Info about Life is Strange: Before the Storm:

Official game description:
Life is Strange: Before the Storm out now for macOS and Linux.
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Play Free
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Reviews & Accolades
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_“Life is Strange Before the Storm is Brilliant“_ - Eurogamer
_“near-flawless end to the impactful, heartfelt prequel”_ 5/5 - Windows Central
_“It has real promise”_ - Rock Paper Shotgun
_"a worthwhile prequel that expands on its universe"_ 4/5 Trusted Reviews
_"Outstanding character performances"_ - GameRevolution
_"a truly memorable experience."_ 4/5 - Express
_"Funny, touching, and irresistibly earnest"_ 8/10 - Metro
Bonus Episode 'Farewell' out now
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Experience Max and Chloe’s childhood friendship in Farewell the bonus episode to Life is Strange Before the Storm. Ashly Burch and Hannah Telle reprise their roles in an emotional and nostalgic trip down memory lane.  
'Farewell' Bonus Episode is available as part of the Deluxe Edition of Life is Strange: Before the Storm
Complete Season Out Now!
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Digital Deluxe Edition
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**Deluxe Edition contains:**  
*   The main game (Episodes 1-3)  
*   Bonus Episode: ‘Farewell’ - play one last time as a young Max Caulfield in a special bonus episode...  
*   Exclusive New Mixtape Mode – Design your own playlist from the Life is Strange licensed soundtrack and listen to it alongside a cinematic scene from the game.  
*   Exclusive outfit pack - Change up Chloe's look with three new complete outfits. Includes Punk Doe, Hawt Dawg Man & Illuminati outfits.
The bonus episode ‘Farewell’ will release after Life is Strange: Before the Storm Episode 3
About the Game
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Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a new three part; standalone adventure set three years before the first game in the BAFTA award-winning franchise.  
You play as sixteen-year old Chloe Price who forms an unlikely friendship with Rachel Amber, a beautiful and popular girl destined for success.  
When Rachel learns a secret about her family that threatens to destroy her world, it is her newfound friendship with Chloe that gives her the strength to carry on.  
No longer alone the girls must confront each other's demons and together, find a way to overcome them.  
KEY FEATURES:  
*   Choice and consequence driven narrative adventure  
*   Multiple endings depending on the choices you make  
*   ‘Backtalk’ - A risk/reward conversation mode that allows Chloe to use her barbed tongue to provoke or get her way  
*   Make your mark on the world with witty tags and drawings  
*   Choose Chloe’s outfit and see how people react to your look  
*   Distinct Licensed indie soundtrack & original score by Daughter

Release date: Aug 31, 2017

Categories: Narrative Adventure, Choice-based Narrative, Character Development, Dialogue-based Puzzle Solving, Branching Narrative, Emotional Storytelling, Interactive Fiction

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 55; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback for 'Life is Strange: Before the Storm' on the Steam Deck reveals several key themes. Interface scaling issues and performance stability are notable concerns, with users reporting crashes and screen tearing. Additionally, some users have had to use Proton Experimental to run the game on Linux, which adds complexity. However, there is also positive feedback regarding the game's native Linux support, indicating a smooth experience for some users. Overall, while the game is playable and offers a solid experience, there are technical barriers that require attention.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Chloe's character depth praised (weight 0.9): Players appreciate the complex and well-developed portrayal of Chloe's personality, background, and relationships, making her a favorite character.
- Chloe-Rachel relationship central (weight 0.86): The intense, emotional, and well-developed relationship between Chloe and Rachel is a key focus, providing context and depth to both characters.
- Storytelling highly acclaimed (weight 0.85): The game's story is widely enjoyed for being engaging, well-structured, and emotionally impactful, with a thought-provoking ending.
- Visuals and soundtrack praised (weight 0.68): The game's beautiful and unique visuals, combined with its atmospheric and highly praised soundtrack, enhance the overall experience.
- Emotional impact highlighted (weight 0.47): The game's emotional and raw storytelling creates a deep connection with characters, leaving a strong impact on players.
- Gameplay and decisions engaging (weight 0.4): The gameplay is described as engaging and addictive, with decisions that carry weight and require thoughtful consideration.
- Bonus episode well-received (weight 0.2): The bonus episode, particularly the Farewell episode, is highly praised by players.

Common complaints:
- Rachel Amber's poor characterization (weight 0.45): Rachel Amber is criticized for feeling rushed, underdeveloped, and nonsensical. She is often seen as an archetype or plot device rather than a fully developed character.
- Weaker than the original (weight 0.41): The game is considered not as strong as the original in terms of gameplay, plot twists, and overall impact. It lacks the novelty and emotional depth that made the first game memorable.
- Underdeveloped characters (weight 0.35): The game is criticized for its lack of character development, with many characters feeling rushed or underdeveloped.
- Rushed and inconsistent moments (weight 0.28): Many moments in the game feel rushed, underdeveloped, or driven by convenient plot twists, leading to inconsistencies and wasted plot points.
- Episodes feel short (weight 0.25): The episodes are noted to feel shorter than expected, leaving the story feeling incomplete and players wishing for more content.
- Disappointing and rushed ending (weight 0.24): The ending is widely criticized for feeling rushed, disappointing, and lacking proper explanation. It leaves players feeling frustrated and unsatisfied.
- Choices lack impact (weight 0.23): Player choices are noted to have limited or no significant impact on the narrative, making the game feel less interactive and more linear.
- Voice actor changes (weight 0.21): The change in voice actors, particularly due to a union strike, is noted and criticized for not sounding the same as the original actors.
- Translation issues (weight 0.2): The game is criticized for poor translations, particularly in Chinese and Ukrainian, which include technical issues and low-quality translations.
- Uninspired and forced story (weight 0.18): The story is criticized for feeling uninspired, forced, and contrived, lacking the emotional depth and complexity of the original game.
- Limited replay value (weight 0.1): The game is criticized for having limited replay value, reducing its long-term appeal.
- Plot lacks urgency (weight 0.1): The plot is criticized for lacking urgency and an engaging storyline, making the game feel less compelling.
- Narrative not worth time (weight 0.1): The story is criticized for not being worth the time or money, with nothing eventful happening, making it feel like a waste of time.
- Lack of abilities (weight 0.09): The game is criticized for the lack of abilities or powers, which were a key feature in the original game.
- Character dislike (weight 0.09): Some players strongly dislike certain characters, particularly Chloe, which affects their overall enjoyment of the game.
- Cringe dialogue (weight 0.09): The game is criticized for having cringe-worthy dialogue, which detracts from the overall narrative experience.
- Chloe-centric narrative (weight 0.09): The singular focus on Chloe Price is criticized for weakening the early Life is Strange games, making the narrative feel less fully realized.
- Generic and anticlimactic villain (weight 0.09): The villain is criticized for being generic and anticlimactic, with poor development and lack of impact.
- Pacing issues (weight 0.09): The game's pacing is criticized for stumbling at times, with some parts feeling too slow, affecting the overall flow of the narrative.

Gameplay feedback:
- Character development and relationships (weight 0.81): The game is heavily focused on character development, emotional depth, and the exploration of relationships, particularly between Chloe and Rachel. It delves into character backstories and their interactions.
- Narrative-driven and story-focused gameplay (weight 0.61): The game emphasizes a drama-focused narrative with interactive storytelling and choice-driven consequences. Players experience a story-driven gameplay with significant narrative choices.
- Decision-making and consequences (weight 0.51): The game includes choice-based mechanics where decisions have significant consequences, affecting the story and character relationships.
- Dialogue and interactions (weight 0.25): The gameplay involves extensive dialogue trees and simple interactions, with a focus on dialogue choices and their outcomes.
- Exploration and puzzles (weight 0.24): Players can explore environments and engage in light puzzle-solving sections, adding variety to the gameplay.
- Prequel to Life is Strange (weight 0.22): The game serves as a prequel to the original Life is Strange, providing a more grounded feel and focusing on the backstory of key characters.
- No time reversal mechanic (weight 0.16): Unlike the original game, this installment does not feature the time rewind mechanic, focusing instead on other gameplay elements.
- Collectibles and graffiti (weight 0.13): Collectibles in the game take the form of graffiti, adding a unique element to exploration and discovery.

Performance notes:
- Moderate PC requirements (weight 0.31): The game requires at least an entry-level PC to run smoothly, with specific mentions of needing GPUs like GTX 1050 or RX 460 for optimal performance.
- Good visuals and optimization (weight 0.27): The game has improved visuals and runs well on most modern PCs. It is noted for good optimization and stable performance for a narrative experience.
- Bugs and crashes (weight 0.24): The remastered version has notable bugs, including issues that require reloading save files and frequent crashes, especially on Steam.
- Visual performance issues (weight 0.24): Players experience screen tearing and stuttering. There is no vsync option, which contributes to these visual problems.
- Steam Deck compatibility (weight 0.19): The game is verified for Steam Deck, but the interface isn't always perfectly scaled for the Deck's screen. Controls generally work well, though touchscreen use is sometimes necessary.
- Linux compatibility (weight 0.06): The native Linux version functions without problems, indicating good support for Linux users.
- Built with Unity engine (weight 0.06): The game is built using the Unity engine, which is a notable detail for some players.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended for story and emotional experience (weight 0.38): The game is praised for its narrative and emotional impact, making it ideal for those who enjoy emotional and narrative-driven games.
- Worth playing for fans of the first game (weight 0.37): Fans of the first game are highly recommended to play this game as it is considered a must-play for those who enjoyed the first game.
- Play Life is Strange 1 first (weight 0.32): It is recommended to play the first Life is Strange game before this one to better connect with the characters and understand the story.
- Recommended for fans of Chloe's character (weight 0.26): The game is recommended for those who enjoyed Chloe's character in the first game and want to learn more about her backstory.
- Worth the price and playing (weight 0.22): The game is considered worth the price and worth playing, even if bought on sale.
- Original version recommended over remaster (weight 0.21): Some players recommend playing the original version before the remaster or instead of the remaster.
- Buy Deluxe Edition for enthusiasts (weight 0.1): The Deluxe Edition is recommended for enthusiasts and is considered worth buying.
- Recommended for visual novel fans (weight 0.1): The game is recommended for fans of visual novels and character-driven narrative games.
- More episodes to complete the story (weight 0.09): Some players express a desire for more episodes to complete the story.
- Not recommended for action seekers (weight 0.06): The game is not recommended for those seeking true action, as it focuses more on story and characters.

Other player notes:
- Mentions of Asian fonts (weight 0.06): Some players mentioned the use of Chinese and Japanese fonts in the game. This could indicate an interest or issue related to the game's localization or design choices.
- Game received as gift (weight 0.04): A player mentioned that the game was a gift from their boyfriend. This point is more personal and does not provide specific feedback about the game itself.

Emotions:
- Sadness (weight 0.13): The emotional impact of the story, particularly the tragic elements and character deaths, resonates deeply with players. Many players feel a strong personal connection to the characters, especially Chloe, and are affected by the themes of loss, pain, and identity search.
- Joy (weight 0.13): Players find joy in the engaging storytelling, beautiful visuals, and heartwarming character relationships, particularly between Chloe and Rachel. The enjoyable gameplay, memorable scenes, and emotionally resonant writing contribute to a positive and uplifting experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.09): The story and gameplay did not meet expectations for many players, with criticisms directed at the rushed ending, weak climax, and underdeveloped characters. Some players also expressed disappointment in the lack of emotional impact and the game's failure to add meaningful content to the Life is Strange universe.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.07): Players feel a strong connection to the original game's characters and story, evoking memories of their past experiences. The game's setting, themes, and soundtrack contribute to a sense of nostalgia, reminding players of their teenage years and previous playthroughs.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): The engaging storytelling, characters, and high-quality graphics, audio, and story generate excitement among players. The fascinating atmosphere, beautiful locations, and the desire to replay the original game contribute to this excitement.
- Frustration (weight 0.06): Technical issues, poor graphics quality, and translation problems cause frustration among players. Additionally, the vague dialogue options, underwhelming narrative climax, and inconsistent character portrayals add to the frustration.
- Empathy (weight 0.04): Players empathize with the characters' struggles and emotional journeys, particularly Chloe's experiences. The game's exploration of grief, confusion, and vulnerability allows players to connect deeply with the characters.
- Frustration (weight 0.02): Changes in the development team and excessive focus on Rachel cause frustration among players. The insufferable and cringe dialogue, as well as Chloe's behavior towards her mother, contribute to this frustration.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Players experience joy due to the game's aesthetics, history, and the positive emotions it evokes. The appreciation for the soundtrack, environments, and the scene of children playing together contribute to this happiness.
- Emotional Connection (weight 0.01): Players feel an emotional connection due to the strong personality of the protagonist and the relationship between Chloe and Rachel. The deep and complex emotions explored in the game resonate with players.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): The romance between Chloe and Rachel, along with the funny moments in the game, bring happiness to players. The enjoyable character dynamics and story contribute to a positive and uplifting experience.}