Life Is Strange 2
PlayStation 4
Nostalgia Factor:
While they aren’t necessarily my favorite games in the universe, I’ve always enjoyed the Life Is Strange series. I’ve been aware of the existence of this game, Life Is Strange 2, for a couple of years now, but it’s never been a priority for me to play. The series as a whole has always been one of those “I'll play it whenever I get around to it” kind of series. Thanks to GameFly, I finally got around to it.
Would this game be as good as the two that came before it, or would I find that the change in scenery completely destroyed everything Life Is Strange had going for it? Let’s dive in.
Story:
Since these games are mainly story driven, this will probably be the longest segment of my review.
Life is Strange 2 starts out innocuously enough. You play as Sean, the older of two brothers. You live with your dad. Through exploring the house and talking with people, it is made clear pretty early on that the mom ran out on the family. Sean’s younger brother, Daniel, accidentally unleashes telekinetic powers that he wasn’t aware he had on a bully, injuring him. Sean and Daniel’s father come running to assist, but a trigger happy police officer (in a not-so-subtle nod to current events when this game came out) guns him down. An enraged Daniel again unleashes his powers, killing the officer.
Sean and Daniel go on the run. Their ultimate goal is to evade law enforcement, make it to the border, and cross over into Mexico. The bulk of the game consists of your wacky on-the-road adventures. On this journey you’ll encounter different scenarios that put the relationship between Daniel and Sean to test. You stop at your grandparents’ house, you befriend a boy who thinks he has special powers (when in reality Daniel is using his own powers to trick the poor kid), you hop on a train, you work at a pot growing hippie commune, you get separated, you reunite with your mother, you rescue your brother from a zany religious cult that worships him, so on and so forth.
The game ends at the border wall (some more not-so-subtle commentary on current events when this game was release), where Sean and Daniel are taken into custody by ICE after being stopped from crossing by vigilantes. I’ll get into this a bit later in my review, but how you’ve played the game and the choices that you’ve made (and continue to make) craft what kind of ending you receive. I got the ending where the brothers escape custody and cross the border, where they eventually settle in and create their own auto repair shop in memory of their father. I’m not sure what the other endings are, but I’ve heard that there are endings where some of the characters die and some endings when you don’t make it past the wall and get arrested.
Overall it is a pretty good story. There are some moments when the game tries to shove social issues down your throat, but it is what it is. I don't disagree with the concept of trying to teach some kind of morality lesson, but please be a little less obvious. The game is at its best when it is focused on the relationship between the two brothers. Being the younger of two brothers myself (and I am also named Daniel…. Hmm….) the story resonated pretty well with me. I won’t say that this game is as memorable as its predecessors, but the whole “on the run and road tripping with psychic powers” thing was pretty cool. There are some memorable scenarios and encounters you’ll experience while playing these games. Some of them will stick with me for a long time.
Gameplay:
Since this is a story driven game, little focus is placed on the actual gameplay. Most areas consist of you (in control of Sean) walking around and examining things. During conversations you are often given different decisions on how you’d like to proceed. The choices you make affect the way the game plays out. For example, when you are escaping from the religious compound you are given the decision to have Daniel use his powers to kill his captors or to spare their lives. Alternatively, you can use the gun you picked up earlier (not an option if you didn’t pick it up). The ripple effect of your choices is felt throughout the entire game.
One of the main moral dilemmas I encountered was whether or not to encourage Daniel to use his powers or to keep them a secret and only use them when it is absolutely necessary. The advice you give Daniel and the morals you choose to teach him affect his behavior and what choices are available to you during certain scenarios. A lot of these games just kind of give you the illusion of choice, but in Life Is Strange 2 I felt like these choices really mattered.
Graphics:
I don't think I've ever looked at a Life Is Strange game and thought: wow, this looks so spectacular! Spoiler alert: I still haven't.
The character models are serviceable, but nothing that couldn't be done on a PlayStation 3 or any "last gen" systems - although I guess you could consider the PS4 a last gen system by 2022's standards. Where this game shines is in the small details. Any time you enter a house or someone's area of residence, you immediately feel like this is a real, actually lived in environment. Small touches and details adorn every corner.
While I wouldn't say this is an amazing looking title like Ghost of Tsushima or Horizon Zero Dawn, it doesn't need to be. Life Is Strange accomplishes everything it sets out to do visually, keeping things grounded and as simple as the plot dictates.
Sound:
The voice acting steals the show in this game. Everything falters if you don't believe in Sean and Daniel, or if they come across as unrealistic or annoying in their portrayals. Not only is their relationship well-voiced and very believable, the same can be said for the rest of the cast.
Every once in a while you'll come across some awkward dialogue or some stilted delivery, but it's so few and far between I don't hold it against the game at all.
Overall:
I enjoyed this game. I am a big fan of these story-driven narrative drama types of games. Life Is Strange 2 delivers some fun and memorable moments. It's also an easy platinum. It's not the best game in the world, and I don't think it hits as hard emotionally as some of the others in the series - but overall I still liked it.
Here's my biggest gripe with the game - and it's not even a problem with the actual game itself. The physical edition (which I rented through GameFly) is supposed to be the "complete edition", but it lacks the very last episode of the game. You have to use a code to download the last episode. Since I was only renting the game, I didn't have the code. Even if I did, it likely would have been used already a long time ago. So what happened? I had to buy the last episode. After paying to rent the game I had to pay to finish it. I was so mad. I almost didn't buy it out of spite, but I wanted that platinum, dang it. And I was so close. I haven't bothered complaining about it to Sony or Square Enix or GameFly or whatever. I know nothing will happen.
So that is what I hate most about the game. Luckily for the game, I can put that aside when it comes to the score I give it. I'm still going to be mad about it though.
THE GRADE:
B-
Other Life is Strange reviews:
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