Screenshots & trailers
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 78 | 20 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 97 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 77 | 107 |
| Backloggd ratings | – | 72 | 104 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (54)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“Studio Deck Nine had the difficult job of fulfilling great expectations and they started in the right direction.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Deck Nine Games has gracefully hurdled the obstacles in its way, with a rip-roaring episode that pulls back the curtain on Rachel Amber and begins a chain of events that we can’t wait to watch unwind. Life Is Strange: Before the Storm recaptures the spirit of the first season, but by framing the story around fan favourite Chloe Price, it has a much more rebellious vibe. And while that means there’s still plenty of cringe to work through, Episode 1: Awake pitches the moments that matter perfectly, we can’t wait to see what happens next. ”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Despite using the same graphical engine, the same gameplay elements, and some shared, familiar locations, the experience of inhabiting Chloe in Before the Storm is a completely new experience. Episode 1 promises a series that uses love and empathy as a sword and shield, the only way to either stay safe or strike back at a harsh life, harsher still by nature of being a teenager. That's a special ability we are so seldom asked to employ in games and it's so heartening to know there's at least two more episodes of Before the Storm where we get to do it again.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“An excellent start to a prequel series that taps into the same style of sincere storytelling as the original, making a previously unsympathetic character seem vulnerable and likeable.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Though it doesn’t feel quite as “high stakes” as its predecessor, Life is Strange: Before The Storm - Episode 1: Awake is a very promising start to Deck Nine’s new prequel miniseries.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Life is Strange: Before the Storm Episode 1, is an emotional and thrilling adventure.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Even though it feels little more than a setup, it’s still an intricate setup, with a lingering promise of big emotional reward.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Like Chrysalis, Awake once again feels like the beginning of something great. It is referential for sure, it has to be, but it’s never wholly reliant on what came before. This is a markedly assured debut for new developer Deck Nine, who have confidently executed the core elements that made the original so well liked, but also put their own spin on the world to weave a new tale. Before The Storm is set to be a nostalgic trip back to a home away from home that many thought they’d never get to visit again. I’m delighted to once again be part of this world, if only for a little while.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Although Before The Storm has the same old graphics as the first Life is Strange, the game feels good and evokes nostalgic memories from 2015. We love the fact that Chloe isn’t super natural at all and are excited to get to know Rachel Ambers.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Before The Storm fits perfectly with its new protagonist Chloe about the way she sees and feels life. The fact that Deck Nine was able to make something completely different but familiar, at the same time, just makes us want to play the rest of its episodes. The one, big problem we were able to find about it, technically, is that despite changing its graphic engine from Unreal to Unity, the game still struggles to be cohesive. ”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Life is Strange Before The Storm: Awakening sets the stage for what promises to be a more than worthy prequel to the acclaimed Life is Strange.”
read full review ↗ - 75
PLAY Zine
Push Square
GameSpot
Metro GameCentral
We Got This Covered
Fandom
DarkZero
M3
Atomix
IGN
ACG…and 42 more tracked reviews.