This is going to contain some spoilers :
So I just finished playing Life is Strange : Before the storm , a prequel to the critically acclaimed "Life Is Strange" which came out in 2015 . The story of the original puts you into the shoes of a female american teenager who has to deal with all the dramas of everyday life but with a superpower that can have her rewind time to a certain extent . Developed by Dontnod Entertainment which is actually a french company . It's a slightly romanticized view on american high school life which was probably inspired by tv shows and films of americana. Gameplay is third person point and click but it focuses more on the dialogue interactions between the protagonist and the various characters .
Gameplay
"Before The Storm" drops the superpower twist of it's predecessor to just concentrate on the character drama. I feel that this is where a lot of the fun went missing the gameplay element . At times it feels like you are just watching a tv show and having to click every once in a while to choose the dialogue options . You do get to walk around once in a while and interact with certain objects but a lot of the location are recycled from the first game . There is the occasional point and click puzzle but I feel it was just shoehorned into the game like a checklist to give the player something else to do. The choices that you have to make does affect certain events but in a minimal way . This game is a prequel after all , so no matter what, people who have played the first game know that a character does not survive this .
Writing
This is where the "Life is Strange" series is the strongest , in it's writing of the story and characters . The first 2 acts are very strong in building up the friendship and later romance of the two lead characters . The character you play, Chloe Price is the typical teenage cigarette smoking rebel girl who is still haunted by the death of her dad . She starts a friendship with the popular A-student Rachel Amber who is also the daughter of the town DA. The first 2 episodes were very strong because of the "will they-or-won't-they" trope but lost it's momentum in its 3rd and final episode . I feel that the final act's stakes weren't really that high and it was more of a fetch mission with a morality question .
Graphics
The texturing of the of the 3D models are stylized , you can even see the brush strokes that give it that painterly feel . This is helps to give the game that dreamy appeal . Everything is very colorful and even the junkyard seems clean and a cool place to hang out . It doesn't push the graphics engine to the limit like a triple A game , but it's a welcome stylized art direction . It mirrors the town where the game takes place in , very soothing and chill .
Soundscape
The voice-acting is mostly good . The main actors really shine especially in some of the emotional moments . The "Life Is Strange" series is known of it's use of indie folk songs . It is great that they are supporting some of the unknown musicians to get into the spotlight. The overall music was done by an English Indie band called "Daughter". The music is very "spotify"-able , it is soulful and melancholic , with folkish use of electric guitars and abstract lyrics ,providing the emotional gravitas to accompany the characters on their soul-searching journey . You can listen to a tune from the ending of episode 2 here :
Conclusion
Is the journey more important than the destination? Though not as strong as it's predecessor , Before The Storm is a solid spin-off that provides a lot more of the emotional drama and teen angst which was a hit with the players of the original . Though the third episode is somewhat anticlimactic , you can't help but feel an emotional connection to the characters . Backed up a strong musical soundtrack , a good art direction , it proves that it is still a worthwhile ride into the "Life Is Strange" world .
7.5/10
What did you think of the game? Leave your opinions in the comments below.