I tried to make this review as spoiler-free as is possible without harming the integrity of the review itself.

I purchased this game a short time after it launched, after seeing a friend of mine play about 3/4 through the first episode I felt like I not just wanted but NEEDED to play this game. I've since puchased it for multiple others as gifts or because they could not afford it themselves because I think that anyone who loves heavily story-based narratives in games absolutely should play it.

Yes, as with many episodic games and even more television shows, the first episode is a little less engaging than it could be, but if you hold on the story truly picks up steam as soon as the second episode begins. And yes, you really only get two ultimate outcomes for the ending, but leading up to that point you have a wide variety of choices for how to react to the various events occuring during one week in the life of Maxine Caulfield, saviour of punk-a$$ teenage girls with blue hair. Max generally has a after-decision conscious that tries to suggest you get the best possible outcome, though in some circumstances there really is no best option. I like that you can kind of choose what kind of person Max is, go all good-girl, nice and understanding or take the "Mad Max" run and choose the least polite response to all social interactions, help no-one, allow some characters to meet their fate and not re-do the interaction, or something somewhere in the middle.

The game, at first seems to be about a girl with time-travelling abilities figuring out the mystery of a missing resident of Arcadia Bay, Oregon, but when you finish the game you realise it was truly about the connections and relationships you build with your classmate, staff, and other characters around Arcadia Bay. In a way you are encouraged to form an emotional bond with this wonderfully relatable but fictional town, it's inhabitants, scenery and sounds. Even the weather, a focal point of the change of tone in the game, plays into the charms of this seaside town. Another nice aspect of the settings is the small references to other games, tv shows, films and music, these are cute little homages to things that inspired certain aspects of characters, the story, the game in general. Small details are so much bigger than they appear.

On the more technical side of things, the soundtrack is great and enjoyable without the game for context, the songs often are tied in to the world itself, not just in the background. The choice mechanics aren't bad, both controller and keyboard + mouse configurations work equally well and smoothly. The only nit-picky thing I have to saybout the controls is in regards to some of the rewind powers (the focusing segments in particular) can sometimes be a bit tricky. I have otherwise noticed a few small bugs that have occured on multiple different occasions, on different machines, namely during the scene in the junkyard there is a freezing glitch after making a certain choice. And just before the final dream sequence the right side of my screen (tested on 4 different screens and computers) seems to get very pixelated and bright--only in-game, not when tabbed out--which is slightly concerning. Having played through the game 2 full times now, these are the only two major issues I noticed.

I will admit, there is one section of the game that isn't my favourite, namely the final dream sequence when playing a bit of hide-and-seek. This is however down to personal preference, so YMMV and all that.

At the time of this review being written, a much-anticipated sequel and prequel have been officially announced, which I will likely just as enthusiastically purchase and play, regardless of who the story focuses on, I find I'm not just wanting to see more of Max or Chloe, but just of the town in general. It's stories and people and places are interesting and in finishing the game, I find I want to go back into that world, just to see other stories going on with other characters, even if they are average or ordinary life events. That is something unique that I find few games get right in their setting and NPCs, making you care about what happens to a character you may talk to 4-5 times in a game is a interesting experience, and I can't wait to see where DONTNOD, Deck Nine, and Square Enix take this little west coast town.

In short: I absolutely recommend this game.