Life is Strange 2

A refined followup with a totally new cast to fall in love with. You should absolutely play Life Is Strange 2. But you might want a box of tissues ready for the ending. [Issue#171, p.85]

This is put simply a beautiful poignant game that begs to be played. It is so thoughtful that anyone who does buy Life is Strange 2 is going to feel something when playing it. It is an experience that you will not soon forget after completion. I hope that you take that time like I did to fully go through and savour a game that is truly a joy to play.

Living in America as a kid with brown skin has never been harder, or more frightening, and the game is a harsh primer in that fact.

Dontnod revisits their universe with a narrative-heavy video game filled with difficult choices and supernatural powers. This time, though, they show courage by distancing themselves from the story of the original game and by discussing complicated themes. Complex, political and with a powerful message, everybody should play Life is Strange 2.

Despite a quite disappointing beginning, the story of Life is Strange 2 gets more and more intense and climaxes in the final episode, which concludes an incredible adventure that lasted more than a year.

Quotation forthcoming.

Life Is Strange 2 isn’t some pleasant walk in the park, but a perilous slog across the country, staring adversity in the face and overcoming it in search of freedom and a fresh start. It’s not always comfortable to watch, but it’s a journey well worth taking for fans of the series, and narrative-driven experiences in general.

A good narrative adventure, less impactful than the first Life is Strange, but a great message.

While the first Life is Strange was a fantastic story that I felt stumbled to the finish line, Life is Strange 2 feels the opposite. It started rough and gradually grew into a strong tale of sibling's rasing one another. How they go about raising one another is ultimately up to you.

Life is Strange 2 is able to tell one of those stories that are hard to forget. It feels like a step back from the original, but if you get emotionally involved with the characters, it will stay with you.

Life is Strange 2 takes the familiar formula and delivers it on a grander scale while tackling difficult topics across the USA. If you're playing it for the story, you won't be disappointed but don't expect much from the gameplay.

Life is Strange 2 is a worthy sequel to both Life is Strange and Before the Storm. The game can't compete with either of them, but makes for a good third game. The story of Sean and Daniel is compelling and keeps you interested. Although there is a quiet episode in the middle of the story and not everything makes the impact you expect.

Anyone that enjoyed the original Life is Strange and opted not to give a chance to this sequel should reconsider right away. The story may not deliver the same impact or suspense, but this is a poignant narrative that many should find a degree of relatability to, with extremely likeable characters in the form of Sean and Daniel. With the full season discounted often and a new game on the horizon, this is a great time to journey south with the Diaz brothers.

Different from its predecessor, Life is Strange 2 brings more political themes to the table. Protagonist Sean’s little brother Daniel has supernatural powers, but is too young to distinguish between good and evil, and it is up to the player how you want to guide him. While interesting in theory, this results in a gameplay experience based almost entirely on making decisions, and supernatural elements are not put into use as cleverly as in the original Life is Strange. This makes Life is Strange 2 feel like it lacks focus, because most of its political themes are not fleshed out enough, and the ones that do work don’t really need supernatural elements in the first place.

Life Is Strange 2 has a better core relationship at the heart of its game, but it fails them with the episodic adventure's at times boring, formulaic episode structure; something its predecessor did not suffer from. Some of the story beats are preachy and unearned. Where Life Is Strange 2 hits its stride is more a technical feat: in how its core relationship between brothers Sean and Daniel becomes a game mechanic in itself, and how all the choices you make shape Daniel as he grows up.

Although Life is Strange 2 offers varied themes and visually exquisite moments, it falters by featuring an unappealing road trip adventure with disconnected episodes that lack character growth. Lethargic pacing and shallow interaction make for a boring sequel about two brothers that should have stayed home.