An official FAQ on Life is Strange: Before the Storm was published by Square Enix Community Manager Toby Palm on June 12, 2017.
Introduction
Hello everyone! First things first... surprise (sort of)! If you're not sure what this is about, be sure to check out our blog post here in which we revealed Life is Strange: Before the Storm!
Now that you've read that and also watched the reveal trailer as well as the Developer Diary introducing Deck Nine Games, we're sure you've still got lots of questions... especially given the rumors flying around since last week.
We've gathered together a number of questions and answers that we anticipated you might have, but we hope to expand this FAQ post as time goes on. Additionally, we hope to hold an AMA between you guys and the Deck Nine Developers here on Reddit in the near future!
Answered Questions
When is Life is Strange: Before the Storm set?
The whole game is set 3 years before the events of the first - and you’ll experience the very beginning of the friendship between Chloe and Rachel, and the events that brought them so close together.
Where is Max?
Before the Storm takes place 3 years before the events of the first game during a time period where Max was absent from Chloe’s life. Indeed, it is precisely the void that Max left behind that helps set up our new story. That being said, the Life is Strange: Before the Storm Season Pass includes a Bonus Episode called ‘Farewell’. It’ll give you the chance to play as a young Max Caulfield for one last time... Rest assured, anyone purchasing the Complete Season of Before the Storm will get the full story. Max’s ‘Farewell’ episode really is just a bonus episode for those who would like to play as her one final time. Additionally, while Max won't appear in the Before the Storm narrative, her absence will still be keenly felt by Chloe, who will reference her throughout the game.
Is there a power like Max’ rewind?
We did consider this, but having multiple people in control of a superpower in Arcadia Bay felt a little odd. We didn’t want to have a town full of superheroes! If Chloe did have a power, she surely would have told Max when Max revealed she could rewind time as well! Strange elements do make a return, but we won’t spoil any of them…
How many episode are there?
Rather than forcing ourselves to think of stories that fit a 5 part episodic model, we simply started brainstorming stories. The one that really resonated with us played out over 3 episodes that will take around 6-9 hours to complete. We did look at many different scenarios including a single episode, or even adding DLC to the existing game but we feel that we have landed on a great story and can’t wait to hear what you think when you play.
Will this also be the story of Rachel and the dark room?
No, it will be an entirely new story. We want to take the player on a new journey and not tell a story that players already know the ending of.
Is Chloe left or right-handed in Before the Storm?
The Deck Nine team care about canon immensely. We have a wealth of unpublished documentation from the folks over at DONTNOD that contains the full biographical data, background and narrative arcs of characters, but this one particular bit of information wasn't initially present.
We thus individually counted the amount of times Chloe used her right hand versus her left hand in Season 01 to figure out which hand was dominant. It's actually fairly split. Chloe smokes using both her left and right hand throughout season 01 and there are also other areas in the game where she uses her right over her left (such as when she holds David's gun in Episode 1 or lights the lamp in Principal Wells' office). She also picks the lock using her right hand which is a high-skilled action to do if you're not using your dominant hand.
Deck Nine Games and we at Square Enix had long discussions about which hand was her dominant, and the writing on her hand and graffiti feature animations were created when it was believed that right was her dominant. As these are animations tied to tangible features throughout the game (and many of the camera angles during scenes are tied to how characters are holding items), it wasn't possible to fix those two instances. Doing so would mean re-cutting many scenes and isn't as simple as "flipping" the animation.
That being said, if you watch the 20 minute gameplay again, you will notice that, barring the two instances mentioned above, Chloe uses her dominant left hand throughout. The most obvious example of this being when she holds the bat in the junkyard. She will continue using her left hand throughout the rest of the game too.
What's the situation regarding Chloe's voice actor and is there anything you can do (delaying the game etc.)?
We discussed this topic in our Square Enix Presents stream, starting at 29:19.
Who will voice Max in the Farewell Episode?
This has not yet been determined. We are currently still developing Episodes 1 through 3 and will turn our attentions to the Farewell episode at a later date.
What platforms will Life is Strange: Before the Storm be available on?
At launch we are aiming to release Life is Strange: Before the Storm on PC (Steam), Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Will Before the Storm be available on Linux, Mac or the Switch?
We are currently focusing entirely producing the game for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC (Steam). Plans for ports to other systems have not been made yet, so we can't guarantee anything.
Will there be a Platinum Trophy?
Yes.
What are the game's system requirements?
We just recently updated our steam page with the requirements. Screenshot here.
What’s the difference between the Complete Season, the Season Pass and the Deluxe Edition?
The Complete Season includes Episodes 1, 2 and 3. The Season Pass includes Episodes 2 and 3 and is purchasable if you have already purchased Episode 1 as a standalone Episode. The Season Pass does NOT include Episode 1.
- The Deluxe Edition includes the following:
- Episodes 1, 2 and 3.
- The Bonus Episode “Farewell” in which you can play as a young Max (to be released after Episode 3). This is a bonus episode for those who would like to play as Max one final time. Anyone purchasing the Complete Season, which does not include the Bonus Episode "Farewell", will still get the full Before the Storm story.
- Mixtape Mode, a main menu option which allows you to create a playlist of the in-game licensed music and set it to play against an in-game moment of calm.
- The Outfit Pack, a set of three additional outfit options that Chloe can change into at certain points in the story.
Where can I pre-order the game?
Please visit www.LifeIsStrange.com to see your pre-order options.
Will there be a physical Limited Edition like for Season 01?
For now we are focusing entirely on delivering the game to you digitally in an episodic format. Plans for a boxed or Limited Edition have not yet been set.
Why can I not purchase just Episode 1 on Xbox and PlayStation?
The option to purchase Episode 1 by itself on Xbox and PlayStation will become available at launch on day one.
Where is my dynamic PlayStation 4 theme?
Players pre-ordering the game through the Sony PlayStation America Store will receive their dynamic theme immediately. The dynamic theme will unlock at the launch of Episode 1, August 31, 2017 for players pre-ordering the game through the Sony PlayStation Europe Store. This is due to the way the respective stores are set up.