Developed by DONTNOD Entertainment
Published by Square Enix
Released for Xbox One (9/27/2018)
Also on Linux/Mac/PC/PS4
It took a little while, with a prequel and a demo coming out in the years between the first game and this one, but in 2018 DONTNOD Entertainment finally gave us a direct sequel to the original game in Life is Strange 2. The game was released episodically just like the previous entries in the series. There were a total of 5 episodes, with the first one released on September 27, 2018 and the final episode on December 3, 2019. All of the other episodes were of course released between those dates.
It took well over a year for the complete game to release, which is way too long for such a story-driven game. DONTNOD Entertainment has revealed that their next title will release with all episodes available from day one, which will hopefully become a standard practice for the company going forth. The release dates were far too spread apart, making it difficult to clearly recall previous events with so much time lapsing between episodes. While it took over a year for the final episode to release, Life is Strange 2 ended up as a well-polished product, so the developers should be commended for taking the time needed and not rushing out an unfinished product like some of Telltale's later efforts.
There will be a few spoilers in the following two paragraphs as we discuss the story in Life is Strange 2, but nothing much beyond a major event that takes place in first episode. Those hoping for the return of any of the old cast might be disappointed to learn that Life is Strange 2 tells a whole new story with a new set of characters. There are a few nods to previous games here and there, but I want to leave those for you to discover if you delve in yourself.
Life is Strange 2 is centered around 2 brothers, Sean and Daniel, who live at home with their single father, Esteban. Daniel gets into some trouble with one of the neighbors and Sean steps in to help. While Sean and the neighbor kid are scuffling, a police unit shows up at the same time Esteban comes out to see what all the fuss is about. In a misunderstanding, the police officer opens fire on Esteban, tragically killing him in front of the boys. This is when Daniel loses it and unknowingly triggers his crazy psycho-kinetic abilities (which he was unaware he possessed up to this point) creating a massive blast, killing the officer in the process. This starts the adventures of Sean and Daniel on the run from the law, on a journey to reach Puerto Lobos in Mexico to unite with their father's side of the family. Along this journey they'll also have to deal with Sean and the discovery of his newfound powers.
While the game starts out in Seattle, it doesn't take long before the brothers are on the run and you'll cover a lot of ground on your journey to reach Puerto Lobos, providing for some good location variety. At the end of each episode, the game provides a detailed breakdown on all of the decision that had multiple outcomes and compares the percentages of players that selected each option. Some choices will have a big impact on the story and there are a total of 7 different conclusions you can end with, adding some incentive to replay the game. Life is Strange 2 definitely blows any of Telltale's efforts out of the water in regards to your choices impacting the story.
With Captain Spirit (2017) and Life is Strange 2, DONTNOD upgraded from Unreal Engine 3 to 4, and you can really see the enhancements in the graphics department. Characters display emotions better, the environments are more detailed, textures load in faster and the lighting is improved for a better overall presentation in the visuals department. It's a tad disappointing that the 60 FPS from Captain Spirit was downgraded to 30 FPS for this title, but this is likely due to how large many of the locations are when compared to the small house/backyard of Captain Spirit.
Coming into Life is Strange 2, I'd heard mostly negative reception in regards to the game. Though I take all of this with a grain of salt and didn't actively seek out reviews, the general consensus seemed to be that it wasn't as good as the first game and therefore is an easy skip. While I do agree that Life is Strange 2 isn't as good as the first game, that certainly doesn't mean it's not worth playing. The story is well-written, the dialogue well-delivered and there are lots of decisions that impact the story which has lots of twists and drama. Life is Strange 2 tells an engaging story that you'll have a hard time not wanting to see through to the end.
Final Verdict: Life is Strange 2 is a point & click adventure that follows 2 brothers on the run from the law as they head south from Seattle en-route to Mexico. While it's not quite as good as the first game, this one's still worth a play if you enjoy modern point & click adventures.
Purchase Links:
Buy Life is Strange 2 (Digital) - Microsoft Store
Search Life is Strange 2 (Disc) - eBay
Related Reviews:
Life is Strange (Xbox 360/One, 2015/16)
Life is Strange: Before the Storm (Xbox One, 2017)
The Adventures of Captain Spirit (Xbox One, 2018)
Square Enix
Related Links:
Point & Click Adventures - Xbox Overview
DONTNOD Entertainment - Official Site
Square Enix - Official Site
Life is Strange 2 - Metacritic
Life is Strange 2 - GameFAQs
Life is Strange 2 - True Achievements
Life is Strange 2 Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
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