Originally posted by gamestacker:

Bought it years ago, daughter is finally old enough to play together & understand the nuances, and when i go to start....same issue that affected everyone on release. Asks for "Safe Mode?" then immediately closes upon start. Have never played it, started it, created a game, saved a game.

That's normal. When you launch Life is Strange, it gives you two launch options:
- Play Life is Strange
- Launch Safe Mode

Originally posted by gamestacker:

Tried everything suggested in your forum's post: Reinstalled all _common redistribute...etc etc, all 3.

So that would be VC 2005, 2008 and 2012 Redists. You also need to install both x86 and x64 VC Redists. What about PhysX? You probably want to download the latest one from here:
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/physx-system-software/

Originally posted by gamestacker:

Anything else suggested on the last DECADE of startup fails cannot be tried, as those file locations have been moved/updated by steam.

Even if the file locations change, there is always a place where Steam/Game looks up/stores the file.

Originally posted by gamestacker:

HELP! It seems everything I touch has an unsolvable problem attached to it this year!

If you have problems with more than just one game, then there's something wrong with your system. Perhaps some 3rd party program is causing it.

Might also be good idea to compare the system requirements mentioned on the store page.

Yes, all VC are installed/repaired/ready from 2005 up to 2015-2022.
Yes, PhysX 9.23.1019 was freshly installed before running LIS, even though it felt redundant
since I'm running a fully updated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti with current driver 566.36 (Dec. 5 2024) directly from the NVIDIA app version 11.0.1.184. But perhaps LIS exclusively uses the PhysX drivers/engine to play, no big deal.

My gaming PC is WELL BEYOND the meager system requirements, that's not an issue. This game is story based, not graphics-driven. I play Elden Ring at max settings, 60fps. No issues whatsoever with this PC or any other games loading or playing in Steam....just Life Is Strange.
Occasionally I'll get a rare crash from DETROIT BECOME HUMAN, but that is from running it for 5+ hours straight while simultaneously switching over from full-screen mode to the internet wiki help pages as I'm trying to 100% that beast.
The other issues I'm referring to are not in this subject matter, unrelated unsolved mysteries with zero support from their companies or help pages/youtube/fixit/etc. Suffering through life's complicated troubles while basic people get their basic problems all fixed and wrapped up with a bow....that was more the point.
I'm plagued by a legitimate problem here and still can't simply start the game, not basic step-1 fluff in the way. HELP!

Originally posted by gamestacker:

My gaming PC is WELL BEYOND the meager system requirements, that's not an issue. This game is story based, not graphics-driven. I play Elden Ring at max settings, 60fps. No issues whatsoever with this PC or any other games loading or playing in Steam....just Life Is Strange.

Just checking. You'd be surprised how many people on Steam have problems playing certain games. Like they can play a Triple-A game, but then they have problems with a simple 2D game, because that game engine's doesn't like integrated graphics (e.g. laptops).

So, it doesn't matter if a game is story based or graphics-driven. It really matters what type of engine the game uses.

I guess you have a dedicated graphics card as you're using NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti.

Originally posted by gamestacker:

I'm plagued by a legitimate problem here and still can't simply start the game, not basic step-1 fluff in the way. HELP!

If you're unable to find a solution on this forum, then you should contact Square Enix through their support page. I don't think they read these forums anymore.

North America:
https://support.na.square-enix.com/contacttop.php?id=11701&la=1

Europe:
https://support.eu.square-enix.com/contacttop.php?id=11621&la=2

I opened a ticket with Square Enix N. Am, thank you Make. You deserve a small gift.
Wish you could have solved the problem, I would have given you a GIGANTIC gift :)