The latest installment of Square Enix and DONTNOD’s gaming universe, Life is Strange 2, released on September 27th, 2018. Preceded by Life is Strange, Before the Storm, and Captain Spirit, these games take players through the eyes of unique individuals with super human abilities. Even though characters are capable of time travel and telekinesis, the true power lies in their ability to choose.
Co-Directors Raoul Barbet and Michel Koch come from film and TV backgrounds, and set out to create a compelling narrative. Needless to say, they understand how to tell a story that can just as easily warm or break your heart. Something we need, since we currently live in an age where the most-viewed games suffer from being very same-y. Linear story lines with big cutscenes or battle arenas with long loading times feel very cyclical. This universe provides a true exploration and discovery of our own principles and loyalties that we build.
Two Wolves, One Path
The story of Sean and Daniel Diaz takes place in 2016, during a racially and politically aware America. This decision was questionable at first. Why not pick up the story soon after the events of Life is Strange? By the end of Episode 1 however, the reason became very clear.
The many decisions the player will come across is filled with racial and political perspectives. Film buffs would be reminded of the social horror in Get Out and social commentary of Trainspotting where the content transcends the four walls it was built into. Living in the shoes of the Diaz brothers, the player will come across characters wanting to build walls against Hispanic people, encourage ICE Raids, and spew words like “Spic” at the character you play as. This puts you in a very real position to know what that feels like.
More Than The Sum Of Its Parts
If you’re not a fan of the art style or game play, it wouldn’t deter you from the weight this game brings to the gaming community. The main qualm of the game is much like the previous ones; if you don’t inspect everything, then you’ll lose out on some trophies. This makes it a bit of a task to just ignore the story they tell so well.
Regardless, this game’s beautifully curated music and attention to storytelling gives a player a genuine feeling of longing and warmth. This is in a time where most games have opted for darker tonalities. This game achieves a narrative experience that is both cerebral and human, subverting the fiction with real experiences.
The Promise to Go Forward
DONTNOD’s games take on a variety of themes such as living in the past, and imagination vs reality. This newest installment sets the stage for unity versus adversity. That being said, all the games have a common through line of growth and evolution with the loss of innocence into adult hood.
So far, with only Episode 1 released, players can expect the same emotional strain that we have come to love and learn from. Although there are more episodes yet to be released, I am confident to give this graphic adventure game the Nerd On! stamp of approval with a 4.8 out of 5.
You can pick up the first episode on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac for $7.99. If you’d like to get access to all the episodes as they release, you’ll pay $39.99 upfront.
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