Since the conclusion of Life is Strange Episode Two: Out of Time I have been greatly anticipating the next part in Dontnod's episodic adventure. The ending I reached in that episode was the worst conclusion possible from the choices you had made so far and only around 30% of other players messed up as much as I did.

If episode one was about establishing characters and location and two about exploration and consequence; three is about using your powers to solve mysteries, discover secrets and do some right. Or at least, attempt to. It's a far more methodical episode and less action heavy. More about using your powers to overcome problems and obstacles rather than testing them to the extreme. It is a testament to the developers that each episode feels different yet in an increasingly familiar setting. Chaos Theory uses a lot of locations that you've previously visited but you see them in a new light.

Chaos Theory revolves around Max and Chloe and their relationship. In my previous review I stated that I thought that was the standout feature of the first episode and it still remains strong. There are emotional highs and lows as Max uses her time travelling powers to move about areas with ease and discover the secrets of people around her. The aim is to find a connection between several characters and the recent events in the town though there is a certain amount of curious nosey-ness possible. The quality of the dialogue is improving with each released episode; a far cry from some of the cringe-worthy lines from 'Chrysalis'.

Choices continue to play a big part in the game and I felt an increased pressure in my selection after episode two. In Telltale games of the last few years choices are used to carve a narrative for the player themselves; something that the player will reflect on afterwords, but not alter the game in any meaningful way. Its effect is how the player feels emotionally about what they've decided to do. In Life is Strange it feels that your choices have a major impact in the direction of the narrative itself. After seeing my major choices at the end of this episode there are two that I made which I fear will spell major trouble in the upcoming episodes. I'll have to wait and see.

The conclusion deserves a special mention; it is shocking. The cliffhanger ending left me desperate to continue and both excited and fearful about the possibilities of episodes four and five. I won't go into any detail but it certainly shakes up everything you knew to this moment.

I never got round to writing up my review and thoughts on Episode Two: Out of Time, but I thought it was exceptional and remains the highpoint of the series so far. There were some considerable pacing issues during its two hours and much of dialogue still suffered from inconsistent writing; although a considerable improvement from the first episode. The conclusion to 'Out of Time' left me speechless and powerless as I watched the montage of reactions and the credits. It was an emotional highpoint and a poignant moment in the series so far.

It is hard to predict where Life is Strange will go in its final two episodes but I hope that it continues pushing the boundaries of expectation. It would be easy to retcon the conclusion to Chaos Theory but I implore Dontnod to be brave. Be brave and develop the story to something we never imagined after playing Chrysalis. At this midway point Life is Strange has completely surpassed my anticipation leading up to its initial episode and I very much hope it continues to.