As you can see in the image, there are four new characters that will be introduced in the story. What I found a bit worrisome is a quote from the Polygon article where this concept art was revealed: "The cast will include new characters alongside our original protagonists..." Maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions, but the wording explicitly said "original protagonists", not "original characters", meaning Max and Chloe... not Max and Chloe plus friends. And then we have this particular cover for the second issue:
Does this mean the rest of the original Arcadia Bay cast died? If so... then I better ready a good supply of tissues while reading, as the bagpipe version of Amazing Grace plays in the background.
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Happy International Day of the Girl everyone!
October 11. In the Life is Strange universe, this was the day that Max Caulfield had to make the most agonizing decision in her entire life. It's been over five years to that day. Having made two essays on the Life is Strange series, I felt that it was appropriate for me to mark this particular day with another essay, except this one will cover 4 specific topics. Over the course of writing the two previous posts, there were certain subjects discussed within the Life is Strange community that caught my attention... some of them were almost as fiercely argued as the whole Bae vs. Bay debate. So, without further ado...
Warning: The following post will discuss suggestive topics. Please stop right here if you are uncomfortable with reading such material.
Topic 1: Girls or Boys?
One of the questions that at least one newcomer to the series will bring up is this: So, what does Max prefer... guys or gals?
Believe it or not, the answer to this question is not as straightforward as it seems. With over 3 years to boot, there have been a lot of comments on this matter. After going a ton of evidence presented by all sides, the short and simplest answer to this question is: Max is confused.
Or, if you want it more bluntly, she starts out as a bi-curious asexual... to say the least.
At the start of the game, she'll make comments such as how she likes skater boys. She even jokingly writes in her journal that she wants marry Mr. Jefferson (before she found about his true nature). Later on in the game, however, closer examination of some of her actions, voice overs, and journal entries suggest that she was slowly (heavily I dare say) getting attracted to the company of women...
As one fan noted: "Max [seems] open-minded and accepting of all sexualities but [is] too shy and socially awkward to have explored who she is yet in that sense, and I don't think it's been much of a priority.... She gets embarrassed very easily (or brushes it off as a joke) when sex is mentioned."
With Life is Strange being a choice driven game, it's up to you the player to decide if Max will act on her feelings, or you can just ignore them all together and leave them in the closet. Irrespective of gender, if Max decides romance someone in the game, by that point she can be considered as a demisexual (that's a real term; click the link for more if you want to know why Max fits in largely into that label). On that note...
Topic 2: A thousand ships
One thing I like about Life is Strange is the depiction of its female characters. Unlike most games, females weren't objectified as sexual objects. There are people who will say that the game sucks because there are no supermodels among the cast. So it was rather bizarre going into fan sites after playing the game for the first time to find out that one of the hottest things to talk about is: Who does Max fall in love with?
For a girl who is endearingly naive about all sorts of things, especially romantic love, and who has the girl next door quality about her physical appearance (and her personality), its really surprising that Max is the face that launched a thousand ships. For someone who was never meant to emulate Helen of Troy, this is a real feat. The wonderful fanart I've compiled just for this part of the blog post is a testament to that fact. Fans have paired Max with all sorts of other characters from the game, and the following list is a quick overview of the most popular ships:
- Max and Chloe (Pricefield)
- Max and Warren (Grahamfield)
- Max and Victoria (Chasefield)
- Max and Kate (Marshfield)
- Max and Nathan (Caulscott)
As you can see from the above list, 3 out of the 5 romantic pairings aren't even choices that you can make in the game. Anyway, here are my random thoughts on these five pairings.
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| SS Caulscott |
Caulscott: I'm sorry to say this, but Max falling in love with Nathan feels like a byproduct of a condition such as Stockholm Syndrome. The only time I was truly convinced such a relationship could work in a believable manner was in the excellent fanfic The Sense of Me. But even in that story, Max and Nathan eventually end up as good friends instead of lovers. Unless Nathan from the Alternate Reality didn't suffer from child neglect and is more mature than Warren, then perhaps it may work (assuming Victoria from that same timeline doesn't have romantic feelings for Max).
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| SS Marshfield |
Marshfield: Kate and Max being more than just friends? Whoa, hold on there... was there a part of the game that dropped this huge bombshell that I wasn't aware of? I understand the appeal of the relationship (it seems cute), but considering how conservative Kate is within context of the game, this is a rather unlikely romance. Unless somehow Kate ended up like the protagonist from the movie Novitiate.
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| SS Chasefield |
Chasefield: Victoria has a thing for Max... hmm. Now this romance actually kinda makes sense in the context of the Alternate Reality that Max created when she saved William Price from dying in a car accident (that same reality where Max wears a purple cardigan instead of her iconic grey hoodie jacket). In that timeline, it's worth remembering that she ends up being a member of the Vortex Club, loves partying and drinking, and even takes recreational drugs. So, who is to say that during one rather rambunctious Vortex Club party, Max and Victoria got so drunk they ended up doing... steamy things at the after party hangover ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).
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| Who will win? |
Now we get to the real debate... one that was instigated by the game itself. Besides Bae or Bay, if there was a question that would provoke a passionate response from the fanbase, it would probably be this: Chloe or Warren?
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| Seasons Greetings from SS Pricefield! |
Pricefield: Considering how Chloe-centric the game is, there isn't much for me to add for this relationship. Sorry Warren, but your quest to win Max's heart wasn't the focal point of the story. The chemistry between Max and Chloe is captivating, and is perhaps the heart and soul of the game. Personally, I view their relationship as an unconditional love. A love that, based on how one described C.S. Lewis' interpretation of it, "loves the unlovable, the undeserving, and the repulsive. It gives
all and asks for nothing in return. It is the one that takes the
greatest chances. It is also the one that experiences the most loss." I can't speak for your typical Pricefield shipper, but I see Max and Chloe's bond as an idealized love, regardless of whether or not their relationship develops into anything romantic; and definitely not as a means to an end that involves anything salacious ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). I'm going to have to agree with Hannah Telle (the voice actress for Max) when she said "Their relationship is bigger than that. Bigger than love. Bigger than romantic." For all intents and purposes, I say they are soulmates. So you can consider me as a Pricefield supporter in that sense.
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| SS Grahamfield |
Whenever you have entered into a serious relationship, it has almost always occurred with a friend because you both respect and love each other even before the capacity to be intimate existed between you two.If Max kissed only Warren or both him and Chloe, the journal will state that Max wanted a kiss from someone who she cared about. If Max doesn't kiss anyone at all, she'll write that "maybe I should have kissed one of them for posterity..." Take note it doesn't state that she wanted a kiss only from Chloe or just Warren. If there was anywhere in the game to indicate Max was completely shutting down Warren's chances of being more than just a "supercool geek brother", this should have been it (it's her private journal after all). And here's one suggestion that I've yet to see someone bring up when defending this relationship: if Max and Warren got married, it would be great to think that their kids end up having Warren's brains and geekiness but with Max's compassion and principles. I find that prospect enticing by virtue of the fact that after all the tragedy that she had to endure, Max gets to have a happy future with beautiful and loving kids.
I've a rather unconventional position where I've no "one true pairing" and (one way or another) I support both Pricefield and Grahamfield. Which adds yet another reason why the game's ending was so screwed up for me: regardless of what ending I choose, a loved one will have to die. In some post game future where both Chloe and Warren survive, it would be interesting to see how Max would deal with the love triangle that players like myself got her into. If some fans can come up with Amberpricefield (yes, that's a thing), I imagine that in one possible future, Max somehow made things work and got into a polyamorous relationship with Chloe and Warren, the "two people [she] truly cared about." I'll leave it to your imagination what such a relationship entails...
On the flip side... if Max romances nobody whilst Chloe and Warren become her two BFFs, they would form an interesting decision making team. When confronted with a dilemma, Warren would point out the logical thing to do. Chloe would give us the emotional response. And it would be up to Max to find a creative third option that resolved the tension between logical and emotional responses. Wait a minute... why does this sound familiar?
Topic 3: Racy fantasies
With a rather unusual (and at times obsessive) interest in shipping in the Life is Strange fandom, it was only a matter time that some fans would turn to fan fiction to help in making their shipping fantasies a reality.
Now it wasn't enough that Max would fall in love with the character of their choosing, but even in some stories, she somehow ends up in situations that feel totally out of character for her.
For purposes of this topic, we are going to talk about smut fanfics. I'll admit, the samples some fans have recommended were well written enough that it was difficult to get dirty thoughts out of my imagination right after reading them ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) . And I get the appeal of two girls "getting down and dirty" with each other. But Life is Strange did not resort to nudity and sexual content as a hook for players to remain invested until they finished the game. There was no need to degrade Max or any or the female characters by turning them into call girls or the like. If anything, Max's innocence helped made her an endearing protagonist. The relationships in the game are not a vehicle with the goal of ensuring sexual gratification for the players. The appeal of the characters had nothing to do with anything explicit, and having a quick glance at those selected fanfics reminded me of that and more. Yet, here we are... where fanfics that are the Life is Strange version of Fifty Shades of Grey exist. If Max was as lewd as how these smutty stories depicted her, it's no stretch to think that she would have taken advantage of Warren's friendship and raped him in the shower just so she can have "fun."
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying fans should stick to cannon when writing stories or creating artworks, but I think its worth remembering why fans like myself were invested in Life is Strange in the first place. And explicit material has nothing to do with it.
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| When they said that Max and Chloe are going to "tie the knot", this was not how I imagined it. |
For purposes of this topic, we are going to talk about smut fanfics. I'll admit, the samples some fans have recommended were well written enough that it was difficult to get dirty thoughts out of my imagination right after reading them ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) . And I get the appeal of two girls "getting down and dirty" with each other. But Life is Strange did not resort to nudity and sexual content as a hook for players to remain invested until they finished the game. There was no need to degrade Max or any or the female characters by turning them into call girls or the like. If anything, Max's innocence helped made her an endearing protagonist. The relationships in the game are not a vehicle with the goal of ensuring sexual gratification for the players. The appeal of the characters had nothing to do with anything explicit, and having a quick glance at those selected fanfics reminded me of that and more. Yet, here we are... where fanfics that are the Life is Strange version of Fifty Shades of Grey exist. If Max was as lewd as how these smutty stories depicted her, it's no stretch to think that she would have taken advantage of Warren's friendship and raped him in the shower just so she can have "fun."
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying fans should stick to cannon when writing stories or creating artworks, but I think its worth remembering why fans like myself were invested in Life is Strange in the first place. And explicit material has nothing to do with it.
Topic 4: No regrets vs. I can't live without you
The final topic I want to talk about is Max dealing with the destruction of Arcadia Bay and/or Chloe's death. Specially, how a certain group of fans justified one of the endings.
While researching for my essay on the game's ending, some fans claim that in a post Bae world, Max and Chloe have a fairy tale ending. Though I believe this is the endgame, to claim that Max and Chloe would not feel bad for the hundreds of people who died in the storm (especially if among the dead are characters like Joyce, Warren, and Kate) just feels wrong. If this was Cersei Lannister blowing up hundreds of people with wildfire, sure she can sleep easily with the blood on her hands. But Max and Chloe are definitely not cold-blooded monsters like Cersei. Going back to what I wrote in my essay about the ending, Max will be scarred for life by that final decision... and that includes the Bae ending. If trained soldiers can suffer the effects of PTSD, how much more for an 18 year old girl who doesn't like guns and killing? And what about the punk girl who was ruined after her real dad died when she finds out her mom is dead too? With there being no right or wrong ending, I'm of the opinion that there is no real happy ending for the game as well. Unless somehow everyone Max and Chloe cared about (friends and family) miraculously survived the storm, then I can agree that Sacrificing Arcadia Bay is the "happy ending."
And what of the idea that Max would have willingly and without hesitation sacrificed the lives of hundreds of innocents to ensure Chloe's survival? If you ask me, that sets her on the same road that lead Anakin Skywalker to become Darth Vader. Remember, Anakin ultimately fell to the dark side because he loved Padmé Amidala too much, and I think you'll agree with me that I don't want Max going down the same path.
Another reason why some fans chose to Sacrifice Arcadia Bay was the idea that Max would be alone in this world, that she never be happy again as she has nothing left in her life and would eventually become crazy or worse. Reading variations of the same response gave me a bad impression.
First off, such a notion feels like a disservice to Max's character. Max going down a path where she might end up like Hannah Baker from 13 Reasons Why? No way. Suicide is for the weak. I think we can all agree that Max is better than that. Did these people forget that this is the same Max who tries to save Kate from killing herself? Just because Chloe can be considered as Max's soulmate, it should not signify that her entire reason for living revolved solely around Chloe. This accidentally paints a portrait of Max being in a codependent relationship; "a relationship where both sides are not good enough or complete enough by themselves so they need to find someone else out there (a family member, friend or a boyfriend or girlfriend) to fill a hole in them and make them whole." According to several websites, signs of codependency include:
If that scene of Max and Chloe balancing each other on the railroad doesn't perfectly capture the essence of their relationship at the most basic level, I don't know what will. Max and Chloe are literally like yin and yang. Distinct, but interdependent as they bring balance to each other. Going back to what I wrote earlier, Pricefield for me is also an unconditional love. You know what kind of relationship in real life that can be considered as an unconditional love? The love between normal parents and siblings. Whether we are prepared for it or not, there will come a time when all of us have to face the reality of having your mom, dad, and beloved siblings not being around anymore in this life. Going by the logic that some are suggesting, maybe we should all go nuts and stop trying to live anymore when such a day comes. Yes, we should mourn the loss of our loved ones when they die, but it shouldn't become an anchor that would eventually drown us.
(Now come to think about it, here is one probable - albeit subconscious - reason why some players are so apprehensive to Sacrifice Chloe: she's not just a great character, but she is a stand-in for the people in your life who you unconditionally love. Chloe is your parents and family, your sweetheart or spouse, your best friend/s... the people who also love you unconditionally with all their heart.)
And secondly, one would have to assume that Warren and Kate never considered Max as a genuine friend. That Chloe was the only person that cared for Max in this world. That Warren and Kate never step up to the challenge to help Max get through what would be the worst time of her life. Going back to the Sacrifice Chloe ending, you can clearly see that Warren and Kate attend the funeral, despite not being friends with Chloe. As I've written in my post about the game's ending, these two are at the funeral not because of Chloe, but to show their unconditional support for Max. I hope that this was Dontnod's way of saying that "sure Chloe died, but that doesn't mean that no one will be there for Max."
Dear God, if only Dontnod had written the major characters as one dimensional caricatures, I wouldn't be bothering with all of this. But no, they are "real human things in the story, relatable ones"... ones that I fell in love with. These characters acting differently to their established personalities is akin to Luke Skywalker becoming a grumpy old man who dismissed his own nephew as doomed to the dark side instead of (at least) trying to save him like Darth Vader... oh wait, that did happen in the mythical fan film known as The Last Rian Johnson Movie.
I want to believe that while Max would have preferred her life "to be special... an adventure... but not without" Chloe, she eventually rediscovers happiness if she decided to sacrifice her best friend. Max eventually overcoming "obstacles through the blizzard" in the wake of Chloe's death with Warren and Kate's help is a view that I hold dear. Why? Because if she can get through it, then we too stand a chance (with help from family and close friends if need be). Hope is indeed a weapon, "a powerful weapon even when all else is lost." As Confucius said, "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." And to quote Richard Nixon in his farewell address:
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But I don't want to end this post on a bittersweet note, so here's an impressive fan art I found to celebrate Red Dead Redemption 2's release (this was way too cool for me to leave alone):
And here's a drawing I found for a proposed Life is Strange 2 ending:
While researching for my essay on the game's ending, some fans claim that in a post Bae world, Max and Chloe have a fairy tale ending. Though I believe this is the endgame, to claim that Max and Chloe would not feel bad for the hundreds of people who died in the storm (especially if among the dead are characters like Joyce, Warren, and Kate) just feels wrong. If this was Cersei Lannister blowing up hundreds of people with wildfire, sure she can sleep easily with the blood on her hands. But Max and Chloe are definitely not cold-blooded monsters like Cersei. Going back to what I wrote in my essay about the ending, Max will be scarred for life by that final decision... and that includes the Bae ending. If trained soldiers can suffer the effects of PTSD, how much more for an 18 year old girl who doesn't like guns and killing? And what about the punk girl who was ruined after her real dad died when she finds out her mom is dead too? With there being no right or wrong ending, I'm of the opinion that there is no real happy ending for the game as well. Unless somehow everyone Max and Chloe cared about (friends and family) miraculously survived the storm, then I can agree that Sacrificing Arcadia Bay is the "happy ending."
And what of the idea that Max would have willingly and without hesitation sacrificed the lives of hundreds of innocents to ensure Chloe's survival? If you ask me, that sets her on the same road that lead Anakin Skywalker to become Darth Vader. Remember, Anakin ultimately fell to the dark side because he loved Padmé Amidala too much, and I think you'll agree with me that I don't want Max going down the same path.
Another reason why some fans chose to Sacrifice Arcadia Bay was the idea that Max would be alone in this world, that she never be happy again as she has nothing left in her life and would eventually become crazy or worse. Reading variations of the same response gave me a bad impression.
First off, such a notion feels like a disservice to Max's character. Max going down a path where she might end up like Hannah Baker from 13 Reasons Why? No way. Suicide is for the weak. I think we can all agree that Max is better than that. Did these people forget that this is the same Max who tries to save Kate from killing herself? Just because Chloe can be considered as Max's soulmate, it should not signify that her entire reason for living revolved solely around Chloe. This accidentally paints a portrait of Max being in a codependent relationship; "a relationship where both sides are not good enough or complete enough by themselves so they need to find someone else out there (a family member, friend or a boyfriend or girlfriend) to fill a hole in them and make them whole." According to several websites, signs of codependency include:
- Finding no satisfaction or happiness in life outside of a specific person.
- An inability or unwillingness to socialize without your partner.
- To experience a one on one relationship, you are not attracted to a person who is kind, stable, reliable and interested in you. You find such “nice” people boring.
- Losing contact with other friends or family.
- A tendency to do more than your share, all of the time.
- An exaggerated sense of responsibility for the actions of others.
- You feel it is your responsibility to “fix” everything for your partner.
- You have difficulty making decisions and often doubt yourself.
- ...when your sense of purpose in life wraps around making extreme sacrifices to satisfy your partner's needs. A co-dependent will do anything to hold on to a relationship to avoid the feeling of abandonment. (hmm... this kinda sounds familiar)
If that scene of Max and Chloe balancing each other on the railroad doesn't perfectly capture the essence of their relationship at the most basic level, I don't know what will. Max and Chloe are literally like yin and yang. Distinct, but interdependent as they bring balance to each other. Going back to what I wrote earlier, Pricefield for me is also an unconditional love. You know what kind of relationship in real life that can be considered as an unconditional love? The love between normal parents and siblings. Whether we are prepared for it or not, there will come a time when all of us have to face the reality of having your mom, dad, and beloved siblings not being around anymore in this life. Going by the logic that some are suggesting, maybe we should all go nuts and stop trying to live anymore when such a day comes. Yes, we should mourn the loss of our loved ones when they die, but it shouldn't become an anchor that would eventually drown us.
(Now come to think about it, here is one probable - albeit subconscious - reason why some players are so apprehensive to Sacrifice Chloe: she's not just a great character, but she is a stand-in for the people in your life who you unconditionally love. Chloe is your parents and family, your sweetheart or spouse, your best friend/s... the people who also love you unconditionally with all their heart.)
And secondly, one would have to assume that Warren and Kate never considered Max as a genuine friend. That Chloe was the only person that cared for Max in this world. That Warren and Kate never step up to the challenge to help Max get through what would be the worst time of her life. Going back to the Sacrifice Chloe ending, you can clearly see that Warren and Kate attend the funeral, despite not being friends with Chloe. As I've written in my post about the game's ending, these two are at the funeral not because of Chloe, but to show their unconditional support for Max. I hope that this was Dontnod's way of saying that "sure Chloe died, but that doesn't mean that no one will be there for Max."
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| "At the point of crisis... hope is a weapon... survival is victory." |
Dear God, if only Dontnod had written the major characters as one dimensional caricatures, I wouldn't be bothering with all of this. But no, they are "real human things in the story, relatable ones"... ones that I fell in love with. These characters acting differently to their established personalities is akin to Luke Skywalker becoming a grumpy old man who dismissed his own nephew as doomed to the dark side instead of (at least) trying to save him like Darth Vader... oh wait, that did happen in the mythical fan film known as The Last Rian Johnson Movie.
I want to believe that while Max would have preferred her life "to be special... an adventure... but not without" Chloe, she eventually rediscovers happiness if she decided to sacrifice her best friend. Max eventually overcoming "obstacles through the blizzard" in the wake of Chloe's death with Warren and Kate's help is a view that I hold dear. Why? Because if she can get through it, then we too stand a chance (with help from family and close friends if need be). Hope is indeed a weapon, "a powerful weapon even when all else is lost." As Confucius said, "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." And to quote Richard Nixon in his farewell address:
We think sometimes when things happen that don't go the right way... We think that when someone dear to us dies... we think that when we suffer a defeat that all is ended.... Not true. It is only a beginning, always.... because greatness comes not when things go always good for you, but the greatness comes and you are really tested, when you take some knocks, some disappointments, when sadness comes, because only if you have been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.Her struggle to combat the negative effects of Chloe's death, and prevailing in the end would be an inspirational story in of itself (a story that, in my opinion, was masterfully told in the fanfic The Sense of Me). As one fan said, Max is an "18-year-old girl confronted by an impossible set of choices. I think it is a tribute to her mental and emotional strength that she wasn't destroyed by this experience." That fact alone is an ideal we should strive towards, and one of the many reasons why Max Caulfield is now one my favorite fictional characters of all time.
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But I don't want to end this post on a bittersweet note, so here's an impressive fan art I found to celebrate Red Dead Redemption 2's release (this was way too cool for me to leave alone):
And here's a drawing I found for a proposed Life is Strange 2 ending:
