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| artist = Andrew Weatherl
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| programmer = Danielle Cheah
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| writer = Zak Garriss
| writer = Zak Garriss, Ross McCall
| composer = [[Daughter (band)|Daughter]]
| composer = [[Daughter (band)|Daughter]]
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Revision as of 03:12, 16 September 2017

Life Is Strange: Before the Storm
Developer(s)Deck Nine[a]
Publisher(s)Square Enix
Director(s)
  • Webb Pickersgill
  • Chris Floyd
Producer(s)
  • David Lawrence Hein
  • Zoe Brown
Designer(s)William Beacham
Programmer(s)Danielle Cheah
Artist(s)Andrew Weatherl
Writer(s)Zak Garriss, Ross McCall
Composer(s)Daughter
EngineUnity
Platform(s)
Release
  • Episode 1
    • WW: 31 August 2017
  • Episode 2
    • WW: TBA
  • Episode 3
    • WW: TBA
Genre(s)Graphic adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Life Is Strange: Before the Storm is an episodic graphic adventure video game developed by Deck Nine and published by Square Enix. The first of three episodes was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on 31 August 2017. It is set as a prequel to Life Is Strange, focusing on sixteen-year-old Chloe Price and her relationship with schoolmate Rachel Amber. Gameplay concerns itself mostly with the use of branching dialogues.

Gameplay

Chloe engages in a conversation with Rachel Amber (pictured).

Life Is Strange: Before the Storm is a graphic adventure played from a third-person view. The player assumes control of sixteen-year-old Chloe Price, three years prior to Life Is Strange. Unlike its predecessor, the game does not include time travel. Instead, Before the Storm features the ability "Backtalk", with which the player can call upon Chloe to get out of certain precarious situations; "Backtalk" may also make a situation worse. A dialogue tree is used when a conversation or commentary is prompted. Occasional decisions will temporarily or permanently change outcomes. The environment can be interacted with and altered, including marking walls with graffiti.[2][3]

Plot

Sixteen-year-old Chloe Price enters an old mill to attend a house concert. Conflict arises with two men inside, whom she evades when schoolmate Rachel Amber causes a distraction. The next day, Chloe and Rachel reunite at school. They decide to stow away on a cargo train, ending up at a lookout point. Using a viewfinder there, Rachel is upset by what she sees and insists on getting drunk. Having stolen some wine, they take a walk to a scrapyard. Chloe confronts Rachel about her change in mood, but is refused an answer. After Rachel leaves, Chloe discovers the wrecked car in which her father was killed. She meets up with Rachel again, who discloses that she witnessed her father cheating on her mother through the viewfinder. Rachel destroys a family photo in a burning trash bin, and in a fit of rage kicks it over, igniting a wildfire.[4]

Development

Publisher Square Enix chose Deck Nine to develop the prequel to Life Is Strange after the developer's proprietary StoryForge tools had made an impression.[5] Development started in 2016 with the Unity game engine. Rhianna DeVries, who initially did the game's motion capture for Chloe Price, voices the character, while the original voice actress Ashly Burch serves as writing consultant.[2][6][7] Burch did not reprise her role due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.[8] The music was written and performed by the British indie folk band Daughter, and was released as an official soundtrack by Glassnote Records on 1 September 2017.[9] Instrumentation was employed to represent different sides of the lead character: piano for isolation, electric guitar for rebelliousness, and layered vocals for friendship.[10] Daughter took the script and concept artwork as inspiration.[11]

Release

Prior to its official announcement, images had leaked online indicating that a prequel to Life Is Strange was in development.[12] Square Enix revealed Life Is Strange: Before the Storm on 11 June during E3 2017, stating that it would be released over three chapters starting on 31 August for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.[2] The Deluxe Edition includes the bonus chapter "Farewell"—featuring Max Caulfield of the original game as a playable character—three additional outfits, and Mixtape Mode, allowing players to customise playlists with the game's soundtrack.[3]

Episode Release date
"Episode 1: Awake"[13] 31 August 2017
"Episode 2: Brave New World"[14] TBA
"Episode 3: Hell Is Empty"[14] TBA

Reception

Aggregate review scores
Game Metacritic
Episode 1: Awake (PC) 77/100[15]
(PS4) 78/100[16]
(XONE) 80/100[17]

Critics appraised Episode 1: Awake the most on its character development of Chloe Price and Rachel Amber.[18][19][20][21] Jeremy Peeples of Hardcore Gamer found Chloe's behaviour "endearing" and noted that her personality was portrayed with multiple layers. Sam Loveridge at GamesRadar wrote that Rachel was the more authentic character on account of her more "grounded" dialogue. Despite disparaging Chloe for being "her same tiresomely combative self" early on, Metro saw her fleshed out by enduring the loss of her father. Game Informer's Kimberley Wallace thought the younger version of Chloe brought a "naivety and vulnerability" worthy of sympathy. Conversely, the relationship between the two was said to have formed "at unnatural speed". Peeples and Loveridge favoured the "Backtalk" gameplay feature, while Metro and Wallace cared little for it. Otherwise lauded were the story, graphics, voice acting, and soundtrack.[22][23][24][25]

Awards

Following E3 2017, Life Is Strange: Before the Storm received one of GamesRadar's Best of E3 awards[26] and was nominated for Hardcore Gamer's Adventure Game award.[27]

Notes

  1. ^ Additional work by Square Enix London Studios[1]

References

  1. ^ Robertson, John (12 July 2017). "Life is Strange: Before the Storm is Chloe's game". Red Bull Games.
  2. ^ a b c Sarkar, Samit (11 June 2017). "Life is Strange prequel Before the Storm debuts this summer (update)". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 12 June 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b Matulef, Jeffrey (13 June 2017). "Life is Strange prequel's Max-based bonus episode is a Deluxe Edition exclusive". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 13 June 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Deck Nine (31 August 2017). Life Is Strange: Before the Storm (Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One). Square Enix. Level/area: Episode 1: Awake.
  5. ^ Alexander, Jem (July 2017). "Life Will Be Strange". Develop. No. 184. p. 17. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. {{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Phillips, Tom (19 June 2017). "Life is Strange: Before the Storm dev on Ashly Burch's absence, season pass kerfuffle and more". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Hardawar, Devindra (24 August 2017). "'Life is Strange: Before the Storm' is all about being a wiseass teen". Engadget. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Phillips, Tom (13 June 2017). "Three-part Life is Strange prequel confirmed". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 13 June 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Kress, Bryan (9 August 2017). "Watch London Trio Daughter Create Music for 'Life Is Strange: Before The Storm' Video Game". Billboard. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Biery, Thomas (24 August 2017). "How Life is Strange: Before the Storm's music brings out Chloe's emotions". Polygon. Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ Diver, Mike (29 August 2017). "Scoring with Chloe: Daughter's OST for Life Is Strange: Before the Storm". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ Schreier, Jason (2 June 2017). "Images Of Apparent Life Is Strange Prequel Pop Up". Kotaku. Univision Communications. Archived from the original on 1 June 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Jones, Gary (14 June 2017). "Life is Strange Before the Storm: Chloe and Rachel's next adventures REVEALED". Daily Express. Northern & Shell. Archived from the original on 14 June 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ a b Deck Nine (31 August 2017). Life Is Strange: Before the Storm (Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One). Square Enix. Level/area: Main menu.
  15. ^ "Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Episode 1: Awake PC". Metacritic.
  16. ^ "Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Episode 1 PlayStation 4". Metacritic.
  17. ^ "Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Episode 1: Awake Xbox One". Metacritic.
  18. ^ Clark, Justin (1 September 2017). "Life Is Strange: Before The Storm - Episode 1 - Awake Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ Hillier, Brenna (1 September 2017). "Life is Strange: Before the Storm Ep 1 review – abandon the SS Pricefield, all aboard whatever we're calling the Chloe Rachel ship". VG247. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ Bell, Alice (1 September 2017). "Life is Strange: Before the Storm review in progress". VideoGamer.com.
  21. ^ Farokhmanesh, Megan (1 September 2017). "Life is Strange: Before the Storm is fan service at its finest". The Verge. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ Peeples, Jeremy (31 August 2017). "Review: Life is Strange: Before the Storm – Episode 1: Awake". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ Loveridge, Sam (31 August 2017). "Life is Strange: Before the Storm Episode One review: "It's touching, poignant, and will definitely move you"". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ "Life Is Strange: Before The Storm Episode 1 review – Awake". Metro. 31 August 2017. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ Wallace, Kimberley (31 August 2017). "Life Is Strange: Before The Storm – Awake". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ Staff (19 June 2017). "GamesRadar+ E3 awards - our best, most exciting games of E3 2017". GamesRadar. Future plc. Archived from the original on 21 June 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ Staff (21 June 2017). "Best of E3 2017 – Day Three: Fighter, Adventure, RPG, Shooter, Action". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on 22 June 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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