Gaming Life is strange before the storm is available on xbox game pass today

[kingtut]

A few days ago, Life is strange was released on xbox game pass as a surprise. Today, Life is strange before the storm (the prequel that launched last year) was also released on game pass. For some reason, I do not hear any news outlet mention this. But it is mentioned on the twitter account of xbox game pass, and I verified it and downloaded it myself on the xbox website.

Sources:

Life can be strange but also good and many times complex and unnerving, but we believe that’s what makes it so compelling just like this game pic.twitter.com/rCylG8C842

— Xbox Game Pass (@XboxGamePass) December 27, 2018

 

[FAST6191]

I started to play the original the other month. Failed to properly grab me like some of the games it follows in gameplay style but I can well see people enjoying it, and I hear the sequel did not completely go off the rails.

 

[kingtut]

I started to play the original the other month. Failed to properly grab me like some of the games it follows in gameplay style but I can well see people enjoying it, and I hear the sequel did not completely go off the rails.

I hear that the sequel is pretty good so far. Now I can try before the storm and verify for myself if I like it or not

 

[DinohScene]

I love LiS.
Still kinda waiting for LiS 2 to be finished before playing it.

 

[kingtut]

I love LiS.
Still kinda waiting for LiS 2 to be finished before playing it.

I loved life is strange as well. that is my problem with episodic games. I would rather save my money and buy it only when complete. Until then, I am buying other story telling games that are complete like until dawn.

I love story telling games so much. I am just not sure if I am a fan of them being episodic.

 

[FAST6191]

I don't know if I can entirely get on board with that.

There is something to be said for episodic content in general. Binge watching a show vs having it come out, especially if there is a delay between things (modern US TV is basically 40 minute show per week, save perhaps thanksgiving and a break at Christmas, UK stuff can be years between things) does make for something a bit different. Decent writers then play to this (though with the rise of normal people doing the binge watching thing*, and it being the new syndication that is not as prominent) but such things can be a bit lacking in games.

*I do have to make a nod of amusement to that cartoon that purposely delayed a second half of a series.

That said I don't know if I have ever seen a straight up episodic game (as opposed to an ARG or something) actually do this well. You might kind of get it when it comes to expansions on things like world of warcraft or perhaps things like Eve, and if I had done Ultima as they came out it then that too. The more recent King's Quest efforts sort of got there but that was more of a framing device of the king recounting adventures of youth, and I did not do them such that I was anticipating anything.

I say this all as someone that never particularly savoured anything -- if I want to dump 40 hours in 2 and a bit days into a brand new whatever I quite often can. I once read a discussion about a book where people were purposely limiting themselves to one chapter per month and that was an utterly alien notion to me.

 

[kingtut]

I can definitely see and understand the fanbase of episodic games. It is just that my money is limited, and so I like to buy episodic games only when they are all out. But I can definitely see why some people like episodic content. If anything, I think the game pass could actually work well with episodic games as a way of constantly producing story telling games. But that is my opinion.

 

[FAST6191]

Many years ago when episodic games were first being touted as a named concept (it is not quite a expansion packs morphed into DLC affair but there were clearly precursors) the whole idea seemed to be smaller games, cheaper prices, frequent releases. First part did OK, second part mostly did OK, latter... I don't know if I ever saw it really and it joined beta and pre access in abused and ultimately meaningless terms.

 

[kingtut]

Many years ago when episodic games were first being touted as a named concept (it is not quite a expansion packs morphed into DLC affair but there were clearly precursors) the whole idea seemed to be smaller games, cheaper prices, frequent releases. First part did OK, second part mostly did OK, latter... I don't know if I ever saw it really and it joined beta and pre access in abused and ultimately meaningless terms.

I can understand episodic games for smaller indie teams that need a constant flow of money and support. I do not understand it for big publishers like square enix because I expect their game to be ready at launch. I love Hitman 2016, but that game did not need to be episodic

 

[FAST6191]

I can understand episodic games for smaller indie teams that need a constant flow of money and support. I do not understand it for big publishers like square enix because I expect their game to be ready at launch. I love Hitman 2016, but that game did not need to be episodic

Possibly, however if things are going to skew longer in development for whatever reason I could see it as a viable alternative to the 3 different devs working on 3 different games for 3 years a piece but staggered in launch (see also Call of Duty, Need for Speed and Assassin's Creed), and minor tweaks snowballing into very different feeling games.

Similarly I have long sought a rolling release model for games similar to open source software and this could kind of be something like that. All too often the model is abused in a blatant cash grab (see also microtransactions, though they at least have their precursor in the arcades of old) but I remain optimistic.