Deck Nine has become the studio in charge of bringing to life the next steps of the beloved Life is Strange franchise, which just a few weeks ago returned with Life is Strange: True Colors. In a few hours the first post-launch content of this narrative adventure, titled Wavelenghts and that will delve into Steph Gingrich, one of the most charismatic characters in the latest installment of the saga.
On the occasion of this launch, we had the opportunity to see the first minutes of Wavelenghts and chat with voice actress who plays Steph, Katy Bentz, and Deck Nine Senior Narrative Designer, Mallory Littleton.
Interview with Katy Bentz and Mallory Littleton, Senior Narrative Designer and Actress, Life is Strange: True Colors
We are Xbox: Following the critical success of Life is Strange: True Colors, what can fans expect from the Wavelenghts DLC?
Mallory Littleton: We have a little more sandbox experience prepared for the players in Wavelenghts: put ourselves in Steph’s shoes, move around the radio booth. You can open the dating app, talk to people out there. There are tons of new things to do that people will love.
We are Xbox: Katy, do you think your way of playing Steph has evolved since her appearance in Life is Strange: Before the Storm?
Katy Bentz: Yes, one hundred percent. In Before the Storm we know that she is a nerd, a show manager, but she is still a secondary NPC. In True Colors we have the opportunity to know her much more and now with Wavelenghts we can get into her mind and discover what she likes, who she is, her fears and insecurities, her internal struggles. Much more in the development of Steph.
We are Xbox: Where did you get inspiration to play Steph? Have you taken something from your life to incorporate it into the character?
KB: There is definitely a part of me that would like to be a bit like Steph. When I got to her through Before the Storm I thought she was really cool as a person and then we saw that the fans loved her. And how it’s written, it’s incredible. It has allowed me to get inside Steph, as well as the incredible lines of dialogue, that have enabled me to take her further and merge with her much more than in the beginning.
Life is Strange: True Colors review
We are Xbox: Mallory, I’d like to ask you about how the way of creating a story changes from a full game like True Colors to a DLC like Wavelengths. Are different processes or methods followed?
ML: Actually with Wavelenghts we have followed a similar process to creating an individual episode for True Colors. It’s also true that we produced the DLC during a pandemic, but it hasn’t stopped us from doing what we wanted, which was digging into Steph, using motion capture, doing cinematic content. But I think the result is very immersive and, most importantly, it’s all about Steph, what she’s thinking, and feeling, and doing. So yeah, I think making Wavelenghts was very different, but it’s still a great product.
We are Xbox: The Life is Strange franchise is now in the hands of Deck Nine. Is there any special pressure for the saga to be started by Dontnod? Do you think that the IP has undergone changes for that reason?
ML: It would be difficult for me to say no. All of us at Deck Nine were fans of Life is Strange before we became the developers of the series. That is why we wanted to take care of it and take it very seriously. But, you know, we are different developers. The technology we use is getting better and better and that is synthesized in that we always look forward. We’re excited to do it like this and it all comes down to that we want to do it right, because we are fans of Life is Strange too.
We are Xbox: I’m also a huge fan of the series, so I have to ask. Is there any chance of seeing more stories starring Max and Chloe in the future beyond the remastering of the first game?
ML: Sneaky question (laughs). I don’t think we can say anything about it.
We are Xbox: Bullying, suicide, the LGBT community or racism have been some of the topics that Life is Strange has dealt with over the years. What other topics with little presence in video games would you like to deal with in future games?
ML: One of the first things during the creative process is to sit down and think about the world around us. There are many issues that concern us, personally even, but I don’t think we can talk about it in advance because each story is unique and is created in its own time.
We are Xbox: Speaking of racism, there is a growing wave of it lately. Do you think it is important for young people to have references in video games like Alex Chen?
ML: Yes, totally. It’s one of the reasons we wanted an Asian-American lead. I think that the type of people that we see in television series or video games and with whom we manage to connect or empathize translates into also empathizing with people who at first glance seem different to us in real life. That character that means a lot to you or that scene in a series make you see things differently. It is absolutely important.
We are Xbox: I think I know the answer, Katy, but what is your preferred romance option in Life is Strange: True Colors? Steph or Ryan?
KB: (laughs) Personally, because I have also streamed it, I have chosen Steph. But I think Ryan is an incredible character and with a fantastic evolution as well. It’s great to see that people are loving both Steph’s romance with Alex and Ryan’s romance with Alex. But I went for Steph first, yeah.
We are Xbox: Music has always been important in Life is Strange and so is Alex Chen in True Colors. What role does music play in Wavelenghts?
ML: I think it is a very important part of Wavelenghts. The soundtrack I would say is the best of the Life is Strange DLCs. You are in a radio booth and in fact Steph plays drums and is a musician, so all of this is synthesized in that we are facing a very musical DLC.
We are Xbox: I have always loved those relaxing moments in the Life is Strange games. Just hearing the main character’s thoughts and listening to beautiful music. Is it difficult to get them into the game?
ML: Not particularly. We like to look at chapters in general and see when something interesting or crazy has happened so that the player may need a moment to stop and think. We always take advantage of these moments so that the character can express his feelings that, together with the precious cinematics, give rise to very beautiful moments. It is quite clear where we should introduce them and what they have to be about.
- THE TRUTH WILL PAIN: Discover the shocking secrets surrounding the death of your brother in an adventure full of emotions; AN EXCLUSIVE SOUNDTRACK: New songs from mxmtoon and Novo Amor and a large number of licensed songs from artists such as Radiohead, Phoebe Bridgers or Gabrielle Aplin
- FEEL IT ALL: Change destiny and change lives with the power of empathy
- ESTABLISH CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS: Earn the trust of your townspeople and enter into a love or friendship relationship with Ryan and Steph
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We are Xbox: Katy, could you tell us an anecdote about your process playing Steph?
KB: Just having fun with my acting instructor has been a lot of fun, being able to share this project with him. He loves Steph and being able to work with him on set has been amazing. He has been very, very patient. Sometimes as actors we are not well, or we have our heads in another place and we make many mistakes, but with him I have laughed a lot and the process has been very enjoyable and special for me.
We are Xbox: Are there plans to continue telling Life is Strange stories beyond video games?
ML: I don’t know if we can talk about the TV series and stuff (laughs).
We are Xbox: I had to try (laughs). How does it affect the writing of a script if the project is a complete game like True Colors or that it is an episode game, as was the case with Before the Storm?
ML: It’s a little different, yeah. We don’t have the ability to see how fans are reacting or to change things in the middle of the process, so we have to be careful with that kind of thing. But it is not that different either because the game, after all, is still structured in chapters and those episodes have similar structures, with their cliffhangers included. So it definitely affects in some way, but not as much as you might imagine.
We are Xbox: Thank you very much for attending us. We wish you the best of luck in your future projects.