Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
The Truth We Hide
The truth can be a harsh thing to look at. Are you really ready for it? The lies we tell ourselves aren’t as terrible as the truth we hide. Before the Storm was already rife with questions from the community before its release when it was first announced. Why not leave the unspoken words and unknown characters to the mere imaginations of gamers? Why trust these beloved secrets to a new development studio? Although these were legitimate concerns on the part of the Life is Strange community, it was clear upon release that Before the Storm, as a “sequel,” would not only be worthy of the original Life is Strange, but would in some ways expand on the groundwork laid.
The Shape of Chloe Price
Before the Storm portrays Chloe Price, the troublemaker and best friend of the original protagonist Max, three years before the events of Life is Strange or when Max moved to Seattle. Playing as Chloe is very different from playing as Max, and given how much you know about Chloe’s future at this point, it’s remarkable how much freedom Before the Storm gives you in shaping her appearance and attitude.
No Time to Rewind
Most importantly, of course, Chloe doesn’t have the mysterious ability to rewind time like Max. This could be seen as a step backward in the complexity of the game by many, but Before the Storm cleverly relies on Chloe’s excellent perceptiveness, social manipulation, and well-written personality with a great background so you have plenty of opportunities to carefully examine your surroundings and approach conflicts as puzzles you can solve. Plus, your responses and reactions to the world around you have a significant sense of permanence, so the stakes are really high, and every choice you make carries a profound emotional weight.
Backtalk Battles
There’s an additional layer to certain conversations in the form of the Backtalk system, a unique ability that allows Chloe to turn her opponent’s words against them in a verbal tug-of-war. You don’t have to use it at all, but you can open up new paths and consequences in dialogues. Their difficulty varies: sometimes this opens up room for error, and sometimes you can even fail instantly if you answer even once wrong. You have to choose your answers in a very short space of time, which only accentuates the already tense confrontations. Backtalk is a very distinctive way for Chloe to deal with the world around her, and while it doesn’t always flow naturally, it’s a shame that it’s used less and less in the second half of the game.
The Mystery of Rachel Amber
However, Chloe is only one-half of the relationship at the core of Before the Storm. This is the first time we meet Rachel Amber, the mysterious character around whom the missing person case from the first game revolves. Fans were worried that meeting Rachel after only hearing about her in the original series would ruin her charm. Still, the truth is that spending so much time with the natural person behind all the gossip and rumors is just as captivating as you’d hope – Rachel is an individual with a strong personality as well, and she’s equal parts strong and vulnerable, has her flaws, and in the end, you don’t get to know her properly anyway. The chemistry between these two girls is instant and electrifying. Seeing them together and enjoying them as much as I did after playing through many passes of Before the Storm enriches the experience of the original Life is Strange in a way I didn’t even think possible. It doesn’t just change how you perceive them, it changes how you interpret various events from the original game, and therefore even how you perceive Max.
A World to Lose Yourself In
Many players have wondered what the point of telling a story about two people whose fates we already know, but the most vital aspect of Before the Storm is that it makes you forget everything that came before and lose yourself in Arcadia Bay again – forgetting about future hardships and enjoying the heady rush of a thrilling new relationship. The game also takes risks by introducing new characters and new situations. The section in the first episode of Before the Storm was a huge departure from the tone of the original series; it was entirely optional and absolutely won over fans.
Old Faces, New Angles
Before the Storm, as I mentioned, introduces new characters that are so likable that when I went back to the original series after Before the Storm played, I actually missed them among all the other Blackwell school kids. On the other hand, some of the side stories with familiar characters fizzle out in the third episode to the point where you wonder if it would have been better to leave them out of the plot altogether. But fans would certainly be disappointed if they didn’t appear at all, and watching some of these characters deal with the caustic Chloe versus the timid Max is amusing in itself.
Ordinary Decisions, Profound Impact
As with the big decisions in Life is Strange that can change the entire story, your choices in Before the Storm don’t have any right or wrong answers, but neither are they choices that affect the threads of time, the universe, and reality. Chloe’s choices in Before the Storm are among the millions of choices we all make daily as we try to pursue our own interests, help our loved ones, and comfort and hurt.
Reflections on Lies and Truths
In its best moments, Before the Storm asks you to look within and ask yourself: Are the lies we tell ourselves better or worse than the lies we tell other people? Once again, we are reminded that nothing and no one is black and white. A raw person may have the best interests of those who cannot help themselves at heart. A parent can do unspeakable things to protect their child’s innocence even a moment longer. You can criticize someone for hiding a painful truth but then turn around and do the exact same thing just to keep a smile on the face of someone you care deeply about.
The Weight of Words
As Before the Storm draws to a close, it culminates in a decision that really comes down to a careful choice of words. But words can destroy worlds as much as tornadoes, and no one feels that more urgently than the players who get sucked into Chloe and Rachel’s world. However, the last choice will mean nothing if you don’t care about these characters.
Heartfelt Honesty
One of the things I really liked about Life is Strange was that the game was always heartfelt and honest. Now, all too often, it seems that the world encourages us to mock everything and everyone who dares to bare their soul, both on and off-screen – to be honest with yourself and others is to be vulnerable and admit that you may not have all the answers.
A Rushed Ending
It’s a shame that the events of the last episode force Rachel and Chloe to spend a lot of time apart. If anything, Before the Storm could have done with one more episode to properly expose the revelations made in the last few acts of the play and avoid a lot of confusion and even a few scripting holes and inconsistencies as it hurtles towards a rushed denouement. Still, what Before the Storm accomplished in just three episodes is impressive.
Arcadia Bay Reimagined
And while there are plenty of references and easter eggs for attentive Life is Strange fans, Before the Storm doesn’t feel like just superfluous filler at all, nor will you feel like you’re just waiting for the main events to unfold. Plus, it looks and sounds nice, building on that somewhat dreamy, sun-drenched visual quality of Life is Strange while accentuating moments of calm with catchy and understated indie rock that adds texture and a distinctive pace to a world that’s already dancing to its own beat.
Conclusion After the Storm
Despite concerns that the game will cloud our memories of our first trip to Arcadia Bay, Before the Storm changes how we perceive Chloe and Rachel and the rest of the world Dontnod has created. The game’s story is more mundane than the original – and by that, I mean more familiar, meaningful, poignant, and perhaps even more “beautiful” because of its mundane nature. Before the Storm isn’t a story about a magical mystery; it’s an ordinary story about two people finding their way to each other at precisely the right moment in their lives. Before the Storm does what any proper prequel should do – it tells its own story and connects it to what came before in a way that changes both experiences for the better.
About the Game
Title: Life is Strange: Before the Storm
Type of Game: Episodic Graphic Adventure
Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: August 31, 2017
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch
Reviewed on:PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Where to Purchase Life is Strange: Before the Storm
- Steam (PC, macOS, Linux): Available now on Steam for $16.99.
- PlayStation Store (PS4): Purchase it from the PlayStation Store for $16.99.
- Microsoft Store (Xbox): Check it out on the Microsoft Store for $16.99.
- Nintendo eShop (Switch): Find it on the Nintendo eShop.
