[h1] Life is Strange: Before the Storm [/h1]
[h2] Story [/h2]
I really enjoyed the prequel to LiS 1. Honestly, I didn’t expect much from it, but I got a pretty emotional hit, which was delivered by the story of Chloe and Rachel. In this prequel, I prefer Frank and Chloe over the first game, while I liked Joyce a bit less, and I also don't mind David, cool guy. Rachel was more interesting than I expected. In the first game, you mainly hear about her, but here you can see why Chloe cared about her so much. The game has a strongly melancholic atmosphere that fits the story of Chloe and Rachel very well and enhances its emotions. (I would say the same about LiS 1)
It’s a shame that this installment is shorter than LiS 1. I feel like some things deserved more space, and the story could have been developed even further.
Also, I am sorry to say this, but some dialogues that Chloe said, were really cringe 😭 Especially in the first episode.
[h2] Mechanics [/h2]
In this game, the "Backtalk" mechanic (verbal confrontations) appears. At first I didn’t like it much, but in later episodes it became quite fun and useful. I didn’t miss any superpowers here. In the first game, Max has rewind, here I had to pay more attention to what choices I made. Optional activities are also present. In the first game you can take optional photos, here Chloe paints graffiti.
[h2] Soundtrack [/h2]
Just like in the first game, the soundtrack is great. There wasn’t a single track I would call bad.
[h2] Graphics, controls and atmosphere [/h2]
The game looked visually nice and the character controls felt better than in the first game. I also liked the choice mechanic more. In the first game you drag with the mouse, here it’s handled with keys (on controller I think it’s the same in both games).
[b] !!! In this Remastered version, dialogue audio is sometimes missing, subtitles are heavily bugged, and when I first launched the game it was automatically in Japanese. I mean this as a warning, you’re better off playing the original version for a better experience. !!! [/b]
[h2] Bonus episode [/h2]
The bonus episode Farewell shows the story of Max and Chloe when they were children. It takes place [spoiler] on the day William (Chloe’s father) died. [/spoiler] It’s not a long episode, but it’s not bad either. I also liked how this episode shows Max and Chloe’s love for piracy. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the main episodes, but it’s a nice short addition to the story. Honestly, I’m not even sure how you access it, I just had it available after buying the game.
I think it’s better to play this game after finishing LiS 1. Some moments then feel much stronger and make more sense in the context of the original story.
I give this game a [b] 9.5/10 [/b] Even though the game had the bugs I mentioned, it doesn’t change my rating, since in the original version this is fixed. If I were rating this version specifically, I would give it around an 8/10. I don’t think my rating will match many people’s, because it depends on the type of person playing it. I’ve heard from quite a few people that Life is Strange is boring.
