![]() ![]() And this makes the world-building and characterization suffer greatly. There can be no permanent home for Sean and Daniel. Due to a tragic series of miscommunications and violent acts, they are on the run. From the game’s beginning, we learn that Sean and Daniel have to abandon their childhood home. But the narrative structure we have been handed in these first two episodes does not bode well for the season as a whole. Given the fact that we’re only two episodes into season two, it’s too early to make judgment calls about Life is Strange 2 as a whole. Such moments would allow us to really flesh out the individual differences between the Diaz brothers’ personalities. This is not an intrinsically bad narrative shift from the first game, but the sequel rarely allows for moments of individual characterization. Sean and Daniel, by virtue of how the story unfolds, almost never have a moment apart. In the original, Max and Chloe were very close, but there was always the indication that Max led a very separate life of her own. Sean and Daniel’s relationship carries the entire weight of Life is Strange 2, which is a surprising tone shift from the original game. Daniel lacks the maturity and experience to navigate the world on his own, but he saves Sean in a number of tense situations. We see two sides to these characters early on in Episode One: Sean acts as a mentor for Daniel, but clearly needs a mentor himself. Their juxtaposition as both companion and foil characters throughout the game is an anchor for all the narrative decisions you will have to make as the player throughout the game. Sean’s and Daniel’s relationship unfolds in typical brotherly fashion, where Sean takes on the role of the annoyed but protective older brother, and Daniel behaves as an annoying but gentle-hearted younger brother. Life is Strange 2 introduces us to two main characters, Sean and Daniel Diaz. But that decision wouldn’t have sold nearly as many units as “Life is Strange 2.” Thus, there is an intrinsic promise being made by the developers that this game will build upon the already established universe involving Arcadia Bay and time travel. But in this instance, I cannot help but juxtapose the two in comparison with each other because they are literally both called “Life is Strange.” The developers could have named it “The Wolf Brothers,” for instance, and then the game wouldn’t face the burden of matching the brilliance and idiosyncrasy of the original game. Maybe it’s not fair to compare two games in the same franchise, two stories however vaguely connected in the game’s universe. The current season of Life is Strange is struggling with its own identity. ![]() I set down my controller feeling deeply underwhelmed by the episode. When the first episode of season two dropped at the end of September in 2018, I rushed home to install the game, even making the deliberate decision not to stream my playthrough because I wanted this experience to be as deeply personal as the original. ![]() ![]() Naturally, I’ve been jitteringly anticipating the sequel: Life is Strange 2. The original Life is Strange left an indelible impact on me and strengthened my conviction that videogames are perhaps the most powerful storytelling medium. ![]()
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