Life is Strange: Before the Storm Reviews

Life is Strange: Before the Storm is ranked in the 79th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
70 / 100
Jan 26, 2018

A streamlined peep at the events which build up to Life is Strange. Emotionally satisfying, but sometimes clunky.

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Recommended
Dec 23, 2017

Intelligent and enriching, this is a preview worth playing.

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Dec 21, 2017

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.

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8.3 / 10.0
Mar 7, 2018

Between lighthearted and somber moments, Before the Storm shows the complexity of life and how our loved ones help us get by

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8 / 10
Apr 18, 2018

Before the Storm is an impactful prequel that accomplishes something very different than the original Life is Strange.

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Dec 20, 2017

Despite an uneven final episode, the bond between Chloe and Rachel cements the surprising prequel, sometimes even soaring above the heights of the original game. It still has all the faults of Life Is Strange as a series, but its domestic focus helps it resonate even greater than its successor. If Rachel Amber is the Laura Palmer of Life Is Strange, then Before the Storm is her much-deserved Fire Walk With Me.

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86 / 100
Mar 13, 2018

Life is Strange: Before the Storm presents itself without riddles, but with purity, to offer us an excellent narrative adventure that helps us to complement Chloe's story and other holes of Arcadia Bay's life. Despite its shorter duration, it has not lost its charm. The extra episode, Farewell, it will thrill you to tears.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

8 / 10
Mar 9, 2018

Life Is Strange: Before the Storm isn't a story that needed telling, and it was a risk for Deck 9 to try and add to a beloved series, but they've pulled it off. It answers the question of who Rachel Amber was and what she really meant to Chloe, showing something that feels more grounded like a TV teen dramas and speaks to the struggle to find your place in the world.

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8 / 10
Dec 19, 2017

Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a beautiful journey through Chloe Price's teenage years. It's a brilliant exploration of what happens when a directionless teenager meets a special person that changes the course of their life forever. It's a journey that explores the themes of loss, love, finding one's self, and whether the road to happiness ultimately lies in truth.

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VG247
Top Critic
Unscored
Jan 12, 2018

Have you played Life is Strange: Before the Storm? Let's talk about that ending. Spoilers for both Life is Strange games ahead.

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Unscored
Dec 29, 2017

Try it. If the first episode is to your liking, you'll dig the rest.

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9 / 10.0
Dec 20, 2017

Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a beatiful, delicate novel about psycological and moral growth.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Mar 21, 2018

Is this game as good as the original Life is Strange? Personally, I don't think so. But it's still great nonetheless and definitely shouldn't be missed by fans of the first game.

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6 / 10
Dec 21, 2017

Life is Strange: Before the Storm, despite a great second episode, ends feeling rushed and loses the focus on Chloe and Rachel's relationship.

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80 / 100
Dec 26, 2017

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.

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8 / 10
Mar 7, 2018

Deck Nine have finished off Life is Strange in sterling fashion. Saying farewell to Arcadia Bay with Before the Storm is sad, but the best farewells usually are.

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Unscored
Jan 5, 2018

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.

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PCGamesN
Top Critic
8 / 10
Dec 3, 2017

Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a masterful prequel, then. Easter eggs and fan service exist peacefully alongside a fantastic new narrative filled with characters I wish I could spend even more time with. Its story fills all the gaps it needs to while never feeling as though it steps on the toes of what is yet to come, and still manages to carve out its own space. In some ways, Before the Storm is only the start of the Life is Strange journey, but in many others it is a joyous adventure in its own right.

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8 / 10
Mar 7, 2018

Farewell is a short but sweet episode that allows fans to celebrate the beauty of Life is Strange as the series moves on without Chloe and Max.

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7.5 / 10.0
Dec 20, 2017

Before the Storm is a good pit-stop between the first and second part of Life is Strange. The game itself is pleasant but not memorable. Chloe and Rachel’s relationship is portrayed very convincingly but there is too few new things and the whole thing relies too much on the first game.

Review in Polish | Read full review