Many of the choices we make in competitive games result in selfish outcomes. we want to get the best rewards or trigger romance with our favorite love interests. Having this type of agency is fun, but Life is Strange 2 takes a different approach. It adds a dimension by putting the needs of another character before its own. Sean and Daniel Diaz are two young brothers on the run, and developer Dontnod tells an emotional story about the connection between them, while encouraging players (like Sean) to make decisions on what they mean to nine-year-old Daniel.
The bond between the Diaz brothers is the most persuasive element of Life is Strange 2. Unlike similar dynamics in other storytelling games (like Lee and Clementine in The Walking Dead), Sean Daniel does not just protect against danger. At the same time you create a relationship with him and give him examples to follow. This last point is important because Daniel has mysterious telekinetic powers and how he uses them – or not – largely depends on Sean’s guidance. For example, if you let him kill a dangerous animal rather than scare it off, it can solve an immediate problem – but you must ask yourself what it teaches him how to use his gift in the future. Can he recognize the borderline between killing an animal and a person? Daniel looks up at Sean and moments like these keep that fact in the mind of the players. I like how I saw my decisions less with regards to optimizing certain story results than with helping Daniel learn right from wrong.
Your interactions in these situations have interesting consequences because you are not alone in determining Sean’s actions. They also affect how Daniel might react later. At one point, I told Daniel to be honest with another character about his power rather than keeping it secret. Because of the guidance I gave him in earlier cases, he listened to me and obeyed. However, Daniel can also disobey, depending on which example you chose. Therefore, your decision at a fork does not guarantee how the story will evolve. I did not expect to enjoy this ambiguity, but I did it; This will make the behind-the-scenes flowchart less clear, allowing you to focus more on how the characters would react.
The gameplay of Life is Strange 2 is a simple yet effective combination of walking around, exploring objects and talking to the crazy people you meet on the go. The ultimate goal of the boys is to travel from Seattle to Mexico, but circumstances force them to live off the mains to avoid a discovery that puts them in a variety of questionable situations. In five episodes, Sean and Daniel meet redneck racists, weed farmers and avid cultists. I appreciate how these characters represent a variety of perspectives, but some of the encounters feel invented. Sean and Daniel meet some people on an outdoor market in Oregon and reunite in California a few weeks later to travel by rail? The stereotypical portrayals of these minor characters also contrast with the care taken by Sean and Daniel, though none of them are in the limelight long enough to do significant damage to the larger story.
The writing and the performances may sometimes feel stilted, but even in the worst case, Life is Strange 2 retains a core of authenticity that no unpleasant exchange can erase. Despite the imperfect implementation, the game builds a credible relationship between the brothers and made me take care of them. I worried about their health on a regular basis, whether they had enough to eat and whether they had the freedom to behave at times like stupid children. Making this connection is crucial to the success of this story, and the Dontnod team is doing it right.
In episodic games, there are often monthly gaps between the individual rates, but even by these standards Life has Strange 2 fans long to wait from one chapter to the next. If you’ve dropped off somewhere on the way (or been waiting for the story to end like I was), that’s understandable. Regardless of whether you knew it or not, Life is Strange 2 has quietly woven a powerful and sincere narrative experience that admirably continues the legacy of the series.
