REVIEW – What if a family argument ends up imploding the family itself? What if revealing a secret blows up into a chain reaction of events? There were multiple questions in the third Before the Storm episode, which didn’t offer much gameplay, it had a ton of emotion instead.

So we finished the second chapter with Rachel learning that Rose is biologically not her mother. This thought leads the player through the entire episode (and the day it plays on). The whole thing became a mental trip, which is why the episode is rated as such, and it could have gone higher if there was no lack of gameplay (not much outside choosing options).

Stars

A dialogue with the husband and wife doesn’t show initially that one of them has secrets, and this surprising twist of events will be the key scenario for roughly the second half of this 2 3/4 hour adventure. After making Rachel happy, time for another dream scene, where the journal holds secrets (as usual) – the play is directed by a girl named Maxine Caulfield…?! Hm. Regardless, you’ll get home, and Chloe will start to transform into the person that she is in the base game, and after taking a shower, you’ll find yourself confronting David and Joyce, followed by a tour to the junkyard.

This point is where a twist kicks off, as an unwanted person shows up, immediately taking the role of the antagonist. After a knife getting involved, the episode continues at a hospital, where you’ll meet the North family a bit. Some small talk later, Rachel will ask you to do something important for her, which will result in a bit of investigation with burning evidence, grabbing a stash of cash, and confronting a somewhat psychopath person who followed us all along.

Getting back on the road, the dream sequence blends into the reality with its main character, and eventually, you’ll end up right where you started the whole Before the Storm thing. Everything is burned down, but our antagonist and a key character are right there. Despite being peaceful, you’ll get kicked into the dust, but the bad guy is killed by our contact, with whom Rachel seems to have fallen in love at first sight. (It’s heavily implied with no words being said.)

You’ll get to chat with the person who got drugged despite their will, wanting the opposite of our goal, and in a few minutes, you’ll end up in the hospital, where you get that one final decision, which isn’t as powerful as the base game’s last choice was. Sharing the truth builds up Life is Strange’s events in a more suitable way, and it ties to the point where Chloe and Rachel gets a few photos taken together, and there’s also a glass table and a red dossier on it. Sounds familiar?

I can’t wait for the Farewell bonus episode, which will be available to those who bought the game’s Deluxe edition. It’s probably coming out at the end of February, seeing the bi-monthly pace so far.

Drama

Don’t expect an alternate ending (as it would make Life is Strange itself null and void), but your choices will eventually change the final montage here and there. Let’s get the obligatory things out of the way: the story seems to be well written, the graphics continue the same quality as the first two episodes’, and I still noticed jumping animations. The voice acting and the music are both good, although I think there was way too many background music-only, skippable scenes with nothing said (or thought) by Chloe. Not even a single thought, huh? This thing, as well as the lack of gameplay, is the reason is why I give Hell is Empty an 8 out of 10: Hell is, indeed, empty, but we got full – a new friendship formed between two characters, with honesty being the key.

It’s a recommended purchase, but I’ll not rate the full game until playing the Farewell episode. We’ll get back to rating then. Still, Life is Strange: Before the Storm is the perfect way to build up the events of Life is Strange. I hope that the Max episode will answer my remaining questions.

-V-

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: Deck Nine Games

Genre: episodic, adventure

Release date: December 19, 2017