Board 8 > Episode Two of Life is Strange: Before the Storm is out now!

(+) Yeah! (+)

Nothing is set in stone, at least not that I'm aware of. I would love it if they had multiple endings that changed the future or revealed that Max's time shenanigans broke the universe and created alternate timelines or something but I won't get my hopes up. I'm super curious to see to what extent BtS has multiple endings, actually. I'll be happy with anything more varied than LiS Ep5, which admittedly isn't a high bar to clear.

Phone battery is dying but I'll respond to HaRRicH's post when I get home
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Mobilezoid posted...

Nothing is set in stone, at least not that I'm aware of. I would love it if they had multiple endings that changed the future or revealed that Max's time shenanigans broke the universe and created alternate timelines or something but I won't get my hopes up. I'm super curious to see to what extent BtS has multiple endings, actually. I'll be happy with anything more varied than LiS Ep5, which admittedly isn't a high bar to clear.

Phone battery is dying but I'll respond to HaRRicH's post when I get home

Well, I'm not thinking that complex. I'm thinking that if Rachel and Chloe leave Arcadia Bay, Rachel doesn't die. However, I'm thinking someone might just take her place buried at the junkyard, and I going to bet that it's still someone near and dear to Chloe's heart.
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Joyce modeling for Jefferson sounds amazing
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HaRRicH posted...

Square Enix was bold to make a choice-heavy game like this into a prequel and its challenges are readily apparent.

That's for sure. I'm not sure if you ever saw the first BtS topic (the one before the one I linked to you) but basically everyone said they expected this to fail super hard and were pleasantly surprised by how good it actually is despite all the ways it could've gone wrong. I think they're overcoming these challenges admirably

HaRRicH posted...

Whatever happens in Episode 3 and this Max bonus episode, I want the story to move forward with future games. It's hard with LiS's endings being so different, but I'd be super into seeing them try to handle both storylines as two seperate trilogies...maybe with alternating chapters, maybe one timeline at a time.

Just an aside, Life is Strange 2 likely won't be connected to the first one in any way. Before the Storm's bonus episode will be the last time we get to spend time with these characters, and thinking about that now is making me sad.

HaRRicH posted...

This is fine and enjoyable, but my choices don't feel as important and Max > Rachel.

I appreciate how the choices characterize Chloe, but I agree that they don't have the same potential impact, again mostly because this is a prequel. Also, Chloe > Rachel > Max imho but they're all so amazing that I can't begrudge any order
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Finally got a chance to play this with my sister last night. I'll catch up on everything in here and post my thoughts tomorrow.
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I'm okay with LiS2 starting with a clean slate.

By the by, got this mouse pad today! *minor LiS-spoiler about Episode 5 in case you're playing or reading about this prequel without having played it*:

https://imgur.com/gallery/WJVf3
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Not sure if Cody has read this topic yet, so bump
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I am all caught up now, thanks. Now for some belated, random thoughts:

Surprised at the seemingly lack of supernatural after the end to episode 1. I too thought Rachel was gonna do something paranormal at the end with the candles, instead of using her normal human strength to break the table.

There were a couple points I thought ran a little long, the junkyard wandering and the courtyard puzzle with the sprinkler. The latter was probably me being dumb though. The entire episode took me over 3 hours, so there bits dragged a bit for me.

The choice involving Drew and the money was interesting. Poor Drew is never going to play for Oregon State after I let him be tough and get the shit kicked out of him.

Samantha's devotion to Nathan is probably not good, considering Nathan's interests and what he goes on to do later. Was Samantha mentioned at all in Life is Strange?

The play was my favorite part. I am proud to say I remembered all the lines without cheating, although I missed the cue about where to stand and wandered a bit in a panic until I got it right lol.

The entire time I've been favoring the romantic angle between Chloe and Rachel, but my sister has preferred them just being friends. Needless to say, as the one holding the controller, I wasted no time in having them kiss, much to my sister's chagrin. I think they've done a good job of developing the relationship thus far. It has been a bright, red-hot relationship that is destined to burn out quickly as we know.

The twist with the mystery lady being her mom took me by surprise. Curious to see where they go with that and how it all wraps up in one episode. Also the fact there is only one episode left means it is gonna be depressing, since this story can't have a happy ending. It has been said, but Before the Storm definitely provides an interesting context to the events of the original game, particularly Chloe's PoV. Getting to really know Rachel only makes her disappearence and death that much more heartbreaking.

No DnD, 1>2
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Cody11533 posted...

There were a couple points I thought ran a little long, the junkyard wandering and the courtyard puzzle with the sprinkler. The latter was probably me being dumb though. The entire episode took me over 3 hours, so there bits dragged a bit for me.

I thought the sprinkler puzzle was a bit silly but that's mostly because I hate Even and wtf did they do to Samuel. I loved the junkyard section though, there were so many subtle hints to stuff in Life is Strange

Cody11533 posted...

Was Samantha mentioned at all in Life is Strange?

No, but then again neither is Nathan doing something to a girl so I'm curious to see what they're doing with her

Cody11533 posted...

I think they've done a good job of developing the relationship thus far. It has been a bright, red-hot relationship that is destined to burn out quickly as we know.

Yeah, this is what's impressing me most about BtS. I was all about Max/Chloe in LiS but they somehow managed to win me over to Chloe/Rachel without much of a fight, but at the same time I can easily see it leading to what it was described as in LiS. Rachel has been thematically compared to fire a lot so it all kind of fits together

Cody11533 posted...

No DnD

Yeah this was the most disappointing part of the episode for sure
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Do we know how much time is between LiS and BtS?
And do we know when Rachel was...you know, taking a walk in the Junkyard with Jefferson?
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BtS is May 2010 and LiS is October 2013. Rachel goes missing in April 2013
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Damn this is a long time between
Guess we won't see any of stuff of Rachel relationship with Frank, Nathan and Jefferson...
Unless they pull a time-skip

And do we know when Chloe dyed her hair?
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Yeah, I'm not expecting a timeskip. There's enough plot to cover in 2010 with only one episode left!

No idea about the hair but I did see concept art where she had a few strands dyed blue so maybe in Ep3?

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/rememberme/images/2/23/Before_The_Storm_Concept_Art-01.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170611234045
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