Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Episode 1: Awake

 PC
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 117 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 79 out of 117
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 117
  3. Negative: 18 out of 117

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  1. gyigyo2
    Oct 21, 2017
    8
    Postitive
    -Great voice acting
    -Amazing Soundtracks
    -Interesting cutscenes,dialogs
    -Interesting adventures with Rachel and interesting places
    -Interesting Nightmares/Diary
    -RAVEN is great!
    -Arcadia Bay Radio
    -Chloe

    Negative
    -Boring gameplay
    -Ending was not shocking
    -No plot twist at all
    -Samatha
    -Eliot
  2. kayrajordana
    Sep 17, 2017
    10
    sem palavras para descrever esse jogo, simplesmente incrível e Extraordinário, além de deixar escolher o destino do seu jogo, uma trilha sonora otima e na espera para o proximo ep
  3. BananaLuiz
    Aug 31, 2017
    10
    Incredible and magical as it should be, charismatic characters, interesting and varied, a wonderful soundtrack and an impressive art direction, the game touches on delicate and controversial subjects with a lot of respect and makes the experience very immersive and magical, looking forward to the next episode
  4. kayleigh
    Sep 1, 2017
    9
    Another emotional and heartwarming visit to Arcadia Bay. Chloe is back as we know her and the game delivers all you would expect. Enjoy the mosh pit shaka brah.
  5. TheTastyPotato
    Sep 15, 2017
    10
    Just finished it. It was AWESOME. As I loved the previous games everyone that is reading this review I have to tell them: do not care on negative reviews if they same the game is cringe or they don't like Chloe. Mean or good, characters that are not perfect morally, that ain't making them bad. Every character has it's own personality, and that's what I love about this game, or that theJust finished it. It was AWESOME. As I loved the previous games everyone that is reading this review I have to tell them: do not care on negative reviews if they same the game is cringe or they don't like Chloe. Mean or good, characters that are not perfect morally, that ain't making them bad. Every character has it's own personality, and that's what I love about this game, or that the decisions will not matter that much, in previous game it did, sort of, not on what you see in Telltale Games thought, but it had those choices to get players more interactive with the story and that is great . It is full of moments where you feel the characters, the story was well introduced, the art-style is awesome, the music is awesome, for the 1st episode I'm really impressed on what they have done.… Expand
  6. Rem
    Sep 7, 2017
    7
    The original Life is Strange by DontNod holds a special place in my heart. Few games explore a relationship like Max and Chloe's in such a captivating, meaningful detail that I still think about it long after completion. So fast forward then to Deck Nine's Before the Storm, a prequel set 3 years before the main game. I had strong reservations before playing, believing that no developerThe original Life is Strange by DontNod holds a special place in my heart. Few games explore a relationship like Max and Chloe's in such a captivating, meaningful detail that I still think about it long after completion. So fast forward then to Deck Nine's Before the Storm, a prequel set 3 years before the main game. I had strong reservations before playing, believing that no developer could replicate that same feeling of absorption I had for the main game and that a prequel couldn't possibly deliver anything more than fanservice. By the end of Awake, I'm convinced that BtS is a worthy addition, with similarities and differences in the right places despite its stumbles.

    Before the Storm puts you in the shoes of a 16 year old Chloe Price, the deuteragonist of the original LiS. In this installment, she meets Rachel Amber, the missing girl from the original game, as they develop an unlikely friendship. The story isn’t immediately enjoyable, the first dozen or so minutes were uninteresting, but the game’s plot eventually picks up. I won't detail any further but know that the crux of the game still centers around its main leads. The chemistry between Rachel and Chloe is engaging, but I don't think it's quite as profound and memorable as the relationship between Max and Chloe, some of their interactions can feel forced because of their brief amount of time together. What Awake absolutely nails is the writing which is filled to the brim with strong personality and detail, although Deck Nine took a less subtle approach to storytelling. If you never liked Chloe in the first game, I doubt BtS will change your mind, but what's here is special and emotionally charged. BtS takes place two years after the death of Chloe's father (and three years before Max’s return), and she's still grieving. Her depression has taken a toll, causing her to rebel and not care much about anything or anyone. Playing as a younger Chloe is a refreshing change of pace, as she isn't completely the confident free-spirit she was in the original. She's still figuring herself out, and has more naivety and vulnerability that makes her more sympathetic. BtS explores her state of mind in her lowest moments and the subtle details surrounding that highlight the game's gut punching moments. Her perspective on the world and its people is different from Max, but it feels just as authentic. While one may pass it as simple teenage angst, BtS tastefully navigates her thoughts of both abandonment and discovery. I was captivated by her character in LiS, but BtS bolsters that feeling to new heights. Its cast is just as remarkable as the original. Rachel Amber, while not as relatable as Max, is charming as she is mysterious.

    While Max Caulfield had the ability to rewind time, Chloe has no such powers. Without the rewind feature, you're mostly exploring and making choices as you did before. It makes sense for the story, and I didn't mind. Dialogue plays a larger role, and Deck Nine does a good job creating interesting interactions, such as Chloe playing D&D and allowing you to pick her moves and responses. One new addition that I like is the backtalk mechanic. During certain conversations, you can talk your way out of things by being brazen. You need to pick a string of "correct" dialogue options that relate to what the person just said and goes with the tone of the conversation. Mostly, this is Chloe throwing insults and threatening people, including talking back to her principal to avoid an after school visit and convincing a bouncer she's tough enough to enter a shady concert. While it's simple, the game’s writing keeps the engagements funny and in character. However, BtS fails in providing any real puzzles or challenge, relegating the game to a purely interactive story.

    Among other things, the replacement VAs solidly portray each character, despite some sour sounding lines on occasion. One of the more recognizable components of Life is Strange is the soundtrack, and BtS fully delivers with a score composed by Daughter. While Max's indie folk tunes reflect nostalgia and longing, Chloe's more grunge electronica elevate feelings of melancholy and loneliness. It’s injected into the right moments for that extra emotional punch.

    On technical side, Before the Storm avoids the original game's mistake of horrifying lip sync. The game's animations have also improved, but the game isn't always pretty. While the art style is hand brushed and the environment detailed, some textures look ugly and the amount of load screens towards the end was jarring to the storytelling flow.

    Awake shows you a broken Chloe, someone at her lowest. Everyone hits those trying times in their lives, and what Awake does best is illustrate how much another person can make a difference, the emotional pull is immense in both its subtle and blatant story bits. BtS has quelled my doubts of it living up to the original. While not perfect, it has me anxiously waiting for more.    … Expand
  7. SuperkenGaming
    Aug 31, 2017
    6
    Life is Strange: Before The Storm Episode 1: Awake
    No confidence in whats to come
    Before the storm is a prequel to life is strange where you play as maxs blue haired friend chloe.. though at least in episode 1, that blue hair is nowhere to be seen… This time the story focuses on her friendship with rachael amber.. the missing girl from life is strange… She saves you from a party and    Life is Strange: Before The Storm Episode 1: Awake
    No confidence in whats to come
    Before the storm is a prequel to life is strange where you play as maxs blue haired friend chloe..
    though at least in episode 1, that blue hair is nowhere to be seen…
    This time the story focuses on her friendship with rachael amber.. the missing girl from life is strange…
    She saves you from a party and the rest is history..
    episode 1 is reminding you about chloes fathers death, how much she hates school and her step dad.. and how much teen angst she has, while setting up her and rachels relationship and care for eachother..
    but by this 2 hrs long episodes end… my care was nowhere to be found…
    There is no special rewind ability here.. this is all interacting with the environment and dialog choices.. turning this into a telltale games sort of adventure..
    Appreciated though is that chloe talks to herself reminding you where items are or where you should be looking for a certain item to progress the story.. it doesn’t waste your time which is refreshing for an adventure game…
    There is also a battle system where you trade insults or come up with clever replies based on when your opponent says to get your way in a situation..
    and you have to do so quickly as youre being timed…
    this system is really the only noticeable gameplay here…
    Again there is no rewind puzzles or really any puzzles in this first episode
    aside from a few fetch questy moments finding your moms phone or an item to pry open a coinslot… the game was dialog choices with characters and a situation I just didn’t care about…
    the game gives me no reason to care about chloe and rachaels relationship…
    I asked myself while playing multiple times what is even the point of this
    There was one cool moment here where I was playing a table top game with these 2 nerds at a picnic table and had to make choices, it was fun and immersed me into the world…
    but afterwards I was just out of it, again wondering why…why does this game even exist…
    Im not sure if this is just fan service or if this game is going to actually go somewhere..
    The story so far is just not compelling
    nothing from episode 1 has hooked or intrigued me, nothing has me excited for the next episode…
    this isn’t a good sign when this game is set to take place across only 3 episodes total…
    I give
    Life is Strange: Before The Storm Episode 1: Awake
    a 5.5/10    … Expand
  8. Kaioh
    Sep 2, 2017
    7
    3 edgy 5 me.
    + great graphics
    + detailed interiors
    + some well written lines
    + collectors mode is nice

    - stupid ending
    - chloe acts too edgy and irrational sometimes
    - how can you **** on your own (!) dead (!!) father? (read journal entry) some dumb sjw was in charge there, yeah
    - some lines are stupid
  9. Xzenor
    Mar 4, 2020
    10
    I expected this to to be a lot worse than the original "Life is strange". After all, they couldn't pull the time reversal trick in a prequel because it was all new to Max and Cloe back then , so what other trick is there this time?

    Well there isn't realy one. Cloe can foul-mouth (backtalk) people and win arguments that way but that's not really a big deal. Don't get me wrong, it's fun    I expected this to to be a lot worse than the original "Life is strange". After all, they couldn't pull the time reversal trick in a prequel because it was all new to Max and Cloe back then , so what other trick is there this time?

    Well there isn't realy one. Cloe can foul-mouth (backtalk) people and win arguments that way but that's not really a big deal. Don't get me wrong, it's fun that it's there but it's not as big a deal as the time thing. Far from it..

    So, is it worse? Hell no! I loved it! It really feels familiar. Cloe has an awesome sick sense of humor in a few scenes and I totally love that. Rachel too btw. Next to that the game comes with an awesome story (so far), some well played emotions, great acting, great voice-overs. and so on.. The actor for Cloe is not the same as the one from the original game but you don't even notice that. She's a little different but she's younger here so it actually fits perfectly.
    It's also built by a completely different studio and you don't even notice that either. Arcadya Bay looks and feels the same as in the original Life is Strange.

    Get this game. So far, it's really worth it.    … Expand
  10. scepticpurple
    Dec 24, 2017
    8
    A welcome return to the world of Arcadia Bay, fans will enjoy the well crafted re-imaginings of previously explored environments, and equally well created characters, both new and old. The episode can feel a little bit thin in terms of new material at times- often appearing instead to simply re-tread ideas from the first game, but for now at least, the excitement of a younger, lighterA welcome return to the world of Arcadia Bay, fans will enjoy the well crafted re-imaginings of previously explored environments, and equally well created characters, both new and old. The episode can feel a little bit thin in terms of new material at times- often appearing instead to simply re-tread ideas from the first game, but for now at least, the excitement of a younger, lighter Arcadia Bay is more than enough to suffice.… Expand
  11. Ciocolici
    Sep 7, 2023
    9
    Let's debunk the misconception about Unity games right away. "Life is Strange: Before the Storm" crafted by Deck Nine is a prime example of how impressive Unity games can be. Though some characters may share similar animations, which can be a bit off-putting, the overall visuals are a notable improvement compared to the first game.

    The story of the opening episode is undeniably    Let's debunk the misconception about Unity games right away. "Life is Strange: Before the Storm" crafted by Deck Nine is a prime example of how impressive Unity games can be. Though some characters may share similar animations, which can be a bit off-putting, the overall visuals are a notable improvement compared to the first game.

    The story of the opening episode is undeniably intriguing, providing that signature "Life is Strange" feeling, complemented by a wonderful OST. The ending of the episode gave me goosebumps, setting the stage for what's to come. While not mind-blowing, the story remains engaging, far from being boring or lackluster. The highlight, without a doubt, is playing as Chloe herself. I adore her character and am thrilled to experience her journey.

    Gameplay-wise, the character hubs and mechanics are truly enjoyable, reminiscent of the first game. However, the absence of the rewind mechanic, which was a fantastic aspect of the original, takes a bit from the Life is Strange feeling. The new gameplay mechanic introduced for Chloe lacks the appeal it may have hoped to achieve. In my opinion, it should not have been added just for the sake of making up for her lack of superpowers in this prologue game.

    Despite that, "Life is Strange: Before the Storm" Episode 1 is an impressive experience overall. The stunning visuals, engaging story, and delightful gameplay make it a worthy addition to the series. As a fan, I couldn't be happier to delve into Chloe's world and immerse myself in her story.

    In conclusion, the first episode sets a promising tone for the rest of the series, leaving me eager to see where Chloe's journey will lead.    … Expand
  12. nfs7379
    Sep 4, 2022
    8
    8/10.......................................................................
  13. realWhiteMan
    Apr 9, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My rating is based on my impressions of the game. This is not an objective review. I play quite a big number of titles per year and decided to review them as a peace of art and not as a product.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

80
#80 Best PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. CD-Action
    Nov 16, 2017
    80
    The first episode is really good (in some aspects even better than the original Life Is Strange!) and despite being rather short (ca. 3 hours) full of positive surprises. [11/2017, p.62]
  2. PC PowerPlay
    Nov 12, 2017
    90
    If the first episode of Before the Storm is anything to go by, Deck Nine has constructed a deep, heartfelt adventure. [Issue#267, p.72]
  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Nov 7, 2017
    77
    Even though people familiar with the original LiS already know how Rachel and Chloe’s friendship is going to end, it doesn’t spoil the game – on the contrary, that shadow of inescapable tragedy adds a subtle but important tone to the story.[Issue#224, p.48]
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