Life is Strange was a.. strange little gem. It was definitely a self-contained story, and with its sequel, the creative directors and writers at Dontnod had no intention in milking that story. Instead, Life is Strange 2 shares some of the same DNA as its predecessor, while embarking on a totally new narrative. Of course, the sequel plays out in the same universe as the original, and there are just the right amount of delightful references and callbacks, and even a rather unexpected character returning. This is how sequels should be done for stories that are complete - fully respectful of the original, while offering something new and fresh.
The core gameplay is rather similar to Life is Strange, and other games in this genre. The exploration through the minutiae remains engaging as ever. With a greater budget in play, LiS2 retains a similarly painterly style as the original, resisting the temptation to go for a more realistic aesthetic. Instead, it's used to amplify the details in the various areas. Of course, some modern graphical techniques to update the graphics, while retaining the original's overall look and feel.
The narrative here is a pretty expansive road trip, and you can feel the budget has been used to extend the scope of the game. However, the explorable areas remain small - the focus, as always, is on the little details. There's also a greater variety of areas and locations than the original. There are also many more new minigames, which always remain fun and never outstay their welcome. So, in many areas, Life is Strange 2 is very much an evolution of the original, offering a similar but enhanced experience.
Of course, what makes Life is Strange 2 different is the centrepiece of the game itself - the story. The good folks at Dontnod can't be faulted for sincerity, always showing up with heartfelt writing they care deeply about. This time around, it appears as though the writers and creative directors were affected strongly by the wave of populism and xenophobia sweeping through the latter part of the last decade. As they say, all art is political, but with LiS2, there's no subtly at all. Political themes surrounding Donald Trump's America are evident throughout. In the end, some of these issues are too complex for a 15 hour game, but it's dealt with enough grace and humility that I can't fault the writers for going all in. Then there's the choices, of course. You get to make plenty of choices, but like the first game, not all of them have meaningful consequences. Sure, some of them do, but the narratives don't really branch out till the very end, where you get multiple endings.
LiS2's characters are well written and performed as ever, and the overarching narrative is exciting and engaging. A lot of people criticized the quirky dialogue in LiS, and more of the same returns in LiS2. I always thought it was a deliberate style, rather than just a mistake, and this kind of confirms that. You may not like it, but it's here to stay. Overall, though, the sequel's writing just isn't as strong as the original. There are a few narrative tropes and cliches come into play in the middle episodes, and while there are plenty of delightful characters, there isn't quite a knockout performances like Max or Chloe from the first game. Which is not to say the brothers' road trip isn't wonderful - it certainly is.
Overall, that's how Life is Strange 2 ends up. It's a great game, that sometimes stands in the shadow of its predecessor. Still, if you're a fan of the original and of such narrative games, Life is Strange 2 is a must play. If you haven't played Life is Strange, well, the series has certainly got its own charm and may be somewhat of an acquired taste...
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