Life is Strange: Before the Storm

Life is Strange: Before the Storm is an exciting and rewarding tale full of drama and tough decisions. Those who played the original game will definitely find more to value here than newcomers because of prior knowledge of Chloe and most of the characters. Regardless. Life is Strange: Before the Storm is an outstanding tale of a teenage girl finding hope in a world she believed had no more to give.

Playing as Chloe Price is difficult. Unlike the reliably nosey, shy and kind Max Caufield of the original game, Chloe Price is troubled, brash and, well, difficult. Life is Strange: Before the Storm, which has you inside the head of everyone’s favourite punk hopes to expand on her character with some prequel episodes that flesh out her personality, and more importantly, her relationship with Rachel Amber.

Before the Storm‘s first chapter has already deflected most of the pre-release concerns that “This doesn’t need to exist.” Maybe it doesn’t because Life is Strange‘s story was self-contained. Then again, maybe Life is Strange is better off with this complementing it. After its debut, I’m fully willing to argue that Before the Storm deserves to exist because this story is important too. In true Chloe fashion, anyone who disagrees gets two one-finger salutes.

Exit music for a game.

Is this game as good as the original Life is Strange? Personally, I don't think so. But it's still great nonetheless and definitely shouldn't be missed by fans of the first game.

Add to this some fun easter eggs that reference the original game and it's an amazing effort from Deck Nine Games. Even with its imperfections, Deck Nine took a deeply flawed character in Chloe Price and made her into someone that players can relate to and empathize with. It reminds players what it means to grow up as a teenager. It's a lot of angst, but it's also a lot of joy. And the joy is worth putting up with all the angst.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm's first episode is a strong and reassuring start to a prequel series filled with potential.

With beautiful music and a heart-wrenching story, the final episode of Life is Strange: Before the Storm provides mostly interesting gameplay and big decisions to mull over in spite of over-dramatic themes and a lack of resolution for some plot lines.

Teen drama returns in this three-part prequel.

The prequel to Life is Strange focuses more on life and less on what's strange. Here is our review.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm, despite a great second episode, ends feeling rushed and loses the focus on Chloe and Rachel's relationship.

That story stops in a beautiful place at Episode One’s end: a cliffhanger that makes me want Episode Two, stat. I’m a little nervous about having to deal with more of Chloe’s pop-punk-esque “I’m not OK” pontificating. But based on what I’ve seen from Before the Storm’s premiere, I’m willing to tough it out alongside her, and Rachel, and the rest of Arcadia Bay.