Life Is Strange: Before the Storm - Episode 3: Hell Is Empty Reviews
I’m disappointed in the finale and maybe in the game as a whole. I remember enjoying episode 2 but that was about it. I also remember enjoying the first game WAY more than I did Before the Storm. As a verdict to this episode only I will stick to 6/10.
Much like the original Life is Strange, Before the Storm’s concluding episode missed the high marks of the rest of the series but still provided a satisfying ending. A more poetic writer might say that Life is Strange is about the journey rather than the destination.
A shaky conclusion to a fantastic season, the finale episode is still a solid entry but it doesn't reach the dizzying heights of the first two entries.
As a standalone episode, Hell is Empty doesn't quite hit the same spot that the previous two episodes reached — but that's not to say it's a let down.
Coming of age stories usually have you liking characters more as the plot progresses, but players will be eager to wrap up Life is Strange: Before the Storm sooner rather than later. The poor pacing, unlikeable characters, and plodding interactive elements end this season on a low note.
Hell Is Empty, the final episode of Life is Strange: Before the Storm, is action packed and tense but ends with a hollow, inconsequential decision.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm's 3rd episode has a simpler approach to its narrative. It doesn't go out of its way to amaze the player. So it might not be the best or the most memorable but thanks to an incredibly bitter ending to a great story, Rachel's and Chloe's adventures connect to the main game and that is the biggest achievement of Hell is Empty
Review in Persian | Read full review
Hell is Empty was satisfying in the sense that it delivered something out of the pages of a crime drama, but as far as keeping continuity with itself and with the original game, the episode left much to be desired. These first two episodes leave such a strong emotional resonance that stick around long after they end and, unfortunately, episode three isn't on par.
Some players may well prefer Max and her powers to the more grounded story of Chloe, but the prequel is still a worthwhile journey through Arcadia Bay and an appropriate telling of the events before Max returned to the area.
Three years ago, we were introduced to Chloe as she was a desperate and lost young woman. We were told that Rachel meant a lot to her, but we didn't know the half of it. Before the Storm provides that context and it's immensely successful in the way it tells that story. In my favorite scene from all of Life is Strange, Chloe was willing to don a silly outfit, get on stage, and stammer through Shakespeare to protect her friend. That's about as un-Chloe as it gets. Rachel clearly means the world to her.
Life Is Strange: Before The Storm — Episode 3: Hell Is Empty is a fitting finale to this prequel miniseries that lays the foundations to Max and Chloe's future escapades, and while it doesn't quite hit the heady heights of the mainline series, it holds its own as a unique, self-contained teen-drama, with a gritty bite of realism thrown in for good measure.
A solid ending to the powerful Life is Strange prequel series, Hell is Empty delivers all the emotional beats that you would expect as Chloe and Rachel's adventures come to a close.
Before the Storm redefines what a Life is Strange game can be.
An honest insight into the tragedy of loss and growth in youth.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm Episode 3: Hell is Empty offered a nice companion to the Life is Strange universe, but the shock of the conclusion is lost when compared to the superior Episode 2. This doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy Episode 3, I just felt that it's conclusion presented more questions than answers. Perhaps it's a good thing the Life is Strange: Before the Storm left me with wanting more because now I wouldn't mind if the series continued either with more prequel content or a direct sequel to Life is Strange.
Episode 3 of Life is Strange: Before the Storm provides a satisfying conclusion to Chloe Price and Rachel Amber's many emotional dilemmas, tying in neatly to the original series while presenting its own unique twists and turns.
Unimportant choices are what made this game bad. When you can only change a few details at the end, the whole game looks stupid. The puzzles are too easy and none of them can challenge you. But just because of it's great music tracks and a decent story the game didn't sink that low.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Hell is Empty was the first time in Before the Storm that I found myself wishing there was a Fast Forward option.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Episode 3 is heart touching and reveals more about Rachel Amber's life. However, many events that lead us to the original Life is Strange were poorly explored. A fourth episode to fix this would be ideal, which unfortunately will not happen.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Hell is Empty feels like a superficial way to cap its story off, as it chooses an easy ending to Rachel and Chloe's relationship rather than exploring its darker conclusion.