Life is Strange Before the Storm Episode 2: Brave New World Xbox One Review

Life is Strange Before the Storm Episode 2: Brave New World started with a trust exercise. Do I put my faith into the hands of someone else or choose to act base on my own assumptions. Much of episode 2 deals heavily with trust and betrayal, with no right or wrong answer available for Chloe to pick. Each choice in Life is Strange Before the Storm Episode 2: Brave New World had a degree of uneasiness, creating more drama in Chloe's already out of control life and by the finale I was left in awe.

Where Awake gave Chloe a different perspective on life Brave New World helps establish these new feelings Chloe has developed for Rachel. However, while Rachel still plays a significant role throughout the episode other characters such as David, Chloe's mother Vanessa, and other minor characters are given a chance at the spotlight. Each one providing more calamity and uncertainty into her already fractured life creating more problems and uneasy narrative options.

Trust and betrayal are constant themes throughout Brave New World. After the events of the first episode, Rachel is no longer a stranger in Chloe's life and plays a much larger role. Both much more comfortable telling each other how they feel and their problems, seeking to confront in each other. The kind of teen relationship that feels quick and foolhardy but brings happiness regardless.

Dialogue is much more fleshed out this time around. Chloe is given much more free range into crafting solutions for specific situations with Backtalk options coming up much more frequently. This time around Backtalks are easier to follow through, giving me more reason to pick this choice. If successful new information opens up that yields different results, sometimes not for the best outcome.

Choices are much more difficult this time around. Brave New World puts Chloe in a lot of precarious situations where her loyalty and trust is tested. Early on Rachel takes the fall and saves Chloe from a harsh punishment but I can the choice to fight back, refusing to trust Rachel and take matters into my own hands. Other times characters will place their trust into Chloe where it's up to the player whether to uphold it. These situations come up a lot and fall into Chloe's persona of feeling like a screw-up, even if it was for the right reasons. 

There are puzzles and collectibles littered throughout the episode that plays a minor role in extending the journey. It's strange that in Collection Mode, where decisions are not saved, that I cannot skip to the gameplay since its purpose is to tag the remaining graffiti locations. Puzzles themselves are simple trial and error challenges. Nothing truly major impeeds your progress and if you wish to retry checkpoints are frequent and loadtimes quick.

What brings the entire episode together is the fantastic soundtrack. Each sound complements the mood just right, whether it's sitting and relaxing on a bench or having a heated argument. This isn't surprising as music has always played a major role in this franchise and the developers clearly know what song is best for each given situation.

 

Life is Strange Before the Storm Episode 2: Brave New World is a fantastic addition to this 3 part series. It still suffers from the same issues from the first episode but these are minor complaints. Brave New World shows the importance of trust and the significance of betrayal. Where the first episode justified Chloe's misery and gave her new hope in the form of Rachel Amber, Brave New World cultivates this relationship into something more than a friendship.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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