Yes, I have finally played Life Is Strange 2. I knew that a lot of people enjoyed this game more than the first two. I didnāt expect to be one of those people, but I am and do not regret playing it. This may by far be the best game of the franchise. It had every single element one could ask for in a story. The dynamics and challenges in this game were better than the other two. I havenāt played the others like True Colors yet, but I believe this one is going to be the best one. It was such a good game, that I couldnāt wait to play the next episode. In one day, I played the last three episodesā¦because I actually had time.
Quick Review (no spoilers):
Life Is Strange 2 will break you, similarly to the justice system. What sets this game apart from the previous ones is its realism. Taking place in 2016, this game unfortunately, is still relevant in todayās political climate. I wonāt give many spoilers, but the story involves the prejudice and racism that both immigrants and minorities experience in the United States. It gives us a firsthand experience of hate and reveals the horrors of nationalism. These themes are mixed into a heart-wrenching story that follows two brothers, only one of them with powers. Except this time, the player does not have these abilities and therefore, has to manage and take care of the little brother. Instead of the familiar five episodes that take place in a span of a week, this storyās timeline grows to be around 8 months long. This does not only give the player more scenes, but it also adds a larger timeline that deepens the narrative and the severity of the situation. In addition, there are more characters and settings in this game. Because of this, there is also four different endings. And just like the previous games, the LIS 2 soundtrack was just as phenomenal as the rest. Overall, the plot was created with perfection, including the complex characters and the different experiences throughout the game.
The two main characters: Daniel and Sean Diaz, I believe deserve a comparison. Considering how both are treated during the story and how their desires do not reflect each other, this creates an interesting dynamic between the brothers. It also affects the story to a very large scale; drastically affecting the ending. So, I will be pointing out the main topics that the brothers either disagree or differ from.
Danielās Power: His power was a very debatable topic between the Diaz brothers. And depending on your gameplay, Sean either heavily discourages or only slightly encourages the usage of the power. He knows how people will take advantage of Daniel... or even harm him if they were made aware of his abilities. This was the main reason for running away. Sean had no clue how the police officer died but knowing that he died somehow and they were on the scene, Sean knew what wouldāve happened. The political atmosphere deeply affects the story from the very start. Therefore, Danielās power was a huge problem that layered on top of the main incident. In the first two episodes, Daniel listened to Sean the majority of the time about limiting his powers. However, the rest of the episodes began to develop Danielās independency and his ability to make his own decisions. Sean slowly started to lose his influence on Daniel. As soon as this happened, then Finn wrongfully uses Danielās powers for his own gain despite Sean denying the permission to do so. Even when Daniel and Sean are at the border, there is still a banter about how and if the powers should be used. Depending on the scale of Danielās morality, he either uses his powers to solely help his brother or uses it for his brother and for others as well. I think that Danielās telekinesis ability was a way to represent that sibling war, except at a larger scale. They both love each other very much, yet there is always something they are arguing about. The ability represents the power that the youngest sibling has to get away with most things, while the oldest sibling is left without an influence on the environment. This forces the brothers to either work together or split up. Depending on the ending you get, both of these may become true.
The wants: Throughout the game, there are moments when Daniel and Sean disagree on where they wish to end up. However, this is also seen in how they act in the environments they are in. For example, Daniel quickly found his new home with the parents of Karen in episode 2 and even at the farm in episode 3. Wherever they seem to go, Daniel quickly adjusted to his surroundings. The only time I believe that Sean really settled in was in episode 3, but thatās also because they stayed there for the longest time. He also earned money in which he could save up for the travels to Puerto Lobos. This money was another sense of security for him too. I mention it later down the road, but I will also put it here. Daniel wanted a home while Sean wanted security, and this explains why their ideas conflict. Daniel has taken each place and person he interacts with for granted, while Sean is looking into the future and sees every moment as temporary. Seanās behavior and thoughts of fleeing also developed due to how each time they settled in, it always went south. They would get caught, a freak accident would happen, or they would end up going backwards. This created Sean to be passively attached to the areas and people he discovered. Therefore, Sean wanted to go to the one destination he had decided from the beginning, while Daniel was okay with going anywhere, but not exactly Puerto Lobos.
Sean would only receive help when it involved Daniel. They both also had conflicting ideas and mindsets. Their dynamic was unhealthy as they had to depend on each other to make it out alive. Sean had to depend on Danielās power to get out of the worst possible situations, while Daniel depended on Sean for reassurance and safety. They were meant to separate. The closest they get to be is when they were grieving (aka a trauma bond). They spent most of their time together surviving, not living.
Sean also wanted to have the powers Daniel had too. Sean had to defend and help everyone else, but himself. So, he probably thought that having Danielās abilities would get rid of that powerlessness that Sean felt like he had.
Sean received little to no support by anyone. Weāre talking about the emotional aspect here. Although it is a very common theme and is often referenced in modern poetry, Seanās circumstances seem to root from being the older sibling. The older siblings usually receive little to no aid, are forcefully given the responsibility to take care of the little siblings and expect a higher performance for everything. This seems to fit the situation that Sean is in. Although he doesnāt open up very much, that isnāt a conscious decision made by Sean himself... itās something he has learned from previous experiences. However, throughout the game, little to nobody personally asked Sean how he felt, what he wanted, or anything that didnāt involve Daniel. This causes Seanās problems to be unconsidered and left unrecognized. I do appreciate Brody from the first episode talking to Sean one on one, but unfortunately, that was not a consistent thing for the rest of the episodes.
Sean was never given the chance to truly feel his pain either, as he always had to decide which way to go next. His huge responsibility took too much time for him to sit with his emotions. This left a lot of unprocessed feelings hanging in the air and therefore made his outbursts worse whenever it became too much for him. Specifically, that one scene in the car after being humiliated. He screams at the top of his lungs and cries, understanding that this isnāt getting any better.
I feel like the reason he is able to be joyful along this journey is because of his delay on the current situation. At first, he wasnāt told his father died until three days later. Then, throughout the game, Sean usually chooses to make reality seem less harsh onto Daniel. This, therefore, treats him as a kid despite the circumstances and allows him to easily get manipulated. This could also explain why Finn and the church were able to easily convince him to play along with their idea because he remains optimistic about things. Daniel's surroundings are not fit for a child, yet he still contains his childlike behavior and only begins to slowly mature over time.
Due to his age, I believe he is used to being the center of attention. This explains why he gets a bit jealous and angry when Sean makes friends with Cassidy in episode three. Sean basically becomes Daniel's only guardian, so it makes sense that Daniel is slightly possessive of him. Sean is the only person that Daniel has.
The life that Daniel wanted either wasnāt considered or not fulfilled. Daniel did not want to go to Puerto Lobos, he wanted to be with the people he knows and loves. And because of Seanās inability to change his settlement on their destination, this desire of Daniel was left unconsidered. This probably made Daniel feel ignored and without any ability to make change. This could also explain as to why sometimes he went too far with his power usage. Depending on the ending, Danielās wants may have been left behind.
Explanation of the endings overall
From the first episode, I believe the story foreshadowed the plot in the scene with the Choko Crisp inside the Diaz house. Sean had to decide whether to give the very last chocolate bar to his father or to his brother. However, you can also choose to give it to yourself. If you give it to Esteban, he just gives it to Daniel. Because of this, itās more like either Daniel or Sean receives the chocolate bar. Again, they are arguing over somethingāand in my lenses, the chocolate bar represents their wants. Either Sean can get what he wants or Daniel can, but they cannot share it. This could explain all of the endings as well, but this doesnāt mean whoever you choose to have the chocolate bar directly affects your ending. This is just a mere observation of mine. With the āBlood Brothersā ending, Sean gets what he wants, but Daniel doesnāt. In the āParting Waysā, they both technically go where they want, but are not completely fulfilled because they lack each otherās presence. In the āRedemptionā ending, I believe Daniel gets what he wants because he ends up with the grandparents and eventually sees his brother again. However, Sean has to serve his sentence of 15 years for a crime he didnāt commit. And of course, in the āLone Wolfā ending, Daniel is left without Sean. In Puerto Lobos, where he did not want to go to. Therefore, in all of the endings, the brothers cannot seem to get what they want with each other. They either have to separate or put up with the situation at hand.
Parting Ways: I received the āParting Waysā ending. When I first experienced this ending, I was angrier at Daniel than sad. As much as I felt betrayed, I didnāt quite understand why Daniel did what he did. However, as I thought about it a bit longer, I understood it was because he didnāt wish to go to Puerto Lobos. Daniel wanted a home, while Sean wanted security. There is a difference between these needs. A āhomeā does not necessarily equate to a safe one. A āhomeā is a feeling and may not have to always be a physical place. In this ending, Daniel felt more at home with the parents of Karen. In Puerto Lobos, that wouldāve been a foreign place to him. Considering how the story suggests that Sean is more connected to his fatherās roots rather than Daniel could also explain this. I donāt understand why the game did this to the brothers, like Sean knew fluent Spanish while Daniel didnāt know a lick of it? I feel like growing up in a household where the language is spoken, the kid had to at least soaked some of it up. This is if we are looking at it realistically. Despite that, Sean wanted security. He understood that no other place in America was safe, as they continued to be hunted. And because they had no other family, Puerto Lobos was the only place Sean had in mind. Being in a different country, it would be much harder for law enforcement to find them. I feel like Sean was never going to feel at home again, so he strived for security rather than for pleasure. I also believe that Daniel was going to need a stable home with a parental guardian and Sean wouldnāt be able to deliver no matter how hard he tried. Sean didnāt ask to become a parent nor knew the amount of effort it would take. He did great at keeping Daniel hopeful for most of the journey, but there were unpreventable moments when they had to split up. They also fought a lot over the smallest to the biggest things. Sean lost his influence on Daniel around halfway through the story, so it wouldāve been difficult to try and force them to take the same pathway. What makes this ending terribly sad is how they will most likely never see each other again. Daniel has an ankle monitor, and Sean will be arrested as soon as he enters back into the United States. This ending also goes against the journey and what it once meant. I believe that this ending highlights that these brothers were meant to be separated, no matter how hard they tried to change that.
Blood Brothers: A lot of people like this one, but I did not. One, because Daniel did not enjoy the idea of going to Mexico throughout the story. He doesnāt look so happy. Two, I believe this ending contributes to the stereotype of Hispanics always being involved in illegality. During the scene that shows this ending, we see a piece of a newspaper with the headline describing a local gang's den being looted with two dead. Thus, telling the player that Daniel is still using his power and the type of lifestyle they are in. I understand that due to their circumstances that the experience will stick with them in some way. After the random outbursts of Daniel and the constant running away, it is hard to get out of that lifestyle. The fact that they escaped many situations with Daniel's power, it is probably best that he continues to use it. I just personally think that there could've been another way to create this ending. However, I do appreciate that they are together in this ending like the journey promised them to be. Except, this ending does not give Daniel the kind of home he wishes to have. He may feel unfulfilled without being with his mother or her parents around. He seemed to have really enjoyed his time with them, including Finn. Sean appears to be okay with being in Puerto Lobos, yet he is still at risk of attack due to their involvement with other people. And as I've addressed earlier, this continues the dependability that they have with each other. Overall, this isn't a bad ending--I can get behind the idea of it. However, a part of me wishes that they wouldn't have to be 'criminals' or continue down the road without peace. This one isn't the best one in my opinion, but it also isn't the worst one.
Redemption: I've heard that very little people like this ending... or people only like it because of the reunion it contains. This is the second worst one in my opinion because Sean has to endure the prison life. He has to serve a sentence for a crime that he didnāt even commit. He has to suffer for 15 years before reuniting with everyone he loves (including Lyla). Sean is a completely different person after this. In the cutscenes of this ending, he looks so distraught. He doesn't look as recognizable and due to the environment of the prisons, he looks terrible (with no offense). His appearance suggests the rough battles he probably had to endure in prison. He had to sit in a cell, wondering how he couldāve changed things. This mustāve left him with strong regret as every day was a reminder of his āmistakesā. Daniel had the chance to live out his life, even if he didnāt get to see Sean for a while. Due to the extreme differences between their lives, there must be a gap that disconnects them. What connects them is the history and the blood relation they have. When Lyla comes into frame, Sean and her must differ as well. Sean is no longer the shy, innocent boy she once knew. And who knows how much she has changed since high school. Because of the large disconnect Sean has with the people he knows, it mustāve been quite difficult for him to adjust to things when he was freed from prison.
Lone wolf: This is the worst ending ever. After all of the suffering, the running, and the intense care he gave to others, Sean dies from a bullet. Daniel is left in the car, crying while driving into Mexico. Eventually, he dyes his hair blonde when he gets older (most likely to not look like his brother.) And he is still involved in that illegal kind of life as well. What's unfortunate is that Daniel has to grow up all by himself without someone to guide him. This ending is accomplished with the low morality Daniel and with the choice of surrendering. It's hard for me to imagine this ending because it is so unfair. This leaves Daniel without anything he wanted. He didn't get to go where he wanted to, be with his brother, and he won't be able to return to America to his mother or his mother's parents. I am terribly sorry those who received this ending on their first playthrough of the game. I will pay for all of your therapy.
Karenās reasoning for leaving was weak in my opinion. I understand how she may have felt unfulfilled, but why did she completely ghost the family? She couldāve split it, instead of being a full-time parent. But she also never reached out to them at all. I did like how the writers made her character so complex. I also feel like because she left due to her being unhappy with her circumstances, it left the brothers to be unable to do the same thing despite how unhappy they were with their situation in the endings. I think they donāt want to abandon each other to turn out like Karen.
I might be problematic for mentioning this, but I felt like Daniel was the favoriteā¦ even before the incident. It had seemed like he had the upper hand when it came to the household. Yes, Sean was mean to his little brother sometimes, however, I understand how it feels to be constantly assumed wrong. It seemed like the people around Daniel (understandably) focused on taking care of him rather than Sean. This led to Sean being mistakenly emotionally neglected, especially throughout the episodes.
Also, Sean and Daniel do not have many family members. I know we have Karen and her parents, yet they remain absent and only show up when the worst possible situation occurs. And I think Esteban's family is in Mexico? So, these children didn't have much family besides their dad, which explains why Sean grew resentment towards his mother for her absence. This is also why their journey was so difficult because they had no one to rely on. And they grew up with no other family members, which means they had no one else to talk to about their issues with their parents. For example, have y'all heard that saying, "it takes a village to raise a child"? Sean and Daniel never had this village. And it explains why Esteban puts some of the responsibility onto Sean when it comes to raising Daniel. Esteban doesn't have anyone else to help out with the parent duties.
No, I do not like Cassidy or Finn:
They had to be at least 20 years old, considering their history and the lack of their confirmed age. And either way, Finn was manipulative and greedy, and Cassidy was creepy and extremely flirtatious. Also, they are white people with dreadsā¦ I donāt trust those people. The oxymoron is very present here as Sean, a Mexican teenager; his only love interests are white people that are culturally appropriating hairstyles? That don't seem right to me. I understood that the developers were attempting to make Cassidy and Finn appear as those stereotypical hippies, but that doesn't mean they need to have dreads. There are plenty of ways to appear connected to nature and a stereotypical weed smoker without appropriating other cultures. However, I've heard that hippies were actually racist, basically those white feminists that exclude POC. So maybe, these two were meant to fit that role.
However, I can judge these characters without even mentioning the pedophilia. Starting off with Cassidy; I didn't think she was necessarily terrible, but it was way too obvious that she wanted to do things with Sean. Maybe I'm a bit of a prude, but I think a traumatized teenager isn't looking for romantic ventures. I don't think that it is the correct way to respond to someone who is battling grief all while trying to keep their little brother alive. Perhaps she believed like Daniel did, that they were going to stay forever. Although she was a bit odd, I did appreciate how she gave Sean a little bit of joy. Happiness was something Sean barely experienced throughout the story.
When it comes to Finn, I actually did like him at first. He stood up for the brothers and recommended Sean to get on the job. However, his actions later on in episode three angered me. He was pretty unrealistic, especially when it came to removing himself from their situation. Also, he manipulated Daniel as soon as he discovered his telekinesis powers. It made it seem like that every nice thing that Finn did for Sean and his brother was a set up. It also jeopardized the entire hideout. It left people with scars, it divided the entire group, and the worst of all, separated the brothers. What also ticked me off was how Finn continued to defend himself and his perspective despite how incorrect his decisions were.
There are many instances throughout the episodes that give us an unfortunate firsthand experience of racism and prejudice. Sean had to endure all of these momentsāusually by himself. I am white, so I do not relate to these experiences. However, this game gave me a great example on how it is like to be a part of a minority or an oppressed group. What horrifies me more is how Iāve seen people in the comment sections of videos relating to this game discussing how theyāve experienced these things before. And like Iāve mentioned before, this game is still relevant in todayās world. All of these scenes show us that no matter what, there is an irreversible hate that lies in some peopleās hearts. Whether minorities try to āfit inā or mind their own business, the oppressor is always waiting for their chance to harm them.
The incident: The very reason as to how this story unfolded was due to a racist assumption made by a white police officer. He shot at Esteban despite his lack of weaponry. This situation occurs too often for the cops to be left without charge. Also, Brett was combating with Sean, even making racist remarks. And the way this scene happened so fast that it left us all in shock, including Sean. What made this part even more disturbing was how Daniel was unaware about it for a few days. He had to see it on the news before hearing it from his brother. And in my opinion, that is one of the worst ways to find out. Itās dystopian to find out the status of someone you know on the TV screen.
The store: When I first played, I thought this entire sequence was my fault. However, I saw that it was inevitable that the event was going to occur. What makes this instance so evil is that Sean and Daniel didn't steal anything (in my playthrough), yet they were assumed suspicious anyway. What made this even worse was how the store owners dealt with the situation (not that it even mattered as their assumptions were horrible already) but considering that they had hurt Sean and tied him up was barbaric. Who knows what they wouldāve done to Daniel.
The car scene: This one was definitely the worst one in my opinion. Sean either had to endure physical abuse or humiliate himself with a song. This scene left me with an emotional wound, but not one as big as Sean's. Throughout the rest of the game, I kept recalling that moment. This decision was probably the one I regretted the most out of every other one. I let him sing because I had no idea how badly he would be wounded. He was already in critical condition due to just escaping the hospital.
At the border: This scene also displayed how far extreme conservatives will go when it comes to āprotecting their countryā. The moment Sean and Daniel get taken into custody flabbergasted me as they were only migrating. What didnāt make sense to me was the logic of this racist couple. If you wanted people to remain in their own country, then why did you stop Sean and his brother from technically going where they came from? This moment just goes to show that it doesnāt matterāyou canāt stop hate. And this is when logic is thrown out the window and it is made obvious as to where they stand. Unfortunately, people will always have that hatred inside of them if they cannot learn to reverse their evil ways.
This game was beautifully written, with tragedy as its lover. The wound this game leaves is different from the others. This is a game where the external problems affect the main characters. It ruins their future from the very beginning. Rather than the main characters falling in love, it is a sibling bond this time. This bond seemed deeper than all of the other connections throughout the game. Without the ability to reverse time, to take back what was once theirs, Sean and Daniel had to persevere no matter the circumstances. The dynamic between the brothers was very realistic considering how many siblings are. The plot development was great as well and was without a boring sequence. I personally enjoyed this game more than the others. I long for the justice that I wish couldāve been served for this particular situation. But furthermore, I wish for everyone to receive justice. And that is what makes this game so painful, is its realistic events and the degree to which the situation reached. I wish I could play this for the first time again.
