Life is strange before the storm

Life is Strange Before the Storm Episode 1 (Xbox One,PS4) Rated M for Mature The series that provided more of an emotional roller-coaster then the notebook is back - before the Storm tells the story behind Chloe and Rachel the missing girl from the past game.

The visuals are held over from the first from a series of episodes. The game has its own unique art style with a cell shaded cartoon look to them. Arcadia Bay is back and more vibrant then before complete with all the characters you ran into from the first episodes.

The story takes place literately before the huge storm that wreaks havoc on the entire town of Arcadia Bay. Before the Storm takes place two years after Chloe's dad has died in a horrible accident. You are a typical teenager full of anger, unresolved issues, love and a ton of other issues.

This game delves into the strange and somewhat touching relationship between Chloe and Rachel Amber. This time around you have a different development team that brings a fresh feel to a somewhat familiar feeling environment.

Max has left for Seattle and doesn't make an appearance (at least not yet). Max had supernatural powers that let you rewind time which came into play in the gameplay. Chloe is full of pain and angst which really comes across into the play style.

Chloe, if you played the game's previous episodes, is your typical rebellious teenager complete with the smart back talk you would expect. Chloe's superpower is actually her ability to put a bully down a few pegs and make him the butt of the joke. These conversations give the player the ability to choose the way you proceed.

The new talk back option has you try to outsmart the other person with witty comebacks. These comebacks require you to quickly select the right response within a small amount of time. If done correctly you perform a final insult that will take-down the opponent. The episode has rather touching moments that will making Chloe more relatable and a times rather harsh in the way she speaks to others.

This entire game is a dialoguebased adventure game. Players can interact and move around the environment with the left thumbstick. If this episode is any indication of what the future episodes has to offer, Chloe's story should be an interesting adventure. Episode 1 gets a 9/10. Sascha Heist is a Penticton gamer.