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Life is Strange: Before The Storm review
by Graham Kaletsky

Its the worst game in the franchise, but its coolto learn about chloes past.  Her "power" is getting pissed and freaking out, which kinda sucks.

Other reviews6

I do recommend this game but only to diehard fans of the original who want more lore/character backstory. It's very short and there isn't a whole lot of actual gameplay (the lack of rewind time powers is strongly felt). But it was nice to see Rachel Amber and understand why she's so crucial to the world of Life is Strange. 
I have really been enjoying playing this, but I can't say in earnest that I'd recommend it to anyone other than Life is Strange fans. The game does little to appeal to any first-time players, and without a time-travel mechanic, exploration isn't really necessary. From a story perspective, the thing that works the most is the romance between Chloe and Rachel, but if you have played the original you already know how that's going to play out, so most instances where you can utilize the new argument mechanic end up feeling futile -- again, exploration is unnecessary. The end result of this is that Before the Storm ends up playing more as an interactive movie than a game, and it's an interactive movie built exclusively for fans of the original. In this regard, I would call it a success, but as a game I'm not sure there's anything here that'll encourage any future replays. If I want to get my Life is Strange fix on, I'll probably go to the original or the new comic.

EDIT: Completed the full game and bonus mission. Again, I walked away really satisfied, but it really exists only as a companion-piece to the original. Play the original game first.
Translated by
Microsoft from Deutsch
Live is Strange Review (Attention Pun) A Lighthouse of the Gaming Industry How hard it must be to write a Prequel to one of the most emotional Games in modern Game history. A Story peppered with Feelings that each of us has experienced in one way or another in our Boy. A Story full of Clichés and on the Edge of Kitsch, but still so poignant that again and again you clutch the Controller with Tears in your eyes and you identify with the Protagonist in such a way that few Games have ever managed on this Level. Deck9 has had an incredibly difficult Job here, because the Story holds so many Pitfalls in addition to its Potential. On the one hand, one of the Basic Mechanics died from the Beginning, as the "Time Travel" is only made possible by Max. On the other Hand, history holds an unmissable End in most eyes, which has been magnificently split in two. So a Continuation, while difficult, is not impossible. So Max could succumb to internal Pressure after the Funeral and still opt for Cloe. While This would render the "good Ending" meaningless in Retrospect, the Decision would be understandable and only human In the Eyes of a Teenager. But this is first to be about the Story of Cloe, and why she has only become the Human being that Max almost would not have recognised after so long. We must not put the new Part 1:1 against its Predecessor, because there are far too many Differences here that need to be taken into account. After the End of my Predecessor, I, too, wished that it should not be over and had given a long Thought to how to tell the Story in advance. Which Mechanics you could use and still you can keep the Embroidery And the Species design. After all, it shouldn't be a Copy of the Predecessor, but should tell another story that captivates and picks us up just as much, at the same time telling us more about the backgrounds of the People of Arcdia Bay, and ends up seamlessly lining up with the Law. In the first Part, much is recalled that we already know from our Predecessor. The Abundance of Details is really impressive, as I felt moved back to Acadia Bay from the very first Minute. The Feeling of being immediately back at this snorting West Coast village and had seen so many Cross-references within the first Episode that everything Known was tangible again. It is understood very quickly that, despite Cone'S Grief, it is not about her, but about the interpersonal Level between her and her emotional Anchor. The Question "how does a Person act most naturally in such a Situation" replaces the old Time Travel mechanics very well and leads to rage conversations, in which one has to pay particular attention to what the Counterpart says, does or is to gain the Upper Hand in the End. In the two Chapters that follow, the Story picks up right and, despite some expected Events, we are always surprised by new Conversations and Insights that make us look at the Situation again from a new Light. The grand finale is particularly noteworthy here. As in the Predecessor, in the End one is forced to make a Decision that almost tears your Heart apart. In all my Years as a Gamer, in which I have always placed great Emphasis on a successful Story, this Series of games will be Remembered as a Textbook example. I hope this Kind of Game Stalk is not lost with the Row and both the type of Game, and especially the History surrounding Max and Cloe, continues. DLC: You just don't get enough of the Story and probably a Lot of The story wants from the World around Max and Cloe. What could be more obvious than pushing a DLC that allows us to travel even further into the Past. My Expectations were great about the Content and they were not disappointed. Deck9 Knows exactly how to tell a Story and plays with the Memories of the Players. The DLC is played through in a felt light, but in the short Lag here the Spice. A Rollercoaster of Feelings comes over one and a Memory follows the next Moment. Knowing what all this boils down to is much less about the Story, which is nevertheless beautifully told, but since we already know a Lot about the Future and all the * * * * * *, what The Outing still strikes us like a Hammered. For Fans an absolute Must have ... And please don't let this be the End. The History of the Two Must not Be over here.
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Five Word Review: Fantastic background story for Chloe.
Favorite Thing: A great story that really should have came out before the base game because it gives so much more emotion to the entirety of Life Is Strange.
Least Favorite Thing: The link between this game and its namesake is weak at best and feels almost like an afterthought.

Date Completed: 2018-02-10
Playtime: 8h Enjoyment: 9/10
Recommendation: Absolutely.