Life is Strange: Episode 4 - Dark Room

By: Robert Murphy

Have you ever found yourself reading a novel with a great beginning and a phenomenal ending to it but the middle bits were just dragging along? Well sadly this is the case for the fourth episode of Dotnod’s Life is Strange as things take a turn for the worse after transporting us to an entire new world at the end of the last episode. There had been such promise and a unique growth to Max Caulfield’s time manipulation powers where she was able to alter events from deep in the past. As I said though the follow through just wasn’t quite up to snuff until the dramatic conclusion.

I had high hopes for the follow up episode in the wake of all that is revealed from your decision to change time all together. This in turn created a whole new time line and without revealing too much it gives a delightful yet exceedingly dark insight into what would have happened if Max and Chloe had remained close when she moved away. While you wouldn’t expect such a drastic outcome from such a small choice it was nonetheless interesting to briefly explore an alternate reality. The disappointing part about all of this though proves to be the fact that this decision is entirely wiped clean from the story. Perhaps the developers were too scarred to explore this change or worried that it wouldn’t be received all too well but whatever the case it made for a weak cop out once you go back to your reality. What this whole experience means for Max’s powers remains unseen but it was an interesting move while it lasted.

What the Dark Room aimed to finally do for the story was to get things rolling in terms of the shady dealings going on in Arcadia Bay and all around Blackwell Academy. All the pieces were there and now all Max and her best friend Chloe had to do was put them together in order to find Chloe’s former best friend Rachel Amber and how it connects to drugs as well as Arcadia Bay’s wealthiest family. While this may sound all well and good, you will literally find yourself putting these pieces together one at a time on a gigantic board that Max and Chloe put together in her room. On it are all the clues you gather throughout the episode in pointless and one off fetch this and grab that quests that add to the monotony of the episode. Then you will spend the rest of your time putting the clues together that match up to other related bits and pieces of information you gathered around town.

While it’s good to get all of the intrigue out in the open, the episode presents things in far too of a rushed fashion. Most of the previous episodes Max and Chloe have found themselves hopelessly stumbling along trying to figure out the big picture but with no such luck to be found. This wasn’t a bad thing in any way but it didn’t lead you too far into the story that lied ahead of you and now in this penultimate chapter you have to see it all crammed right in front of you.

The payoff for all of this proved to be worth the anguish however as the final moments to the darkest episode of the series came to a close. Big questions were finally revealed as well as a huge underground story behind the supposed main bad guy, Nathan Prescott. The Prescott family has more than a few skeletons in their closet that need explaining but there is far more to the story than just a wealthy father neglecting the needs of his son. But, the biggest reveal has yet to come as the shocking ending for the chapter will leave players with all new questions to ponder on while they wait for the upcoming storm in Life is Strange’s final chapter.

Dark Room proved to a be a bit of a mess as it attempts to bring all the forces of Arcadia Bay crashing down on top of you. There is definitely are dark shift to the story this time around that I deeply enjoyed exploring, things finally started to focus on the overall goal for Max and Chloe and while it was presented poorly, a great conclusion came out of it in the end. However, I will approach things causally the next time around and hope that Dotnod can deliver a fantastic overall story and not just a beginning and an end.

Good:

- The secrets of Arcadia Bay finally begin to unravel

- A darker overall tone that was harsh but compelling

- Strong beginning and compelling conclusion

Bad:

- All the mystery is crammed down your throat in one episode

- Dull fetch quests and mystery solving tools

- A long and inconsistent story through the middle portion

Scully Rating: 6.0 out of 10

Game of Thrones: Episode 4 - Sons of Winter

By: Robert Murphy

Let the winning finally commence. I know that this is a death sentence to be saying out loud when playing a Game of Thrones adaptation but I cannot help but feel happy at the events of Sons of Winter when my characters finally received some room to boast after being step on so many times. Much like any episode from the actual show, this latest episode has transferred to a more action heavy affair where people are likely to have an arrow pierce their skulls and diplomacy takes a bit of a back seat. While this may be true I still felt the increasing need to remain tactful and always be on my guard, this is still a dangerous game the Forresters are playing and with two episodes still left it's best not to count my chickens before they hatch.

The episode wastes no time in letting you know the events of the last episode will begin to shape this one. Players first start off at the Wall with Gared who finds himself in shackles after getting some much needed revenge for the death of his family at the hands of the Whitehill soldier that now found himself at the Wall with him. Despite having an eye witness to the battle that took place though it appears that there is no way to escape from being punished for what occurred. A brother is dead and you have to pay the price for it. At this point I wasn't too shocked by this as I knew it had to be shoehorned into the story, some of decisions end up being just that in any Telltale game and players have to accept it even though it is a choose your own story game. Again, I wasn't mad at what the events led to because Gared finds himself heading north beyond the Wall to hopefully find the North Grove and help his family.

His family may not be needing as much help as I once thought though once I delved into Rodrik's story again. Rodrik has had nothing but bad luck since his addition into the storyline, he has had to bend the knee and be a good obedient man no matter what horrors the Whitehills brought down on his people. The addition of Lord Whitehill's son Griff last episode was particularly the worst of it all, he isn't Ramsay Bolton bad but he is a cruel and vile sort that I wanted to beat the snot out of since I first met him. Well, as it so happens I would get my wish. Help arrives from an ally I did not expect to see coming this episode and their aid finally adds some man power and skill to the Forrester cause. It feels unbelievably good to finally have some leverage to work with and too finally have a leg to stand on, no pun intended on Rodriks part. There is an ultimate confrontation with Lord Whitehill that did leave me a bit uneasy in my new found strength but I was able to hold my head up high until the ominous conclusion however. 

Mira perhaps receives the least amount of screen time in her entire time with the series. She has desperately tried to maneuver herself into a position of power where she can make a difference for her family. Having watched the show I should have been more aware of what was going to happen when I aligned myself with certain people but that all is in the past and the future seems to look bright. At King Tommen's coronation party you must move quickly to try and make your deal for the Forrester's ironwood and secure funds to help your family back home. It may be a den of snakes where everyone is a spy or some sort of enemy but Mira finally appears to be learning how things work in King's Landing and her choices seem to be more apt to the situation she finds herself in. You move from person to person like a detective and get information that will make or break your efforts here and while it appears a bit tedious, it was rather enjoyable making my own plans and gaining information to use for myself for a change. The biggest event for Mira though may not even be for your family as questions about your friend Sara may lead you down more dangerous paths for your future.

Finally, we have the obvious heavy hitter in the action department with Asher as he stands before Daenery's Targaryen on the eve of her entrance into Mereen. Daenery's character has come a long way since the first season of the show and it shows here as she stands confidentially before Asher as he makes his claims about see her dragon. Something feels somewhat off however about the way Daenery's behaves on screen that does not inspire the same sort of vindication that I have seen before now. Most of the characters that have been incorporated into the game have been frankly spot on up until this point but here it seems the writers may have missed a step. 

I too missed a few steps though with how I maneuvered myself before Daenerys as it seemed Asher could not use his usual rugged charm to his advantage this time and that along with his fighting skills are the only powerful tools in his bag. Luckily I was able to make use of the latter skill by offering myself and Beskha to go in with the invasion team to free the slaves and the city of Mereen. I had to continue my long streak of betraying Beskha in order to get to that point however, her character may be a great one but the bridge between her and Asher has been the easiest one for me to continually burn and yet have it remain intact. I did start to feel better once I learned about her mysterious past and when the option to explore it came about I was happy to help her out even if it causes trouble later on. The rest of the mission into Mereen plays like a stealth shooter where you make your way through the streets to an outpost filled with guards. You move through the outpost stealthily taking out your enemies up until the climactic action scene that had my heart pounding out of my chest. It's quite possibly the shows best action scene so far and I haven't had something so exhilarating happen like this since the first episode at the Red Wedding and it was thoroughly enjoyable.  

Finally! Some justice has come for House Forrester and while again it may be a bad omen to be so cheerful before the day is through I cannot help but feel good about finally striking back in Sons of Winter because it so rarely happens in anything Game of Thrones related. The heavy action was mixed well with the political intrigue for the story and everyone appears to be playing their part for the Forrester's future. Not everything ran so smoothly such as the Night's Watch lack of forgiveness for Gared or Daenery's none to convincing performance but for the most part things moved along rather well for the story this time around. I will move cautiously into the next episode however as you can never be pleased for too long when it comes to playing this dangerous game. 

Good:

- Rodrik finally getting some leverage 

- The phenomenal action in Mereen

- Clearing my guilty conscience with Beskha

Bad:

- Daenerys and her odd performance

- The Nights Watch and their vindication of Gared

Scully Rating: 8.5 out of 10