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

 PC
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

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  1. Ai-Jey
    Dec 31, 2017
    6
    I hoped that in this Episode we will find out, how Rachel became a Vortex Club member, how she started to flirt with Frank and how she started to use drugs. But nothing of mentioned above was in third Episode. I started playing Before the Storm only because I want everything to come clear about Rachel, but, unfortunately, deck nine hadn't done their best. The story itself is weird andI hoped that in this Episode we will find out, how Rachel became a Vortex Club member, how she started to flirt with Frank and how she started to use drugs. But nothing of mentioned above was in third Episode. I started playing Before the Storm only because I want everything to come clear about Rachel, but, unfortunately, deck nine hadn't done their best. The story itself is weird and endings are almost the same.… Expand
  2. marcdevr857
    Dec 22, 2017
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand 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.    … Expand
  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 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.
  4. henriquezana
    Dec 23, 2017
    2
    Its so disappointing. How can you do this to us? I do not believe this is the real episode.
  5. scepticpurple
    Dec 24, 2017
    8
    Hell is empty's heavy emphasis on dialogue and character development serves as both it's greatest strength and its greatest flaw. While it boasts some of the richest, most believable character interactions in the series, and draws the game to a fairly satisfying conclusion, it's pacing suffers from the frequency of such events, and so the episode can feel like a bit of a slog to getHell is empty's heavy emphasis on dialogue and character development serves as both it's greatest strength and its greatest flaw. While it boasts some of the richest, most believable character interactions in the series, and draws the game to a fairly satisfying conclusion, it's pacing suffers from the frequency of such events, and so the episode can feel like a bit of a slog to get through. The pay-off is rewarding (and in the case of a certain after-credits scene, typically soul-destroying) though, besides one or two plot points that are left irritatingly unresolved.… Expand
  6. MoxieRuggs
    Dec 21, 2017
    1
    The first two episodes were well made and expanded the canon from the first game. New, interesting characters were introduced and the relationship between Rachel and Chloe was shown to players (who could play it as either platonic or romantic). But everything fell apart in the third episode (shades of episode 5 of the original game?), which was a confused, jumbled mess. Several importantThe first two episodes were well made and expanded the canon from the first game. New, interesting characters were introduced and the relationship between Rachel and Chloe was shown to players (who could play it as either platonic or romantic). But everything fell apart in the third episode (shades of episode 5 of the original game?), which was a confused, jumbled mess. Several important characters were shoved to the side or received almost no screen time, and at the end most of the choices made during the first two episodes amounted to nothing. And that "stinger" at the end of credits was a middle finger to the players, pure and simple, from Deck Nine. This episode almost felt like it had been made by a different team than the first two. Most disappointing gaming experience of 2017, by far. Strongly recommend not buying the game.… Expand
  7. timbertimber95
    Dec 23, 2017
    1
    Like my friends I am still devastated about how we did not get the conclusion of the beautiful, perfect story of the two first episode.

    Please don't lie to fans, you developers. You did and you broke our hearts.
    Please explain what is this mess you gave us instead of the real thing?

    A week ago, I was looking forward to giving 100/10 but not anymore. This was an insult to the fans.
  8. Xzenor
    Mar 4, 2020
    9
    The 3rd episode is awesome again. It's pretty tough to talk about it without spoiling anything so I'll keep it short. I think story-wise, Before the Storm is even beter than the original Life is Strange. If you liked the original game for the story and not just for the time-thingy, then get this game. Emotions are so important and done so well.. From the first episode I already connectedThe 3rd episode is awesome again. It's pretty tough to talk about it without spoiling anything so I'll keep it short. I think story-wise, Before the Storm is even beter than the original Life is Strange. If you liked the original game for the story and not just for the time-thingy, then get this game. Emotions are so important and done so well.. From the first episode I already connected more with Cloe and Rachel than I did with Max, and it stayed like that for the entire game.
    It's simply amazing what Deck9 did here and I thank them for it.    … Expand
  9. amyriz97
    Jan 8, 2018
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A story of promises broken. Reddit presentation in June: we promise no dark room stuff, this will be an entirely different story. Repeated answers to fan questions: no dark room, no we don't do that, pinky swear etcetera.

    First two episodes brilliant. But whatever you choose, those choices are negated immediately in episode 3. Where is all the "gay" stuff that was in episodes 1 and 2? Where is the continuation of the previous episodes and the explanation for the supernatural events that we kept seeing? I agree that it looks like it was discarded maybe because someone at Square Enix suddenly got panic and didn't like gay people.

    Worst of all is the contemptuous part silence/part denial the developers are making since last month. At least admit you changed it. Admit you broke repeated explicitly made promises. That would be a start.

    This abomination of an episode isn't even worth the 1 I am forced to give it.    … Expand
  10. Ciocolici
    Sep 7, 2023
    9
    With "Hell is Empty," the prologue story of "Life is Strange: Before the Storm" reaches its poignant conclusion. As I reflect on the entire experience, I must admit that this game is undoubtedly inferior to the original "Life is Strange" in many aspects, except for its impressive graphics and overall aesthetics. Nevertheless, this doesn't mean it falls short; rather, it highlights just howWith "Hell is Empty," the prologue story of "Life is Strange: Before the Storm" reaches its poignant conclusion. As I reflect on the entire experience, I must admit that this game is undoubtedly inferior to the original "Life is Strange" in many aspects, except for its impressive graphics and overall aesthetics. Nevertheless, this doesn't mean it falls short; rather, it highlights just how exceptional the first game truly was—a masterpiece that's challenging to replicate in a side-story prologue.

    Throughout this journey, I cherished every second of the game, and I am genuinely thrilled with the experience. The opportunity to play as Chloe and witness her sad, heartbreaking story unfold was nothing short of a dream come true. I'm deeply grateful to the developers for bringing her character to life in such a captivating way.

    I want to avoid repeating myself from my previous reviews, so I'll simply state that "Hell is Empty" is another amazing episode, matching, if not surpassing, the quality of the other two. The storytelling continues to be engaging, and I was fully immersed in every moment. The emotions it stirred within me were profound, and the impact of the choices I made felt significant.

    The final scene, after the credits, left me emotionally devastated. Deck Nine, why did you do this to me? It was an emotionally charged moment that left a lasting impression, reminding me of the powerful storytelling that "Life is Strange" is known for.

    I highly recommend this prologue to any fan of the "Life is Strange" universe!    … Expand
  11. realWhiteMan
    Apr 9, 2023
    8
    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

Critic Reviews

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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. PLAY! Zine
    Mar 17, 2018
    75
    Still has a great atmosphere, but that unique magic from the original is simply not there.
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  2. Riot Pixels
    Jan 28, 2018
    66
    If you are a fan of the original game, get ready to hold back tears after watching a brief post-credits scene, and it will give you a deeper appreciation of that scene in the scrapyard from LIS Episode 4. I think this is the whole reason why Before the Storm exists, and that is good.
    Read full review
  3. 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.
    Read full review
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