Life is Strange: Before the Storm Xbox One X Enhanced Impressions

I wasn't expecting Life is Strange: Before the Storm to get a huge Xbox One X enhancement and what we've been given is actually better than I anticipated. Instead of just getting an overall update like I imagined you get the choice between two graphic options. The first is one that favors resolution working towards 4k called "High Resolution". The second is a performance mode that pushes for 60fps and I imagine some minor visual improvements for resolution called "High Framerate". It's not really noted anywhere, but you can tell it does visually look better and the smooth frame rate works well for creating a more natural world.

With the unique art style it's really just colors that are going to pop more in the 4k presentation, but it does make a decent difference. It also helps smooth out the world making rougher edges less present. There's no HDR here, but that's somewhat expected as I'm not sure it would do too much for the experience. That aside, I was really pleased with the option as I did feel the fps was a nice change for the final episode since this release matched the drop of "Hell is Empty". There is however an extra bonus episode coming titled "Farewell", but that doesn't really have anything to do with this prequel series.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm Xbox One X Enhanced Screenshot
This was a decent addition to the Life is Strange universe and did help fill out the key points before the original series in a meaningful way. It could have perhaps used more episodes considering how fast things wrap up in the third part, yet I enjoyed it all the same. The world greatly benefits by the selection of options for graphics and it's best to play around with both to find what you like. Here I noticed frame rate helps to tell a more natural story, but with the push to 4k you do get a better color range.

That works more into the soft distinct art style of the game. Frame rate is nice for making it all fluid though it isn't a game that's really heavy on gameplay opting for a cinematics focus. Whichever you choose it's a nice selection for fans and I'm sure many will try out both to see what they like the most. While it mostly is all benefits, you do notice some of the rougher portions a tad more, but this was minimal since I was focused on being engaged with the narrative. This is definitely a minor improvement, but the Xbox One X enhancement in general is fine for me and even better with choice being present in how the graphics are presented.

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Gamerheadquarters Reviewer Jason Stettner