Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Episode 2: Brave New World

The second and penultimate episode of Life Is Strange: Before The Storm heats things up in more ways than one. Not only is the Bay on fire, but Chloe's life also seemingly goes up in flames at both home and school, and her relationship with Rachel is definitely increasing in temperature. All of this happens at such a pace that unfortunately some things aren't given the air time that they deserve and there's a chance that five episodes may have been a better idea than three. Despite this, we're getting to see the characters develop in a believable manner, and when player decisions start to take effect, it truly feels like it's becoming your story as much as it is Chloe's. With the addition of the relevation on which the episode ends, you would be forgiven for wanting to rush headlong into the next episode to see the conclusion to this tale.

If you’ve played episode one of Life is Strange: Before the Storm, you’re almost certainly already invested into its story, and so picking up episode two is a no-brainer. You won’t be disappointed, though. It’s another fantastically told tale of teenage drama, family and friendship, and developer Deck Nine has once again proved itself worthy of delivering a package that more than lives up to Dontnod’s original vision.

Brave New World cements Before the Storm as Chloe and Rachel's story. They're the lead roles and everyone else is just set dressing.

The standard of this second episode feels like a traditional Act Two. It’s not quite as good as the first, and is hopefully sitting here just to bridge the gap that is leading to an exciting final third.