Life Is Strange Two — WHAT AN ENDING!

Video Game Review

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Asani Anderson, Staff Reporter

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Life is Strange 2

Life is Strange 2: What an ending!

Have you ever wanted to have superpowers? If so, playing “Life Is Strange Two” is the next-best thing. 

This oh-so-adventurous game with five episodes takes place in Seattle during 2016 and follows 16-year-old Sean and nine-year-old Daniel. They’re brothers who, after witnessing the unusual death of their father, must leave home and travel to Puerto Lobos, Mexico. Little do either of them know that Daniel has telekinetic powers that’ll be VERY useful to them later on in their adventure.

SEAN

This is for sure one of my favorite characters in the entire series, and in some ways reminds me of myself. He’s creative, sensitive and protective of the people he loves. While on this journey with his brother, Sean is forced to grow up and really step up to be the adult Daniel needs him to be. Along the way, he meets other people, like the rebellious Cassidy, who truly shape him into the person he becomes at the end of the game.

DANIEL

Daniel is your average nine-year-old boy who loves cartoons, action figures, and of course, causing mischief. He looks to Sean for guidance in life and pretty much everything else. Growing up without his father without a doubt took its toll on Daniel and, depending on which choices you make within the story, determined the kind of person he will turn out to be. 

One of the main themes in the game is education, meaning that depending on how Sean educated Daniel on how to use his powers, it would affect how he learned. 

This is exemplified throughout several parts of the game, especially when Sean is attempting to teach Daniel how to pick up fish from a nearby river so they can eat.

During Episode 1, Sean is forced to tell Daniel what happened to their father. After hearing a local news channel report that his father is dead, Daniel has a major breakdown and practically brings down the entire motel where they were staying. Sean has no other option but to explain the incident, and it’s by far one of the most powerful and emotional scenes in the entire game. However, not only does it bring them closer to one another, but it also shows him how powerful his younger brother actually is.

Reviews have shown that several gamers enjoyed playing this game, although there were some glitches, and how long it took the episodes to be produced. The first four were ready when I started, but I had to wait more than a month to play Episode 5.

“ ‘Life Is Strange Two’ is more than just a game, it’s almost like you’re watching a movie and playing a game all at the same time,” said Dariana Reyes, a 12th-grade student at Passaic Preparatory Academy. “It’s extremely controversial and modern in a way that I don’t think any other game I’ve played has been.” 

This is one of those games where you genuinely gain knowledge about things you usually pay no attention to. Furthermore, you can become more aware of the things going on in this world.

I wholeheartedly agree with what Playstation Official Magazine UK, a magazine that covers various types of Playstation news and games, stated about the game having a cast you’ll fall in love with. Playing this game will not only get you hooked on it but also make you cry. It goes to show how it tugs at players’ heartstrings.

“A refined followup with a totally new cast to fall in love with. You should absolutely play ‘Life Is Strange Two.’ But you might want a box of tissues ready for the ending,” said Playstation Official Magazine UK.

For me, this game is the best one of the whole “Life Is Strange” series. It’s way more interesting than the other two. The way you can connect with these characters and relate to what they’ve been through, it’s astonishing. The gameplay was another favorite component of mine in this game. It’s different because the choices you make actually impact the storyline and the way you play. 

The graphics and scenery make you feel like you’re actually in the game yourself. For instance, when Sean and Daniel are traveling through Arizona camping in the Grand Canyon, the episode starts with a beautiful orange-and-yellow sunrise. Looking at that for the first time will for sure make you want to go see it for yourself. It’s one of several visually stunning aspects of the game. 

Whether or not someone thinks this game is influential or important really varies on who is asked. However, the audience rating summary is overall a 4.3 out of 5, which means about 94% of people like it and that’s pretty good if you ask me. Despite the fact that it is part of a series, it tells a story that’s extremely different from the other two games. In fact, I personally think it wouldn’t really be categorized as important per se, more like rare because of the fact that it’s unique.

As for a scale rating of 1-10, I’d give it a 10. Without a doubt, it is a great game and gets a perfect score simply because there are very few bad things to be said about it.

I recommend this game is played by teens 13 and older. This is due to the game containing some mature topics and scenes.

As far as ratings, Steam.com gave it a 9/10. It got a 68% on PCgamer.com and 4.5/5 on Gamesradar. The average amount of time it takes to play the entire game is about 20 hours depending on how long it takes you to complete each of the episodes. The rating on the game is T for teens. 

All in all, I think this game is going to be the start of something amazing coming in the future. It touches the surface of topics not a lot of games talk about. It’s a great game and should definitely be played by everyone who loves these interactive, choice-based games.  

‘Life Is Strange Two” could be the preamble of an entirely new generation of games. 

Pros:

  • Great setting
  • Emotional narrative is top-notch 
  • Soundtrack suits the game
  • Characters are easy to relate to
  • Choices actually impact the storyline

Cons:

  • Cliffhangers are annoying
  • Glitches within certain episodes