J.U.L.I.A.: Among the Stars vs Life is Strange
J.U.L.I.A.: Among the Stars
J.U.L.I.A.: Among the Stars is truly a game that's very unique. Despite its apparent appearance - it does look like "just another space sim", doesn't it? - the game is a fun and innovative, story-driven adventure game with a heavy dose of mystery added for good measure. In this game, you'll get to step into the spacesuit of Rachel Manners, a 35-year-old astrobiologist who initially embarked on a critical mission to explore and collect data on potentially habitable planets with a crew of of other elite and hand-picked scientists, but somehow, things went awry, and she found herself alone with J.U.L.I.A., the space probe's rather tempermental AI and Mobot, the reconnaissance robot.Driven by a need to know, you'll need to help Rachel search for clues which might potentially explain the mission's failure and the missing crew. You'll also get to travel to six widely varied planets where you can then get to work trying to reveal their secrets. There will be plenty of puzzles and mini-games in your journey as well just to give your brain some intense workout from time to time.
That said, the puzzles in the game can be a tad bit frustrating to solve, mainly because it's the sort of "trial and error" puzzle-type. So, unless you have a thing or two against this specific game mechanism, J.U.L.I.A.: Among the Stars is a really nice puzzle-adventure game to buy and play.
Life is Strange
Life is Strange is an episodic graphic adventure game where you'll get to follow the story of Max Caulfield, a photography student at Blackwell Academy who accidentally discovers she can rewind time when she stumbled upon a murder scene in the academy's bathroom. Soon after, she hooked up with her new friend, Chloe Price, in an attempt to use her gift to solve a string of disappearances around the town of Arcadia Bay.Featuring an incredibly engaging story that has multiple endings depending on the choices you make, the game doesn't only perfectly presents its characters' personalities, but also touches on the so-called butterfly effect that time reversals will cause. The game is also filled with brilliant indie soundtracks that enhance the overall game experience, further immersing you into its story.
Life is Strange can be purchased on Steam and is available in 5 episodes in total. There is also another expansion, Life is Strange: Before the Storm, that's coming soon. You can try its First Episode demo for free as well!