Lifeline: Whiteout

App Store Editors’ Notes

The Game Gains Momentum...

I got Lifeline: Whiteout as the free app of the week on the App Store. When I first turned it on, I must say that I was disappointed at first. The story seemed more generic than Taylor's in the original lifeline, and I did not like the art style of the screen. However, after getting past a good handful of decisions, I must say the game gained momentum, and upon finishing it minutes ago, I think I enjoyed it just as much as the original! Adams' story starts kind of typical, but as more plot lines are revealed, the story picks up, decisions get more difficult, and waiting can be nail biting. In the end, I bonded with Adams the same way I bonded with Taylor. The art style is still a little flashy, but I have gotten used to it. In a couple of ways, Whiteout improves upon the original Lifeline (keep in mind these are the only two games in the series I have played so far). Right now, I am more motivated to go back and see alternate endings than I was with the original game; I am not sure if this is because the game is longer, or because some choices seem to drastically change the outcome of events, especially at the end. One thing I will criticize, however is that some of the minor choices seem to have no effect on what happens throughout the game, where as in the original that only happened at the very beginning. Overall, Lifeline: Whiteout may not have the best first impression, but once it gets rolling, a great plot, good pacing, and the unique gameplay help make it a 5/5.

Lifeline to Challenges

I enjoyed playing this Whiteout version of Lifeline. I have played one other of their games and I enjoyed this one as much as I did the first one. It is creative and provides hours of enjoyment. I agree with others that say that these games do create a relationship to the character by building empathy and compassion for another person who is trying their best to work their way out of a possibly dangerous situation. Working your way through this game offers many alternative decisions – each with its own consequences. I look forward to more games of this type from this company. When I played the game the first time unfortunately it ended in his demise. Luckily, there is a possibility of a do-over and I was successful the second time. The second time through the game it does allow you to page back and change your choice between two decision options and then proceed again without having to go back to the beginning of the game. For those parents who may be looking at this game for their child, it does provide critical thinking challenges and also teaches that rash actions have consequences. Along the way it teaches a good moral lesson about the need to evaluate a situation before making rash decisions. It teaches us that our actions have consequences not only for us, but those around us.

I needed this game in my life!

If I had to recommend one game on the App Store, it would be this one. I am really thankful of the creator of this game and the one who made the story which I am sure has a great mind and is certainly beyond everything said on this game. I mean I've seen a lot of AI movies during the last few years and I'm pretty familiar with all their ideas and what they will do to overcome their creators(us as gods) to be gods themselves. I think this game is beyond mind blowing. I mean I am pretty similar with the idea of robots making communication with people and making friends and I also knew that it is not real and is just machines made by humans but it's instincts you going to serve your purpose as a part of the evolution as Richard Dawkings explains why we love making communications and how much we like to make people happy as our friends that gives us pleasure which is at the end good for ourselves. Knowing this I became a victim of this game and I became friends with Adams and at the end I almost got tears falling from my eyes when he tried to ask for my name. I just can't simply describe how amazing this game is. Highly recommended for those who are interested in artificial intelligence and for those who don't want to die ;)

Counter to the >3 Star Reviews...

Putting aside the Taylor storyline, this is my favourite game of the series. If you're going to review this game based on story issues, please rethink your review. This is the fourth game in a series of games under the name Lifeline. No, you don't need to play the first three games to understand what's happening in this one; four of the seven released games do that, this being one. But, having played the first three will clear up a lot of the issues with the setting and story. It's a science fiction. It's implied that the Lifeline character (player) is the same in every instalment. It's not a modern-day setting, it's set in a near future with greater technology than today's. V. Adams is a plausible character in this setting and timeline if you understand the prior characters (Arika and Taylor) and their settings. Please don't write reviews based on "story issues" when you're basically reading the fourth book of the series. That being said, this is one of the better games of the series. The change of pace from magic and space travel was unexpected but welcome. V. Adams is a very interesting character despite his "amnesia". You will get attached.

Meh, has potential, but needs work!!!

I really liked this game.... I mean, it drags like rupaul's show, but it's entertaining. I took me forever to complete it because I couldn't be bothered. The reading investment wasn't worth the payoff. Adams was busy way too much and fir way too long. Whenever he came back he had tons of useless chitchat and back story. You had to read all of it only to make weird, arbitrary decisions that made him go away for long periods of time only to repeat the cycle. Ugh. Some choices just made no sense and the story was pretty boring right up until he met Adam 4. I got him killed accidentally twice and rewound the story both times and the third time he made it out alive. Truly, I did experience a tinge of dread only at the end when he finds a vehicle and escapes ... I was like, "omg... he's gonna end up right back where he started on the lake like he's reliving his last moments over and over!" Thank goodness that wasn't it. I liked the ending, mainly because it was finally over. Dear Lord, it took long to get to "the end." I think there could be much more interaction from the reader. Too much hurry up and wait. This is not the kind of game for me although I can see how it appeals to some. I played it. I enjoyed it. I've no need or desire to indulge again.

Astounding

Whiteout was astounding. The writing is engaging, the character development is fully fleshed out, and the choices matter heavily. I killed Adams five times playing through, and every time I felt an emotional pain. The writing and humanity Adams exhibits pulls you in, making you feel as if you are actually trying to help a real person survive. By my sixth play through, I couldn't bear killing Adams again, so any time he died (which again happened a lot because the choices matter), I had to go back and change it. When he finally survived, I literally had to choke back tears of joy. To date I've only played this one and the first Lifeline. I enjoyed the first, but felt it was a novelty and different feel the need to play more. Whiteout captured the soul of humanity in a text based experience that made me want to get the others. Truly amazing. Side note: I find the game far more engaging without using the fast play mode. It just feels so much more organic to let Adams do his thing and then help him when he finishes.

Interesting but very, very short.

Okay so let me start by stating that I am older than 20 which may have altered the way I viewed this game. Okay so to start with it was semi interesting but at times was very slow and the choices that you are given often felt like they were meaningless and that Adams would arrive at the same outcome no matter what choice I made. I can think of only a few choices that really made a difference. At times the two choices are not really even different or they are so vastly different without one that's reasonable which was also annoying. Another lame part was that I thought there were clues in what Adams was telling me but that was just me thinking that the game was going to be better than it was apparently because nothing he says really matters as far as using it to help you down the line in figuring out what the story is or how to help. My biggest problem with the game though was that it was so short. It took me a day to complete and that was on regular mode not fast. I mean I kept thinking that it was going to build and get more exciting and then it just ended. Also the Adams dude was so stupid and annoying throughout, that by the end, I was not sad to see it done really. (if you have played, him and blue! Ugh) I could see this being interesting for younger kids is my conclusion.

All the feels

I am a 17 year old boy who loves to read, so I might have a different view than others, but don't look down on it because I am young. I don't usually write reviews for apps (read never), but if an app almost brings me to tears, I just had to write one. When I first started this game, I was quite confused. Why is it snowing? Why does the main character not remember what is happening? I think this is where it started to draw me in. You begin to form a bond with the character. You are entrusted with his life, and it is your responsibility to save it. Later, Adams comes into contact with a dog. It becomes his faithful companion throughout all the game. The mystery is heightened when Adams meets a crazy guy. I was genuinely startled how well that scene played out. Adams continues on his journey, finding out new information on what is really going on. The reader is left in suspense until the final climax, that has the player hold the keys to Adam's life. At this moment is when I felt the pull that it was my job to save him. It ended with a bittersweet send off, leaving waiting for the next one. It didn't bother me when the message "Adams is busy" popped up on the screen. I just closed the game and did something else until I got the notification he was telling me something. It gave a nice break to the game, like it was happening as you are also trying to live your own life. This game is masterfully put together and I applaud the developers who made it.