This review covers the 3 core episodes, and not the bonus episode to be released in 2018 for owners of the deluxe edition.
When I say "fanservice", I mean in the traditional sense of "give the fans what they want". If you played the original game and want more backstory, Before the Storm can deliver on that front alone. It's loaded with enough sly nods, Call Forwards, backstory, and characterisation for some of the first game's less developed characters.
That said, the game itself still stands on its own.
While the supernatural elements that were present in the original game are still there, the game mostly focuses on the drama within Rachel and Chloe's respective families and their own relationship. Deck 9 have captured the look and feel of the original game, and it feels more or less like DONTNOD made another 3 more episodes of it (albeit with better writing and a different cast of voice actors because of the 2017 strike). The chemistry between Chloe and Rachel feels very real, and while the slang is unlikely to be convincing to actual teenagers, most of the dialogue, posters, letters and other material feels authentic to the relatively recent era.
The plot itself moves faster than the original (thanks to the shorter format), but there's still plenty of replay value (notably, the ending addresses a common complaint of the original game and takes more player choice into account). Because of this, the choice/concequences mechanic feels much more refined. The story itself is a winding tale of budding romance and mystery which keeps the darker elements fairly well blended with the fluffier ones, and is definitely the strongest element (as well as making good use of the medium by keeping many smaller character arcs running in the background through optional material).
The only way the game falls short of the first game is the gameplay itself. It loses a lot from no longer featuring the rewind mechanic (although it ironically still seems to vary the puzzles more). The backtalk mechanic is interesting (functioning like the climax of the first game's second episode, with a proper UI), but there's probably about a dozen or so across the entire game and doesn't fully replace it. While the adventure game mechanics for dialogue and interaction are still as solid as they were before, they feel a little dull without the ability to delve into every possible choice. At the same time, the graffiti tags that have replaced the photograph opportunities of the original game are slighly more interesting (since you're able to choose what Chloe "tags" things with, and most of them are as snarky — or in some cases, heartwarming— as you'd expect).
If you loved the first game, you'll want to play this. If you're a fan of adventure games, and/or queer romance, definitely look into it. If you've never played the first game, you can easily play this one first without spoiling it.
Fanservice in the best possible way
This review covers the 3 core episodes, and not the bonus episode to be released in 2018 for owners of the deluxe edition.
When I say "fanservice", I mean in the traditional sense of "give the fans what they want". If you played the original game and want more backstory, Before the Storm can deliver on that front alone. It's loaded with enough sly nods, Call Forwards, backstory, and characterisation for some of the first game's less developed characters.
That said, the game itself still stands on its own.
While the supernatural elements that were present in the original game are still there, the game mostly focuses on the drama within Rachel and Chloe's respective families and their own relationship. Deck 9 have captured the look and feel of the original game, and it feels more or less like DONTNOD made another 3 more episodes of it (albeit with better writing and a different cast of voice actors because of the 2017 strike). The chemistry between Chloe and Rachel feels very real, and while the slang is unlikely to be convincing to actual teenagers, most of the dialogue, posters, letters and other material feels authentic to the relatively recent era.
The plot itself moves faster than the original (thanks to the shorter format), but there's still plenty of replay value (notably, the ending addresses a common complaint of the original game and takes more player choice into account). Because of this, the choice/concequences mechanic feels much more refined. The story itself is a winding tale of budding romance and mystery which keeps the darker elements fairly well blended with the fluffier ones, and is definitely the strongest element (as well as making good use of the medium by keeping many smaller character arcs running in the background through optional material).
The only way the game falls short of the first game is the gameplay itself. It loses a lot from no longer featuring the rewind mechanic (although it ironically still seems to vary the puzzles more). The backtalk mechanic is interesting (functioning like the climax of the first game's second episode, with a proper UI), but there's probably about a dozen or so across the entire game and doesn't fully replace it. While the adventure game mechanics for dialogue and interaction are still as solid as they were before, they feel a little dull without the ability to delve into every possible choice. At the same time, the graffiti tags that have replaced the photograph opportunities of the original game are slighly more interesting (since you're able to choose what Chloe "tags" things with, and most of them are as snarky — or in some cases, heartwarming— as you'd expect).
If you loved the first game, you'll want to play this. If you're a fan of adventure games, and/or queer romance, definitely look into it. If you've never played the first game, you can easily play this one first without spoiling it.
Highly recommended