At the Microsoft E3 press event on Sunday, Microsoft revealed a trailer for a three-episode Life Is Strange prequel, titled Before The Storm. As leaked images from earlier in the month suggested, the story will focus on the relationship between Chloe Price and Rachel Amber, leading up to the latter’s sudden disappearance.
In a press release, Square Enix confirmed that players will take the role of Chloe, not Rachel. “Players will take on the role of a rebellious 16 year-old Chloe Price who forms an unlikely friendship with Rachel Amber; a beautiful and popular girl destined for success. When Rachel’s world is turned upside down by a family secret, it takes this new-found alliance to give each other the strength to overcome their demons.”
Check out the trailer below:
The Before The Storm trailer takes us back to a number of familiar places in Arcadia Bay, including Chloe’s messy bedroom, the junkyard hideout and Max’s school, Blackwell Academy. Unsurprisingly, there’s also a few familiar faces, most notably Chloe, Rachel and Frank.
The trailer even flashes back to a critical moment from the first game: we see Chloe in the car with her dad, William, in the moment just before his fatal car accident. But in this scene, Chloe is older than she would have been when the accident occurred, a teenager instead of a young girl. Could this be a dream sequence? Will either Chloe or Rachel have time-rewind powers similar to those Max possessed in the first Life Is Strange? It’s not clear at this point.
While the trailer’s got us excited, we’re still not too sure about Chloe being the main character. Her bold, impulsive personality made her incredibly engaging to watch, and it’s hard to imagine jumping into her shoes.
We do know that Dontnod, the developers behind the original game, are also working on a sequel to Life Is Strange, though they’ve already confirmed the game won’t be making an appearance at E3 this year. Life Is Strange: Before The Storm is being developed by a Denver-based studio, Deck Nine Games.
“The original Life Is Strange brought a new level of depth and real-world emotion to the narrative adventure game genre and holds a strong place in many people’s hearts, including our own,” said Jeff Litchford, vice president at Deck Nine Games. “It’s an absolute privilege to work on the next game in the series and it’s our chance to do justice to the series and prove the quality of our unique StoryForge toolset from our very talented team.”
Are you excited for Life Is Strange: Before The Storm? What do you think it will be like to play as Chloe? Be sure to check back with Player.One for more E3 coverage!
