Life is Strange: Before the Storm

Hi to everyone who is reading this.
To me life is strange before the storm is little bit better then Life is strange (in my opinion, I enjoy it more)
I just wanna say that for me, for a adult who is battleing: clinical depression, anxiety, suicide thoughs and panic attacks, this game save my life. It helps me to feel some emotions again and don´t think about my depression. That´s all I wanna say.
Sending positive energy and love, stay safe, and If you battleing depression like me... you can do that I believe you, dont give up... don´t ever give up <3
Thank you for reading this if you did that. PS: sorry for my english guys.

LiS:BtS is the prequel to LiS. Play as Chloe Price, meet the famous Rachel Amber, and use your smart mouth to convince people to do things they don't want. It is a must play if you liked the first LiS
Here you play as Chloe 3 years before LiS. 2 years after Max left to Seattle. Chloe did not take that very well, and distanced herself from society. Her hair is still brown in the game, But she does have the same attitude as in LiS. You will meet Rachel and her family, Find out nobody is really perfect. The story is a lot less horrific as before, It still touches some dark themes, like Drug money, Extortion, But it mostly is about teenage drama and falling in love.
There is no Time Rewind function in this game, It has been replaced with the Backtalk mechanic. Here you have to listen to what people say and use snarky comments to get them mad, give up, convince someone or give them what you want. It is okay, But it does not really feel like an ability like the time rewinding did in LiS. Photo opportunities have also been replaced by Grafitti opportunities. Instead of snapping a picture you have to spread your art using your magic marker.
The game offers you a lot of choices, Many of them impact the game later on, There is no good or bad choice maybe morally, But is it the right choice for you? There are a lot of opportunities to steal or make bad choices in general. Some may benefit you, But only time will tell, There is no rewind function in this game, It is also hard to think about the consequenes, You can, but it is nothing more than a gamble. It is nice to just do what you think is best and see how that plays out for Chloe.
I personally like LiS better, The Rewind gimmick was pretty cool, There is more to the story, and it had a bigger impact on me, Still BtS is still a must play, Especially if you liked the first game. I personally would have liked it better if this game came first, Because it is the chronological order But also because LiS feels more like a climax, The end to the story.
LiS is the sequal, But it is strange to first watch the second half of a movie and then the first half. You can play them in any order tho, It might feel strange to hear Max talking about the missing girl posters and not knowing who Amber is after you just played BtS and learned all about her. But since you play as different characters this does not break the story.
Both games reveal details about the other, I would recommend playing BtS first. You will know who Amber is, But at least you don't play BtS while knowing what is going to happen at the end of LiS. Playing LiS before BtS makes BtS a whole lot darker, But doing it the opposite does not reveal any mayor spoilers. You can play them in any order you want. The story will remain in all its glory.
The graphics are the same style as the first game, There is a lot of detail in some things, but others lack any for of detail, It is a very unique graphic style that I absolutely adore. The soundtrack is also great, It enhances especially the more shocking and emotional moments.
The game is a single player story driven experience, You have to walk around, talk to people, Don't expect any combat, It is wise to explore the areas and listen to what everybody has to say, These conversations can unlock certain topics in conversations with other people, These topics are often needed to progress, or at least make progressing a lot easier.
Overall I think Both LiS games are must plays, Even if you don't like "Walking Simulators" The games feel more like interactive movies that you get emotionally invested in. I do have to rate this game lower than the sequal because I don't feel the backtalk mechanic is not as great as the Time Rewinding, I also feel the story is less deep and certainly less shocking, I have to give it an 8, But it is a must play if you have played LiS.
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Steam Cloud Save
Working fine
Controller Support
Yes, Xbox One Bluetooth Working
Achievements
Walk in the Park
FPS on Ultra
200 - 300 fps depending on area
Launch Command
gamemoderun %command%
Issues
None
OS
Arch Linux
Kernel
5.3.8
DE
Gnome 3.34.1
CPU
Intel I7-6800K @ 4.20Ghz
GPU
Nvidia Geforce GTX 1080 (Nvidia 435.21 Drivers)

It's a game that so admirably and genuinely builds a relationship between two girls who absolutely need and deserve each other; when it gets to the ugly business of reminding you where it ends, it sours and saddens every moment. You could use your choices to keep Rachel at a bit of distance, but even that distance feels unfair, because why wouldn't both girls deserve their momentary bliss?
Still, Before The Storm's main three episodes largely play out as though the future isn't set in stone, allowing you to craft something resembling a momentary win for an ill-fated relationship, entertaining the notions of coping and vulnerability in ways very few games typically have time or inclination to. The bittersweet cherry on top, however, is contained in the game's Deluxe Edition, a final episode that allows you to play through Max and Chloe's last beautiful day together before Max leaves for Seattle. It's light, whimsical, often funny, and bathed in a gentle golden nostalgia. And once again, its final moments bring truth rushing in, and it's a stab in the heart.
This, apparently, is the heartbreaking joy that is Life Is Strange: the inevitability that life will do terrible, unexpected things to people whose presence we love, and people who absolutely deserve better. Developer Deck Nine's contribution through Before the Storm posits that the pain is still worth it; just to have the time at all is enough. A storm is still coming to Arcadia Bay, and Rachel will still disappear one day, and it doesn't matter. Being able to spend time with Chloe when her heart is at its lightest, and putting in the work to keep it going, is powerful and worthwhile.

Life Is Strange: Before The Storm
Pros:
👍 Emotional Story with strong character performances and excellent dialogue
👍Graphically impressive. Character movement was very realistic.
👍Soundtracks were amazing, along with superb voice acting and effects.
👍Steam achievements with collector mode after game has finished
Cons:
👎Sometimes dialogue choices were confusing or not comprehensible.
First Impressions
I really enjoyed Before the Storm. It chronicles the relationship between Chloe Price and Rachel Amber which is referred to in Life Is Strange. There are other story lines entwined around this story but the main focus is the relationship between these two characters.
I don’t particularly like visual novels but this game cleverly infuses a mixture of visual novel, puzzle, and point and click adventure. It’s not just a case of reading copious amounts of dialogue, you are in control of the character’s movements and watch the story unfold with excellent visuals and sound. You’ll get to pick up objects, examine them to reveal clues or sub plots and speak to characters.
During dialogue exchanges you will be given a choice of questions and answers which will affect how the story unfolds. Some of these decisions are crucial and on a couple of occasions I really struggled on how to answer. That is how emotionally involved you get during this game. The choices matter to you and the characters matter to you. The story writing is superb and it is backed up with a wonderful soundtrack and superb voice acting.
The story is well paced, interesting and dramatic. It is a bit shorter than Life is Strange coming in at around 9-10 hours but in some ways that kept the story fresh. Some of my favourite scenes in the game involved poignant moments with Chloe and Rachel followed by a wonderful track which emotionally charges the scene. You can skip these tracks but they were so good I found myself listening to the whole song whilst watching them together.
Most of the characters I remember from Life is Strange so you will find them familiar but some have bigger roles in this story, especially Rachel, Elliott and the main characters parents. There is also quite a large story arc involving Chloe’s drug dealing friend Frank which was interesting.
I would suggest that Before the Storm is just as good, if not better, than Life is Strange although shorter it packs a punch and is emotionally taxing in a good way. It was really interesting to see Rachel’s character and how Chloe and Rachel influenced each other and interacted. I also thought the cut scenes seemed a bit more polished and exciting in Before the Storm and the music certainly sounded better. I am really tempted to purchase the deluxe edition just for the music.
If you liked Life is Strange then you will certainly love Before the Storm. It is a warm, relevant and dramatic soap opera on your screen where you can interact and immerse yourself. Highly recommended.
Story 🕹️
You play as Chloe Price, a typical teenager with identity issues just trying to find herself. After an altercation at an underground concert you meet Rachel and their friendship blossoms from that moment. Although initially they appear complete opposites, from different backgrounds and academically poles apart, they begin to realise they have more in common than they think.
It is a wonderful story covering a multitude of subjects we’ve all struggled with within our own lives. It is easy to get drawn in to the story which is interesting, dramatic and emotionally charged thanks to the wonderful soundtracks and superb voice acting. Making the choices during these events pulls us further into the story and makes the choices matter. You will fret over some of the decisions you make and I was genuinely worried about my choices. A testament to how invested I was in the story.
Gameplay
Gameplay is the same as in Life is Strange apart from one notable difference. The backtalk mechanic. Not so much a super power like time manipulation we saw in Life is Strange, but more of an attitude adjustor that Chloe uses to get out of tight situations where she is beginning to lose the upper hand. By answering from a choice of replies the idea is to verbally assault your opponent, confuse and bamboozle them into submission and get what you want. It can result in some funny moments and it fits in with Chloe’s personality perfectly. It felt more realistic and appropriate although it wasn’t difficult to choose the correct response and the timer element was annoying. I never ran out of time but it did make me feel rushed which I suppose was the idea.
Playing as Chloe, you move around the scene examining objects which elicits a comment from Chloe and may also reveal more insight into an existing story arc or reveal a new one. I tried to examine everything as more than often this will provide more depth to stories and contribute some witty remarks or thoughts.
In some scenes you will have to examine objects for clues so you can answer questions correctly and even solve some basic puzzles like finding hidden keys to open drawers, or deciphering files of suspects to reveal the culprit.
Sometimes you’ll have the opportunity to sit down somewhere which begins a monologue of thoughts, concerns and reflections on past events. I really enjoyed these as they presented Chloe’s inner thoughts and accompanied with the music rendered a deeper emotional connection with the character.
Of course, the main element of the game is still dialogue and talking to characters to reveal story plots. You still get a choice of questions to ask and a choice of answers to reply. During very dramatic scenes you will get a crucial choice which will have a profound affect on the character’s involved. These choices were very difficult and I had to spend quite a while pondering on my answer. They were excellently set up to provide maximum anxiety!
During all these events, Chloe keeps a diary of her thoughts and often reminisces about what Max would do in these situations. She also draws strength from her father and imagines what conversations would be like with him played out in cut scenes and dream sequences.
The diary also provides an account of what places you have performed graffiti, your text logs and alerts, biography of characters and pictures of scenes you have visited.
The graffiti mechanic is new and replaces the photo mode we saw in Life is Strange. In certain scenes you will get the opportunity to graffiti something with words from a choice of two options. The challenge is to find these spots as they are often hidden and sometimes need to be either revealed or you will need another object before you can express yourself. At the end of the game you will be able to revisit any scenes of graffiti you missed.
Sound: 🎵
I love the soundtracks so much. They enhance the story incredibly and are integral to the plots and emotions felt throughout the ride. Voice acting is the best I have heard in any game and sound effects are wonderful too.
Graphics: 📺
I find it amazing how realistically they can portray these characters and portray so much emotion just from their movements. Impressive.
Conclusion
This is a must buy for any Life is Strange fans. It continues, and in my opinion, improves on the first installment. Although shorter in length this provides a weightier punch and I found the whole story was emotional charged and wonderfully presented.
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Same emotional roller coaster ride like the first game. Words can't describe this game. You must play it to believe it. Chloe Price is one of the best video game character.
11/10

Great backstory into the original LIS universe and a dope soundtrack to go along with it. The bonus episode is a must buy imo. I never get emotional whenever I play a game or watch a movie, but this game hit me right in the feels lol.

The game technically: Doesn't deliver what it promises, with choices culminating in subtle (sometimes non-relevant) consequences. Two choices at the end, this is what you get, neither good nor bad, that affect only what are your interpretations around of the main themes of the game: Honesty/Loss/Trustiness. The game seems to struggle all the time with the limitations and clunkiness of the Unity Engine, the low amount of assets, poor textures and doll animations. In the end, the game suffers almost from the same problems as its predecessor.
The game on me: It hit me hard. I lost my boyfriend/best friend exactly 10 years ago, dead by a stupid illness (pneumonia). So it's fair to admit that I kind of understand Chloe making dumb choices (the only ones that the game gives to us as the only ones that real life gives to us at certain difficult moments). I had problems with drug abuse, I pushed people away, put on the mask of a strength I didn't have, anger, pain, loss, distrust, lies... Everything that is present in this game, I went through on my grief and mourning... And finally... I also tried to runnaway and extinguish myself in any naive form of love I could find, which obviously put me more in problems than in solutions. Time passes, we grow old and we also learn from our mistakes. Nothing new in the mess that is life. Therefore, this game is a case of dichotomy... Is hard giving a very positive or a very negative review, it is surely neither of the options.
The game at the conclusion: Is a two-way street, almost killed by its several technical problems, but very well supported by the solid "soap opera narrative" and good writing that managed to make a 30 year old man seeing himself as a 16 yo teenage girl and mostly: saving the game making it somewhat memorable.