The tenth anniversary of Life is Unusual is quick approaching: in January subsequent yr it’s going to have been a full decade since Max, Chloe, and co. first entered our lives and, in lots of circumstances, gained our hearts. For many people who actually beloved Life is Unusual upon first encountering it, it is honest to say that we’re nonetheless simply as besotted with the world and its characters all these years down the road as we had been again within the day.
For a reasonably area of interest choose-your-own-adventure collection about marginalised superheroes rising up in modern-day USA, Life is Unusual has turn out to be a surprisingly sprawling franchise over the previous decade, little question spurred on by the deep pockets of writer and IP proprietor Sq. Enix. Life is Unusual: Double Publicity, due for launch on October twenty ninth, would be the fifth principal recreation within the collection; however to concentrate on mainline releases alone is to rob your self of some pleasant side-stories within the type of DLC chapters, comedian books, a deliberate TV collection, and now even a few novels.
Life is Unusual: Heatwaves was printed on July thirty first, a conveniently-timed prose addition to the franchise for anybody itching to get an LiS repair in earlier than Halloween rolls round. It follows Life is Unusual: Steph’s Story because the collection’ second prose entry and, now that there are two LiS tie-in novels to check and distinction, I am extra assured than ever in my general evaluation of the present state of the franchise. Certain, like most long-running collection, it is basically a fanservice machine; however I am persistently impressed by the wildly totally different interpretations of “fanservice” at work right here.
You solely need to put Steph’s Story in opposition to Heatwaves to see what I imply. Steph’s Story is an interquel set between Earlier than the Storm and True Colours, following fan-favourite Steph Gingrich on her offscreen journey from minor character in BtS to the deuteragonist (and elective love curiosity) of TC. Creator Rosiee Thor completely nails Steph’s voice from the video games, and it is a pleasant gaiden have a look at what an extraordinary resident of Arcadia Bay was doing and considering and feeling throughout the authentic recreation’s devastating aftermath. If there is a draw back, it is that there aren’t any surprises there in any way for somebody who’s performed the video games. Steph’s Story was fairly actually mapped out from begin to end earlier than Thor ever wrote a phrase, and whereas they gave a pitch-perfect perception into Steph’s interior life, there’s not far more there for lore hounds to sink their enamel into.
Heatwaves, written by Brittney Morris (additionally the writer of the tie-in novel for Marvel’s Spider Man: Miles Morales, by the way), takes a drastically totally different strategy. Set after one in every of six doable endings to Life is Unusual: True Colours, Heatwaves is kind of a self-contained story about what may occur subsequent within the occasion Alex selected to go away Haven Springs to pursue a music profession with new girlfriend Steph in tow. The foreword may be very clear that the existence of Heatwaves — like all different tie-in supplies, which of necessity all the time comply with one timeline or one other to some extent — is not meant to canonise that specific ending to the sport, however solely to point out one doable future ensuing from a particular set of selections. It is much less of a personality research like Steph’s Story and extra of a small-town thriller consistent with many of the video games within the collection, and devotes vital B-plot time to additional creating the favored (however elective) romance between Alex and Steph.
So sure, each books clearly exist for the fanservice — be actual, what online game tie-in novel does not? — however nonetheless, the strategy taken in every case may be very totally different. This is not a assessment, however if you would like a fast verdict, I would need to say that Steph’s Story captures the characters and world of Life is Unusual in a method that feels extra genuine to the video games, however Heatwaves is a extra attention-grabbing learn because of branching out into an authentic narrative. LiS superfans ought to positively learn each; informal or non-fans of the collection will in all probability be underwhelmed in both case (once more, that is tie-in novels in a nutshell).
Regardless of having narratively nothing to do with the upcoming launch of Life is Unusual: Double Publicity — which returns to the attitude of authentic protagonist Max Caulfield, fittingly following up along with her 10 years after the occasions of the primary recreation — the truth that Heatwaves took the chance of alienating elements of the viewers as a way to ship a follow-up that may fulfill different teams of followers, demonstrates why Squeenix’s sudden choice to make a straight-up Life is Unusual sequel a decade on is not a purpose to dismiss the brand new recreation out of hand. Very like giving Alex and Steph their journey into the sundown, a follow-up recreation for the unique leads has been a preferred speaking level within the fandom ever because the debut recreation wrapped up. However appropriately for followers of a collection all about making powerful selections, the LiS group is way from a hivemind, and never everybody’s blissful that Double Publicity will function a sequel to each divergent endings to Max’s story, that means that Chloe goes to finish up sidelined a method or one other.
All the identical, it appears unfair to counsel {that a} Max-fronted follow-up means the developer has run out of concepts for the collection when each core entry has been so markedly totally different from what got here beforehand. Following the unique recreation with a prequel, then a numbered however in any other case disconnected sequel, then an anthology-style follow-up, and now a direct sequel could make Life is Unusual as messy as one in every of its disastrous bisexual leads, however a minimum of you may’t accuse them of reusing the identical concept over and over. Within the doubtless occasion {that a} sixth LiS recreation surfaces in one other couple of years’ time, the one factor I do know to anticipate is the very last thing I anticipated them to do subsequent.
The Life is Unusual novels (and, to a lesser extent, the comedian collection) are actually shaping as much as comply with a equally chaotic trajectory; however fortunately, chaotic good is my favorite alignment. Although Heatwaves sadly acquired minimal advertising and marketing from Sq., I would however be fairly shocked they did not dip again in for an additional guide in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later. Now that we have damaged the seal on sequelling endings to the video games that did not characteristic time journey as a handy narrative handwave, may we even hope for a Life is Unusual 2 follow-up novel sooner or later? Most likely not, I feel that is one offshoot of this franchise may truly be useless and buried for actual… however then once more, as we have already established, Life is Unusual appears blissful to remain audacious relating to giving the followers what they have been asking for.
