Narrative adventure games have experimented with all manner of different subgenres, settings, and narrative frameworks over the years. Whether its the docile life of the titular Firewatch, or the existential dread of sentient androids in Detroit: Become Human, the genre is certainly flexible and brimming with potential. One of the narrative adventure series to gain a ton of traction early-on was Life is Strange; an equal parts time traveling superhero tale and coming-of-age drama. The time-travelling adventure of the first entry seemingly set a precedent, but Life is Strange 2 flipped expectations in numerous ways, meaning the next game may also change the formula.
In the wake of the second entry, it's clear that Life is Strange is certainly not constrained by a certain superpower when crafting its narrative adventure games. Time travel just happens to be one of the more commonly utilized and often depicted superpowers in media, next to things like flying or various degrees of elemental manipulation. The original Life is Strange was defined by its ability to rewind time and adjust narrative choices made by players in key moments. Life is Strange 2 took players outside of the shoes of a superhero, but rather a formative influence on a burgeoning hero with telekinetic powers. Now, Life is Strange 3 could involve any manner of superpower.
The Narrative Balance of Life is Strange's Powers
The inaugural entry in the indie-to-AAA narrative adventure series ended up being far more groundbreaking than expected. Life is Strange, though the tiniest bit dated if looked back on in 2021, was one of the first indie-like games (though published by Square Enix) that broke through an at-the-time obscure genre of games. Obviously now, indie games like Hades and Cuphead gain traction because of widespread awareness and exposure of indie developers and outstanding games. However, back in 2015, Life is Strange broke new ground in a way that bridged the gap between AAA and indie games. At the center of that was its core mechanics of time travel and "Rewind."
Indie games like The Walking Dead were impactful for choice-based narratives, but Life is Strange's superpower-branded adventure was unique. Being able to rewind time in certain (but not all) key moments in the story to explore narrative options was something no other game had done previously. Max Caulfield's capability of time travel, coupled with the steadily increasing stakes of the game's drama and coming-of-age story, made it immediately endearing to critics and fans. Many expected similar Rewind-style mechanics to come in Life is Strange 2, but the game ended up shifting perspectives not only to a new power, but a non-powered protagonist altogether.
While many fans had speculated what kind of time-traveling hero would've been in the next Life is Strange game, Life is Strange 2 blew that notion out of the water. It was clear that Life is Strange, as a franchise, was capable of more than just time-travel-based narratives. The next Life is Strange game not only featured a completely new superpower, but it also showed that the "hero" of the game isn't necessarily the one who's no mere mortal. Now, with an upcoming reveal for a potential Life is Strange 3, the theoretical possibilities of characters and story may seem endless. However, there are several ways to narrow down what superpowers are plausible for Life is Strange.
Unlikely/Likely Superpowers For Life is Strange 3
First, it's important to denote which superpowers or capabilities are likely not going to be in Life is Strange 3, or any Life is Strange game for that matter. Being the narrative adventure series that it is, Life is Strange likely wouldn't tackle any kind of superpower that treads anywhere near something like a power fantasy. Superhuman strength, immortality, blasts of energy, or otherwise powers of inherently violent nature likely wouldn't come without some profound downsides or dangers associated with them. Life is Strange, Before the Storm, and Life is Strange 2 all emphasize a deep vulnerability that comes with the development of these otherworldly abilities.
Even in Life is Strange 2, where Daniel Diaz arguably has the strongest power in the series to date, his telekinesis often threatens the safety of Daniel, Sean, and everyone else around them. That doesn't necessarily exclude other fantastical abilities like flight or teleportation, but similar to how Life is Strange 2 handled Daniel's abilities, there would have to be some deeply human cost associated with those powers. Without retreading similar thematic ground covered in Life is Strange 2 and the first game, it'd be more likely that a Life is Strange 3 would pick a central power that isn't inherently strong. Rather, it'd pick a power that requires development to be particularly strong.
One of the more obvious choices in that case would be something like mind control or mind-reading, which was the subject of a Life is Strange rumor from earlier this year. Mind-reading in and of itself isn't particularly harmless unless it's used very specifically for malice. Mind control ends up being a bit more inherently violent unless controlled, but that could be the subject of an interesting Life is Strange narrative if handled well. Invisibility could also fall under a similar category, considering it's arguably a defensive superpower. Those are really the most likely superpowers that could contextualize a Life is Strange, without pushing the envelope too far.
Next week fans will know for sure what exactly is in store for the next Life is Strange game, but there's certainly a lot of possibilities moving into the official reveal. There aren't many superpowers that aren't inherently very powerful, but Life is Strange has so far done a commendable job in balancing superpowers with relatable struggles. So long as the superpowers don't interfere with the narrative drama, Life is Strange 3's reveal later this week should excite fans.