A hella good time though
Note: This is a spoiler free review
Chloe Price is down on her luck. The 16 year old’s dad died two years ago right before her only friend, Maxine “Max” Caulfield, leaves their shared hometown of Arcadia Bay, Oregon to move to Seattle, Washington. The kids at school have bullied her for her low financial status plus her mother started dating a new man. Feeling abandoned as much as betrayed, Chloe often skips class, sneaks out at night, and drowns in sorrow. That’s when she meets Rachel Amber, who sets her life including her heart on fire.
Limited Edition:
Since I sadly missed out on the limited edition of the first season of Life is Strange, I wanted to make sure to get my hands on the one for Before the Storm, and it’s amazing. It comes with a transparent keep case with a DVD-ROM of the game, the 15 songs long soundtrack on CD, a 36-page artbook (that’s really awesome), a digital outfit pack with three apparels (Punk Doe, Hawt Dawg Man, along with illuminati) that Chloe can change into, the bonus episode titled Farewell, and a mixtape mode, which swaps out the default song during Chloe’s pondering moments of calm with a playlist of your choosing from the soundtrack. (Personally, it would have been cool to have that purple tape on the box blurb as a tiny keychain. Oh, well. I also didn’t know that there’s a vinyl edition since no store in my area sold that.)
Tech Stuff:
Did they meet the mark? For the most part ‘yes’, but with a couple of drawbacks
Sadly, during my installation not all files were included on the disc, which meant I had to download the remainder from the Steam servers. Players with a slower internet connection should keep out for that as the initial size of the complete game is around 15 GB. Additionally, I was not able to head back to Arcadia Bay on my 32-bit toaster, so instead had to ask someone else if I could play on their 64-bit Dell Inspiron 580 desktop PC with Microsoft Windows 10 Home Edition, an Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, an Nvidia GTX 960 graphics card, and Direct X 12 (way beyond my league). During gameplay, there weren’t any bugs that stuck to mind, except for a recurring one in episode three, when Steph narrates the table-top game, Mikey regularly pops up to her right and one at the start where Chloe talks to the T-shirt vendor to then only be teleported outside of the mill. Lastly, even though the game was initially launched using the highly controversial Denuvo copy protection system, it has since been removed and patched out1,2.
About the Story:
Life is Strange: Before the Storm (2017-2018) is easily my favorite game of 2017-2018 even though I both love and felt let down by so many things about it. The story takes place three years prior to Max’s return to Arcadia Bay to show how Chloe met Rachel in addition to how her feelings for her developed. Writing a prequel, especially to a smash hit with so many fans like Life is Strange (click here to read my review on that) is a finicky undertaking. Followers of the original all have their own, unique thoughts on the characters, the world, and the events, which the creators have to live up to, expand upon without breaking pre-established rules, even electrify to keep things fresh. An added challenge with this interactive drama then is that while the original Life is Strange (2015) was developed by Dontnod Entertainment, this project was created by Deck Nine Games.
Rachel […] will undoubtedly win over the hearts of the players
So, did they meet the mark? For the most part “yes”, but with a couple of drawbacks. In preparation to this season’s release, with the fans’ prying eyes on his shoulders, co-director Chris Floyd explained that “[they] spent the last three years turning [their] focus towards cinematic narrative adventure games,”3 and that “[they’ve] built up a team of storytellers [,] went to the film world and the TV world, but also video games to bring together cinematic artists, environment artists, level designers and of course writers who wanted to tell stories.”3. Furthermore, the lead developer, Zak Garris explained that Ashly Burch, who voiced Chloe in the original, was a hired story consultant to help Deck Nine keep the protagonist’s character consistent with the original and fan expectations4.
Chloe’s personality has certainly been captured exquisitely. She is the thickheaded, brash heartbreaker fans recognize from the original, with her separation anxiety disorder (SAD) clearly present, though not yet as strongly developed as it is in Life is Strange. Being who she is, the troublemaker challenges authority any chance she gets (unlike Max, who in the first season always tries to forgo any confrontation). Before the Storm emphasizes this even further through its dialog system in which players have to listen to other characters and, under a time limit, give snarky rebuttals to succeed.
Since Chloe is not engulfed by the supernatural like Max, however, the paranormal elements have been relegated to the background, which means that gameplaywise Chloe cannot reverse time, but has to nail every dispute on her first try. Should she fail, players will have to find alternative routes to reach their goal. I initially feared that this mechanic might be too stressful for such a mellow universe as Life is Strange, but ended up enjoying several of Chloe’s dished out burns.
grieving people can often have a hard time keeping their emotions in check
Nevertheless, while Max’s abilities (the core mechanic) are woven into the narrative of the first game, slowly leading to her realization that these powers have consequences that are out of her control, Chloe is, as always, far less reflective with her rebuttals not culminating in any revelations or significant impacts in the narrative. They’re a dialog tool that praises the very same self-destructive attitude that many initially hated Chloe for. If, for example, audiences view Chloe’s dialogs from the point of view of others, like her mother Joyce, they can see how troubling these words actually are. Even though depressive and grieving people can often have a hard time keeping their emotions in check, they still know how their actions come across, which is one reason why many become withdrawn. With the exception of the junkyard scene in episode one, Deck Nine certainly missed the opportunity to have Chloe try to do the same or suppress unpleasant thoughts.
Rachel Amber’s portrayal meanwhile will undoubtedly win over the hearts of the players. Every scene involving her is so passionate, so intense (especially in the theater) that everyone will board the HMS Amber-Price without hesitation. But that’s where the problem lies, since she only shows her darker side (e.g. with Victoria before said theater scene) should they choose not to do so. Her ambivalent nature was pointed out in the first season, but easily goes unseen by most players in Before the Storm, because she is simply too likable. Even though I suspect that this is what the developers were going for, showing her duality more obviously to the players might have been the better option.
In the original Life is Strange, both Max and Chloe also grow as characters, which Chloe and Rachel do not in Before the Storm. Chloe remains stagnant with only her relationship status together with her hair color changing, while Rachel’s emotional background is left largely unanswered to such a degree that it is unclear what she feels or what persona she presents to Chloe. She’s a reliable, straight-A student who is also spontaneous and just decides to cut class5. This is just one of her many contradicting traits I’d like to learn more about, but can’t, as the game doesn’t explore this theme (that I hope will be addressed, should they create a pre-sequel, please). Even though there is no issue with stagnating protagonists in any story, their presentation necessitates elaboration, which Rachel is lacking, but Chloe has two games of.
That said, these complaints come from a very high comfort level, as the game is really good. Players will also be happy to hear that this prequel turns out to be as confrontational as Chloe Price herself. Since the original was a new intellectual property (IP), the developer together with the publisher only implied certain topics, probably to avoid backlash. This game though is privileged to ride on its successful predecessor’s coattails and takes the opportunity to pull no punches, forcing audiences to engage directly with Chloe’s trauma while unambiguously highlighting her (romantic) aspirations head on. That was the right choice. Seeing Chloe struggle to sleep, her efforts to hold a relationship, trouble to trust anyone, attempts to open up, besides her uncertainty on how to treat others well is heart wrenching and authentically portrays some real-life troubles trauma victims have. Like in the original, Before the Storm excels in this regard.
This unapologetic and unambiguous presentation then carries over to the portrayal of Rachel’s and Chloe’s relationship which was – despite its aforementioned flaws – simply refreshing to see, since it’s such a rare sight in video games. But there are elements Before the Storm should have definitely handled better. Mental health, coping mechanisms (or lack thereof) coupled with emotional bonds were prominent leitmotifs alongside the plot of the original, whereas here, the themes of manipulation, deception, and even the conspiracy that hovers over Arcadia Bay, are easily drowned out by drama. In other words, due to there only existing three episodes, Before the Storm lacks some of the depth of the original to elevate it from highly entertaining to lasting.
the plot’s weaknesses are made up for by Deck Nine’s strength in presenting interpersonal relationships
For instance, the third and final episode of Life is Strange: Before the Storm segues terribly into two revelations: The first is the confrontation during the office sequence after the hospital segment with a lesser antagonist (whose sole purpose seems to be to incorporate one intense, gimmicky situation that adds nothing to the story). The scene itself is well-made, the arguments on point, the situation intense, but the antagonist completely forgettable. The character either should have had a more significant role throughout, or the entire scene should have involved another, better developed character (see below) to have more gravity. Which brings me to the second grievance:
Deck Nine made the right choice to reduce the supporting cast to only a handful of characters to give more space to Chloe and Rachel, but the team failed to give the evil conspirators a similar treatment, leaving them, their plan, along with their reasons underdeveloped. In the end the task the gray eminence has the goons carry out in the climax – despite everything – seems nigh cartoonish, solely because the character wasn’t given time to breathe beforehand (see below). Had Life is Strange: Before the Storm had just one more episode, the writers, as skilled as they are, would surely have ironed out these flaws. Alternatively, they could have left out the conspiracy plotline entirely for now to only focus on Chloe’s and Rachel’s day to day. As it stands, the final revelation is a let-down in an otherwise splendid game.
Ultimately, all the plot’s weaknesses are made up for by Deck Nine’s strength in presenting interpersonal relationships, which is highlighted best through the completely optional tabletop mini-game sessions with the supporting cast. Twice (in episode 1 and 3) can players choose to just hang out with other characters and partake in two Dungeon and Dragons (1974 ongoing) style campaigns. This resource efficient activity is exactly what is missing from the original as it adds so much more life to Blackwell’s student body. I would have loved it if had there been a similar opportunity with Juliet, Courtney, Brooke, Warren or even Victoria in season one.
Conclusion:
When it comes down to it, Life is Strange: Before the Storm, like most sequels or prequels, is a flawed product. On the one hand it struggles to fit the shoes of those that walked before it, on the other it is cathartic and heavy hitting. Chloe’s grieving, which affects her, her family, as well as all of her relationships has been portrayed extraordinarily well, but didn’t leave enough room for other characters or plot strings. Rachel’s personality, despite her charm, would have greatly profited from some edits and the build up to the climactic scene needed another episode to properly build tension. All said and done, Life is Strange: Before the Storm leaves me hungry for more. Questions regarding Rachel and Frank, for example, have been left unanswered, which I hope Deck Nine will elucidate in a future game, maybe? Pretty please?
Life is Strange: Before the Storm is available now in retail as well as a digital download for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, plus PC for US $ 16.99 for the regular game, US $29.99 for the limited, and finally US $89.88 for the vinyl edition.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm gets an 8.9 piratey arrrs out of 10 Hawt Dawg Men
Feeling rebellious?
Thank you for reading my article. If you like, please do feel free to leave a comment. There’s no need to register or login. Also, all screenshots shown here were taken by me during my playthrough. You can also follow my reviews on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/8839524-Gaos-Corner/ Have a nice day.
Fan babble
SPOILER ALERT! These are just some intrusive thoughts that occured while reflecting and writing this review:
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- It’s really cool that Chloe is ambidextrous. Players can see her tagging the walls of Arcadia Bay using both her left and her right hand. A little detail that goes a long way.
- Rachel should have lost her role in the play regardless, because many players miss out on that part of Rachel’s personality. In the game, provided Victoria gets the part, Rachel doses her tea (as opposed to Victoria dosing Rachel’s tea). Though dosing someone’s tea is a bit …, especially considering what Nathan did to Rachel, something less extreme should have been mandatory. It would have been cool to see Chloe and Rachel conspire to reclaim the part, with one option showing Rachel suggesting to trick Victoria and the other being a more Chloe-esque approach to highlight Rachel’s reckless nature.
- David could have confronted Chloe in James Amber’s office instead of the underutilized Eliot. In the actual story up to that point, David and Chloe already had several talks about trust (Chloe had to empty her pockets in the school parking lot, David searched her room for drugs, and he offered her his photo showing his fallen comrade, Phil Becker). The writers could have either had David follow Chloe in his car – which would have been consistent with his attitude in Life is Strange – or he could have seen her by accident and followed her from there.
- James Amber should have been allotted more time to develop. Being the gray eminence, the game should have spread better hints throughout all three episodes that an authority figure does something shady. Frank, a well-established acquaintance of Chloe, could have warned her early on, for example.
- I hope that the success of Life is Strange won’t lead to a bunch of shallow games that exploit human fragility in narrative driven games for a quick buck.
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References:
- Brown, Fraser, 2017, Life is Strange: Before the Storm no longer uses Denuvo, PC Gamer, last edited, 2017, October, 20, accessed 2018, September, 05, retrieved from https://www.pcgamer.com/life-is-strange-before-the-storms-second-episode-is-out-next-week/
- Jones, Ali, 2017, Life is Strange: Before the Storm episode two is out now, without its Denuvo protection, PC Games N, last edited, 2017, October, 20, accessed 2018, September, 05, retrieved from https://www.pcgamesn.com/life-is-strange-before-the-storm/life-is-strange-denuvo-protection
- Alexander, Jem, 2017, Interview: Life Will Be Strange, MCV, last edited, 2017, July, 24, accessed 2018, September, 02, retrieved from https://www.mcvuk.com/development/interview-life-will-be-strange
- Frank, Allegra, 2017, Life is Strange: Before the Storm got a lot of help from exiting voice actor Ashly Burch – The voice actors’ strike changed her role, but didn’t reduce it, Polygon, last edited, 2017, June, 14, accessed 2018, September, 02, retrieved from https://www.polygon.com/e3/2017/6/14/15798050/life-is-strange-before-the-storm-ashly-burch-voice-actor
- Writing on Games, Examining the Problems of Life is Strange: Before the Storm, YouTube, Alphabet Inc., posted 2018, January, 28, accessed 2018, September, 04, retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o68N2ftlVWQ
- Conditt, Jessica, 2017, How ‘Life is Strange’ landed in Deck Nine’s hands: ‘We honestly hadn’t really expected that was on the table.’, engadget, last edited, 2017, November, 23, accessed 2018, September, 02, retrieved from https://www.engadget.com/2017/11/23/life-is-strange-before-the-storm-deck-nine-interview-square-enix/
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