Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Episode 1: Awake Reviews
Awake is at its best when it focuses on Chloe and Rachel's complicated lives, making you feel each character's struggle
An excellent start to a prequel series that taps into the same style of sincere storytelling as the original, making a previously unsympathetic character seem vulnerable and likeable.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm's first episode recaptures the magic that endeared the series to fans during its first run, and we can't wait for more.
There’s only one way to really describe Life is Strange: Before the Storm – Awake – it’s more of the same, for better or worse. If you were a fan of the original game then you’re going to really enjoy what’s on offer here, with the whole angsty yet touching vibe carrying over this time around too. There are a few differences, most notably with the time-bending powers replaced with Chloe’s Backchat, but in general it all feels the same. If you weren’t a fan of the original game though, nothing on offer here is going to change your mind. I was a massive fan of the original game though and in turn really enjoyed playing through Life is Strange: Before the Storm – Awake. It has set up a story that I want to see more of, and whilst I might already know the fate of both characters, I’m still intrigued to see how their relationship blossoms and what issues they face going forward. Life is Strange: Before the Storm has got off to a great start, so hopefully there’ll be more of the same in the next two episodes.
Episode 1 embarks on a new path with it's new gameplay mechanism while filling the plot holes from the original series. Despite some cheesy dialogues throughout the first episode, Before the Storm shows it has the potential to seize everything it wishes for.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Life is Strange: Before the Storm gets a lot of things right about Life is Strange…
Chloe is me. She’s you. She’s so many other teens of today and throughout time. She is one of the most fully-realized characters in modern video games, and I can’t wait to see what the next episode has in store for her and Rachel.
Life is Strange is a special kind of video game. The story is so engrossing and the characters are so relatable. The whole package is so much better than the sum of its parts. As such I don't feel justified in ranking a single episode and will defer until the whole story unfolds. For now all I can say is this episode has the same magical quality as the first game.
If you are a fan of Life is Strange this is a no brainer and you've probably already downloaded the game and are playing through it. Before the Storm was made with you in mind.
If you were a fan of Life is Strange and its formula, this prequel will be perfect if you desired more from Arcadia Bay.
Despite being a story prior to the original, Life is Strange: Before the Storm is best enjoyed if you consider it as a sequel. By far, the heart of the episode is the Chloe and Rachel encounter and we can finally learn more about this character that all Arcadia Bay loves. In the end, the story is interesting and prepares us for a second episode that will possibly bring strong feelings. The biggest problem of the episode are some graphics bugs and the control.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
For a mini series, Before the Storm is a worthy prequel, the drama around Chloe, attractive and lovely characters, just like the first season and the all-new gameplay system consisting of the Backtalk option which is amazing, makes this episode a satisfactory one and a "Must" for the fans. If you're missing the Arcadia bay and its people, do not miss Before the Storm
Review in Persian | Read full review
Life is Strange: Before the Storm manages to capture the emotional heartache that the first game gave you and amplifies it to create a masterfully crafted story that is bursting at the seams with realistic human drama and remarkable characters.
Ben received a digital copy of Life is Strange: Before the Storm from Square Enix for review.
This was a solid first episode and if the quality keeps up, the entire prequel will be a nice companion pieces to the original game. Hopefully not taken anything away from it, but only adding more.
Despite feeling hesitant going into Before the Storm, Deck Nine Games' rendition of Arcadia Bay quickly reminded me of why I loved the series and its characters in the first place. Any fears of this being a cash-in on a beloved game melted away, and I was able to fully enjoy Awake without any second thoughts. I'm excited to see where Chloe and Rachel's story goes from here, even if I already know how tragic it ultimately ends.
Life is Strange Before The Storm: Awakening sets the stage for what promises to be a more than worthy prequel to the acclaimed Life is Strange.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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.
Before the Storm is a glimpse into a struggling mind. It is a not a blank canvas to create your own character, but the story of one person meeting another. Beautiful and flawed.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm Episode 1: Awake starts off this season with a bang. It removes one of the most iconic features of the first season and yet still delivers an impactful story thanks to great writing and outstanding performances.
