Life Is Strange: Before the Storm - Episode 3: Hell Is Empty Reviews
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.
If you want a good story and don't mind if it's a tad on the predictable side, you'll enjoy Life is Strange: Before the Storm. However, if you want some twists and turns, with crazy reveals, this won't make you happy.
Before the Storm shouldn't have been done. It doesn't add anything to the original work from DONTNOD, to the point where sometimes it seems just another game with the same characters, and a much less inspired soundtrack.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Hell is Empty doesn’t do anything special, so if you’re looking forward to see what unique stuff Before the Storm‘s conclusion does to separate itself from the rest of the story, it’s the fact that the game gets a whole lot heavier.
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.
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.
This chapter brought us some new types of gameplay. However, the story just didn’t bring the punch that we were hoping for and that had been built up throughout the other two episodes.
Not much happens in the final episode of Life is Strange: Before the Storm, and, at first, it doesn't seem to matter as, instead of any new stuff, it's the "feels" that are in the spotlight this time around. The only true problem seems to be the sleep-inducingly slow pacing of it all, something that sort of ruins the end of this prequel.
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.
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 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.
Maintaining the momentum of the previous episode’s scintillating cliffhanger, Life is Strange: Before the Storm‘s “season finale” brings Chloe and Rachel’s adventure to an understated crescendo in mostly satisfying – if occasionally detached – fashion.
All in all, I feel like Chloe and Rachel’s story has already been cemented in history. That all we’re actually playing is a story that has already been set in stone. Although, Life is Strange: Before the Storm had its great moments, I could never truly say that the moments were something I had an influence on. The title for this episode definitely describes what I felt after playing the game: Empty. The only silver lining to this game is that it just made me want to dive back in into the world of Max Caulfield which was really the masterpiece that it was.
Before the Storm have a great story that is filled with twists along with unexpected and exciting events even though I played life is strange and I know what's going to happen in the near future, before the storm delivered the surprising element very well. Episode three Hell is Empty however, leaves you with a wide open ending and more unanswered questions. Also, cut sense and dialogues don't really change that much with Chole decisions and in general is I wished Deck Nine used Backtalk in important conversations and with main characters rather than a pudding fight.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Before the Storm's finale shares some of the issues the first season's finale had. However, just like the first season, it's more than the sum of its parts.
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.
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.
With Life is Strange Before the Storm - Episode 3 : Hell is Empty, Deck Nine brings a satisfying conclusion to this prequel. Even if we could have expected some more significant consequences to the choices we wake, it's still a touching story for two really adorable characters in a lovely world. A godd way to wait for what's next.
Review in French | Read full review
Life Is Strange: Before the Storm is more down to Earth than the main campaign, and it's actually better for it. Deck Nine's done an incredible job of working within the boundaries that DONTNOD's story set, and its biggest achievement is characterising the enigmatic Rachel Amber, who's both intoxicating and fragile all at the same time. Episode 3: Hell Is Empty feels like it could use a little more breathing room, but it crescendos with a gorgeous conclusion that's as heart-warming as it is heart-breaking. After all, we already know where this story ends.
Certainly not a calm before the storm, but while it's full of wonderful characters this final chapter feels unsatisfactory.