Life Is Strange 2 is a 2018 episodic adventure game in the Life is Strange series, developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix. The game's plot features Mexican-American brothers Sean and Daniel as they travel along the US West Coast as fugitives from the police after the younger brother discovers his telekinetic abilities. In the game, which is played from a third-person perspective, Sean must make crucial decisions that will lead to different branches in the storyline, while serving as a surrogate parent for Daniel.
Following the unexpected success of Life Is Strange (2015), development of a second game started in 2016 after the team completed the retail edition of the first game. The primary creative team behind the original returned for the sequel. The team chose a road movie structure in contrast to the original game, and was inspired by films and novels such as Into the Wild and Of Mice and Men. While the game features supernatural elements, the story is mostly grounded in reality, and the team used the opportunity to explore contemporary social issues such as racism, gun violence, and bigotry. The game was teased in May 2017 and a free demo, The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, was released in June 2018 in order to introduce the new setting. Its five episodes were released between September 2018 and December 2019 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One and later for Linux, macOS and Nintendo Switch.
The game received generally positive reviews upon release. Critics praised the story, the relationship between Sean and Daniel, and the gameplay, while the reception of the portrayed political themes was divergent. The sparse episodic release schedule and the dialogue were criticized. It received nominations for multiple year-end accolades. Dontnod stated to have shifted its focus to develop their own intellectual properties in May 2021. The series' next game Life Is Strange: True Colors, developed by Deck Nine, was released in September 2021.
Gameplay
Life Is Strange 2 is a graphic adventure game played from a third-person view. The player takes control of a teenager named Sean Diaz (Gonzalo Martin), who is on the run with his younger brother, Daniel (Roman Dean George), following a tragic incident. As the story unfolds, the two brothers encounter various non-playable characters who interact with Sean via dialogue trees. Sean is presented with numerous choices throughout the game, both major and minor, which lead to different branches in the storyline. Many of Sean's actions teach Daniel lessons that influence his worldview. This influence is continuously tracked in the background by two hidden variables: Morality and Brotherhood. For instance, stealing around Daniel will teach him theft, but on top of that, it will prompt him to show less regard for social norms or other people. Daniel may also grow to resent Sean if his actions do not align with his previous lessons, and he may no longer adapt to Sean's judgement if he is not able to maintain a trusted relationship with Daniel. Following conventional ethics and preserving brotherly trust may not always be compatible with each other. The game tracks how many players received each outcome and lets the player compare their choices against the rest of the player base. While the main plot points remain mostly the same, Daniel's personality constantly evolves depending on Sean's choices, which results in a variety of Daniel's responses, autonomous actions, and eventually culminates in several different endings.
Sean can interact with the environment and obtain objects, which can then be stored in Sean's backpack and used later. When Sean picks up an object, he will comment on them, providing players the backstory for each item and adding context to the world. Sean's backpack can also be decorated with souvenirs he collects in the world. As Sean and Daniel explore various locations, Sean can also enjoy moments of calm at designated locations and sketch the environment around him.
Plot In October 2016, 16-year-old Sean Diaz lives with his 9-year-old brother Daniel and father Esteban (Amador Plascencia) in Seattle, after their mother Karen (Jolene Andersen) left them following Daniel's birth. The day the game begins, Sean intervenes when their neighbor Brett (Robert Shearer) harasses Daniel, inadvertently injuring Brett as a police officer passes by. Esteban arrives at the scene and is shot and killed by the officer. A sudden explosion damages the environment, and Sean flees with Daniel before more police arrive. Now fugitives, Sean aims to take them to their father's Mexican hometown of Puerto Lobos. Near Mount Rainier, the brothers are recognized by the owner of a gas station, but escape with the help of travel blogger Brody Holloway (Bolen Walker). Brody arranges a motel room for the brothers, where Daniel learns of Esteban's death and becomes angry, revealing he has latent telekinetic abilities that were the cause of the explosion in Seattle.
The brothers then spend a month at an abandoned cabin, where Sean helps train Daniel's ability. After Daniel falls ill, Sean decides to take him to their maternal grandparents, Claire (Nancy Cronig) and Stephen Reynolds (John O'Connell), in nearby Beaver Creek, Oregon. At Beaver Creek, Claire and Stephen accept the brothers and agree to hide them, despite their concerns. Daniel also befriends Chris (Chandler Mantione), an imaginative boy that lives next door, after using his powers to save him from falling from his treehouse; Chris comes to think he has superpowers. Daniel coerces Sean into breaking into Karen's old room to learn more about her. The police soon arrive on word that Sean and Daniel have been sighted in public or traced from interactions. Claire, Stephen, and Chris then help the brothers to escape.
In February 2017, Sean and Daniel join freighthoppers Finn (Matthew Gallenstein) and Cassidy (Sarah J. Bartholomew) traveling to California, and the four secure paying jobs at a cannabis farm in Humboldt County, California for a cultivator named Merrill (Ben Jurand). Sean spends more time with their new friends, leaving Daniel frustrated and feeling abandoned. One payday, Merrill discovers Daniel snooping around and fires the brothers without paying them. Daniel accidentally reveals his telekinesis to the others, and Finn comes up with a plan to use it to steal money from Merrill. Sean either joins Finn and Daniel in breaking into Merrill's house or follows them upon learning that they went behind his back. Regardless, the heist fails, and Merrill threatens the group with a shotgun. In a panicked rage, Daniel destroys Merrill's house with his powers, knocking out everyone else and causing Sean's left eye to be impaled.
Sean wakes from a coma two months later under FBI custody. He finds a letter from Jacob (David Valdes), one of the farmworkers, in which he writes that he found Daniel after the accident and took him to Haven Point, Nevada – an isolated commune where he was raised. Sean escapes from custody and travels to Haven Point. There, he finds Daniel has been taken in by Lisbeth (Victoria Hansen), the leader of a religious cult, who is presenting Daniel's powers as a divine gift to gain devoted followers and manipulate Daniel into submission. After an initial attempt to recover Daniel, Sean meets Karen, whom Jacob had also contacted for help. Sean and Karen begin to reconnect and establish a plan with Jacob to save him. They ultimately convince Daniel to come with them, and the church burns down.
Sean and Daniel travel with Karen to the secluded community of Away, Arizona, and spend the next seven weeks resting, having fun, and making last arrangements before crossing into Mexico. Sean befriends a few residents, including David Madsen (D.W. McCann) – a former security officer from Arcadia Bay, Oregon. The brothers learn that authorities have tracked their location, but Karen allows her sons to escape by staying behind to be arrested. The two arrive at the Mexico–United States barrier, which Daniel breaks open with his powers. However, before they can cross, Daniel is abruptly wounded by a bullet from two vigilantes, and the group is captured by the local police shortly after.
The next morning, July 4th, Daniel breaks Sean out of interrogation, and the two flee to a Mexican port of entry but find it blockaded by FBI and United States Border Patrol agents. Sean must decide whether he and Daniel should turn themselves in or use Daniel's powers to force their way through. The outcome of this decision depends on whether Daniel was raised to follow the rules of society (HighMorality) or to put himself and Sean above all else (LowMorality). Blood Brothers Ending:If Daniel accepts Sean's decision to cross the border, he uses his powers to fight the opposing police force and destroy the crossing. Once the road is clear, both brothers make it to Mexico alive. They open a garage in Puerto Lobos, like their father had, and settle down as fugitives, relying on Daniel's powers to survive and stay safe. Parting Ways Ending:If Daniel rejects Sean's decision to cross the border, he reluctantly uses his powers to help Sean drive through the blockade, then surrenders himself to the agents. Daniel lives with Claire and Stephen under police surveillance, while Sean lives in Puerto Lobos as a fugitive, either alone or with Cassidy or Finn, occasionally sending Daniel postcards. Redemption Ending:If Daniel accepts Sean's decision to surrender, they both let the agents apprehend them. Sean is taken into custody, while Daniel lives with Claire and Stephen before the two reunite fifteen years later, when Sean is released from prison. Afterwards, Sean and Daniel go camping in the woods for a night in an attempt to rebuild their bond as brothers. Lone Wolf Ending:If Daniel rejects Sean's decision to surrender, he becomes desperate and uses his powers to force them both across the border anyway. The scene ends with Sean shot dead by the police and Daniel left alone in Mexico. Daniel grows up in Puerto Lobos as a fugitive, using his powers to steal, defend himself, and survive on his own.
Development Life Is Strange 2 was developed by French developer Dontnod Entertainment with Square Enix External Studios, which started the game's production after it shipped the retail edition of the first game in 2016. It was decided early that the sequel would feature a cast of new characters, with director Michel Koch likening the franchise to TV series such as True Detective or American Horror Story in 2015. The development team believed that the franchise was about common people that players can relate to, and stories that are grounded in reality and reflective of the player's own experience. By introducing new characters, the team can try something different and explore different themes. According to the team, the story of Max and Chloe (the protagonists of the first game) has already been completed. David, a returning character, makes a small appearance in Episode 5. The team included him in the sequel because he always survives the events of the first game and that through him, players can discover "little hints" regarding the fate of Max and Chloe. The team avoids giving too many details about their fates, as the first game does not have a canon ending and featuring them too heavily in the story may displease fans who are heavily invested in fan fiction. David's appearance helps connect the sequel to the first game without confusing new audiences.