Before the Storm is the prequel of the very popular first Life Is Strange game. In this game, you get to play as Chloe in the period before Max (the main character of the first game) came back to town. Chloe was the best friend of Max and a big rebel. She had blue hair in the original game. At the beginning of this game however, she did not dye her hair yet. Another big character in the first game was Rachel. Rachel went missing and finding her was one of the most important parts of the first game. Here in the prequel she plays a big role. The PC version of this game has been released since august of 2017, now we’re getting the console version and also an extra episode in the game.
Since you play as Chloe you don’t have access to the special ability of Max to turn back time after her decisions. This makes you think a bit more about your decisions in the prequel. Chloe however, has her own kind of ability. She has the power of backtalk. When Chloe faces a person that does not comply to her wishes she can backtalk them. Here you have to play a little mini-game in which you have to pay close attention to what your opponent says and throw it back in their face. When you win, you get your way and continue.
Just as in the first game, your actions have consequences later in the game. And after every episode (there are three, four if you count the extra one that just got released) you get to review all your choices. In this game, Chloe is of course also a rebel that struggles with typical teenager problems and some more. She lost her dad and has to live with a stepdad she doesn’t like. All of these things make her rebel even more. This game goes out of its way to making you experience very tough situations. The topics in this game are all but light.
Chloe is a character with more depth to her than Max had in the first game, this made at least some parts of this game even more interesting than the first game. The ability on the other hand is a bit less interesting than time traveling of course but it still works really fine. Life is Strange has always made its players really think about life and Before the Storm does not let down on this part. The rough topics and the fact that you can’t fondle with time make you think even more than in the first game.
The game does have some downsides as well. The graphics are a bit of a let-down, they don’t look too amazing compared to its predecessor. Also, I noticed that the lips often didn’t move as they should have in certain parts. This does not at all take away from this game though. One other aspect of this game is that it is extremely cringy! This game at sometimes might as well be a ‘try-not-to-cringe’-challenge.
If you are a fan of the original Life is Strange than you really have to play this one as well. It’s an amazing experience to play a game that isn’t shy to walk on the slippery ice that are these harsh topics. This game is one that I would recommend to a lot of people. It’s also a game that you can share with people who aren’t used to gaming, you don’t need lightning fast reaction times or game sense in this one. Just a good story and a fun experience that changes every time you make different decisions!
