Board 8 > Life Is Strange: Before the Storm - blind playthrough topic

(+) Yeah! (+)

Doing this because after finishing the original I wished so badly that I had done one of these. Then I said I was gonna do one for Until Dawn and changed my mind and I'm not gonna hit myself over not doing it a third time.

So, obviously, please use the spoiler tag for anything I haven't gotten to yet, and at least until I finish the game, please also tag anything related to alternate paths that I missed out on.

If you don't know my thoughts on the original, the long and short is I think it's a work of art. While not without its flaws, the good stuff is just way too damn good for me to care.

Starting the game... now-ish.
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Hella yes, I'll be following along with this! I mostly agree with your feeling about LiS (that it has flaws but still comes together into an amazing whole). I'm also one of the rare crazy people who likes BtS as much as LiS, so I hope you enjoy it.
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Until Dawn is really good
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I'm really digging the menu music. More upbeat than the original's soothing melody.

Um, get out of the way? Nice parallel to the original having Chloe almost get hit by a train.

It's weird seeing Chloe without blue hair.

Is that Frank's RV?

"If I had any friends" aww Chloe

I like this backtalk thing. Really works well with Chloe's character. I hope it is done well.

Okay so it looks like graffiti is going to be Chloe's equivalent to Max's photos. I didn't get a lot of the optional photos, I'll try to get more of the graffiti.

Aww that bio on Max

Steal the shirt and the money? Yeah, that's something Chloe would do. Gonna play this a LOT more rebel-y than I did with Max.

So THIS is Rachel...
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Tag.
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Chloe is left handed. Huh.

I really like one of the songs playing in Chloe's room. "Long way down" are the lyrics.

It feels really nice to be in Chloe's house again.

I'm taking a LOT more time to explore and examine everything in this one.

I know this isn't Ashley Burch, but she's an acceptable substitute. She captures the attitude well, and even inflicts similarly. I know why Burch didn't do this game, but it still makes me a little said. She WAS Chloe. Tied with Nolan North as Nathan Drake for my favorite voice acting performance in gaming.
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Yeah, the new VA is definitely no Ashly Burch but I still thought she did a great job. That was one of the things I was worried about going into BtS but I got used to it almost right away.
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Definitely nice to get some backstory on the Chloe/Joyce/David relationship. Makes me even sadder that Chloe died not knowing how much David actually did care.

I love being inside Chloe's head this time. She's so much snarkier than what comes out of her mouth, I love it.

This isn't David's original VA either. Joyce's sounds the same though...
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Okay now THAT was the kind of moment I expect from this franchise (William flashback)

Oh hey, Eliot is into theatre, like me. I'm more of a musical guy than straight plays though.

Skip seems cool and I liked his song.

Samantha seems... weird but sweet.

Ugh I took Evan's petition seriously! I'm going soft already!

Fucking up Victoria's homework was great. She was my most hated character in the original. Pre-pay back!

I have a lot of friends who are into this tabletop stuff. I've always respectfully said it wasn't for me and after spending 10 minutes on it here I can completely reaffirm that.

Drew actually had me sticking up for Nathan. Then I remembered it's fucking Nathan. I hope Drew turns out to be this game's David (jackass that ends up okay in the end).

These new characters will take some getting used to. I'm gonna miss Max and Kate and Warren and the like.

Gotta call it a night here though. In the future I'll try to play more smoothly and mostly just wrap up my thoughts at the end of a play session and only interrupt myself at truly big moments. The last time I did one of these was for Tales of the Abyss four years ago, and I think it started out like this and gradually got more the way I just described.
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Before the Storm was very cool. Not so much for the main storyline as just getting to see more of Chloe, and watch her relationship with Rachel develop. After seeing how much of a whirlwind Chloe was around Max, it's interesting to see someone who's so formidable she makes Chloe uneasy. And yes, she was always left-handed. Curiously, Rachel is too. Well, she's ambidextrous.

I knew it wasn't Ashley voicing Chloe, but I honestly never really noticed. The new VA sounds similar enough that I didn't feel the difference. The more important part of Chloe is what's being said, and since Burchard helped with the writing, that part feels pretty consistently Chloe, too. In fact, in that regard, the dialogue is better than the original, where stiff and very white French people wrote all the lines, and some of the vernacular really didn't come across well. (I recently replayed ep. 1 and man there's some clunky lines.)
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Yea, I didn't even notice the VA change. In fact, even though BtS was made by different developers it still felt like Life is Strange, which is really impressive.
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In a lot of ways I actually liked this VA for Chloe more than the first. She had this tone down of "Everything is completely fucked up"
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Didn't play too much tonight. Got up to the broken viewfinder, with Chloe tasked with making it work somehow.

I remember those things from childhood and how the fuckers NEVER worked.

As a theatre person I LOVE that that is looking like a big part of the game. But I cannot for the life of me picture Nathan Prescott performing Shakespeare.
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Episode 1 beated

That was a good first episode for a shortened season. At first I thought it felt much like the first episode in the original game, which is fine for a 5-episode season but for a shortened season I was hoping it to be a little more. Then the junkyard scene and everything after it happened and that was the intensity that I loved from episode 2 and onward of the original. I actually got a little watery-eyed when Rachel was talking about her dad. When she went to burn the picture I was saying out loud, "No no no no no no no no no no" and was hoping for a choice to convince her not to. No dice. Then I gasped when she kicked over the fire pit and started the forest fire.

From the ending montage looks like the police officer and the girl smoking the cigarette are going to be major characters we haven't met yet (or were those Rachel's dad and his mistress?). I look forward to meeting them.

So far still no match for the original but it's acceptable.

I should mention that I'm playing on PS4, and that I just remembered that I am spoiled on one thing, just a minor thing that I suppose may happen and it doesn't seem to be too big of a story spoiler but more of an "omg" moment that I probably could have seen coming anyway, and honestly for my headcanon I'm not sure whether I even want it to happen anyway... we'll see.

I'm sure this is just wishful thinking, but all the stuff about acting kinda makes me hope Chloe ends up in Tempest somehow.

MAJOR CHOICES:
-You Ran.
-You were kind to Joyce.
-You defended Nathan.
-You told Rachel you are more than just friends.

MINOR CHOICES:
-You took the money.
-You purchased pot from Frank.
-You didn't read Joyce's self-help book.
-You put the photo of William on the dresser.
-You didn't slip money into Joyce's purse.
-You told Eliot you would go to the play with him.
-You told Skip you liked his demo.
-You didn't finish the table top game with Steph and Mikey. (I started but hated it so I gave up)
-You sabotaged Victoria's homework.
-You told Rachel falling in love is stupid.
-You shared earbuds with Rachel.
-You jumped out of the train.

That didn't sound like Frank in the preview.... did it...?
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Underleveled posted...

-You sabotaged Victoria's homework.

What's a cunsn?
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I got to play a little bit last night.

Man I dont think I like Principal Wells anymore. Not that he was ever one of my favorites but I at least kinda respected him in the original. In this one he's just a dick.

Chloe with the graffiti in the bathroom was awesome, especially when Victoria walked in after it.

Man I really hope we get to see Tempest.

Chloe graffitiing a pot leaf onto one of the lights just makes me think she's that student. You know, the one where if the recording for Pomp and Circumstance gets replaced with death metal, or the slides for an assembly get replaced with embarrassing pics of the staff, everyone immediately knows exactly who it was.

I'm being WAY too nice with David for my headcanon.

And ended with the origin of Chloe's shitty truck.

Some specific character notes:
-Obviously Nathan is going to play a big role in this game since he got a profile and Victoria didn't, but I dont know what it will be yet. Same with these other characters who got profiles but we havent seen much of yet, when we've seen more of Skip so far and he doesn't have one.
-I feel like Drew is either going to be like David or Frank in the original, where he's a dick early on but eventually you figure out that he's okay and may even become a vital ally.
-Still two more blank profiles, one male and one female. As I said before I think they will be Rachel's dad's mistress and the cop from the ending montage of episode 1.
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Now it's my weekend. Because I work four tens, that means I have three days to chill and will definitely be playing this more. May even finish the game.
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Didnt play any last night. About to play some but I've been drinking a bit so I may make some bad movies
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Last night all I got to do was fix the truck and then begin playing therapist with Rachel before I hit pause and closed my eyes for 5 minutes I mean 10 hours.

Hopefully that is not what happens tonight.
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Underleveled posted...

I'm sure this is just wishful thinking, but all the stuff about acting kinda makes me hope Chloe ends up in Tempest somehow.

I love when I call things. I also nailed it. Hey look at that, I got offbook for Shakespeare in like, 4 minutes. Now I need to get offbook for Little Mermaid...

Steph seems like such a sweetheart.

And Samantha totally likes Nathan. I think she's gonna get herself killed. Uh oh.

And now I'm at the Ambers'. Something tells me this dinner is going to go horribly wrong.

And oh yeah I met Damon and screw my headcanon, Chloe and Rachel kissed because that's what Chloe wanted/needed.

I feel like there was something else I wanted to say about Chloe and how I'm playing her but I forgot.

EDIT: Not what I mentioned above but I did feel bad about being a jerk to Skip. :(
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How could anyone hate the D&D game. "I punch the Minotaur in the dick!"
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Episode 2 beateneded

-Well THAT was a cliffhanger ("she's your mother.") Can't wait to see where this goes. Will start next eppy up tonight.
--Liking these intense endings. Even though they're shorter than stuff like Kate on the roof or 5 years in the past like we got for the climaxes of the original game, they're still effective, and both of them so far had me going "Don't do it don't do it don't do it" as Rachel was getting angry.
-I'm already wishing this was more than 3 episodes plus a bonus. :-\
-Some of these replacement VAs are kinda distracting
--BUT here's what I have to say about Chloe's - I don't notice it so much during cutscenes and conversations but REALLY notice it when she's thinking to herself interacting with stuff. That being said, I think the new girl is actually pretty funny at that and am totally cool with it.
Underleveled posted...

I hope Drew turns out to be this game's David (jackass that ends up okay in the end).

Underleveled posted...

-I feel like Drew is either going to be like David or Frank in the original, where he's a dick early on but eventually you figure out that he's okay and may even become a vital ally.

Hey I said this twice because I forgot I said it and it looks to be possibly coming true.

MAJOR CHOICES:
-You took the blame for Rachel.
-You refused to empty your pockets. [don't see what this will have to do with anything but okay]
-You gave Damon the money.
-You asked Rachel for a kiss.

MINOR CHOICES:
-You didn't talk to Eliot about the play. [I didn't even see him]
-You agreed to start over with David.
-You put the singing man on the dashboard of the truck. [YAY! We got to see where he came from! Iconic little guy got his start in a junkyard]
-You didn't pay off your debt to Frank [I didn't know I was still in debt...]
-You didn't tell Steph that Rachel was single. [Sorry, she's for Chloe]
-You didn't return Drew's money to him.
-You told Samantha to help Nathan.
-You confronted Victoria before the play.
-You told Rachel you'd like to go to Los Angeles.
-Rachel attacked James at dinner.
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It says something about Rachel she was willing to make out with the girl who smokes and hasn't bathed in like three days
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I'd be fine making out with a girl who smokes.

Also prior to the revelation in the last 3 seconds, James was on a fast track to becoming my most hated character ever. Now I dunno.
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All I did after that was just watch the history of James/Sera and then look at some stuff in Rachel's house before passing out. Probably not playing tonight because I need to charge my controller and wont be home until like 930 or 10. Probably will just play Sonic Mania instead.
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Tag. BtS is no LiS, but it's enjoyable.
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Okay this scene in Rachel's room is fucking perfect
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Victoria booing like a cunsn ruined that amazing dream sequence
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I don't remember which part you're talking about. =(
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The one where Dad gets smushed by a car on stage
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That shower scene was kinda creepy because Chloe is 16 in this game, but the tone was on-point. Actually the tone, especially the music, has been super on-point this episode.

Oh and blue haired Chloe origin!

And truck is fully fixed! This is not a bad origin story even though Max is the superhero.

The music in the scene waiting for Rachel in the hospital was so fucking on-point. I mean original game basically spoils that she wont die from that, but it seems super sad to know that she survives this and then goes out in an even worse way.
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OMG the wine-drinkers from the hiking trail I totally forgot them lol.

Oh no, Nathan and Samantha really are "dating"... and he wants to take her picture... what have I done...

"When you meet someone who changes everything, you just know."

Drew ended up being really cool. I'm glad.
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Underleveled posted...

but it seems super sad to know that she survives this and then goes out in an even worse way.

The portrayal in the outro is heart-breaking.
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azuarc posted...

Underleveled posted...

but it seems super sad to know that she survives this and then goes out in an even worse way.

The portrayal in the outro is heart-breaking.

DONT SPOIL IT! Gawd
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Going out tonight so unless I get in relatively early (and with my friends that would be, well, strange) I wont br playing this tonight.

But after I finish I plan on playing Detroit. Would anyone in here be interested in that playthrough topic?
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Just came up with a prediction (and I'm on a roll with those!)

Skip's band hits the big time, which is how the Blackwell security position opens up for David
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Underleveled posted...

DONT SPOIL IT! Gawd

Well, I mean, it basically takes up the whole ending sequence, what with seeing Chloe start producing all those missing posters, stealing David's credit card to pay for them, slapping them up all over the place, and then crying for someone to come help her find her best friend when weeks go by without any success. And then it cuts to Max's acceptance letter.

I'm kidding. None of that happens.
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I have rehearsal this afternoon and then the Pats are on, so, I MIGHT play some either before rehearsal or after football.
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Well that was a nice scene with Rachel in the hospital.

But then Eliot shows up after being absent since like the first 5 minutes of the game and suddenly he's all up in our business? I was blunt with him and told him it was none of his business. Sorry not sorry. Warren Graham he is not.
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Fucking Eliot.

And fucking James for that matter.
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Eliot is like they wanted to make a Warren character, but alter some of the tropes, so instead of being cool and laidback, he's uptight and self-righteous. I mean, he foils Chloe well, but he's just so not her type when you get down to it. I very well could have been that guy when I was in high school, so I concede that he's completely believable, but he's still kinda annoying.
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gaem bate (main game anyway; I'll save the bonus episode for another time when I need a little LIS fix)

MAJOR CHOICE:
-You didn't tell Rachel the truth.

MINOR CHOICES:
-You killed the plant with soda.
-You accepted David's photograph.
-You didn't have Drew's money at the start of the day.
-You visited the Norths at the hospital.
-You didn't donate to the firefighter's fund. (didn't know you could)
-You convinced Damon that Sheldon was the snitch.
-Rachel didn't meet her mother.

Overall thoughts:
-Unlike the original game, I think I made the "bad" ending choice. Based on that last minor choice, I feel like I could replay this and get a better ending.
-I AM glad that there was a big choice at the end though, like the last one. Though the stakes were much lower, that was generally the feel of the whole game - the stakes were so much lower in this one than the original. And while I do like that it made the whole feel a little bit simpler, it just felt like the rush of the original was missing.
-Additionally, I didn't feel so emotionally attached to this one. In the original, I felt such an emotional attachment to the whole world, the situation, to all the characters, I felt like I really was seeing these people's lives play out in a high-stakes scenario. This one, I didn't feel that. Aside from Chloe and Rachel, who were beautifully written and wonderfully drawn-out, the rest of the cast just felt like they were there. Even the villain in this one, despicable as he was, just didn't draw out the same amount of hatred in me as the villains in the original. Hell, in a week I'll probably forget his name. While I did enjoy some of the arcs, like Drew's and Frank's, nobody aside from the two leads made me feel the way I did about say, Kate in the original. Furthermore, all of the supporting characters in the original were constantly involved. In this one EVERYBODY was absent for long portions of the game.
-But I will say this - the stuff with Rachel and Chloe was unbelievable. The quiet scenes where they just needed to sit and almost didn't need to say a word, the outbursts, the lead-ups to what Chloe would become in the original game, PHENOMENAL.

Overall, I'm glad I played this. It wasn't the original, which as I said in my opening post, I think is one of the most phenomenal works of fiction I've ever experienced, it wasn't remotely close to that level, but it was a nice way to expand upon Chloe's story, and let's face it, she deserved it.
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Oh fuck there was more

Well that was a depressing ending after the credits/choices.

And pretty much reflects how I'll feel whenever I see Max and Chloe finding Rachel's body from now on.
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Underleveled posted...

-But I will say this - the stuff with Rachel and Chloe was unbelievable. The quiet scenes where they just needed to sit and almost didn't need to say a word, the outbursts, the lead-ups to what Chloe would become in the original game, PHENOMENAL.

Pretty much this. I like BtS because it focused on their relationship.

And yea, the epilogue is pretty depressing.
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Underleveled posted...

Well that was a depressing ending after the credits/choices.

Told ya.
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I still wish you hadnt.

But as for Eliot, he was just a big tool. The only similarity between he and Warren was unrequited love for the protagonist, and in Warren's case you have the option to reciprocate. But as dorky as Warren was, he had some charm and genuinely loved Max not just romantically but as a person/friend. He came to her aid at his own risk numerous times and would NEVER have backed her into a corner (literally). Eliot disappeared for 90% of the game then when we finally see him again we learn he is a creepy-ass stalker and just all around uncomfortable person.
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Right now I am playing Detroit and after that for the month of October I plan on playing RE0-3 and plan to do a playthrough topic of those.
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