Life is Strange 2

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 601 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 332 out of 601
  2. Mixed: 107 out of 601
  3. Negative: 162 out of 601
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  1. Watching_horizo
    Sep 30, 2018
    3
    Weak story with plot twist that doesn't make any sense. Little or none character development and stupid actions that you just have to deal with it. Feels like stupid simulator in season 2 and game doesn't have LiS feel in it.

    I loved LiS season one with its dlc BFTS. This season 2 doesn't even feel like LiS game and episode 1 set tone for rest of this season 2. Top of that SJW    Weak story with plot twist that doesn't make any sense. Little or none character development and stupid actions that you just have to deal with it. Feels like stupid simulator in season 2 and game doesn't have LiS feel in it.

    I loved LiS season one with its dlc BFTS. This season 2 doesn't even feel like LiS game and episode 1 set tone for rest of this season 2.

    Top of that SJW propaganda and seems like dontnod got woke.... I regret that i bought this game and trusted them.    … Expand
  2. Aeble
    Sep 18, 2020
    1
    I am sad to say that this game was a huge, disappointing mess. Loved the first game, despised this. The three biggest problems for me was 1. You didn’t stay with any of the side characters 2. Sean’s voice actor 3. Daniel. The third being the worst offender. I could not get behind him in any way, shape or form.
  3. krayzie
    Sep 11, 2020
    3
    Loved LiS 1 so much i played it thrice. Horribly unconvincing voice acting by the two main casts coupled with non existent character development however made this "sequel" such a struggle to get through.

    I've never disliked a character as much as Danial before. By far the most exasperating "protaganist" in any form of media I've experienced. His older brother Sean is not much better.    Loved LiS 1 so much i played it thrice. Horribly unconvincing voice acting by the two main casts coupled with non existent character development however made this "sequel" such a struggle to get through.

    I've never disliked a character as much as Danial before. By far the most exasperating "protaganist" in any form of media I've experienced.

    His older brother Sean is not much better. The overacting by the voice actor was unbearable at times and his character was unbelievably pathetic.

    If you enjoyed LiS 1, do yourself a favour and avoid this like the plague unless you want to mar the experience of the 1st.    … Expand
  4. loumex
    Jul 15, 2023
    3
    Surely people will hate me for saying this, but LIS2 is by far the worst in the whole series, DLCs included. It is blund, straightforward, no character sticks till the end, the areas are linear and without much thought, music is non-existent compared to 1 and TC, there is a total lack of humour, there is NO ongoing mystery, a vague end-game that doesn't really make sense to build upon, youSurely people will hate me for saying this, but LIS2 is by far the worst in the whole series, DLCs included. It is blund, straightforward, no character sticks till the end, the areas are linear and without much thought, music is non-existent compared to 1 and TC, there is a total lack of humour, there is NO ongoing mystery, a vague end-game that doesn't really make sense to build upon, you have no powers but instead "nurture" them on your brother. The whole game is a great, GREAT disappointment. LS1 remains the GOAT, LSTC and Before the storm follow, but this, nah man, this is not worth your time.… Expand
  5. DaViDe_GioVaNNi
    Jan 5, 2022
    0
    BORING GAME LIKE LOOKING AT THE PAINT DRYING UP. The main characters do not have the slightest personal growth, except in the endings, which however are devoid of any logic. The chapters are boring and almost completely disconnected from each other, so much so that you could jump from chapter 1 to chapter 5 without missing any logical steps. Chapters 3 and 4 are even identical, have theBORING GAME LIKE LOOKING AT THE PAINT DRYING UP. The main characters do not have the slightest personal growth, except in the endings, which however are devoid of any logic. The chapters are boring and almost completely disconnected from each other, so much so that you could jump from chapter 1 to chapter 5 without missing any logical steps. Chapters 3 and 4 are even identical, have the same story and literally the exact same things happen, so much so that they could even be interchangeable (but it would be better not to play them at all). In addition, one of the secondary characters is literally identical to Rachel's mother from LiS: Before the Storm. In addition to buy a character from the first LiS, but it was completely twisted, in an absolutely senseless way and creating huge plot holes. Truly terrible game. In general, almost all of the characters are annoying, especially the protagonists. The choices are obvious and often obligatory.… Expand
  6. DarkFlower
    Jun 28, 2020
    3
    Хорошая идея, но отвратительнейшая реализация, в игру банально скучно играть.
    Она недостойна цифры "2" в названии
  7. Adriano023
    Jun 29, 2020
    1
    This game is trash, wasted my money for a fricking trashy game. Bad storytelling, political correctness is the only thing the game has. There is no point of buying this piece of junk.
  8. piuscorvus
    Jun 25, 2020
    2
    I played both Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm and liked them. I was not amazed by them but they were OK. Life is Strange 2 is far from being OK. It shows significant visual improvements compared to the previous two games. On the other side, the story is unbelievably predictable, feels very cheap and does not really go anywhere. Characters are not deeply developed andI played both Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm and liked them. I was not amazed by them but they were OK. Life is Strange 2 is far from being OK. It shows significant visual improvements compared to the previous two games. On the other side, the story is unbelievably predictable, feels very cheap and does not really go anywhere. Characters are not deeply developed and they do not offer anything special or worth remembering. Luckily, this story has no connection with the stories of previous two games so you are perfectly fine with skipping this one.

    There is also one interesting thing that is important for people that want to buy second hand copy of this game: the game is sold as a full season, including all 5 episodes. BUT, there are only four episodes on the disc. The last episode is in the box as a download code and that code can be used only once, which means that if you get yourself a used copy of this game you will most probably only be able to play four episodes because the code will most likely be already used. If you want the last episode, you will have to buy it extra on Playstation Store.    … Expand
  9. Tplayhow
    Jun 27, 2020
    0
    As a huge fan of the first game, I could not wait for the sequel. I cannot describe in words how disappointed I was.

    The only positives I can think of is how it portrays racism and the struggles of people of color in America, and the final decision at the end could have been very impactful if the rest of the story actually led up to it like in the first game. Unfortunately (and I    As a huge fan of the first game, I could not wait for the sequel. I cannot describe in words how disappointed I was.

    The only positives I can think of is how it portrays racism and the struggles of people of color in America, and the final decision at the end could have been very impactful if the rest of the story actually led up to it like in the first game.

    Unfortunately (and I really am sad to say this), that is all the positives I can think of. On to the negatives:

    The most obvious one is that the life is strange formula does not work as a road trip. In the first game, we got to know all the side characters and the town of Aracadia Bay, which made the final decision in the game feel much more impactful, and we had the mystery of the disappearing girls to keep the story moving forward. This game has zero mystery (apart from how did the little brother get super powers, but that's never explored anyway), and we only get to know side characters for one and a half episodes; just enough so we want to know more about them, and then the game never mentions them again. I think this game could have been a million times better if the main characters stayed with the group in the third episode, but for some strange reason the writers decided against it.

    Another big problem is the game just feels boring, and the fact that the strongest emotion I got from a life is strange game is boredom goes to show the poor quality of this game. Whereas in the first game we had smaller environments to explore with a lot more characters we could get to know, this game either has big environments in which you just waste your time walking at a snail's pace from point A to point B (with very few characters to interact with), or you are literally unable to move and can only advance after looking at certain objects. These parts where you can't even move are incredibly boring, and there's around 2 of them in each chapter.

    Another big problem are the main characters. Not saying Max and Chloe were revolutionary characters, but they had very distinct personalities and you actually wanted to get to know them and their relationship better. In this game, Sean is just a generic teenager with no discernible personality traits, and Daniel... God, don't even get me started. His whole persoanlity is just being annoying. The game tries something interesting where Daniel's personality changes based on how you act with him, but even in my playthrough where I tried my hardest to be a good influence on him, he is just unbearable.

    Lastly, I just want to finish off by saying the first game felt like a coherent story with lots of character and story development in each chapter building off what came before it. However, in a road trip scenario, that's impossible to do, which would be fine if the individual episodes had compelling stories. Unfortunately, apart from the third episode, this is not the case. I really do hope that if there is a LiS 3, they realize what made the first game special and try to recreate a similar experience, and we just forget this game ever existed as time goes on.    … Expand
  10. Awanka
    Dec 27, 2021
    0
    Terrible graphic adventure game where the player is presented with "choices." Sure, I've always wanted to babysit an idiot little brother across the country. When the game isn't annoying, which it almost always is, it's boring. Long stretches where nothing happens and people pontificate endlessly. Its story is filled with contrived family conflict, and tedious melodrama. Being a LifeTerrible graphic adventure game where the player is presented with "choices." Sure, I've always wanted to babysit an idiot little brother across the country. When the game isn't annoying, which it almost always is, it's boring. Long stretches where nothing happens and people pontificate endlessly. Its story is filled with contrived family conflict, and tedious melodrama. Being a Life is Strange game, the superpower here is fairly generic and kind of uninteresting.

    The main characters themselves are pretty horrible. I don't know why games keep putting children as main POVs. There is also a cringy recap sequence before each episode in the form of an allegory with wolf cubs in place of the main characters. It's awful. Maybe the story and dialog being terrible would be forgivable if the gameplay was good, but it's a graphic adventure game so there is no real gameplay. This is all there is.

    The worst thing about it though is that this game only presents the illusion of choice. At every turn you are forced into bad or unethical decisions that don't make sense. When accused of stealing, you can't just show proof that everything was purchased legally. When getting a gift, you're forced to steal instead of just walking away with nothing. When presented with a choice on whether or not to disobey your grandparents' simple request, whatever you choose doesn't matter either way. The narrative forces you to keep a secret at the beginning of the game instead of just telling it which is the obvious and moral thing to do. It just goes on and on with endlessly stupid plot points and terrible choices forced on the player. Early on I just stopped caring.

    This is the first game I've ever given 0 stars. It's not just bad, it's offensive to me as a gamer.    … Expand
  11. Asgard0822
    Nov 4, 2022
    2
    LOVED life is strange 1, but this game is far from the same level when it comes to story.
    way to long cutscenes of the 2 brother walking, the kid is annoying as hell, weak slow paced story...
    really regret buying this game, even if it was only 10 bucks
  12. ArysGaming
    Nov 22, 2020
    2
    This game is a trip, wrong way down the stairs, the story tries to tackle so many relevant political issues, but spreads no message, starts out interesting to then only get worse and worse and worse. The characters are mundane and boring, the interesting ones are either killed of, or are made to disappear.
    There is no good ending in this game, the endings are simply choosing between bad,    This game is a trip, wrong way down the stairs, the story tries to tackle so many relevant political issues, but spreads no message, starts out interesting to then only get worse and worse and worse. The characters are mundane and boring, the interesting ones are either killed of, or are made to disappear.
    There is no good ending in this game, the endings are simply choosing between bad, bad, bad and bad. The story tries to go somewhere and doesn't in the end. Game is slow, boring and predictable, trust me after getting the platinum trophy/completing the game i immediately proceeded to delete this game and so will you as it will be taking up 66gb that you could use for other games that are far better.    … Expand
  13. Morrowclaw
    Jul 18, 2021
    3
    For a game all about decisions it sure doesn't let you make many of them based on the situations you find yourself in. I related more to this store than I did to the first LIS game as I'm an older brother but the game just doesn't let you do anything. The voice acting is a little janky too.
  14. jaymeehuynh
    Aug 2, 2023
    0
    So basically in 10 long ass hours of gameplay, u get to babysit a fking spoiled ungrateful 9yo brat who constantly gets on ur nerves and never wanna listen to u, so then all of ur decisions in this game doesn’t fking matter at all since that brat is the one that holds power and u r just a supporting role to escort him and deal with his **** until the end. And what’s with the racist thingSo basically in 10 long ass hours of gameplay, u get to babysit a fking spoiled ungrateful 9yo brat who constantly gets on ur nerves and never wanna listen to u, so then all of ur decisions in this game doesn’t fking matter at all since that brat is the one that holds power and u r just a supporting role to escort him and deal with his **** until the end. And what’s with the racist thing in this game that doesn’t add any development value for the characters at all other than annoys tf outta me (and plz i’m not even white, for those that said things abt how supreme-white ppl rate this game low for that)

    I had high hopes after playing the first game, couldn’t get over it for weeks, looked for dlc and easter eggs etc… and man, this one is such a disappointment.    … Expand
  15. escobar_pablo
    Aug 2, 2023
    2
    The first episode was quite good, the story was going amazing. But afterward, the game becomes so boring, the game story is streaming so slowly, and very childish scenes turn up. 90% percent of whole episodes are boring except the first. barely played till 4th episode and then deleted. 2-3-4 episodes are about being the babysitter of that little ****
  16. Sterling_Archer
    Feb 8, 2020
    4
    The first Life is Strange is one of the best games I've played. I loved it, but number 2 is amazingly bad. Daniel is easily one of my most hated characters in any game. There is little to no character development throughout the entire story, and I felt like my choices meant absolutely nothing. This is clearly not a choose your own adventure game, but a narrative where you can choose whatThe first Life is Strange is one of the best games I've played. I loved it, but number 2 is amazingly bad. Daniel is easily one of my most hated characters in any game. There is little to no character development throughout the entire story, and I felt like my choices meant absolutely nothing. This is clearly not a choose your own adventure game, but a narrative where you can choose what to interact with on your way to the next plot point. The story starts off extremely slow, and I feel only gets slower from there. The tension they build is more infuriating than heart pounding with little to no pay off. I'm completely shocked this was written by the same people as the first. I really wanted to like this game, especially after how amazing the first one was, but this is a game I would never play again.… Expand
  17. Kif1983
    Jan 26, 2020
    4
    It's really unfortunate that the game doesn't work given the success of the previous games. However, I think it's easy to understand where the failures are.

    The game has you following 2 very 1 dimensional, often frustrating characters. They frequently make poor choices, even with no input from you. The other characters have no time to breathe, or develop. In the final episode,    It's really unfortunate that the game doesn't work given the success of the previous games. However, I think it's easy to understand where the failures are.

    The game has you following 2 very 1 dimensional, often frustrating characters. They frequently make poor choices, even with no input from you. The other characters have no time to breathe, or develop. In the final episode, there's an emotional goodbye with a character, I know it's emotional because the music told me so. During the scene, I couldn't help but tap my fingers thinking 'I've spoken to these people literally once, move it along already'. It's very telling that the only emotional hit in the game, for me, was when a character from Life is Strange 1 was talking about events from that game. And, to be honest, that seemed like a cheat to me, relying on the previous games for an actual connection.

    The narrative itself is extremely flawed. Overwhelmingly, it felt like the decisions were entirely pointless. Obviously, a game like this will have a path to follow regardless of the choices. However, even smaller choices were often rail-roaded. There was one particular moment where the story literally wouldn't progress until I stole a yoyo as a gift, simply because I couldn't afford to buy a gift. It didn't seem like there was an option to do anything else. However, if you told me there was and I didn't spot it, I would believe you because that's one of the other problems.

    On looking at the 'X% people chose this' screens. A fair majority of them showed 90+% people did one thing, and the rest were split by the other choices. I believe that in a lot of cases, it's because the other choices were poorly, or, not at all telegraphed.

    Also, to nitpick, a lot of the voice acting seemed very flat. To a point where I stopped interacting with the random objects after a while cause I didn't care, or want to hear about what the character had to say about them.

    If you are looking for a heart warming story about brothers. I would instead suggest Brothers, A Tale of 2 Sons.    … Expand
  18. Kokos742
    Jun 9, 2020
    4
    This is so sad. First game had its weak and naive moments, but it fit the perspective of young girls. YOu had friend to meet and problems to solve. Here only problem is you brat of a brother. He is irritating every single minute and would love to be aloved to leave him to die in the forrest. Every other character is just political caricature and game just does not even allow you to haveThis is so sad. First game had its weak and naive moments, but it fit the perspective of young girls. YOu had friend to meet and problems to solve. Here only problem is you brat of a brother. He is irritating every single minute and would love to be aloved to leave him to die in the forrest. Every other character is just political caricature and game just does not even allow you to have real decision. You can only agree with autor openly or somewhat more mildly. I had to force myself to finish like 10 times… Expand
  19. StrohNamiX
    Jul 27, 2020
    4
    I loved the first game. The second game is however something completely different.

    Story / Character Development.: I could not wait for the finale episode of the first game. Got it on the release date. In comparison. I really needed to force myself to play the last episode of the LiS 2. I waited probably like 6 months after the release of ep. 5. Dontnod doesn't seem to understand what    I loved the first game. The second game is however something completely different.

    Story / Character Development.: I could not wait for the finale episode of the first game. Got it on the release date. In comparison. I really needed to force myself to play the last episode of the LiS 2. I waited probably like 6 months after the release of ep. 5. Dontnod doesn't seem to understand what actually made the first game so great.

    I can tell you what the first game wasn't. A political / social justice infested mess that focused on forcefully feeding you it's agenda instead of telling a captivating story.

    Graphics / Sound / Atmosphere.: Graphics were definitely an upgrade. The style was the same but from a technical perspective it was a nice bump. The music was worse than the first one. It's highly subjective but some of the original soundtracks were just better in the first one.

    Gameplay.: The dialog options you choose within the game don't feel impactful at all. Sometimes you will get 2 dialog options that are pretty much the same. There is nothing new compared to the first game. I even think that the first game had way more interesting choices and a more compelling superpower.

    Conclusion.: I really think that the first game was better in every single part except the graphics. Stupid characters, boring story, trivial joices. I give it a 10/10 for the wokeness factor however.

    Story / Character Development.: 2/10
    Graphics / Sound / Atmosphere.: 7
    Gameplay.: 4/10

    Result.: 4    … Expand
  20. Azhael
    Dec 9, 2019
    3
    Although a fan of LiS1, the second game failed miserably to captivate my interest and involvement. The main problem is that I did not feel "touched" by the brotherly love present in the game and honestly consider that just having a younger brother "influencing" or interfering with your decisions / attitudes / journeys limits the narrative and your free will. Of course, the player still hasAlthough a fan of LiS1, the second game failed miserably to captivate my interest and involvement. The main problem is that I did not feel "touched" by the brotherly love present in the game and honestly consider that just having a younger brother "influencing" or interfering with your decisions / attitudes / journeys limits the narrative and your free will. Of course, the player still has the last decision, but just having a young person "following his example" technically interferes with gameplay.

    In addition, I consider that they wasted a lot of time on the plot exploring the place in some scenes (especially in the first episode) and this detracted from the flow of the narrative. At other times, the player is forced to go on long walks and this has generated more boredom than interest in me.

    Another aspect of frustration was comparing the cast of LiS1 and LiS2: in my view, even though they were not related, there was a stronger connection between Max and Chloe instead of the two brothers. In addition to this, the power of turning back time is much more attractive and useful than telekinesis. For both practical purposes and to make plot development more agile and interesting.    … Expand
  21. Hawkeye112196
    Sep 28, 2021
    1
    Absolutely awful and disappointing. Life is Strange Season 1 is one of my favorite games of all time but Season 2 is a disgrace to the Life is Strange name. It has none of the charm of Season 1 and replaced the amazing characters with ones that lack any depth, Arcadia Bay with a bunch places that are not nearly as interesting, and the great story with an incredibly one sided view ofAbsolutely awful and disappointing. Life is Strange Season 1 is one of my favorite games of all time but Season 2 is a disgrace to the Life is Strange name. It has none of the charm of Season 1 and replaced the amazing characters with ones that lack any depth, Arcadia Bay with a bunch places that are not nearly as interesting, and the great story with an incredibly one sided view of America (from the perspective of French people) . All this leads to Season 2 being an absolute dumpster fire that was a giant waste of my time and money.… Expand
  22. burakcetinkay
    Jan 7, 2020
    3
    Wasted my time for this game. It isn’t like life is strange 1. Couldnt connect with the characters. I am sorry.
  23. Nickvanh
    Dec 4, 2019
    4
    This game could learn a lot from Detroit become human in the matter how your choices affect your ending.

    Okay i stole sometimes but just basic stuff that the brothers needed to survive. I never killeed or let daniel kill anyone and i got the bad ending? The lack of an ending that nobody goes to jail if surrender really makes this adventure a waste of time . The endings you can get are    This game could learn a lot from Detroit become human in the matter how your choices affect your ending.

    Okay i stole sometimes but just basic stuff that the brothers needed to survive.

    I never killeed or let daniel kill anyone and i got the bad ending?
    The lack of an ending that nobody goes to jail if surrender really makes this adventure a waste of time . The endings you can get are the bad,, the worse and the worst. And i got the absolute supreme worst
    . Yeah choices matter but daniel always ruins it because of his bad personality and he's lazyness    … Expand
  24. PowerFantastic
    May 14, 2020
    1
    Amazingly bad story writing. There is very little likable about the protagonist, and the story consistently misrepresents people. My guess is the writers have very little life experience and didn't do adequate research. The original and it's prequel were MUCH better.
  25. SquerkyTur
    Oct 10, 2018
    4
    This review is not to criticize the story. The major issue with this game is the lack of characters and the removal of game mechanics. Not only are there much fewer characters, but also your dialog options are reduced so the characters that are there don't get fleshed out. The characters also don't stick around long enough for you to care about them. This game has only one mechanic:This review is not to criticize the story. The major issue with this game is the lack of characters and the removal of game mechanics. Not only are there much fewer characters, but also your dialog options are reduced so the characters that are there don't get fleshed out. The characters also don't stick around long enough for you to care about them. This game has only one mechanic: looking at things and triggering a cut-scene or dialog. You will do nothing else for the whole game.… Expand
  26. Hallowsend666
    Oct 18, 2018
    0
    This is a terrible follow-up to Life is Strange, Before the Storm and even Captain Spirit.

    Basically nothing that made people fall in love with the previous games is left here. This is an empty shell that clearly has the name "Life is Strange" attached to it to make people pick something up they would not have bought otherwise. Instead of a great, engaging and lovingly told story you    This is a terrible follow-up to Life is Strange, Before the Storm and even Captain Spirit.

    Basically nothing that made people fall in love with the previous games is left here. This is an empty shell that clearly has the name "Life is Strange" attached to it to make people pick something up they would not have bought otherwise.

    Instead of a great, engaging and lovingly told story you are bombarded with political messages all the time (which I agree with, but that is not the point). Where Life is Strange drew it strength from subtlety to make you think this here offers nothing in comparison - you get told what is correct.

    Apart from the politics the characters are weak, the voice acting is sub par and not even the music can compare to the first season - it is a shame when a previous title in the series completely destroys the facial animations and lip sync in this one.

    The plot is you wandering around with your brother (not really a spoiler since that happens after 20 minutes) with forced interactions and "on the nose" tests on morality. I find it hard to believe that this is actually the same team that created Life is Strange - the story quality in this one is so far below the first one that it hurts. This is enforced by that not only the whole triggering event but also almost every single decision taken by the characters is stupid beyond belief and can´t be explained just by their age.

    Speaking of decisions, none here matter at all - I can live with narratives not branching wildly. But when I have the option to walk away from a fight and I choose to just leading to me being insulted again and then starting the fight away its just lazy. This is basically true for every major decision offered - there is not even a slight variation.

    I would have not expected Dontnod to fail so hard.    … Expand
  27. rexvonzombie
    Feb 19, 2019
    2
    Life is Strange 2 is a good narrative by most standards. It follows a clichéd story of two brothers whose father was wrongfully killed by a police officer, much unlike the originality of the prior entries into the series. The game stacks up well with other choice-based storytelling titles of the same nature. With that being said, it fails to get even remotely close to achieving the specialLife is Strange 2 is a good narrative by most standards. It follows a clichéd story of two brothers whose father was wrongfully killed by a police officer, much unlike the originality of the prior entries into the series. The game stacks up well with other choice-based storytelling titles of the same nature. With that being said, it fails to get even remotely close to achieving the special bond that is present in both Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm. In the original Life is Strange, Chloe's need to find Rachel, the one person who was there for her in an intense time of desperation, re-sparks a bond that she and her childhood friend Max once had. Then in the prequel, we get to see something truly special develop between Chloe and Rachel. A friendship.. but more. The type of relationship many of us could only dream of having. While there were a few cringe-inducing dialogue lines in the original, it felt real. Like real interactions taking place between real people with real emotions. The saddest a piece of entertainment media has ever made me feel was the final scene of Life is Strange: Before the Storm. When Rachel's phone is ringing with a call from Chloe and an additional seventeen missed. The player can do nothing but watch as we hear the sound of a camera's shutter capturing a soon-to-be-murdered Rachel. It gives us the same sense of hopelessness that Chloe must have felt calling Rachel. Life is Strange 2, on the other hand feels entirely scripted, and while it is a decent game, good at best, it fails to live up to the name and expectations of its incredible, emotionally-charged predecessors. This game makes me long for nothing more than another continuation of Chloe, Rachel and Max's stories. Maybe one day, DONTNOD or Deck Nine will deliver to us Life is Strange: Beyond the Storm. But until then, we'll have to settle for this.… Expand
  28. TwisterSpot
    Feb 14, 2020
    4
    I actually liked the basic story line, although I find episode 4 far fetched and kinda out there. I also liked the voice acting for Sean and Daniel. But I have major issues with the story line, choices and lack thereof.
    First, Sean and Daniel get terrible advice from every adult who helps them - Brody, no matter what you ask, tells them to go to Mexico. The Grandparents, after    I actually liked the basic story line, although I find episode 4 far fetched and kinda out there. I also liked the voice acting for Sean and Daniel. But I have major issues with the story line, choices and lack thereof.
    First, Sean and Daniel get terrible advice from every adult who helps them - Brody, no matter what you ask, tells them to go to Mexico. The Grandparents, after lambasting him for running in the first place, tell them to run. You don't expect good advice from Finn, Cassidy or that group, but you probably get the most honest answers from them. The mother acts like a spoiled brat, seems to have no care about Sean - the son she actually knew for 8 years, and puts her sons in danger.

    Then there's the story itself - as opposed to actually picking a direction, the story forces you into one bad decision after another. I have played the game many times just to see what would happen and no matter what, the ending is terrible. I am older and there is no way I am letting a 16 year old get sent to prison for 15 years for something he didn't do. Meanwhile Daniel, if he helps me across the border, ends up under house arrest. Realistically, he either wouldn't have been charged at all or the government, noticing his powers, would have put him in some program - out of sight. If Daniel comes with me across the border, we still seem distant. If I give myself up, there are no articles about the trial, no chance I will not get convicted or will be prosecuted for my only real crime (stealing the car out of the hospital parking lot). Also, the points or cents you are given for your choices at the end don't make sense. What does the game actually want you to do?

    I agree with one of the reviews that they seemed to have copped out or rushed the game. So much time between chapters (in the game - months have passed, weeks, etc) I only found out what happened during that time by reading Sean's notebook. I think the dialogue doesn't fit with the characters - and a lot of stock dialogue means no matter what you choose, the response or your next lines will be the same.

    The game never really deals with Daniel's powers and the possibility that the government would want to study him or lock him up - this is more of a reason to keep running than any of the other stupid reasons "adults" give the kids.    … Expand
  29. Geodude074
    Oct 24, 2018
    0
    I've been trying to figure out why exactly LiS2 is utter crap in comparison to LiS1, and I think I got it.

    1) The game revolves around the plot instead of the characters. In LiS1, it doesn't matter what is happening, since Max and Chloe are so beloved you can cut them out of any plot and paste them into another plot and the game would still be great. In LiS2, the plot IS the game, the    I've been trying to figure out why exactly LiS2 is utter crap in comparison to LiS1, and I think I got it.

    1) The game revolves around the plot instead of the characters. In LiS1, it doesn't matter what is happening, since Max and Chloe are so beloved you can cut them out of any plot and paste them into another plot and the game would still be great. In LiS2, the plot IS the game, the two brothers are running for the Mexican border and the entire game revolves around this plot. If you cut out the two brothers and pasted two other generic characters, the game would be no different. That's why it's so bad.

    2) The characters are awful. Instead of Chloe as a sidekick, you get an annoying 9 year old who you have to LITERALLY BABYSIT as you escort him throughout the game. Instead of playing as Max with time traveling abilities, you play as a boring generic high school kid with no powers and who makes the most juvenile irresponsible decisions (to further the plot) that you have no control over.

    3) The plot is awful. Two Mexican Americans running for the Mexican border (because that's a good idea right?) and experiencing racist America along the way. Just garbage and completely lacking in depth, thought, or intelligence. Every character is a 2 dimensional stereotype. In LiS1 characters had depth, their actions weren't black/white they were grey, there was reasoning behind their motives and you had empathy for them, whether it's the controlling step dad or the drug dealer. In LiS2, characters are either 1) Racist or 2) Victims of racism. There's no middleground, every character is either good or evil, and once again all of this is done to further the plot.    … Expand
  30. LucasBvalle
    Jan 19, 2020
    0
    The end is crap, no matter what you do. I got really disapointed: the game is more about politics than anything else...
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Awards & Rankings

86
#86 Best PS4 Game of 2018
22
#22 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Cubed3
    Apr 12, 2021
    70
    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.
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  2. IGN Japan
    Apr 10, 2020
    70
    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.
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  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Jan 9, 2020
    90
    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]
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