Life is really strange, in so many cases, for so many of us. But for Chloe Price and the other unsuspecting - or not - inhabitants of Arcadia Bay, Oregon, life is certainly a lot stranger than normal. And it has been for a long time, for a small Pacific North West town that hides so many secrets and characters that would be comfortable in a David Lynch work. We'd almost expect to see a smoke monster appear and a trap door between the diner and school.
Chloe is an unfortunate and rebellious girl. Her father recently passed away in a car accident and her best (and only really) friend Max has moved away from her to Seattle with her family. As if that weren't enough, her family's economic situation is not the best and her mother's new partner would surely have voted for Trump in the real world. There is no other solution for the girl than to deny this situation "in her own way", taking refuge in her music, in her joints, in her absenteeism from school. But Chloe's life is about to change forever, is about to meet the most important person in his life: Rachel Amber.
13 Reasons Why Life is Strange
This is the premise of Life is Strange: Before the Storm, prequel to that Life Is Strange that more than two years ago had changed the world of modern graphic adventures forever, giving us a real masterpiece like a bolt from the blue. While we await the recently announced follow-up by the Dontnod boys, Before the Storm takes place three years before the magical events of the original and wants to tell a different story, a more realistic story, the story of Chloe Price, the best friend of that Max who can rewind time.
Divided into three episodes (plus a bonus starring Max), Before the Storm shares the structure with its predecessor, but the fundamental difference is that in these events the supernatural element so preponderant in Life is Strange doesn't exist, making this story a more canonical "teen drama". To give an example, it partly reminded us of the lucky one Netflix series "Thirteen", if only for the fact that the game's loading icon is just a cassette.
Much of the original's appeal was due to this sci-fi twist that is only hinted at here; don't worry though, as the title says, aeven in Before the Storm "life is strange". And we can't wait to find out more about how in the episodes that will follow this "Wake up".
What a cheeky girl!
One of the best features of Before the Storm is how it is expertly crafted following the character of Chloe, unique character (even if not loved by everyone in truth ...) and very original. In addition of course to the plot, completely centered on the girl, the gameplay also sees her most peculiar and innovative ideas than in the past derived from her. Where in Life is Strange it was Maximine's Polaroids that served as collectibles, here Chloe can “personalize” some of the locations in Arcadia Bay with her sagacity and inventiveness with her black marker.
Not only that: Price's gab inspired the Deck Nine developers to insert the so-called "Challenges of Insolence" in the dialogues. In fact, in some situations, Chloe will be able to get the better of her interlocutors by exploiting her forked tongue, popping her up in seemingly impossible discussions. Honestly, a highly publicized but practically useless addition and very far removed from the rewinds of Life is Strange.
At the end of the fair, however, the most important factor in a production of this kind is the quality of the story and the script, one of the most successful elements in LiS. Episode 1: Wake Up shares the vast majority of places and characters with the original, thus managing to recycle many storylines and arguments from its predecessor. Deck Nine thus acted in complete continuity with Dontnod, managing to add his own in the excellent dialogues and the aforementioned characterization of the game in the style of "Chloe Price". Fortunately, in Before the Storm - despite the change of tone given by the new protagonist - it will seem to find ourselves at home, having picked up Life is Strange from where we left it.
After an objectively redundant (to regain confidence with places and situations) and boring start, the title begins to open, thanks also to the very intriguing that begins to develop between Chloe and Rachel, up to an ending that really left us with bated breath.
It is always very difficult to judge the narration individually in these episodic releases, but Wake Up seemed to us a good start for a series that will surely amaze us, although - as happens in all prequels - slightly limited in its inventiveness by the already known events that follow. . The second episode of Life is Strange: Before the Storm, called "The New World", does not yet have a release date, but is expected by the end of 2017.
Verdict: recommended to everyone
