7 unforgettable moments in the Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection

With Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm now playable on Nintendo Switch, we recall some of the amazing scenes that make these games so beloved.
Di Duncan Heaney

Two of the best stories in gaming history are now playable on Nintendo Switch!

The Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection is out now. If features the original Life is Strange and prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm - enhanced from their original release with reworked textures, improved lighting, new facial motion capture for Life is Strange and more!

In addition, both games have been specifically optimized for Switch to ensure they look and run great, whether you’re playing docked or handheld.

The Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection may well be the best way to experience these games, and the incredible moments they offer. Each title is full of unforgettable scenes that will shock you, shake you, make you laugh and feel much more beyond.

In honor of the release, we thought we’d look back at these remarkable moments, and share just a few of our favorites:


1. Life is Strange Episode 1: Chrysalis - Max’s powers emerge for the first time

The seemingly typical life of budding Blackwell Academy student Max Caulfield takes a twist for the dramatic in this very early scene from the first episode.

A trip to the bathroom takes a dark turn when Max witnesses an altercation between the troubled Nathan Prescott and Max’s former best friend Chloe Price. What starts as a simple argument soon escalates into something more terrifying, and before Max can react, the young woman lies dead on the floor.

And then it happens - Max discovers she is somehow able to rewind time itself and stop this tragedy before it happens. A life is saved, a power unveiled… and Max’s life will never be normal again.


2. Life is Strange Before the Storm Episode 1: Awake - tabletop gaming Chloe-style

In the prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm, you take control of Chloe - and she’s a very different protagonist to the introspective Max. She’s outspoken, rebellious and goes all-in - as is the case when she’s invited to play a tabletop game.

In this wildly entertaining scene, you get to play out the entire game - and in true series style, you have a lot of choice over how it goes.

For example, in my first playthrough, Chloe – or, more accurately, the elven barbarian Callamastia - is an aggressive disaster. She intimidates an elderly guard with threats so vivid they die of fear, repeatedly attempts to punch enemies in the crotch and accidentally mutilates an ally. But it’s all in good fun.

Of course, when you play it, you may get a wildly different outcome - that’s one of the most glorious things about this scene. But whatever happens, you can bet it’s one of the most entertaining moments in the episode!


3. Life is Strange Episode 3: Chaos Theory - a late night swim

Max and Chloe have reconnected, coming together to investigate the dark secrets of Blackwell and the mystery of a missing student.

After some shocking revelations, some tense encounters and some tricky ethical dilemmas, Chloe persuades Max to break into Blackwell’s swimming pool for a late night dipl.

This scene that follows is a real standout - as deep as the pool itself. It’s a welcome breather after all the tension and intrigue as Max and Chloe take some time to just unwind and act like teenagers. It develops the bond between them, revealing how close the two are becoming, and it even throws in a fun stealth-lite section at the end to mix up the gameplay!


4. Life is Strange Before the Storm Episode 2: Brave New World - The Tempest

Chloe’s ability to think on her feet is put to the ultimate test when she’s drafted into a production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, alongside her friend Rachel Amber.

As a very last-minute addition to the cast - the intended actor is held up - Chloe gets barely any time to look at the script. It’s up to you to try to remember her lines - or improvise if you can’t.

Regardless of whether you walk the boards like a seasoned thespian or turn the play into a bumbling comedy through frantic ad-libbing, the situation provides an opportunity for Chloe and Rachel to have a heart-to-heart live on stage.

Their words may deviate from the bard’s, but as the director says: it’s magical.


5. Life is Strange Episode 4: Dark Room - Max faces some unintended consequences

Max’s ability to affect time is extremely useful (not to mention an excellent gameplay mechanic)… and it only grows over the course of the series.

But such an awesome power is also dangerous - and this is laid bare to Max and the player in harrowing fashion at the start of Episode 4.

An impulsive attempt to undo one of the great tragedies of Chloe’s past leads to an uncertain future. Rather than improving her friend’s life, her tampering has caused a chain reaction of events and a reality in which Chloe’s… well, if you haven’t played it, you’ll find out (hence the non-spoilery image above).

Max is left with no choice but to undo her mistake in some deeply affecting scenes that show that for all her godlike power, she’s still merely human.


6. Life is Strange Before the Storm Episode 2: Brave New World - Dreams of fire and ravens

Throughout Life is Strange Before the Storm, Chloe has dreamlike conversations with her late father. These scenes are all impactful, showing how the young woman struggles to deal with events, and her own sense of loss.

One of the most powerful dreams is in Episode 2. Chloe and her father sit by the burning husk of a car, toasting marshmallows on the blazing hood. As ravens look on, the two gently discuss the beauty of fire - before the conversation takes a much darker turn.

It’s a shocking scene that drips with meaning - accompanied by some of the most striking visuals of the series. It leaves a mark.


7. Life is Strange Episode 5: Polarized - The final choice

If you know, you know.

…and you’ll never forget.


Those were just seven scenes that we love - but Life is Strange, and Life is Strange: Before the Storm are so full of memorable moments, we could create dozens of equally valid lists.

You can experience (or re-experience) them all for yourselves on Switch in the Life is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection - out now.

Alternatively, the Life is Strange Remastered Collection is available now for PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Finally, be sure to follow Life is Strange on social media. And if you have favorite scenes of your own, be sure to let them know!

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