When Life is Strange: Before the Storm debuted at E3 2017, I wrote two articles tearing it to shreds. The first, We Don’t Need a Life is Strange Prequel, questioned the need for such a game. We already know all we needed about the relationship between Chloe Price and Rachel Amber, and their relationship. What else is there to tell?
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, Wrong
My second article two days later, How Bad Does Life is Strange: Before the Storm Look? Hella Bad, was much more acidic than the first. This time I had gameplay to back up my argument. I criticized the writing and voice acting, that the new developer making the game was too inexperienced and had such a poor track record, and how the SAG-AFTRA strike meant the original voice actors would be replaced.
I came to the conclusion that nothing could stop this game from being bad, and I was sticking to those guns, dammit.
The only problem is I was wrong. Come to think of it, both articles are pretty poorly written and come across as an angry fanboy having a tantrum. I finally got around to playing Before the Storm right before Christmas after all three episodes came out, and I finally realized just how wrong I was. In fact, I think Before the Storm better than the original game.
As a critic, we’re told to always look at things with a critical eye, but sometimes that doesn’t tell the whole story. As a critic, Before the Storm is a mixed bag. It’s brilliant at times, but also utterly broken at others. But as a fan – I love this game with all my heart.
If you want to find out what changed my mind, and a criticism of the Life is Strange franchise overall, check out the video above. You can also subscribe to the Cliqist YouTube channel for more videos just like it.
