Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Episode 1: Awake Reviews
Before the Storm evokes everything wonderful about the first game, with even the loss of Max Caulfield and her time-rewind mechanic not as great as one might think. This is fan service at its best. If you were a fan of Life is Strange, you'll love this opening episode and the tease of what's coming in the following episodes.
Although Before The Storm pretty much looks like the first Life is Strange, it has some fresh ideas that we're really excited to explore. The first episode manage promise an exciting story, and we can't wait for the next one.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
Life is Strange: Before the Storm gets a lot of things right about Life is Strange…
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.
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.
I've got plenty of minor quibbles, but this is still an impressively solid start to a product that has an awfully special predecessor to live up to. I'm just hoping that this doesn't end up feeling like a prequel that nobody really needed.
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.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Episode 1: Awake is a bit different from the original, but at the same time the game is no less intense in atmosphere department, which slips a little at the very beginning, but then quickly picks up. If developers gonna keep the same level of production in the next two episodes, then one of the most interesting adventures of this year awaits us.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Before The Storm suits perfectly with its new protagonist Chloe about the way she sees and feels life. The fact that Deck Nine was able to make something completly 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.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Life Is Strange: Before the Storm follows the path of what became the first title in 2015. Deck Nine has done the work of developing a graphic adventure to meet the expectations of fans but with the virtues and shortcomings of the previous title. Anyway is an ingenious proposal of mechanics that the most edicated fans will love.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Review in French | Read full review
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.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm is an underwhelming start to a miniseries that still has plenty of promise. Deck Nine has shown it can create lovable characters and believable drama, yet fails to cohesively implement them into the experience. That being said, things could easily improve from here.