Life is Strange: Before the Storm

Also contained within the Arcadia Bay Collection on Switch is the prequel to Life is Strange, Before the Storm. With the same setting and familiar characters, I was intrigued whether this game would live up to, or exceed even, the high bar set by the original.

Created entirely by Deck Nine, I instantly noticed a vast improvement in visual clarity and smoothness of animation in this game, matching the higher-fidelity sequel True Colors that they also developed. This made the game far more satisfying to play on a control and aesthetic basis, even if the story didn’t quite affect me in the same way the original did.

Set three years prior, you play as Chloe as she struggles to cope with the double-stinger of her Dad dying in a car crash, and her best friend leaving town (Max, the main character of the first game). In a rebellious phase, Chloe lashes out at those around her but finds unexpected friendship after a chance meeting with fellow student, Rachel Amber, around whom much of the first game’s narrative was focused. Whilst the overall story wasn’t as strong, it was great to see all these familiar characters further fleshed out, plus there was even a surprise appearance of a character from True Colors, wonderfully connecting the entire Life is Strange universe together.

Gameplay is much the same, venturing around locations and interacting with objects, artwork and people around you. Whilst some of the same locations from the original make a return, the majority of environments are fresh and fun to explore, often dingier and darker in atmosphere to reflect Chloe’s mood, personality and tastes.

Of course the real reason anyone plays a Life is Strange game is for the decisions, and these make a glorious return, be that minor inconsequential decisions or larger, narrative affecting choices that will severely affect your relationship with other characters. What I particularly liked about the seemingly minor choices in this game was how they rolled on from one chapter to the next – an initial choice to steal money for example having a butterfly effect on future options.

The only criticism I had with the original game was that whilst cool, the power to rewind time and change your mind made critical decisions less meaningful. Chloe doesn’t have such power and thus all choices are immediately fixed. Sadly this lack of a power also makes the game a little less fun to play, introducing a ‘Backtalk’ ability instead where you have to argue or persuade a character against the clock, selecting the best option based on their dialogue. Sometimes the timer went by too fast, seeming unfair and other times more than a little guesswork was involved on my part. I think I would have actually preferred if they ditched this mechanic altogether.

Besides the main game, collectables make a welcome return and whilst Max had her camera, Chloe has her marker. Seeking out specific spots around town to tag, the best function of this was the choice of what to draw, the options often witty, showcasing Chloe’s humorous and sarcastic side.

In addition to this you can once again explore character profiles and Chloe’s diary, on this occasion written to Max in a passive-aggressive way having been mostly ignored since her best friend’s departure to Seattle.

As always, audio is on point with some phenomenal voice acting throughout and wicked tunes, perfectly complementing the mood and atmosphere of the lead and locations.

Playing the game knowing what would befall these two characters felt both a spoiler and a catalyst for the emotional beats of the story, and given I had the opportunity to play the prequel first, I wonder how my opinion of them may have differed were that order reversed. On a character level, I definitely associated easier with Max than Chloe, our personalities and social clique familiar, though both provided strong, varied leads. Each game had its own merits and I would certainly recommend playing through both – I still teared up at the conclusion of Before the Storm’s bonus chapter, so the emotional toll was uniform. Options are no bad thing, and being able to choose which decisions you make, and in which order, elevates these games further still.