Recent reviews by dex

the take-away is that space fascists look cool in capes

So envious of those who are discovering this masterpiece for the first time. Hell of a port. Wp rockstar/double eleven, I'm a happy man.

+rep Ted Raimi

"Who cares if the stars are dead? As long as we can see them, that means they're real to us."


It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but dear god did this game get me in the feels. I rushed to this, hot off the heels of having my life changed by the first game, and this time I actually had expectations. I was NOT disappointed. It's a more grounded tale, given that the supernatural stuff takes a backseat to the character study, and oh boy is it a good one.

Chloe & Rachel are just electrifying, and the whole experience is bound to give you a deeper appreciation of the characters and world that was established in the original game. There's this terribly emotional and bittersweet poignancy that punctuates the whole experience, especially if you chose a particular ending in LiS1. You can tell that the game is delighted to be in a position where, as a prequel, it can repeatedly kick you in the guts for knowing what's to come. It's especially impressive that, for a game in which the audience already knows how the story will end, it always manages to find powerful drama and character work to propel the story forward in a way that feels organic, again and again.

Hot take, though: play the Farewell DLC for this game first.
It's a prequel, and whilst there are definitely compelling reasons for why playing the main game first might work better, Farewell provides a lot of delicious narrative context regarding Chloe and her relationship with Max that would have done wonders for some of the more emotionally charged moments that take place in Before the Storm.

If you weren't a fan of the original Life is Strange, this probably won't change your mind. If you did, however, then Before the Storm is sure to give you the hit of LIS you're probably seeking after finishing the original.

It's hella good.

the adventures are pretty awesome

I played twenty minutes of this game in 2015, and swiftly brushed it off as goofy teen drama ♥♥♥♥. Well, though the flow and quality of dialogue occasionally falters due to the nature of a choose-your-own-adventure style game, upon giving it a second shot it became clear to me that Life is Strange is not only a banger of a game, it's also a beautiful and deeply moving exploration of the human condition.

It's also a personal-feeling coming of age story, a rural American mystery-drama, and, oh yeah - a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ SCI-FI ROMP. That the game balances it all without losing itself in it's own sauce is pretty impressive.

It's got an absolutely gorgeous soundtrack, a unique, hand-painted watercolour-y visual flair, characters that are genuinely worth caring about, and a message to all that champions our capacity for kindness, love, empathy, and being present for those we care about.

This ♥♥♥♥ changed me, and I'd recommend it to anyone. What a ride.

Do androids dream of electric sheep?

Despite it's heavy-handedness in some areas of it's narrative, Detroit is one of the most touching, emotional, inspiring, and riveting narrative-based games I have ever played. Oh, and it's music is gorgeous. It's also one of the only games of it's kind that truly lives up to the idea that your choices matter. Apart from some nitpicks, a weak story for Markus compared to the other two playable characters, and a few times where the writing quality seems to dip, it's a truly stellar experience. I'd recommend it to anyone.

reminded me how rich I'd be if I kept my pokemon cards 0/10

black cat can ruin my life

Beautiful experience. Gorgeous to look at, narrative loaded with subtext, and it's smooth to play with satisfying animations. Highly recommend to anyone looking for some great writing and voice acting in their games.