Current Events > how is the Life is Strange prequel

(+) Yeah! (+)

I have both of the episodes installed rn I just can't build up motivation to play it even though the first was a contender for goty for me

no spoils pls jus wanna see how it stacks up (so far)
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I haven't finished episode 2 yet but it has been really good so far. If you like the original I don't see why you wouldn't like Before the Storm.
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its really fucking good

its actually nice to see the character of Rachel Amber without just hearing about her from the other characters. It adds a lot of weight to the first game.
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Darmik posted...

If you like the original I don't see why you wouldn't like Before the Storm.

Getting to know Rachel Amber is stupid.

NibeIungsnarf posted...

Darmik posted...

If you like the original I don't see why you wouldn't like Before the Storm.

Getting to know Rachel Amber is stupid.

...why
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Significantly worse than the original
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Rachel Amber is a symbol the characters in LiS congregate around. By making her a character in her own rights you make the mystery of her disappearance about her when it was always about everyone else. You're not supposed to care about her. Even when you uncover what happened to her the focus is entirely on Chloe instead of her.

I'm just here for the Max Caulfield special episode that will be released after the finale.
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Hella steampunk
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NibeIungsnarf posted...

Rachel Amber is a symbol the characters in LiS congregate around. By making her a character in her own rights you make the mystery of her disappearance about her when it was always about everyone else. You're not supposed to care about her. Even when you uncover what happened to her the focus is entirely on Chloe instead of her.

I'm gonna guess you never liked Fire Walk With Me, did you?
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Never watched Twin Peaks, but from my understanding few people did.

NibeIungsnarf posted...

Rachel Amber is a symbol the characters in LiS congregate around. By making her a character in her own rights you make the mystery of her disappearance about her when it was always about everyone else. You're not supposed to care about her. Even when you uncover what happened to her the focus is entirely on Chloe instead of her.

So? This is a prequel so why in the hell would they not answer some questions about her?
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Zack_Attackv1 posted...

I'm just here for the Max Caulfield special episode that will be released after the finale.

I mean, that isn't my sole reason, but that is a big reason.
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dave_is_slick posted...

NibeIungsnarf posted...

Rachel Amber is a symbol the characters in LiS congregate around. By making her a character in her own rights you make the mystery of her disappearance about her when it was always about everyone else. You're not supposed to care about her. Even when you uncover what happened to her the focus is entirely on Chloe instead of her.

So? This is a prequel so why in the hell would they not answer some questions about her?

He's saying that they shouldn't have made a prequel
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NibeIungsnarf posted...

By making her a character in her own rights you make the mystery of her disappearance about her when it was always about everyone else.

you'd be right if the prequel was about showing her disappearance, but this is showing her as a character and how she interacts with Chloe. As of episode 2 anything about her being missing is way in the future to a point where we may not ever see it.
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Zack_Attackv1 posted...

I'm just here for the Max Caulfield special episode that will be released after the finale.

Maxine best waifu
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Feline_Heart posted...

He's saying that they shouldn't have made a prequel

I kinda agree since I think there's still a lot of major unanswered questions left, but just because they shouldn't have doesn't mean humanizing someone is dumb.
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the problem with this prequel is that it pertains to a character we know its ultimate fate in the original game.
so no matter what choices we select, or how much we try to avoid what we know will happen, its gonna happen.

and thats an instant bummer
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Life is Strange is about Max and Chloe
Before the Storm is about Chloe and Rachel
Rachel is a backstory character in LiS that gives character development for Chloe
Max is a backstory character in BtS that gives character development for Chloe

Max and Rachel always felt like they were filling a similar gap in Arcadia Bay. The game shows how Rachel filled that gap but it's primarily about Chloe and her feelins for Rachel. I think that's fine. It compliments LiS very well.
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Darmik posted...

that gap but it's primarily about Chloe and her feelins for Rachel. I think that's fine. It compliments LiS very well.

I agree with this, but I'd argue the central them to this series is parental love. We see a lot of interesting things with Chloe's dad, joy, and david among other things in this game. The writers did a really good job about an adolescent lashing out after a tragedy. I don't want to spoil in anything but in episode two I felt a real gut feeling of "Oh no, I got caught doing ____ and now ____ happened and I really don't want to approach my mom and her boyfriend but I have no other choice"
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fire810 posted...

you'd be right if the prequel was about showing her disappearance, but this is showing her as a character and how she interacts with Chloe. As of episode 2 anything about her being missing is way in the future to a point where we may not ever see it.

That wasnt my point. My point is that is when you're talking about Rachel Amber in LiS you're really exploring other things. Her mention turns every smile into a frown of sadness or regret. In a sense her mythic nature IS the atmosphere of the town. You're exploring the other characters's emotions through their idealistic understanding of her. When you look at that missing poster you're not looking at a picture of Rachel Amber, a person, you're looking at a symbol that is powerful and should be evoked with caution. And that's only possible because she's not a person, not a character, not someone you know. If you know her, who she is, what or whom she truly loves, what sort of music she listened to, what her favourite food was, etc., then when you look at that missing poster you're looking at a picture of Rachel Amber who went missing rather than that powerful but unknown symbol.

Generally I just find it to be a creatively bankrupt sort of franchising. Hey, there was one aspect of the original game that was unexplored, lets make a few moneys by exploring it, even though there's a reason it originally wasn't.

fire810 posted...

Darmik posted...

that gap but it's primarily about Chloe and her feelins for Rachel. I think that's fine. It compliments LiS very well.

I agree with this, but I'd argue the central them to this series is parental love. We see a lot of interesting things with Chloe's dad, joy, and david among other things in this game. The writers did a really good job about an adolescent lashing out after a tragedy. I don't want to spoil in anything but in episode two I felt a real gut feeling of "Oh no, I got caught doing ____ and now ____ happened and I really don't want to approach my mom and her boyfriend but I have no other choice"

I haven't played it yet, but we'll see. I am of a very tiny minority who thinks Joyce was not a good parent and either didn't do enough or worse didn't do shit to help out Chloe so it'll take a miracle for me to dread anything Joyce related. And that's not to mention I also fall under a small minority who don't forgive David.
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NibeIungsnarf posted...

That wasnt my point. My point is that is when you're talking about Rachel Amber in LiS you're really exploring other things. Her mention turns every smile into a frown of sadness or regret. In a sense her mythic nature IS the atmosphere of the town. You're exploring the other characters's emotions through their idealistic understanding of her. When you look at that missing poster you're not looking at a picture of Rachel Amber, a person, you're looking at a symbol that is powerful and should be evoked with caution. And that's only possible because she's not a person, not a character, not someone you know. If you know her, who she is, what or whom she truly loves, what sort of music she listened to, what her favourite food was, etc., then when you look at that missing poster you're looking at a picture of Rachel Amber who went missing rather than that powerful but unknown symbol.

The hell...?
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NibeIungsnarf posted...

fire810 posted...

you'd be right if the prequel was about showing her disappearance, but this is showing her as a character and how she interacts with Chloe. As of episode 2 anything about her being missing is way in the future to a point where we may not ever see it.

That wasnt my point. My point is that is when you're talking about Rachel Amber in LiS you're really exploring other things. Her mention turns every smile into a frown of sadness or regret. In a sense her mythic nature IS the atmosphere of the town. You're exploring the other characters's emotions through their idealistic understanding of her. When you look at that missing poster you're not looking at a picture of Rachel Amber, a person, you're looking at a symbol that is powerful and should be evoked with caution. And that's only possible because she's not a person, not a character, not someone you know. If you know her, who she is, what or whom she truly loves, what sort of music she listened to, what her favourite food was, etc., then when you look at that missing poster you're looking at a picture of Rachel Amber who went missing rather than that powerful but unknown symbol.

Generally I just find it to be a creatively bankrupt sort of franchising. Hey, there was one aspect of the original game that was unexplored, lets make a few moneys by exploring it, even though there's a reason it originally wasn't.

eh you might be overrating that a bit. Rachel Amber in the first game was symbolic that there's some bad shit going on in the background that we later find out. But she isn't central to LiS. I mean you've got the whole time change, storm, impending doom, etc happening.

I see what you're saying, but I'd argue that this prequel doesn't ruin that because it still maintains that impact she had on the characters she affected.
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I remember theorizing that Rachel could have had mysterious abilities similar to Max back in the LiS days. I was worried that the mystery of all of that could be gone with the prequel series.

But honestly it's not. There are a couple of things in episode 1 that still makes me have a few theories about Rachel Amber. She's still pretty mysterious.
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Wow
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dr_zomberg posted...

the problem with this prequel is that it pertains to a character we know its ultimate fate in the original game.
so no matter what choices we select, or how much we try to avoid what we know will happen, its gonna happen.

and thats an instant bummer

that sums up why I kinda hate prequels in general. might be why I had no motivation to play it.

but I'm glad its good, maybe before bed tonight I'll sink into it for a little bit
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