Life is Strange: Before the Storm impressions — a riveting teen duo replaces magic in this prequel

Life is Strange: Before the Storm is trying to recapture the magic of teens in Arcadia Bay, a fictional small town in Oregon, without the supernatural elements of the first game.

Life is Strange debuted in 2015 as an episodic series about teen angst, and it sold more than 3 million copies. It features Maxine “Max” Caulfield, a teen who could turn back time and relive moments that didn’t go right. The success prompted publisher Square Enix to get the Dontnod Entertainment development studio to work on Life is Strange 2 and another group, Deck Nine, to work on the prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm. The game is yet another example of targeting an underserved genre and audience, women, plus anyone who enjoys a good story over a twitch experience.