives and who knows, later on she may very well have died regardless. I much preferred the people we met over her if only because I've had very manipulative and mean friends like her before and I just saw that instead of whatever everyone else sees.

[@parmavioIets]

the intro is so pretty!!

[@harpersmith1400]

Wow, nostalgia goggles and games having super good graphics now really made me forget what LIS's graphics were originally like.

[@adigazel]

the music at the end got me so nostalgic ahhh

[@jamnationable]

great video. really appreciate your thoughtful analysis :)

[@maytalacedo20]

it's nice of how the story tells about Kate and Marjoria's mask that's amazing.

[@dragonballradiant2744]

Yes never give up you’re life. Bully’s shouldn’t own you’re life. Think about everybody who loves you. How hard they try for you. DON’T GIVE UP!!

[@gretagocsei1763]

This game changed my life

[@KittyThaliaX23]

One of my mom’s favorite musicians is Garth Brooks and I always found his song “The Dance” beautiful in this way. “I could’ve missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss the dance.” We control so little in our own lives and choosing to cherish the good over sink into the bad is so important to keeping on. There’s been terrible things in my past that have caused me to fall into deep depressions. But there’s also beautiful moments tangled into the mess. Was all the fun I had streaming to no one playing dnd with friends meaningless since we stopped talking to each other? Can I not play certain games now because my abuser introduced me to them? Is love too dangerous because the first person I trusted betrayed it? I don’t think so. It may be too idealistic and I may put myself at risk of bad experiences again, but I don’t want to miss the dance. I don’t want this comment to be belittling to those who struggle to move past the bad. It’s incredibly hard and this is just about my own personal journey of self discovery and not the one right way to live life. This topic is very personal to me and very important and I wanted to share my thoughts, nothing more.

[@Fenrir502]

Having this on in the background the homestuck jumpscare gave me a heart attack 10/10

[@voxistaken]

Had me sobbing at 2 in the morning. Instant sub

[@jessejamesmacdonnell]

This was amazing!

[@nothanks7263]

I HAAAATE that I recognize that honking sound at 5:43. That guy is never gonna live that shit down.

[@awarmshrine]

Thank you for this video. As a survivor of multiple suicide attempts, I agree with you. It's always worth saving Kate. Always. ❤

[@pug_frost7246]

You know I started thinking about it after you brought it up...is it worth it, and I personally thought...maybe not...but I will admit I kept watching and you convinced me otherwise. lol

[@BlueJay_125]

Another amazing piece of media with this sort of story is the musical ride the cyclone- it sounds so silly at first, but I cried my eyes out watching it, I 100% recommend

[@DigiVoices]

the moonsetter thrown in- my little homestuck heart

[@izzyanderson3289]

Beautiful video. Thank you.

[@StaySnazzyStyle]

Damn. I just lost my dog. He was already old when I adopted him, so i knew we wouldnt have long. I dont regret it at all and this wonderfully describes why i will never regret him.

[@KristenNicoleYT]

I was even later to the series than you lol. Just finished playing through both of the games. My biggest take away from them both is that the journey really is what matters, it's not always about where you end up. Playing before the storm, knowing where Rachel's story would end, it didn't change anything about how much I cared about the story or how it interacted with it. I don't think I've ever experienced such a visceral example of why it's really about the journey not the destination. And I know that's a really cliché saying, but yeah

[@aliceabdelbaki]

this video is so beautiful.

[@meganc5682]

Life Is Strange is one of the best thought provoking games ive played in a long time. i absolutely cried my eyes out when i couldn't figure out how to save kate the first time i played through, i dont know how to explain it. like doing everything you can to save everyone but also at the same it doesnt matter because the hurricane comes, or all the time you sent getting to back to know chloe, to find out you may have to just reqind everything anyway.

[@kittysqueezer]

You cruel person, making me cry about Teft and chapter 108 in general in RoW. Brilliant essay,.

[@lutinss]

I’m bawling my eyes out bro

[@brandynkilpatrick]

that Syd Matters song always gets me man😢😢

[@scootie_scoot]

moonsetter by toby fox??? In a video essay??? Yippeee !!! seriously though, great job!

[@evilkittens9]

im 40 seconds in and i just wanna say i really love the intro lol

[@ferynini]

I ended up crying but... thank you! 💖