Love interests can either make or break a story-driven game, and theLife is Strangeseries is no exception. Almost all theLife is Strangegames offer the player romantic options to pursue throughout the game, with consequences that may add flavor to the overarching plot.
Most of these relationships and dynamics are well-written, with most of them capturing young love accurately, complete with awkwardness and perhaps the rewarding catharsis. MostLife is Strangeprotagonists arecanonically bisexual, as you’re given a male and female option to woo (or be wooed by). Decisions, decisions.
But not all of them are perfect for the protagonist. A good romantic option for any protagonist should say a lot about them as people, and why they fit together should make sense.
Let’s get this out of the way: we’re not including Eliot fromBefore the Storm. Although he is obsessed with Chloe, she does not reciprocate any of his feelings towards her. Besides, he is a massive red flag.
Warning: Minor Spoilers ahead!
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The bizarre adventures of Mad Max return
A Rogue With Good Intentions
The first one on this list is Finn McNamara fromLife is Strange 2, a free-spirited drifter who Sean and Daniel meet on their way to the border in California. At first glance, he seems like the typical stoner type, but he’s a much deeper character than that.
Finn tries his best to look out for his fellow drifters and the Diaz brothers, but his questionable actions come from his need to survive in his chaotic past life.
Finn’s story culminates in him stealing from Merrill, the owner of the illegal weed farm the drifters worked at. Look–I understand robbing out of desperation, but including a young, impressionable child to help you on the heist just crosses the line for me. If I was Sean, I wouldn’t forgive Finn so easily.
Despite his reckless actions and potentially problematic behavior, Finn likes Sean and is particularly accepting of Sean’s sexuality if you choose to romance him. He’s consistently flirty, fun, and enthusiastic with people he cares about.
Historians Would Say They Were “Just Friends”
You might be surprised that Rachel Amber is this low on the list. Her characterization always felt tropey to me, and she wasn’t as interesting as the love interests we’d seen in other games. In fact, with how important she seemed inLife is StrangeandBefore the Storm, she is woefully lacking her own game.
But that’s the thing about Rachel - she’s more of aplot devicethan a real character. Her character has always been about her relationships with other people, most especially with Chloe.
Throughout the firstLife is Strange, we only get to hear about Rachel through hearsay and Chloe talking up how good of a person she was. Beyond that, we knew almost nothing else about her. UntilBefore the Storm, where we finally get to understand why she was so important to Chloe.
Rachel fits very well in the “manic pixie dream girl” archetype, as she brings out Chloe’s wild side while they’re together. Even though she and Chloe have forged a strong bond, they also enable each other’s toxic traits, stealing and borrowing money just to fund their escape from Arcadia Bay. Despite their close relationship, Rachel just wasn’t a great influence on Chloe.
A Drifter With A Good Heart And An Angel’s Voice
Cassidy is one of the friendliest people the Diaz brothers meet on their travels. A busker with a beautiful singing voice, this down-to-earth Southern belle has an irresistible charm and is honest and kind to those lucky enough to be a part of her life.
If Sean plays his cards right, he gets a tattoo from Cassidy, and they form a cute romance that culminates in her asking if he wants to sleep with her. Depending on the events of Episode 3, Cassidy may end up writing to Sean, wishing him the best and allowing him to keep in contact.
Out of the two romantic options, Cassidy might just be the most grounded. While Finn is always on some ambitious scheme, Cassidy just wants to live the peaceful life of a drifter, which might be best for Sean considering how chaotic their lives have been so far.
Smash Or Pass? Pass.
Vinh Lang is the leader of the Abraxas Society in Caledon University, and has a bit of a dramatic flair. He can come off as standoff-ish at first, but once you get him to turn off his facade, he becomes a warm and sincere person.
While Vinh has decent chemistry with Max and has much more involvement in the story than Amanda, he doesn’t seem to be the ideal partner for Max. They don’t seem to bounce off each other during their dialogue, and they don’t seem very compatible because of their differences.
Something about Vinh and Max’s “Smash or Pass” game rubs me the wrong way. Sure, it’s innocuous, and they’re both bonding by gossiping and drinking their troubles away, but the flirting feels a little stiff, and feels a little too “horny undergraduate” for the romance to go anywhere beyond friends or fling.
He’s a sleaze with a big heart, and Max is a quiet introvert. Something about that just doesn’t click. Besides, if you reject Vinh’s advances, he eventually ends up with Reggie. As far asDouble Exposureshows us, there’s not much we know about how Vinh would fare as a romantic partner.
Nice Guys Finish Last
A fellow film buff, Warren Graham is one of Max’s closest friends, and if it isn’t obvious enough, he has amajorcrush on her. Well, that’s an understatement–he’sin love with Max.
While he can be a lot sometimes, Warren genuinely cares about Max and is honest about his feelings for her.Even Max acknowledges this in her personal journal entries. It’s clear that both Max and Warren have similar interests, and that the writers tapped into memories of their high school crushes to write Max and Warren’s dynamic.
Many of Warren’s critics would say that he’s “creepy,” a “stalker,” and “self-righteous,“often insultingly compared to Eliot inBefore the Storm, but that ignores the fact that Warren has been nothing but a good friend to Max, and has asked for nothing more than her friendship.
Warren is so relentlessly hated thatone Reddit user decided to write an essay defending the poor guy.
A Familiar Face From Arcadia Bay
You might remember Steph Gingrich fromBefore the Storm, and she makes another appearance inTrue Colorsas a love interest for Alex. She is a nerdy geek who loves tabletop games, and she’s also into theater and art (like a true Blackwell alum). And she’s also openly lesbian.
Steph is an excellent love interest for Alex.Not only do they have a similar interest in music, but she is immensely loyal, radiating ride-or-die energy when it comes to supporting Alex, whether it be her music career or defending her in tense situations.
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An Adorkable Sweetheart
If “golden retriever energy” was a person, it would be Ryan Lucan fromTrue Colors. He’s a gentle, kindhearted park ranger of Haven Springs, and he’s dreamy to boot.But to make things a little more complicated, he happens to be the son of the main antagonist, Jed.
Both Ryan and Steph are equally strong picks for this list. They’ve both got great chemistry with Alex, and choosing the better between the two just comes down to personal preference and nuances too detailed for a list article.
Ryan won me over during Alex’s conversation with him at the cliff where Gabe died.His emotional maturity is a breath of fresh air among otherLife is Strangemale leads.
He’s also a huge dork during the LARP session. He is a sensitive soul, and though he isn’t as musically inclined as Steph is, he’s willing to do whatever he can to support Alex.
Lots Of Potential But Lacked Screentime
Amanda Thomas is a standup comedian who doubles as a bartender at the Snapping Turtle. She’s got a cozy cottagecore lesbian vibe,and I would even argue she is the best option for Max and–dare I say–healthier than Chloe?
I know, I know, boo if you must, but with the limited time we’ve known Amanda inDouble Exposure,it’s clear that she is an emotionally healthy person. She admits that she’s attracted to Max but isn’t ready yet, and is smart enough to know that Max has too much emotional baggage (from Chloe and/or Arcadia Bay) to not take things slow.
We also see that Amanda is kind and cares about Max from the get-go: after Safi’s death in Episode 2, “Dead World” Amanda is one of the only people who check in on Max and is willing to help her without question.
Unfortunately,Amanda is criminally sidelined, and we rarely get to see how she acts as a character outside the romance, though I don’t doubt that she would risk her life for Max. Otherwise, she would have made it to the top of the list.
The Epitome of Complex Relationships
Let’s admit it: while Chloe has a complex and rich relationship with Max, she is a deeply flawed character who wouldn’t be the healthiest partner to be with.
Chloe only made it this far onto the list only because we know so much about her as a person, she’s practically anotherprotagonist in this game. We also know every detail about her relationship with Max, from beginning to end.
Chloe and Max’s relationship inLife is Strangeonly grew because of their trauma bonding from Nathan Prescott to the storm. Chloe was right to be upset with Max for ghosting her when she left for Seattle, and has had to deal with so much during that time all by herself.
Without Max by her side, Chloe was a reckless mess. At the same time, their relationship brought Max out of her comfort zone and out of her shell.
Without Max and Chloe’s relationship,the series wouldn’t be where it is today.This is all the more saddening when we find out that Chloe ultimately ends up leaving Max before the events ofDouble Exposure, breaking Max’s heart.
Whether it’s from the guilt from Arcadia Bay’s destruction or something else, we might not knowChloe’s side of the story.
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