Decided it was time to get a few games off of my Steam installed list, so I decided to replay the first two episodes of Life is Strange and then finally finish the series. I'm near the end of episode four now. The writing has definitely improved since the first episode. The first and second episodes just have some glaring moments where you can tell the script was translated. Hell, the whole boarding school thing doesn't make a lot of sense in an Oregon setting (it should be a private college), nor does the fact that an obviously incredibly small art school has a football team, or the use of SMS instead of texts, or calling a stereo hi-fi. Just lots of little details that belie the setting.
That said, the game does have really good writing when it's hitting, which is most of the time. Some of the characters are way over the top, like Chloe's step-dad, but it's forgivable. The third episode introduces a really nice Butterfly Effect style twist on being careful what you wish for, and the general mystery of the plot (what happened to Rachel Amber?) is compelling, as is the impending biblical disaster heading for the town the game takes place in.
The rewind mechanic is actually pretty brilliant for a choose your own adventure game like this. Most individual major choices in the game (along with general dialogue) can be rewound, allowing you to see the immediate outcome of multiple choices. Of course, you still have no idea how choices will impact you in the long run, which is what makes the system compelling. A choice that seems good when you make it may turn out to not be so great later, or have unintended consequences. But as you play the game, it's nice to not have to replay an entire episode to see how certain things would have played out differently had you made different choices. There's still replay value, because decisions pile up, but unlike a Telltale game you have the option to undo a decision right after you've made it and see the alternatives.
I'll post final impressions once I finish the entire game. Wrapping up episode four now.