Chaos theory is the idea that if one event, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is changed then a thousand other futures will change along with it. It's a concept that impacts anyone who says “I wish I could have changed that”, because what would have changed if you did? How would the world around you be different? Or just maybe, who could you have saved?

Life is Strange episode three bases its entire story, and indeed the finale, around this idea that everything can be rewritten. Obviously we, as the players, already understand this. We know that Max's power can be used to get second and even third chances at conversations, choices and uncovering information. But it goes even beyond these limits during the final half hour, setting up what is now seeming to be a blistering fourth instalment.

But before all this excitement and mayhem, my version of episode three was changed drastically by the horrific suicide of Kate Marsh at the end of Out of Time. There's a unique feature in Life is Strange that shows players their chosen choices within the selected save file and compares them against what percentage of players choose it as well. I was saddened to find out that sixty percent of people actually managed to save her, while I resided in the other forty.

This is where the defining choices in Life is Strange really begin to hit home, and the name begins to make clearer sense. 'Key' choices totally affect your playthrough as the game responds to your whim and can change everything about the finale and ending of that episode. I elected to keep the same save file without going back and replaying it over, because I want to see my choices through until the end.

Regardless, Chaos Theory begins much like the other episodes. With relaxed, colourful Indie music that sets an all too harrowing mood. It's the morning after Kate's jump off the girl dormitory roof, and everyone is deep in mourning, even the ones who are supposedly partially responsible for her tragic end.

It paints a horridly vivid scene that is sadly related to our real world, where vulnerable young people are driven to extreme ends because of abusive 'banter' and cyber bullying. Made even more believable by the viral video and the characters, or the voice actors speaking for them, we meet along the way.

Chaos Theory is the episode that finally starts to give you some hard answers, almost in reward for playing this long. Most of which come as Max and Chloe break into Blackwell Academy late at night using David's spare keys. They both want answers concerning Rachel's disappearance and whatever Kate was tied up in.

After creating an impromptu pipe bomb, with help from Warren, and blowing open the Principals office door, the ever dynamic duo begin to sleuth for any clues that might help them out in their quest. Inside they find exactly what they were looking for, but not particularly what they wanted to see.

The gameplay and mechanics don't change at all from the previous instalments, adding nothing new or exciting to the pool. But that's not bad, because something that isn't broken doesn't need to be fixed. The rewind system in the game along with the story doesn't need to be altered because it's wonderful as it is.

Regardless, after our heroine's brief brush with more incriminating activities, they wake up the next morning feeling somewhat accomplished. Despite what they managed to discover the evening prior, Chloe feels the need to keep pressing the nerve and investigate Frank, the drug dealer who first showed his face during the events of episode two.

This is where the game's penultimate puzzle comes into play, before the ton of bricks that is the finale of course. You're tasked with getting Frank's RV keys, to accomplish this momentous task, you speak in turn with every vital person within the Two Whale's diner and gradually piece together an argument using trial and error. Speaking to Nathan will give you dirt on the police officer at the counter, which in turn gives you things on Frank, and so on.

However, the revelations that are revealed on the inside of those thin plastic walls, are pretty terrible and confusing for all parties. Rachel was involved, romantically, with Frank at some point and a wallet of photos, with a couple of letters confirms this. After this spectacular mess is done with, the game has one more ace up its sleeve before ending though.

By looking at photos, turns out that Max is capable of revisiting the image held within and reliving the events inside. Hence the name of the episode, because Max goes back and does something huge, she prevents a key event from happening and I won't tell you what, but if you play it, you'll be glad I didn't.

   Life is Strange (Episode 3: Chaos Theory)          * * * * *