Life is Strange: Before the Storm stands out as a narrative-driven adventure game that explores themes of friendship and personal struggle in a single-player format. Released initially in 2017, this prequel to the original Life is Strange lets you step into the shoes of 16-year-old Chloe Price, a rebellious teen navigating high school drama and unexpected bonds in the town of Arcadia Bay. With its focus on choice-based storytelling, the game emphasizes emotional depth over action-packed sequences, making it a fit for players who enjoy interactive narratives in the adventure genre.
Gameplay
In Life is Strange: Before the Storm, the core gameplay revolves around exploration and decision-making in a third-person perspective. You control Chloe as she interacts with environments, collects items, and engages in conversations that shape the story. A key mechanic is the Backtalk system, which lets Chloe use sharp dialogue to challenge others in risk-reward exchanges, potentially altering outcomes. Choices you make influence relationships and lead to multiple endings, while smaller actions like tagging walls with drawings or selecting outfits affect how characters respond to Chloe. The game lacks supernatural elements like time rewind from other entries, keeping the focus on realistic interpersonal dynamics and puzzle-solving through dialogue and observation.
Mechanics encourage replayability through branching paths, where decisions carry consequences across episodes. Exploration involves searching areas such as Chloe's home or local spots to advance the plot or uncover backstory details. The licensed indie soundtrack enhances the atmosphere during these moments, integrating music by the band Daughter to underscore emotional beats.
Game Modes
This adventure game operates in a single-player story mode, structured as a three-episode series with an additional bonus episode called Farewell. Each episode presents a self-contained chapter of the narrative, allowing players to experience the story in segments. There are no multiplayer options or competitive modes; instead, the emphasis remains on solo progression through the plot, with variations based on player choices leading to different conclusions.
Story and Setting
Set three years before the events of the first Life is Strange, the game follows Chloe's unlikely friendship with Rachel Amber, a popular student facing family secrets. Together, they tackle personal demons in the Pacific Northwest town of Arcadia Bay, blending everyday teen issues with deeper emotional challenges. The narrative draws from verified elements like Chloe's barbed personality and Rachel's ambitions, creating a grounded tale without invented supernatural twists.
Is It Worth Playing?
Life is Strange: Before the Storm holds a Metascore of 77 and a user score of 7.9 on Metacritic for its PC version, reflecting generally favorable reception for its character development and emotional storytelling. Players often praise the strong bond between Chloe and Rachel, along with the game's atmosphere, though some note weaker mechanics compared to similar titles. A remastered version, released in 2022, offers updated visuals and is available now, with no ongoing seasons or major updates beyond that. If you prefer narrative adventures that prioritize dialogue and choices over fast-paced action, this game suits fans of single-player stories; otherwise, those seeking complex puzzles might find it less engaging.
