Life is Strange: Before the Storm Reviews
Wonderful, emotional, sad, happy, too real… fateful. That's Life is Strange: Before the Storm.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Standing alone, Before the Storm has an emotional arc, which goes to say that the experience is not an inherent waste of time. The nature of truth that is at the heart of the narrative is not without merit—a worthy exploration of an important theme to be sure. Overall, Deck Nine does as the best as any studio could be expected to in trying to recapture the magic of the first season, even if the experience ultimately leaves players wanting more of that original magic. Perhaps these shortcomings are simply a testament to the quality of the initial installment. Any attempt to replicate Life is Strange would always fall flat, and no one can be faulted for failing at such an impossible task. In the end, even with all the proper precautions and setup in place to capture the same lightning in a bottle, the emotional maelstrom that is Life is Strange is so potent because of the storm at the heart of the game. Anything that comes before is just the calm.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a game that makes you think about every single aspect of your life thanks to a very strong plot. Because the developers have a relatively predictable story, this game being a prequel, some points were flawed, but it's still an overall enjoyable experience. Despite some graphical and gameplay shortcomings, this prequel is able to honour the Life is Strange name.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
If you’re looking for more Life is Strange, Deck Nine has delivered a fantastic and consistent prequel that is a must-play for fans.
The first Lift is Strange game set the bar quite high. Before the Storm just did not have enough to live up to the first. The story was lacking any interesting plot elements to reel you in. The gameplay lacked...pretty much anything. The puzzles were slow and boring. Chloe's behavior was so frustrating at times. For the most part it felt like all of this stuff was there to serve as a distraction from a story that is mediocre at best.
A moving story of miniature apocalypses as a larger one blazes in the background.
After loving Life is Strange when it originally released, I’d been intrigued to see where they would go with Before the Storm. Prequels haven’t always been successful after all, so I didn’t know if it’d still manage to offer the same emotionally-driven experience that I’d loved so much back in 2015. Thankfully, Deck Nine have managed to deliver something that might not have as grand a stage set, but somehow manages to feel a lot more human and, at times, more enjoyable than its predecessor in the process. There’s no huge looming disaster in Life is Strange: Before the Storm; instead, it’s a tale of two girls, their blossoming relationship, and the believable trials and tribulations they face as part of growing up. Whilst anyone who has played the first game knows that it can all end tragically, you don’t have to think about any of that here and it makes for a truly poignant experience. The choices you make, the situations you find yourself in, the ways you interact with the world – everything comes together perfectly to make Life is Strange: Before the Storm a very enjoyable and worthy prequel to the original game.
Fortunately, there is no room for worrying; all fans of the previous season can now play “Before the Storm” with piece of mind. Having a true understanding of the first season’s pros and cons has helped its creators to produce a game carrying high standards and satisfy its players. Therefore, playing “Life Is Strange: Before the Storm” is highly recommended to all of the fans of adventure games!
Review in Persian | Read full review
Life is Strange: Before the Storm is undoubtedly a risk that Square Enix didn’t need to take. The original Life is Strange ended in a way that left fans expecting nothing more, so the prequel’s announcement came as quite a surprise. Thankfully, newcomers Deck Nine have created a mini-series that is not only respectful of the original but stands on its own as an essential prequel. The visuals may suffer from slight blemishes, and the uneven voice acting can be off-putting at times, but the game quickly makes up for this through its engaging characters, excellent pacing and great plot twists. It’s a no-brainer for fans of Life is Strange and an equally perfect starting point for newcomers.
Before the Storm is a great game to be experienced by a fan of the first game. It focuses on Chloe and her friendship with Amber after and before Max was in the picture. The only thing that makes me wonder is what happened after the storm...
Review in Polish | Read full review
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 value here than newcomers because of prior knowledge of Chloe and most of the characters.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm delivers on its promise of a captivating story that brings humanity to the idea of presumably senseless teen angst.
In spite of its faults, Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a fantastic follow-up to an already great game. It improves upon the formula of the original title while offering a fascinating look into two of the series' most captivating characters. Beautiful, charming, and devastating, Before the Storm is a must-play for fans of the series and a phenomenal way to tide players over until the release of Life is Strange 2.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm tells the story of Rachel, whose eventless life turned upside down after the death of her father. And Rachel, a girl surrounded by loved ones but that always felt something was missing. It's a masterclass in storytelling and surpasses Life is Strange in every way.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
The story and characters in Life is Strange: Before the Storm help to make it a valued addition to the universe. An alluring friendship between the two main characters is the key to its success. It's just a pity that ineffectual player choice, weak adventure mechanics, and a lacklustre ending prevent it from creating a lifelong bond with the audience.
The game is really well written
Review in Russian | Read full review
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
This short season acts as a nice prequel to the lead-up into Life is Strange. It attempts to expand on the same story concepts with a different gameplay dynamic.
If you're looking for a game that presents a story that is pretty grounded in reality yet presents some twists and interesting character development, you should consider checking out Before the Storm. Still, you should be wary of the game's performance issues and don't expect mind blowing writing.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm is proof that good prequels don't just extend the atmosphere of what fans loved about its predecessor, but complement one another.