Life Is Strange is a popular video game, an episodic graphic adventure developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix. You can play this game on a variety of gaming systems including PlayStation and Xbox, and fans have been enjoying this game since 2015. The plot of the game focuses on the character of Max Caulfield, who is a photography student with the unique ability to rewind time. Fans were delighted when a prequel was released in 2017, and a sequel to the original game was released the following year in 2018. Today we’re going to discover the cast of characters that we meet throughout Life Is Strange.
Max Caulfield
Max is the main character of Life Is Strange, and she’s an eighteen-year-old photography student. Max discovers that she can rewind time at any given moment, which results in a butterfly effect from every decision she makes in her life. When you’re playing the game, your actions will adjust the story, and it’s reshaped when you are able to travel back in time. Attending the 12th grade at Blackwell Academy, Max, which is short for Maxine, has returned to her hometown after five years of being away from there. After her friend, Chloe, was shot and killed, she finds out that she is able to rewind time. As a person, Max is a shy girl who likes to observe people through her camera as opposed to interacting with them in person. Due to her shyness, she struggles to find friends, spends time alone regularly, and is picked on by popular student Victoria Chase at school. It’s great for younger players to see a character like Max, who will stand up for herself when needed, even though she is quite shy by nature, although she could do with a little more self-confidence at times.
Chloe Price
As mentioned above, Chloe was shot and killed in 2013 by Nathan Prescott, and this event is what triggers Max to be able to travel back in time and reunite with Chloe. We see that Chloe struggles throughout her life after losing her father five years before her own death, and she is quite a lonely character after Max left to live in Seattle. There are some mysteries surrounding Chloe, as a girl named Rachel Amber, with who she was in love, also disappeared before Max returned to town, and this is sadly what leads Chloe to her death. Although Chloe grew up as a happy child, her father’s death changed her life dramatically and darkened her world, making her angry and rebellious. She shows players how difficult life can be when unexpected events happen, such as her mother’s marriage to David Madsen, and accurately portrays the struggles many young people face with loss and change in their lives.
Nathan Prescott
The secondary antagonist of the game is Nathan, who is also a student at Blackwell Academy. He is known as a drug seller in the area, similar to Frank Bowers, who also supplies the students with drugs, and throughout the game, it hints that he is mentally ill and is receiving therapy. It becomes clear throughout the game that he is taking medication for both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. While it’s easy for young players to read studies on bipolar disorder, having a real example of this mental health issue with the well-developed character of Nathan helps players understand the struggles some individuals are facing. Nathan’s family are extremely wealthy and are the most influential family in the area. Nathan acts out and becomes violent on occasions, which shows us what money and pressure can do to people.
The message of the game
With a whole host of different characters, the Life Is Strange characters show us the wide range of personalities that live in our world, which can be witnessed even within just one small strange society. However, just because we are all different and should embrace this fact, we still need to communicate, act and fight together for what’s right. This is what it means to live, and the game embraces this message while teaching us about the struggles that young people face.
Mark Jefferson
While the story of the game centers around the characters above, there are a whole host of people who pop up throughout the game. Teacher and photographer Mark Jefferson is well-liked and respected by his students, especially the female members of his classes. However, we soon find out the dark secrets that are hidden behind his friendly personality, and he has no limits to what he’s willing to do to kidnap and murder the young girls in the school. With the plot twists and revelations that are revealed as you delve further into this strange world, you’ll be shocked at how well a teacher can hide their true character every day in the classroom.
With a huge host of characters, Life Is Strange offers a fascinating insight into the strange life of Blackwell Academy and offers players the chance to see the struggles and challenges young people face. Showing players the dark side of the town, the game is full of concealed senses. Players generally loved this game when it was first released, and the character development was particularly praised. Discussing subjects that are often avoided in games and movies, the game is eye-opening and will have any new player hooked as they step into this new world and discover these interesting characters.
