Ah, high school. A gathering place of unique personalities, backgrounds, and abilities. Like a miniature world of its own, there exists a special system in which this very creation follows: a hierarchical structure dominated by academic wealth.

It is the core of every educational belief that a correlation exists between a student’s grades and their personalities. More specifically, a student with exceptional grades must have a wonderful personality and a student with lesser grades must be inferior or be on some level of delinquent status. In sharing this thought, adults of the system often neglect the character and stories that make the student.

Various simulation game plays like Life is Strange demonstrates this. Besides the game’s well known mechanics for character development and use of time control, several delicate issues were brought to question. For one, as the player watched the cut scene of the game, he/she senses the symbolism of the storm taking hold in Max’s dream. Followed by a quick demonstration of Max’s sudden ability to rewind time one normal day, the player is able to empathize with the nostalgia of high school life. He/she can discern the characteristics and feelings of represented characters, giving the game a sense of realism.

This is especially true when the idea of a school shooting may occur. Back to the game, Max witnesses honor student Nathan pull a gun out from his bag, she quickly rewinds time to pull the fire alarm off in time. She proceeds to exit the bathroom and leave the building but is faced with the security guard who questions her presence with a demeaning tone. She attempts to pass off that she wasn’t feeling well and her excuse was instantly dismissed by the guard who had already judged her to be guilty of a crime. His response was (I found to be) dismissively rude, as he seemingly assumed that “all high school females liked to use the ‘period’ excuse” and that he knows “what’s really going on” (yes a**hole, do tell).

Max panics further but is saved by a counselor who assures that it is not the guard’s duty to question her at this time. However, the counselor shows concern for your behavior and asks if anything was wrong. Now the player has two options, either to report Nathan or to keep quiet. Both choices yields an unsatisfying result; if you reported you are not believed, if you lie you are also not believed (on top of being judged and told off in a dismissive tone).

The irony here is apparent. Despite the school’s promotion for acceptance and safety, in no sense does the player nor the character feel protected. Mental health of the student is incessantly disregarded as a result of these same adults who “understand the thoughts of teenage youth”. They maintain the illusion that everything is fine, and any abnormalities are brushed off, never actually solving problems. Only students themselves know, which is increasingly frustrating for those who have no power or academic standing.

Now consider if Max were the one to pull out a gun, and she was reported by Nathan, would the counselor not have immediately called the police on her? And is the developers’ intention to represent the male and female characteristics with the way they are? This is certainly a worthy game to play and find out.