If you’re drawn to narrative-driven games that explore complex human relationships, emotional depth, and the weight of personal choices, then Life is Strange: Before Storm offers an unforgettable experience. This acclaimed prequel to the BAFTA award-winning Life is Strange series plunges you into the tumultuous life of a sixteen-year-old Chloe Price, three years before the original game’s events. Developed by Deck Nine and published by Square Enix, it’s a raw, poignant adventure that builds the foundational friendship between Chloe and the enigmatic Rachel Amber, a relationship that shapes their lives forever. For fans of compelling storytelling and character development, Life is Strange: Before Storm provides a deeply personal and often challenging journey through the heart of Arcadia Bay.

What is Life is Strange: Before Storm? A Pre-Apocalyptic Origin Story

Life is Strange: Before Storm is an episodic graphic adventure game that serves as a crucial prequel to the original Life is Strange. It puts players in the shoes of Chloe Price, exploring her emotional state and relationships during a pivotal period of her life, marked by grief and rebellion. The game launched across three episodes, “Awake,” “Brave New World,” and “Hell Is Empty,” in late 2017, later making its way to Android and iOS in September 2018. It’s an adventure game that prioritizes narrative immersion and player agency within its well-crafted world.

Overview of Gameplay Mechanics and Narrative Focus

Unlike the first Life is Strange, Life is Strange: Before Storm replaces Max’s time-rewinding power with Chloe’s unique “Backtalk” ability, placing even greater emphasis on the narrative’s branching paths and the impact of verbal confrontations. Every interaction, every word, shapes Chloe’s journey and her relationships.

Choice-Driven Narrative and Emotional Depth

At its core, Life is Strange: Before Storm is a choice and consequence-driven narrative adventure. Players guide Chloe through a series of dialogues and decisions that directly impact the storyline and her relationships with other characters. This system encourages players to truly inhabit Chloe’s perspective, making choices that feel authentic to her rebellious and vulnerable nature. The game delves into deep emotional themes, including grief, identity, loyalty, and the complexities of dysfunctional families, making each decision feel weighty and personal.

“Backtalk” – A Risk/Reward Conversation Mode

A distinctive feature of Life is Strange: Before Storm is the “Backtalk” mode. This risk/reward conversation mode allows Chloe to use her sharp tongue and argumentative wit to provoke or get her way in certain precarious situations. Successfully “Backtalking” requires you to pay close attention to what other characters say and use their words against them, often under a time limit. While it can help Chloe achieve her immediate goals, “Backtalk” can also escalate situations and make them worse, adding a layer of tension and strategic depth to conversations that other adventure games often lack.

Environmental Interaction and Graffiti

Beyond dialogue, players will find themselves interacting with the environment, uncovering clues and leaving their mark on Arcadia Bay. Chloe’s primary way of expressing herself in the world is through witty tags and drawings, replacing Max’s photography mechanic from the first game. This allows for a more active and personal connection to Chloe’s character and her rebellious spirit, offering unique collectible opportunities in each episode.

Key Features that Define Chloe and Rachel’s Story

The true heart of Life is Strange: Before Storm lies in its compelling characters and the exploration of their pivotal relationships, particularly the nascent bond between Chloe Price and Rachel Amber. These relationships are the driving force behind the narrative, enriched by the game’s atmospheric presentation.

The Unlikely Friendship of Chloe and Rachel Amber

The narrative centers on the formation of an unlikely friendship between 16-year-old Chloe Price, a rebellious and grieving punk, and Rachel Amber, a beautiful, popular, and seemingly perfect girl destined for success. Their connection becomes the anchor of the story, as they navigate personal demons and family secrets together.

Chloe’s Journey and Rachel’s Enigma

Players experience the world through Chloe’s eyes, witnessing her struggles with her father William’s death, her estranged best friend Max, and her tense relationship with her mother Joyce and stepfather David Madsen. Rachel, who was a mysterious, unseen figure in the original Life is Strange, finally gets a chance to shine here, becoming the core of the prequel’s story. Life is Strange: Before Storm explores Rachel’s hidden complexities and vulnerabilities, revealing that her life is far from the perfect image she projects.

Exploring Themes of Identity and Loyalty

The game deeply explores themes of identity and growth as Chloe navigates her grief and rebellion. Her bond with Rachel offers her a sense of belonging and purpose. The complexities of friendship and the importance of loyalty are central, as the girls confront secrets and make difficult choices that test the boundaries of their newfound alliance. The emotional intensity of their evolving relationship is a highlight for many players.

Immersive Audio-Visual Experience

The game’s narrative is powerfully complemented by its distinctive art style and an emotionally resonant soundtrack, creating a truly immersive experience.

Distinct Indie Soundtrack by Daughter

A standout feature of Life is Strange: Before Storm is its distinct licensed indie soundtrack and original score by Daughter. The British indie band Daughter composed much of the game’s moody and atmospheric music, which perfectly complements the emotional tone of Chloe’s journey. This curated soundtrack, including tracks like “Flaws” and “No Care,” deeply enriches each scene, making every moment feel more impactful and memorable. The Deluxe Edition even includes a Mixtape Mode, allowing players to customize playlists from the game’s soundtrack.

Stylized Visuals and Atmospheric Setting

Life is Strange: Before Storm maintains the series’ signature stylized visuals, creating a unique and atmospheric portrayal of Arcadia Bay. While some players note that the graphics might feel dated compared to newer titles, the art style effectively conveys the emotional weight of the story. The environments are designed to immerse you in Chloe’s world, from the grimy punk club to the serene lookout points, each setting contributing to the overall narrative and emotional resonance.

Progression and Impactful Decisions

In Life is Strange: Before Storm, progress isn’t measured by experience points or loot, but by the unfolding narrative and the irreversible consequences of your choices. Every decision, big or small, weaves a unique thread into the tapestry of Chloe and Rachel’s relationship.

Navigating Pivotal Choices and Their Consequences

The game is built around the idea that your choices matter, leading to a narrative that feels responsive to your input. These pivotal moments can shape not just the immediate future but also the trajectory of character relationships.

Major Decisions and Branching Storylines

Throughout the three episodes, players face numerous major decisions that significantly impact the storyline and lead to multiple endings. For instance, a key choice involves whether Chloe takes the blame for skipping school with Rachel in the principal’s office, with different outcomes affecting their standing at Blackwell Academy and Rachel’s role in the school play. Another profound choice involves whether Chloe tells Rachel the truth about her biological mother, Sera, directly impacting their relationship and Rachel’s family dynamic. These choices encourage players to think carefully about Chloe’s motivations and the potential repercussions.

The Weight of Choice Without Time Rewind

A crucial distinction from the first Life is Strange is the absence of Max’s time-rewinding ability. This means that in Life is Strange: Before Storm, choices are permanent, adding significant weight to every decision you make. There’s no going back to correct a mistake, forcing players to live with the consequences of their actions, much like in real life. This enhances the emotional impact and personal investment in Chloe’s journey.

Character Progression and Relationship Building

Beyond the main plot, character development is central to the experience. Your interactions directly influence how Chloe’s relationships evolve.

Cultivating Relationships with Key Characters

Your actions and dialogue choices influence your relationships not only with Rachel Amber but also with other key characters from the Life is Strange universe, such as Chloe’s mother Joyce, her stepfather David Madsen, and even minor characters like Frank Bowers. Deck Nine takes time to explore these characters from a different angle than seen in the original game, providing new insights into their personalities and motivations.

Customizing Chloe’s Look and Player Expression

Life is Strange: Before Storm also allows you to choose Chloe’s outfit and see how people react to your look. This cosmetic customization adds a layer of player expression, allowing you to reflect Chloe’s rebellious personality or experiment with different styles. It’s a subtle yet engaging way to connect with the character and witness the world’s reactions to your choices.

The Mobile Experience: Navigating Arcadia Bay on the Go

Life is Strange: Before Storm made its way to Android and iOS devices, offering a unique opportunity to experience this poignant story on the go. However, as with many console-to-mobile ports, there are specific considerations for the mobile experience.

Mobile Port Considerations and Performance

While the mobile version offers accessibility, users should be aware of potential differences in performance and controls compared to console or PC versions.

Graphics and Control Scheme Adaptation

The mobile version of Life is Strange: Before Storm typically features lower graphics due to hardware differences compared to its console counterparts. More significantly, player feedback often highlights the control scheme adaptation as a point of contention. The game primarily uses a tap-to-move feature, and some users report that it lacks a joystick option for movement, which can make navigation and interaction feel clunky or imprecise on touchscreens. This can lead to a less than ideal experience for some players.

Device Compatibility and Optimization Updates

Life is Strange: Before Storm is optimized for devices meeting specific requirements, typically OS SDK 28, 9 “Pie” or higher, with 3GB RAM or more (4GB recommended), and an Octa-core processor (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6×1.7 GHz Cortex-A55) or higher. Lower-end devices may experience technical issues, including glitches, lag, or may not support the game at all. The developers have released updates to add support for newer OS versions and device models, and implemented various fixes and optimizations for newer devices, demonstrating ongoing efforts to improve the mobile experience.

Conclusion: A Must-Play for Fans of Emotional Storytelling

Life is Strange: Before Storm is an essential chapter in the critically acclaimed Life is Strange universe. Deck Nine Games has successfully crafted a prequel that not only enriches the original story by shedding light on Chloe Price’s past and her profound relationship with Rachel Amber but also stands as a powerful, choice-driven narrative adventure in its own right. The game’s emphasis on irreversible consequences, the clever “Backtalk” mechanic, and the beautifully melancholic soundtrack by Daughter create an unforgettable emotional journey.

While the mobile port has faced some user feedback regarding controls and graphical fidelity, ongoing optimizations aim to improve the experience for compatible devices. Ultimately, Life is Strange: Before Storm embodies a “people-first” approach by delivering a deeply human story that resonates with players, exploring themes of grief, love, and self-discovery with authenticity. If you appreciate games that prioritize storytelling and character development, this prequel is a truly helpful and engaging experience that expands the lore of Arcadia Bay in meaningful ways. You can easily find Life is Strange: Before Storm on the Google Play Store, or for alternative access to reliable and secure game files, consider visiting APKFlex. apkflex.com is a trusted platform that offers a wide variety of mobile game APKs, ensuring you can embark on Chloe and Rachel’s pivotal journey.

Frequently Asked Questions About Life is Strange: Before Storm

Here are some common questions players have about diving into the world of Life is Strange: Before Storm.

Is Life is Strange: Before Storm a Complete Game on Mobile?

Yes, the mobile version of Life is Strange: Before Storm is the complete experience, including all three main episodes: “Awake,” “Brave New World,” and “Hell Is Empty.” Additionally, if you purchase the Deluxe Edition, it includes the bonus episode “Farewell,” where you play as a young Max Caulfield.

Do My Choices Really Matter in Before the Storm?

Yes, your choices in Life is Strange: Before Storm significantly impact the storyline and character relationships, leading to multiple endings. Unlike the first game, there is no time-rewind ability, making each decision permanent and adding considerable weight to your actions.

Is It Necessary to Play the Original Life is Strange First?

While Life is Strange: Before Storm is a prequel, playing the original Life is Strange first is highly recommended. The prequel was largely created for fans of the original game to explore Chloe and Rachel’s backstory. Playing it first will give you a deeper understanding of the characters and the broader context of Arcadia Bay, making the emotional impact of the prequel more profound.

What is the “Backtalk” Feature?

“Backtalk” is a unique gameplay mechanic in Life is Strange: Before Storm that replaces Max’s time-rewind power. It’s a risk/reward conversation mode where Chloe uses her sharp wit and defiance to try and get her way in certain situations. To succeed, you must pay close attention to what your opponent says and craft timed, clever responses to win the argument.

Why is Chloe’s Voice Different in Before the Storm?

Chloe Price is voiced by Rhianna DeVries in Life is Strange: Before Storm. The original voice actress, Ashly Burch, did not reprise her role for the main episodes due to the 2016–2017 game voice actor strike. However, Ashly Burch did return to voice Chloe in the “Farewell” bonus episode once the strike was resolved, providing a touching send-off for fans.