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

Chloe’s enhanced angst might grate a little, but there’s no denying Before the Storm is going to be another brilliant Life is Strange game.

Before the Storm’s first episode is an excellent starting chapter for this prequel. With a strong, endearing protagonist in Chloe, a deeper choice and consequence system than the original, and some intriguing mysteries surrounding the story, I found myself invested in Arcadia Bay once again, and it feels hella good.

The best thing about Episode 1 is that you can jump in with the series here and still fall in love with it. The core formula remains so good that you can either play the series chronologically with this first or go in release date order as many will do and still have a lot of fun. For anyone who loved the first, get the season pass and have fun as each release comes out. For newcomers or those who dabbled in the series a bit, at least try out the first episode and experience a dramatic narrative that will make you a fan of the franchise.

Before the Storm is a glimpse into a struggling mind. It is a not a blank canvas to create your own character, but the story of one person meeting another. Beautiful and flawed.

Despite feeling hesitant going into Before the Storm, Deck Nine Games’ rendition of Arcadia Bay quickly reminded me of why I loved the series and its characters in the first place. Any fears of this being a cash-in on a beloved game melted away, and I was able to fully enjoy Awake without any second thoughts. I’m excited to see where Chloe and Rachel’s story goes from here, even if I already know how tragic it ultimately ends.

Episode 1 succeeds as one of the most poignant stories in episodic gaming. In just a few short hours you’re prone to a cacophony of emotions which all stumble and fumble together into a narrative which feels like it was never written, because it feels plausible. Such is the story’s persuasive power. However this is not a game for those with a grudge against passive experiences. There’s probably even less meaningful interactivity here than usual, and is probably the most film-like episode I’ve played since the genre was resurrected.

Life is Strange Before The Storm: Awakening sets the stage for what promises to be a more than worthy prequel to the acclaimed Life is Strange.

Deck Nine has produced something tremendous in Before The Storm's first episode. Life is good. [Nov 2017, p.66]

Life is Strange: Before the Storm gets a lot of things right about Life is Strange, and I for one am hella excited to ride this train with Chloe and Rachel right to the end.

Even though it feels little more than a setup, it’s still an intricate setup, with a lingering promise of big emotional reward.

Studio Deck Nine had the difficult job of fulfilling great expectations and they started in the right direction.

Before The Storm fits perfectly with its new protagonist Chloe about the way she sees and feels life. The fact that Deck Nine was able to make something completely different but familiar, at the same time, just makes us want to play the rest of its episodes. The one, big problem we were able to find about it, technically, is that despite changing its graphic engine from Unreal to Unity, the game still struggles to be cohesive.

The first episode debut of Before The Storm will make returning Life Is Strange players feel like they never left Arcadia Bay. The characters might be younger but all the familiar locations, tone, and controls are pretty familiar (except the camera controls of which I am not a fan because it’s too fluid for its own good). As a first episode, Awake performs its task of setting things up for the adventure ahead, one that I really curious to see its direction. The original game used time travel to create a story with all sorts of unpredictable twists, turns, and emotional trauma. It would have been nice if Deck Nine didn’t religiously follow DONTNOD’s design but all the same, I want to see what Chloe Price got up to during a moment in time she needed a best friend the most.

Although Before The Storm has the same old graphics as the first Life is Strange, the game feels good and evokes nostalgic memories from 2015. We love the fact that Chloe isn’t super natural at all and are excited to get to know Rachel Ambers.

Before the Storm shows that you don't need super-strength to tell a good Life is Strange story. The relationship between Chloe and Rachel is special enough to carry the whole game.

The epilogue of Life is Strange starts as strong as we are used to. Though there is a different developer in charge, the game fits right into the series thanks to its strong storytelling, atmospheric soundtrack and amazing characters.

That story stops in a beautiful place at Episode One's end: a cliffhanger that makes me want Episode Two, stat. I'm a little nervous about having to deal with more of Chloe's pop-punk-esque "I'm not OK" pontificating. But based on what I've seen from Before the Storm's premiere, I'm willing to tough it out alongside her, and Rachel, and the rest of Arcadia Bay.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm Episode One - Awake is a great start to Deck Nine’s mini-prequel series. Despite some hiccups, Before the Storm establishes a compelling cast and endearing game world that is just begging to be explored further.

An incredible first look at the new season, and promises much for the future. Deck Nine is clearly capable of taking over the reins from the excellent DONTNOD, and despite a switch in developer, a change in Chloe’s voice actress, and a new perspective for Life is Strange, the series is still unequivocally what fans have come to know and love – just amplified and refined, cranked up to eleven through its protagonists’ volatile and exciting relationship.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm Ep. 1 is an emotional roller-coaster. It features a wonderful plot that develops slowly but brilliantly. Moreover, the episode's ending leaves you craving for more. The dialogues and the characters are exceptional, especially the ones that involve the new Backtalk ability, which make you feel like you are an inseparable part of the conversation. However, the lack of the Rewind system is felt greatly, so you will have to use your use instincts and gut feelings.

To be honest, we did not think an "apocryphal" episode could get so close to the quality of the original work. But you know, "life is odd."

A strong, entertaining first episode for the prequel of Life is Strange.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a good prequel, very respectful of the source material. Chloe and Rachel are a great couple and the beginning of this new story is quite satisfying.

Awake is a great start to what I hope will ultimately be a great game. As a follow-up to Life is Strange, a game that is near and dear to my heart, I think Before the Storm is definitely on the right track and I eagerly await the remaining episodes.

Despite using the same graphical engine, the same gameplay elements, and some shared, familiar locations, the experience of inhabiting Chloe in Before the Storm is a completely new experience. Episode 1 promises a series that uses love and empathy as a sword and shield, the only way to either stay safe or strike back at a harsh life, harsher still by nature of being a teenager. That's a special ability we are so seldom asked to employ in games and it's so heartening to know there's at least two more episodes of Before the Storm where we get to do it again.

Like Chrysalis, Awake once again feels like the beginning of something great. It is referential for sure, it has to be, but it’s never wholly reliant on what came before. This is a markedly assured debut for new developer Deck Nine, who have confidently executed the core elements that made the original so well liked, but also put their own spin on the world to weave a new tale. Before The Storm is set to be a nostalgic trip back to a home away from home that many thought they’d never get to visit again. I’m delighted to once again be part of this world – if only for a little while.

Before the Storm addresses old problems through an old story, and it makes a compelling case to reconsider its divisive protagonist.

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 in those situations. The emotional pull is strong, and the story's strength is its relatability. This first episode has me intrigued at how Chloe and Rachel Amber will make it through their distress, and it also has me rooting for them.

Deck Nine Games has gracefully hurdled the obstacles in its way, with a rip-roaring episode that pulls back the curtain on Rachel Amber and begins a chain of events that we can’t wait to watch unwind. Life Is Strange: Before the Storm recaptures the spirit of the first season, but by framing the story around fan favourite Chloe Price, it has a much more rebellious vibe. And while that means there’s still plenty of cringe to work through, Episode 1: Awake pitches the moments that matter perfectly – we can’t wait to see what happens next.

An excellent start to a prequel series that taps into the same style of sincere storytelling as the original, making a previously unsympathetic character seem vulnerable and likeable.

The first episode of Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a continuist and respectful graphic adventure with the original game. A good start for the story of Chloe and Rachel who still has a lot to offer. It's time to go back to Arcade Bay.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm's first episode is heavy on atmosphere and emotion, but light on narrative or gameplay. It will appeal to those who loved the heart-wrenching drama of the first game, but could have a hard time attracting any new fans.

Deck Nine has done an amazing job creating this prequel and telling us a new story that fits perfectly into the LiS universe. If you liked the first main season, make sure you play Before the Storm.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm Episode 1, is an emotional and thrilling adventure.

Life is Strange : Before the Storm Episode 1 is a good prequel to the original game that retains most of the strength. The only flaw is the bigmouth system that chloe can use to bend people to her will, and which seem overused.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm’s first episode can feel like a drag in the beginning, with a weak main mechanic and slow pacing, but it all pays off in the end and manages to become a flawed, but captivating experience.

This intriguing tale will leave you wanting more... but you'll probably be a bit disappointed by the lack of interactivity and (for now) meaningful choices as well.

Beautifully crafted prequel to the acclaimed adventures that shifts the focus away from the supernatural to the normal problems of teenagers.

Friendship, love and teenage rebellion, that's how Life is strange: Before the storm is, apparently less transcendental than its predecessor, but just as interesting and addictive.

The sharp dialogue and heartfelt narrative are let down by the shoehorned relationship between the lead characters. Nonetheless, it's a worthy sequel. [Nov 2017, p.78]

A quietly compelling return to Oregon, which substitutes sci-fi gimmickry for an earnest look at growing up.

Though it doesn’t feel quite as “high stakes” as its predecessor, Life is Strange: Before The Storm - Episode 1: Awake is a very promising start to Deck Nine’s new prequel miniseries.

The first episode of Life is Strange: Before the Storm tells a decent but ordinary story without any real intrigue.

Dontnod's first season of Life is Strange is a wonderful work, and one of the finest episodic adventure games of its kind. That's a lot to live up to, but Deck Nine does a top job recreating what fans love about the series while setting up a new story to be told about a pair of young women bound by new, exciting feelings and a shared distrust of the world around them.

Episode One: Awake of Before the Storm is a surprisingly promising entry for the short three-episode series. There's the right amount of callbacks to the series that made so many fans fall in love with Chloe and Max in the first place. While I still wish the dialogue wasn't as teenager cringe-y in a not-realistic way, there's far more of it this time around that plain isn't. Hell, even Chloe's eventual over-usage of "hell" is explained in a tongue-in-cheek nod to the future. For everyone who was worried about Before the Storm's authenticity under the reigns of a new developer: don't be.

It feels great to be back in Arcadia Bay. Deck Nine hasn't lost the magic of Life is Strange and this first chapter of the prequel lets us imagine a touching story with great characters and probably counting decisions.

It’s not unusual for a new series to have a slow start, and while this is borne from something else I’m going to grant it the leniency that a new series deserves. What we have here is a pilot episode that’s obviously building to something. There are missteps, but I’m hopeful that these will be either eradicated or negligible in the forthcoming episodes.

No empathy and no rhythm are just two of the issues that prevent Before the Storm to reach our hearts in the same way Life is Strange did, two years ago. Let's wait for Episode 2 and let's hope for a deeper friendship between Rachel and Chloe, disconnected from sexual logic only.

Life Is Strange: Before the Storm's Episode 1: Awake focus on themes of depression, loss, and the inability to fit in, which it does an excellent job at presenting throughout this first episode. Sadly, the episode's main focus on Chloe and Rachel's friendship can feel a little forced early on, but inevitably lands on plausible after learning about the mental state of each of the characters.

The writing in this first episode is nowhere near as good as the one in the original game. Thus what we get is a rather bland introduction to the prequel that just creates a hope for a better narrative in the future.

Life Is Strange: Before The Storm gets off to a moderately good start. Its characters are interesting, but the plot is entirely unclear right now, and is moving in a direction I'm not all that invested in.