So, I subjected myself to the first two episodes of Life is Strange: Before the Storm. Why? Probably avoiding laundry. Anyway, this podcast episode digs into the dumpster fire that is this prequel.

We're talking:

• Chloe's Not-So-Bad Voice Acting: Surprisingly tolerable, unlike most things.
• The Prequel Problem: Trying to retrofit choices onto a character we already know. Spoiler: It's dumb.
• Character Inconsistencies: Making Chloe nice? Making Nathan sympathetic? Trying to redeem the Step-Douche? Utter nonsense that clashes with LiS 1.
• Gameplay "Niche": The backtalk system is... a thing. Graffiti is fine, I guess. Still mostly a walking simulator.
• Story Recap (If You Care): Barn fights, skipping school, park meltdowns, dad drama, the infamous forest fire, getting expelled, fixing a truck, the school play disaster, and that riveting dinner scene cliffhanger.
• Where's the Sci-Fi? Unlike LiS 1, this prequel is disappointingly mundane. Just teen drama minus the actual stakes or interesting mechanics. Seriously, that fire scene could have been something.
• New Characters: Mostly forgettable additions. What even happened to them later?
• Weird Age Gaps & Relationships: Frank and Rachel? Nathan simps? Creepy dude hitting on Chloe? Just... why?
• The Music: Okay, fine, the soundtrack still slaps. Credit where it's due.

Basically, it's a deep dive into why Before the Storm feels like a missed opportunity and often contradicts the game it's supposed to lead into. Listen if you enjoy cynical rants about narrative failures. Or don't. Your time to waste.