Life is Strange: Before the Storm Reviews
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.
No, a great thing.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm isn't as groundbreaking as its predecessor, but it's an excellent refinement of those ideas and a solid prequel.
As someone who has played too many gun toting dudes, I'm delighted to see a game built around a dynamic young woman who can get a junkyard truck running, act as an emergency stand-in for Ariel in the "Tempest," and solve a mystery, all while growing up. I look forward to seeing where the series goes next.
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.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm is an well-written, well-acted, and moving game that works both as a standalone game and a prequel.
Try it. If the first episode is to your liking, you'll dig the rest.
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.
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.
Wonderful, emotional, sad, happy, too real… fateful. That's Life is Strange: Before the Storm.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
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.
Intelligent and enriching, this is a preview worth playing.
The game is really well written
Review in Russian | 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.
Due to the different scenario settings, Life is Strange: Before the Storm has to abandon the rewind system which is the most interesting part of the original LiS game. Therefore, this prequel might lack the originality and interactive quality. Luckily, Before the Storm only takes three chapters to tell audience a brilliant story. And the characterization of two different girls Chole and Rachel is impressive. Like the original story, the finale chapter is a mess. But still, Before the Storm is just a simple love story. Maybe most of the player will not judge the logical problem as a very serious faultiness.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a brilliantly crafted prequel series that does well to highlight just how integral Rachel Amber is to the whole series' overarching story.
A moving story of miniature apocalypses as a larger one blazes in the background.
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
Life is Strange: Before the Storm, despite a great second episode, ends feeling rushed and loses the focus on Chloe and Rachel's relationship.
It's a fine prequel, yet not without problems. A couple of scenes, many easter eggs and emotional ending make up for its flaws and this one particular moment will grab you by the heart for sure.
Review in Polish | Read full review