Life is Strange 2 Review (Kotarocat)
For a long time, I was conflicted about whether I liked or disliked Life is Strange 2, as its formula differs significantly from the original. While the first game emphasized how your actions have consequences and how they affect those around you, Life is Strange 2 shifts the focus inward, exploring how our choices shape our morality and identity. The game's story is powerful, filled with emotional moments in every chapter, and it effectively showcases a wide range of personalities through its characters.
One downside, however, is the constant change of locations. Many side characters only appear briefly—often for just one chapter. This undermines the exploration aspect; while gathering information helps flesh out the world and adds depth to the characters, it doesn’t significantly impact the core story. It’s also hard to feel emotionally attached to the side characters since we quickly move on to a new location with a fresh cast.
In terms of pacing, the game starts off slowly. There’s also a money mechanic introduced early on that becomes irrelevant later in the game, which feels like a missed opportunity for more meaningful gameplay. It’s especially frustrating for players who focused on managing their money, only to discover it doesn’t matter that much in the end while earning negative points for it.
My main issue with the story lies in Sean and Daniel’s character development. Daniel starts off as a younger brother who you want to protect, but as the story progresses, he becomes increasingly unpredictable and bratty. By the end, you could even view Daniel as an antagonist, as he causes much of Sean’s pain and problems. Even if you play with high morality and brotherhood points, Daniel often acts in ways that contradict logic and his established character consistency, doing whatever he wants regardless of the choices you’ve made. Meanwhile, Sean, often overshadowed by Daniel’s personality, feels bland. He’s frequently moody and rude toward Daniel for no clear reason, and he makes some incredibly poor decisions—like the one that sets the entire story in motion.
Despite its flaws, I would still recommend the game, not just for its thought-provoking story, but also for its incredible music, beautiful art, especially from Sean’s drawings and the "Wolf Brothers Story," which recaps events, adding a nice visual touch to tie the episodes together. Plus, you don’t need prior knowledge of the previous games to enjoy this one.