Life Is Strange Before the Storm Episode 1: Awake – Review (PS4)

This review may contain slight spoilers for Life Is Strange and Life Is Strange: Before the Storm.

Making a sequel to a beloved franchise is always risky business. And the only thing that is riskier than making a sequel to a film or video game is making a prequel.  A prequel must recapture the magic of the original as well as introduce new ideas to set it apart. All of that while leading up to a story of which we already know the beginning, middle and end.  Developer Deck Nine was charged with the task of going back 3 years prior to the events in Life is Strange and reintroducing us to Arcadia Bay and the people that inhabit it.

Before the Storm follows a younger Chloe Price who is just getting used to all the changes that we learn about retro actively in the original game. One of the most notable changes is that she has little to no contact with her best friend Max who is now living in Seattle.  We learn throughout the first episode how angry Chloe is at Max for leaving, yet still misses her at every major moment that arises and would take her back in a heartbeat.  Max was Chloe’s only friend through her own admittance and as the episode begins, you truly get a sense at how lonely she really is.

While attending a concert she has a run in with some punks and we are finally introduced to Rachel Amber.  She comes in like a knight on a white horse to save Chloe from whatever fate is about to befall her.  The Magic in Awake comes in these moments. Moments when you see events and relationships brought to life that were only talked about in the five episode predecessor.

From here, the rest of the episode takes us on an adventure with Chloe and Rachel and we see how and why Rachel had such an impact on Chloe in the years Max was living in Seattle.  Awake takes us through the first day of their friendship and shows how the instant bond was formed.  The entire episode basically takes place over the course of two days, but it covers two very important days in lives of multiple people from Arcadia Bay.

Each chapter in the ongoing Life is Strange saga has a defining moment. That moment that makes your jaw drop as you watch certain events unfold.  Usually these come near the end of the episode making you salivate for more.  Awake is no stranger to this formula and when the moment comes it hits you like a Floyd Mayweather punch to the gut and the episode continues barraging you with haymakers until the credits roll leaving you wanting more.

If the first episode is any indication we are in for quite a ride over the course of the next two episodes.  It’s hard to write a review like this without using the term “love letter” but that is exactly what this is.  A love letter to the fans of the original who have been waiting to spend more time with the people and places they have grown to love.

SOUND

The biggest issue the developers dealt with when creating the game involved the SAG voice actor’s strike, meaning Chloe Price could not be voiced by Ashly Burch this go around.  Ashly Burch has become voice acting royalty in the video game circuit in recent years with roles in Call of Duty, Battleborn, Life is Strange and Horizon: Zero Dawn.  Her absence could have been a huge blow to the game. Fortunately, Rhianna DeVries carries the character on her shoulders admirably throughout episode one.  In a year where Horizon: Zero Dawn was such a big hit, having separate voice actors play Aloy and Chloe may have been a small blessing, allowing us to have some separation between the two characters.  While Devries does sound noticeably different than Burch, the character is still Chloe through and through.

The music is spot on again and continues the legacy that began in Life is Strange.  Bands such as Pretty Vicious and No Below and Lanterns On the Lake all hit just the right notes at the right time setting the tone for the game and following Chloe’s mood spot on.  If you ever wonder what Chloe is feeling at any point in time, all you need to do is listen to the music playing and you’ll instantly know.

Gameplay

Fans of the original game will immediately feel at home when controlling Chloe through the game.  At first the sensitivity seemed a little off, making movement jerky and a little frantic, but with some adjustment you can find the right levels for you to feel comfortably in control of the character.

In the opening you are introduced to all the mechanics that separate Chloe from Max.  Gone is the rewind feature, so every decision has lasting repercussions that cannot be rectified if you don’t like the outcome.  The game does a good job of letting you know this when you make your first big decision that will have future backlash.

Also gone is Max’s camera and photo taking.  This is replaced beautifully by having Chloe tag things with graffiti.  What a fitting way for Chloe to express herself.  It would have been easy to just put a camera in her hands and let her snap some shots as well, but the graffiti aspect just makes more sense for Chloe.

The final big addition comes in the form of events simply called Backtalk.  When a Backtalk event begins Chloe has a certain number of chances to convince the other person, usually an adult, that she is right and to leave her alone.  By using clues that she picks up during their conversation she can use their words against them and win the argument getting the opposition to back down.  IF she loses the argument, all is not lost, but quick thinking must be done to get away fast.  This is a nice addition to the game that really gives us a deeper look into Chloe’s character.

F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote, “You can’t repeat the past.”  In Life is Strange, Max took on the role of Gatsby and in her case it was in a literal sense.  With her rewind power she could repeat the past over and over hoping to make things right.  In Before the Storm we have gone back in time to repeat the past and live through the events in Chloe’s life that led up to Max’s return to Arcadia Bay.  So I’m sorry Mr. Carraway, but “can’t repeat the past?”  Why of course you can.

Recommendation

If you are a fan of Life is Strange this is a no brainer and you’ve probably already downloaded the game and are playing through it.  Before the Storm was made with you in mind.

On the other hand, if you didn’t love the original game, there is very little here to make you a believer.  While there are definitely aspects of the game that set it apart, it is essentially more Life is Strange.  Fans of choose your own adventure games will love the story telling and decision making that the game has to offer.

If you haven’t played the original you can start with Awake and play the upcoming two episodes before playing its predecessor and be completely fine. However, there is so much that hidden in this game that you will miss having not played the first 5 episodes of Life is Strange even though this is technically a prequel and nothing that happened in the first game directly impacts what is happening here…..yet.