Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Episode 3: Hell is Empty

 PC
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Game Informer
    Dec 20, 2017
    85
    Even with some foibles, Hell is Empty does a fantastic job filling in the blanks of what happened before Chloe was reunited with Max. As a fan, its references to the original shed light on how many things came to be, such as Chloe's transformation. Yes, I knew the conclusion, but it still has enough interesting developments to keep me invested. Before the Storm accomplishes what so many prequels fail to do; it tells its own story that leaves you content, while also connecting to the original game in a meaningful way.
  2. GameStar
    Jan 2, 2018
    79
    Surprisingly good adventure prequel with emotional power. Runs out of steam towards the end.
  3. IGN
    Dec 22, 2017
    78
    The conclusion to Hell Is Empty didn’t give me my runaway future, but the prequel nature of Life Is Strange: Before The Storm made that an impossible dream. Instead, another story shoves it aside, trying to find the difference between what is right for someone and what is good for them, but there isn’t enough time in this episode to deliver this message and round out everything else. This pace leaves it rushed and somewhat tunnel-visioned. That said, characters I cared about and real, hard choices which often don’t feel truly right or wrong kept my gut firmly wrenched throughout. Light puzzles break up the talking and drama but again serve to remind us that correct isn’t necessarily right. Instead, there’s a strong single theme that’s delivered well in a story that isn’t afraid to get in a few punches.
  5. Ragequit.gr
    Jan 4, 2018
    77
    Before the Storm's finale fails to deliver a fitting climax for the portrayal of a unique relationship. It feels hasty and loses scope, making the characters seem illogical and suspends our disbelief. At least the special bond that the heroines had retains its magic and young and tragic innocence.
  6. PLAY! Zine
    Mar 17, 2018
    75
    Still has a great atmosphere, but that unique magic from the original is simply not there.
  7. 3DJuegos
    Jan 22, 2018
    75
    Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a good adventure game that conserve the quality of the original game, but is less emotive and surprising. The story is a beautiful novel about moral growth and love, and the relationship between Rachel and Chloe is captivating, but ends feeling rushed and loses the focus.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 68 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 68
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 68
  3. Negative: 21 out of 68
  1. marcdevr857
    Dec 22, 2017
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. The first two episodes of Before the Storm were brilliant. Some of the best stuff I’ve ever had the pleasure to play.

    I'm sad to say the third episode is a horrible abomination, that doesn’t seem to fit with the previous two episodes at all.

    Here was a story of a relationship between two girls, and there was a company (Deck Nine) willing to run with it, and give hope to teenagers struggling with identity issues and a chunk of the gay gaming community. Needless to say, many of us were waiting for episode 3 with great expectations, which were fed time and again by Deck Nine staff on social media promising many things. They did not even keep a single one of these promises. Most specifically, they are on record promising no Dark Room/Jefferson references.

    Before I begin, let me make it clear that no one was expecting Deck Nine to retcon the tragic events of the original Life is Strange. In fact, had they tried to retcon the original game, I would have been the first to argue sternly against it.

    However, because of Deck Nine’s promises, we were led to believe that this part of the story would at the very least have an open ending leaving the entire fandom able to imagine what happens next, whether you believe it to be the events of the original Life is Strange, or whether you would have wanted to imagine an alternate universe outcome with a more happy or at least open end.

    Guess what happened? Somewhere during the development of episode 3, someone (we do not know who) got spooked, and decided to have an intervention and have Deck Nine trash their original conclusion to the story, and replace it with the horrible abomination we got instead.

    Here’s a list of elements from the first two episodes missing from the third:
    -the supernatural elements to Sera’s story: gone
    -friendship and/or relationship development between Rachel and Chloe: gone (they even retcon their own episodes 1 and 2)
    -the excellent narrative of episodes 1 and 2: gone
    -the general polished feeling of the first two episodes: gone

    There are a few reasons that seem to underline the suspicion that the episode 3 we did get was a rush job:
    -plot elements that show little to no relation to what happened in the first two episodes
    -ridiculous narratives regarding Sera and how Chloe supposedly decides to confront some maniac all by herself
    -horrible looking animations and unfinished locations/surrounding all over the place
    -an endless list of inconsistencies that hint strongly at this rush job, such as Chloe getting a beating and showing absolutely no marks whatsoever

    But above all, it seems Deck Nine and/or Square Enix were suddenly frightened about developing a gay relationship further than they already had. To ensure no one would get hurt or triggered by such things as gay relationships they gave us the following instead:

    -implied pedophilia (Frank leeringly looking at a 15 year old girl)
    -narrative suggestion of Nathan Prescott assaulting Samantha (hospital corridor, near the end, you can listen to a conversation with Sean Prescott)
    -stabbing of underage girl (Rachel)
    -beating of an underage girl (Damon vs Chloe)
    -kidnapping and drugging (Damon vs Sera)
    -a monstrous father who teamed up with the very person that nearly killed his daughter in order to plot the demise of her real mother

    That last bit is also a charge against the horribly written “plot” of episode 3.

    In short: that which started so brilliantly, ended so badly. Never seen something go from 10/10 to 1/10 so quickly. And Deck Nine’s lies won’t be forgotten either. Make a promise, keep a promise. That Dark Room reference was unnecessary (and they promised not to have it in the first place) and has caused a lot of grief in a significant minority of the community (do not mistake this for drama, that is something else altogether.

    Two reasons why the Dark Room reference made no sense (besides it being a betrayal of a promise)”
    -solid underground bunkers like that have no cellphone reception.
    -even if they did have such signal (which they don’t), it would be easy for police and FBI to trace it.

    In other words, they deliberately lied to the fandom, and couldn’t even get technical details on that right. Guess the rush job left them too little time to contemplate such inconsistencies.

    And did I mention Deck Nine also trashed a beloved character from the first series that wasn’t in this one, except in diary entries? Yes they did that too.    … Full Review »
  2. henriquezana
    Dec 23, 2017
    2
    Its so disappointing. How can you do this to us? I do not believe this is the real episode.
  3. breadstick
    Dec 22, 2017
    1
    Moxie and marc are right this episode was a confused mess. It feels like all decisions are not important anymore, and just discarded. Was thisMoxie and marc are right this episode was a confused mess. It feels like all decisions are not important anymore, and just discarded. Was this an episode of the same game as the other episodes? I think it doesn't look like.

    And as Moxie and marc say, Deck9 basically told lies. Lying is never good. We want the real episode 3 that was promise. The other two were good.    … Full Review »
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