Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Episode 1: Awake
THOUGHTS
This project hardly endeared itself to those who saw it debuting at E3 earlier this year — with a new developer, new voice actor for main character Chloe and a fairly laboured gameplay demo I was fairly adamant I'd avoid it until the series finished (much like I did with the original). A desire for a return to Arcadia Bay and a thought that it might be fun to review and experience the follow-up in a different way to the original knocked that on the head, so here we are. Before the Storm is a prequel to the original series in which you take the reins of a 16 year old Chloe Price, navigating life, school, relationships and other teenage pitfalls. The big differences are apparent early on — the supernatural time-rewinding mechanic is, of course, gone and Chloe is far less of a blank slate styled character. She's impetuous, quick-tempered and overly dramatic (as she is in the original) but the younger also has a larger sense of self-doubt and a lot of her angst is more internalised.
This makes for a somewhat tricky path for the player, as Chloe is likely to be difficult to relate to (and at times downright unlikeable). Despite knowing the character it's essentially a re-introduction and it takes time to warm to her. The episode as a whole mirrors this, with a eye-rollingly lame concert introduction and some cringeworthy dialogue that mirrors the worst parts of the original's debut episode.
Luckily I found Before the Storm was able to find its feet a lot quicker than the original. The 'backtalk' mechanic - which I guess you'd call Chloe's superpower - is a bit of fun (even if it tries too hard on many occasions) and suits the character. Meeting and getting to know Rachel Amber is the big draw of the prequel and she's a well written character despite some manic pixie dream girl stylings. She's flawed enough to fit into Chloe's worldview but confident enough to make you understand why Chloe is so immediately taken with her.
There's some good pieces of adventure gameplay here, with a dungeons and dragons sequence (in which you essentially play out part of a campaign through dialogue, which uses Chloe's nature and dialogue remarkably well for comic effect) a standout, as well as a particularly humourous use of the face button interaction system. It's basically more of the same which will please fans to no end, but to me it felt tighter and, outside of the intro, better plotted and paced than the early stages of the original series. Those who find it hard to relate to or at least enjoy teenage drama on some level will struggle with it, but, you know, it's Life is Strange, it comes with the territory. I'm intrigued to see where they go with it — dream sequences and an ending that is somewhat ambigious in terms of consequence lends an air of mystery and foreboding to what is to come next.
This makes for a somewhat tricky path for the player, as Chloe is likely to be difficult to relate to (and at times downright unlikeable). Despite knowing the character it's essentially a re-introduction and it takes time to warm to her. The episode as a whole mirrors this, with a eye-rollingly lame concert introduction and some cringeworthy dialogue that mirrors the worst parts of the original's debut episode.
Luckily I found Before the Storm was able to find its feet a lot quicker than the original. The 'backtalk' mechanic - which I guess you'd call Chloe's superpower - is a bit of fun (even if it tries too hard on many occasions) and suits the character. Meeting and getting to know Rachel Amber is the big draw of the prequel and she's a well written character despite some manic pixie dream girl stylings. She's flawed enough to fit into Chloe's worldview but confident enough to make you understand why Chloe is so immediately taken with her.
There's some good pieces of adventure gameplay here, with a dungeons and dragons sequence (in which you essentially play out part of a campaign through dialogue, which uses Chloe's nature and dialogue remarkably well for comic effect) a standout, as well as a particularly humourous use of the face button interaction system. It's basically more of the same which will please fans to no end, but to me it felt tighter and, outside of the intro, better plotted and paced than the early stages of the original series. Those who find it hard to relate to or at least enjoy teenage drama on some level will struggle with it, but, you know, it's Life is Strange, it comes with the territory. I'm intrigued to see where they go with it — dream sequences and an ending that is somewhat ambigious in terms of consequence lends an air of mystery and foreboding to what is to come next.
Plus/Minus
+ Gets on track quickly
+ Chloe's new voice actor does a good job and her personality is mostly used to good effect
+ Backtalk system is a solid addition
+ Graphics, while still being a little static, are more technically sound
+ Great soundtrack
+ Intriguing setup
- There's still some super awkward dialogue here and opening with the concert sequence is a tough sell
- Feels a little aimless in stages
- Chloe and Rachel's friendship/relationship progresses a bit too quickly for the drama to land
Overall
This is an admirable first effort from Deck Nine which keeps the tone and spirit of the original alive. As an opening episode it nails the introduction to the characters and provides a solid platform for the next two episodes which is a big tick in a shortened series. Patience is definitely required, but so far is rewarded.
7/10
Technical Stuff: Played on a PS4. Copy was purchased by me. One full playthrough (approximately 3-4 hours).
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