Life is Strange

The original Life Is Strange is indeed a five-episode episodic game centered on time-rewinding mechanics, though the description of its revolutionary impact requires some nuance.

The game follows Max Caulfield, a photography student who discovers she can rewind time after witnessing her childhood friend Chloe Price being shot. This rewind ability is central to the gameplay and narrative, allowing players to explore consequences of their choices and alter outcomes. The series is structured around narrative-forward gameplay where players' choices change the course of the adventure, with each episode presenting meaningful decisions.

However, the characterization of Life Is Strange as revolutionizing "choice and consequence" games should be contextualized. While the game was influential when it launched in 2015, it built upon existing narrative adventure frameworks rather than inventing the genre entirely. The rewind mechanic itself is distinctive to the original game—later installments in the series moved away from this specific power, with Life Is Strange 2 introducing telekinesis and Life Is Strange: True Colors featuring emotional manipulation abilities instead.