A Life is Strange player has discovered oddly specific parallels between an in-game incident and the murder of her own mother. It wouldn't be the first time the franchise has been the subject of controversy.
The original Life is Strange dropped in 2015 as an episodic graphic adventure game, and since then has garnered multiple sequels, a prequel, and countless remasters and re-releases of each entry. The franchise has been acclaimed for its willingness to tackle very real and often taboo subjects in spite of the supernatural elements each title is peppered with, and that's likely a factor in its success. Even eight years afterward, people still talk about this game, but it's not always positive.
This article will have SPOILERS for Life is Strange
Over a decade ago, a Florida woman named Sunday Blombergh was murdered by her own in-laws, who pined for custody of her daughter. In a 2020 TikTok, her now adolescent daughter, Isabella, noted the parallels between her own personal loss and the death of Life Is Strange character Rachel. Both go missing on the same date, are killed in a similar manner for similar reasons, with a similar design for their Missing posters, and even similar details from their life stories at the time of their deaths. Both women even boast a ton of similar physical traits, such as hazel eyes, matching heights, and tattoo placements. The most bizarre detail by far is that Rachel's phone number is the same number the police used for leads on Sunday's murder, albeit with a swapped area code.
Sunday's nephew, Skylur, explained further how even Rachel's personality greatly resembles his aunt's, and her father, Reign, reportedly began to weep upon having such an old wound reopened. The family overall was insulted at their loved one's passing being recontextualized and shared with the world without their permission, but Isabella has maintained that she still loves the game and even Skylur admitted it's cool to see his aunt immortalized in video game form. Nonetheless, many fans have demanded an answer from Don't Nod, the developer of the original game.
For better or worse, fictional art is often known to channel reality, intentionally or otherwise, whether it be through clever allegories or characters espousing beliefs that match their creators'. Oftentimes, creators will add disclaimers that everything is fictional and any real-world similarities are purely coincidental, but sometimes that's thrown out the window, with some even admitting that their work is based on real events. It probably won't be the last time such a parallel is spotted in a video game.
Life is Strange is available for Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and legacy platforms.
Source: Kotaku