Life Is Strange: Before the Storm

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When I heard about the release of a prequel for Life Is Strange, I knew I had to get it as soon as it came out. After playing the first game, I was astonished by how powerful I felt with the character, Max, and how impactful her choices were. When it comes to most decision making based games, at least in recent years, your choices feel irrelevant. However, the original Life Is Strange provided the player with many opportunities regardless of how small they were, to influence portions for the game. The prequel, Life Is Strange: Before The Storm is no different. In the first episode alone I felt the weight in deciding on almost all my actions. I knew they would impact my character, Chloe, and the people around her.

(The start of an angsty high school kids day)

I’ve always been a huge fan of decision focused games, such as Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain. Over the years the genre has developed and become more and more popular as time has gone on. However, most new games in this genre leave you feeling like you didn’t really have an impact on the story with your decision. Square Enix does an excellent job on making even the smallest of choices have an impact on your character and the characters you interact with.

(Sad flashback feels)

The biggest difference between the original and prequel is that it’s much more focused on dialogue options, rather than actions. In the first Life Is Strange, Max could manipulate time which leads her to be more action oriented. Chloe however, doesn’t have this power. So, in the prequel you rely on her investigative skills and her smooth talking to make your way through the game. I found myself in several situations where I would be in a shit talking match between Chloe and another character. This is one of the most powerful and impactful parts of the game and can lead to some of the most relevant changes in the story.

(Convincing a bouncer that Chloe can beat him up)

In the very beginning of the story, Chloe is trying to get into a concert venue and the bouncer guarding the door is having none of it. Using my investigative skills, I tried to find a way around the bouncer or for some way to distract him. Sadly, there wasn’t anything that seemed to be helpful. That’s when I found the bouncer’s motorcycle which had flowers on it. So, with this tool in my arsenal I began a shouting match with the bouncer, essentially saying how my character, a small high school girl, could kick his ass. The final option for dialogue relied upon the knowledge I had of how his bike looked. Using this to my advantage I could get him to think Chloe was tough enough to go into the show. The mechanic is excellent, and most of the verbal weaponry Chloe uses each time is hilarious. It helps to give her a strong personality, a character most people would love to play as.

(Playing some D&D before class starts)

Something I realized quickly was the difference between two main characters. Chloe appears in both games and is a stronger more well-built character. I don’t mean in the sense of her being tougher, (she is but that’s irrelevant) I’m talking about how she feels more relatable and has more of a background than Max. I do think the original was a great game, but Max never felt like she was that well planned in terms of showing the player who she really is. Chloe on the other hand is a fully-fledged character with great background and progression in the prequel. The more I played as her, the more she grew on me. By the end of episode one, I felt a strong connection with her character and felt empathetic regarding something that happened in her past (won’t spoil what that is for you).

(I wonder where this is leading...)

In all honesty, I’m incredibly excited for the next two episodes of Life Is Strange: Before The Storm to come out. Neither have release dates as of yet but the next episode should only be a few months away from release. Even after the first episode I’m absolutely hooked into the plot and I can’t wait to see what happens with the decisions Chloe has made so far. If the decisions the player makes impact the game anything like the first one, I know that even the smallest of choices can change what will happen for both Chloe and the other people involved.