Another interesting contained story of friendship
Not just fan service. Does not come off as a quick cash grab from the established fanbase of the first game. With that said it definitely feels like this game was made for that fanbase. The first episode presents the beginning of a contained story that is fun and interesting on its own. It showcases the beginning of Chloe and Rachels friendship. In fact, I kind of wish I played this first before I played the first game so I could have understood Chloe from the beginning.
There is now an argument minigame during some conversations. You have to sequentially choose the best response otherwise you can't immediately progress. While this doesn't exactly make up for the lack of a time-rewind mechanic, it does help to bring the right amount of tension to certain situations.
Rachel Amber seems quite compelling and I'm very curious to see what Episode 2 will bring.
Edit: Episode 2 for the most part is a linear continuation showcasing the friendship between Chloe and Rachel grow stronger, and the relationship between Chloe and Arcadia Bay becoming more mature, alluding to how her character in the original game came to be. The emotional highs or lows we've come to expect from Life is Strange is absent here, but it was certainly a fun and interesting ride from fixing a car in the junkyard, to getting involved with Franks' drug business, to improvising in a play with Rachel, concluded with another curious twist.
