I spill some Life is Strange 3 beans (haha) here: www.patreon.com/posts/life-is-strange-32375088 I'll see if and when I record a video sharing more news about what I was told - stick around!
Stop Me Oh Is the Life Is Strange channel. I've watched and enjoyed every play through, and no one else talks about life is strange more than this channel lol
Twitter is a literal disaster area where lis 1 and 2 stans start a war! Like seriously why can’t we just have our own opinions without being attacked for it?
I related to LIS 2 more because of the issues it touched, racism, family relationship, the journey I liked the brotherhood teaching Daniel made me feel special he felt like a brother to me since I never had a brother. The problem I have with Max is she too shy and uses her power to benefit herself and only Chole I got tired of Chole always blaming others for her problems. I do deal with racism being a person of color but not as much as they did as Sean and Daniel. I like the choices in LIS 2 Because they mattered, time rewinding was cool but you didn't really prevent the storm and everyone can die thus undoing all your choices. LIS 2 choice matters in the end. I really like teaching Daniel and that effected the outcome. I'd give LIS 2 A 7.5 out of 10
I actually liked that we have to move around a little. This way I felt that the story is progressing somehow. I even thought at the end of the game that's it's a shame that we will never get to meet most of those people again. I mean, the effect is kinda different. If you meet someone and bond with them then it hurts when you leave, but if you meet an interesting person and have to go separate ways, the feeling is kinda different. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing, just different and if we like it or not depends on what we expect. About that racism thing, I don't think they were exaggerating tbh. People of color do experience racism (or at least microaggressions) every day even if we think they don't. It may not be as bad as Sean and Daniel's experiences but remember their journey took a lot of time. It wasn't like they have meet all these people one by one. And this is something that I also liked about this game, that it shows a problem that is systematic and lies deeper than just in a personal story. I believe that their story would be different if they were white. I believe Sean wouldn't get scared and run away from Seattle in the first place. I didn't understand him at first either but then I thought that it might be the reason. There are still many plot holes and logical mistakes and it annoyed me so much during this game as well as the first one and BtS that we have to make up the lacking part of the story in our head for it to make sense. But I guess it is a problem that Dontnods has in general.
I totally get your skepticism on the logic issue section, I totally understand that you haven't seen that level of racism in your community, but it doesn't mean it's exaggerated, I personally know people that have faced racism and discrimination everywhere they go, it may be just bad luck, or that they are not that nice, but it's totally a reality, and I really appreciate the game portrayed the worst of the possible outcomes.
The game was so predictable and biased. The game had no hidden foreshadowing,symbolism,Easter eggs or good villains. Lis1 has a really good villain and the plot was genius and so many theories were made for it,but in LIS2 every straight white person is portrayed as bad. Brody was a pervert, Karen was a deadbeat, Seans neighbour was a bully, every truck driver was racist and violent against Sean, the White cop shot Esteban, the hillbillies at the border were bad, Sean’s grandparents had trump hats and the washing machine note “don’t mix whites with colours” was probably more subtle racism. The only white villains that were needed was the gas station owner and the hillbillies at the border. The game made most characters secretly gay too. LIS2 was literally a tool for Social Justice instead of being a psychological masterpiece like LIS1.
@@Unknown-zn8cg The white truck driver literally gives you a free ride and sandwich in episode 4 lmao. Brody is also white. As for characters being secretly gay. Not even slightly sure what this could be referring to. If you are talking about Finn then you are wrong, he mentions at the fire that he likes both during one of the dialog options. If you are talking about the gay couple in ep 5 they literally have a pride flag on their house and mention they are gay to him almost immediately lol. Penny also mentions about his love for the person who went missing (forgot his name). It would actually be cliche as shit if they made a big statement and shoved it in your face about how gay they are or made their entire characters just about being gay. Like Penny was gay but literally said nothing about it, didn't have anything to do with the story, barely gets brought up in a few scenes and you might even miss it if you aren't paying attention. Yes, the white cop shot Esteban. Just like the other day that white cop literally pressed his knee down on the back of a black handcuffed man and killed him. Or how bout that dude in Georgia that was just jogging through the neighborhood and some hillbilly fuck literally shot and killed him for no apparent reason other than he was "suspicious" and of course the guy he shot was black. Don't pretend that racism is only presented in subtle ways. People are fucking horrible and horrible shit happens like this all the time, especially in America.
I agree with your review 100%, especially the part about Sean and Daniel going on the run. That scenario is not believable. They should have kept all the episodes in Seattle and had the boys go to live with their mom or someone else.
I totally agree with your review. Let me add one teeny tiny thing that I felt was missing compared to LiS1... mystery. The 90s Twin Peaks/X Files vibe in the first was missing in LiS2 most of the time. The little David Lynch easter egg in the gas station in episode one can't compensate for that imo :). Nah seriously, in 1 I felt the power Max got was given her for a reason. In 2 most of the time Daniel's power was the root of their problems just getting them into more and more trouble.
Quite well said. I feel like I'm watching the most boring and badly written American stereotypical TV series instead of playing adventure game. One of the scenes in game has been running on background all the time writing this with phone. This second one is absolute garbage imo.
jothain well said, the first game is a psychological masterpiece with an immersive environment, Good voice acting, Heavy symbolism and foreshadowing, likeable characters. In LIS2 the only likeable characters for me is Daniel and Captain Spirit, the rest are just Racist, Gay or weird for no reason. The game was like paranormal activity or outlast with the church cult and people being afraid of Daniel etc. I hope the devs realise that LIS isn’t LIS without Chloe. LIS2 was an SJW David cage game. It’s like a mix between beyond two souls and Detroit become human.
Regarding your last comment, I hope you are wrong about the divided fandom. I am the person that liked Life Is Strange 2 more, but I totally understand why people like the original game more. And I think you are right that people should not argue about it or be agressive about it, especially since the first game was about friendship and the second game tried to make people in general more tolerant. Thanks for you this great review Ola! (P.S.: If you are doubting about becoming a patron, just try it out for a month, you won't be dissapointed :) )
Sadly its true. I read a lot of posts and comments on Reddit and Its very noticable. Sometimes there are some big not so friendly arguments between LIS1 and LIS2 fans. And lots of LIS2 posts are downvoted by LIS1 fans for no reason. Probably the same thing are doing LIS2 fans to LIS1 posts but I notice more LIS1 fans doing it.
Sean Was my favorite character in LiS2 :) I really connected to him as well! As I don't deal with racism I hear it all around me and I feel bad for the people who have to deal with stuff like that. But amazing review!
A good video. You expressed your position reasonably. I don't need to add anything further, other than, I liked *Before the Storm* better than 1 & 2; and think it would have been embraced more by the fandom if it hadn't been so short; and side-railed by the Sera subplot.
For me, I believe your review checked all the boxes that I was thinking as well. I love how you went through one section at a time, initially start with the facts and then bring in your opinion in smart, yet critical way. Thank you for this update. Merry Christmas!
Max and Chloe story is done and I get that - but there is many other stories they could tell. How about a Rachel story where we learn she has the power of manipulation sort of like Chloe's back talk that way fans get their Max and chloe and we tell a new story about Rachel?
I'm agreeing with you both believe it or not - while Max and Chloe story is done I'm not saying that they couldn't be part of other people story. We just know how their story finishes but that doesn't mean that they can't have other adventurers with other people
Dear Ola! Thank you for this comprehensive review!! Although I do not agree with you in all aspects, I really like how you see things and explain your thoughts. I'd like to reflect to one single opinion: the one about Daniel. I personally liked him as well. :-) His character was authentic, he felt like a real kid: very lovable on one hand, and fairly annoying on the other. :-) But this just made him authentic, as most kids are annoying and educating/raising them is an incredible challenge. And I think, having such an "annoying" kid (instead of a polite and easy one) in a game where the story focuses on the moral education of the kid just makes a lot of sense. So I liked his character as well and cared for him a lot. :-) Last thought: wish you a very happy Christmas and thank you for all the great content you constantly provide.
@@ariton2990 Yes, that was a bit too much perhaps... However, I can believe that a child who is very much confused can be influenced and brainwashed that way :-(
When lis1 was out I remember caring so much and waiting for each episode to download, and having all those theories as to what will happen. With lis2 I just didn't care. Still not played e4 or 5. Just watched them on UA-cam.
Same, I was so excited to play Polarized before it came out but It made the game go from 10/10 to 9/10 because none of the UA-cam theories came true. I finally bought LIS2 and it completed it this week and it’s no where near as good as LIS1. It’s like LIS1 was made by creative geniuses but LIS2 was made by SJW David Cage wannabes. I got the worst ending where Sean dies and I didn’t even care at all lol.
Redlight89 why do you want them to be gone so bad. LIS wouldn’t have a sequel if it wasn’t for the success of the first one and most people prefer the first one.
@@Unknown-zn8cg wtf 🤣 you are so enamored with Chloe and max that you can’t even tell the that BTS has a 🗑 story telling. And LiS1 had so many plot holes and illogical decisions that dontnod fixed many of them in LiS2. yet, all people complain about is that the game is pushing a xenophobia agenda? Lol I have seen your other comments that say LiS2 was pushing a gay agenda and making everyone gay 😂wtf? yet u prefer the other 2 games before that? Weird I think something’s wrong with u dawg
Personally, I enjoyed Life is Strange 1 and Before the Storm more then LiS 2. I think why, for me, was because those 2 games had characters I knew. Whereas in the second game, it was all new characters. Daniel, Sean, Lyla, etc. They were all new. Of course, as the game went on, I enjoyed Sean more and more. Not so much any other character though. So in the end, I prefer LiS 1 and BTS simply because those 2 games revolve around characters we've already been introduced to and got to know
I haven’t played LiS 2 Episode 4 yet but I just want to say my opinion here first, because I watched it, then see how I feel after I play. :) I think the major problem is that every bad person is incredibly shallow and contrived. Literally every bad character is a stereotypical caricature (meant to be taken seriously though) of right wingers or conservatives… ALL of them! And every racist in this game is a white male quite conveniently. It feels like propaganda that’s forcing beliefs on me instead of prioritizing the telling of a good, balanced story, and it’s arrogant as hell to tackle U.S. Politics as an overseas developer, and NOW I’m betting we can hear crap about the wall and ICE in Episode 5. They’d be much braver if they also depicted racism from minorities directed at one another or towards white people. Being tied so closely to a political narrative makes the story way too predictable as a result. Sure, the cop was an idiot (more so than even the most incompetent real-life cops) but he DID come across a kid who appeared to be dead, he DID tell the dad to stop, the dad DIDN’T stop as everyone knows you’re supposed to and Sean DID decide to run away from a crime scene wherein he DID paralyze a kid as well (which he conveniently never talks about when the topic of why they ran away comes up). And on top of that, FUCKING Karen. It’s like the game tries to force you to connect with a deadbeat mom who, if she were a man who’d done the same thing, NO ONE would feel any sympathy for. She brings kids into the world TWICE and leaves without any follow up just because she felt like it? REALLY?!? So everything Lisbeth said to Karen is in fact true, but we’re just supposed to be cool with Karen shifting the goal post because she’s the most liberated female in this game who ditches responsibility along with her children until she can show up for the bad guy and do literally nothing but tell Sean to keep up the corny yelling. I swear…
People from Latino/Mexican backgrounds are often looked upon with disdain in the states because of the controversy surrounding illegal immigration. But this is completely forced in Life is Strange 2, out of context and it actually ruins the storyline. It’s overly patronizing and ridiculously hyperbolic in such a way that this seems like a parody rather than a genuine attempt to tackle the issue. It’s inserted in such a way that it derails the narrative and feels extremely random. The original Life is Strange used original characters like the Prescott family and Jefferson to push controversial narratives. I feel like there has been a huge loss in creativity by using Trump and randomly inserting political messages into a storyline without proper explanation or context. I actually really disliked LiS 2 because of this, and it’s constant. It doesn’t feel like a Life is Strange game in any shape or form and instead feels like cringeworthy political propaganda game. Esteban being randomly shot for no reason also doesn’t make any sense. Police brutality and corruption is an issue in America but this is a terrible way to deliver that message to an audience. This game is a disappointingly hollow attempt at recreating a sequel with the same magic as the original, as it sacrificed originality for woke points.
Very well said and I agree 100% (the community needs more smart people like you) LIS1 is genius, the scene where Jefferson doses Max and Kills Chloe is better than every scene in LIS2. LIS2 was missing mystery,emotion,symbolism,good characters,immersion, all of which LIS1 had. Before the storm is also a lot better than LIS2 because of Rachel alone. Before the storm can be played before or after LIS1 which is very ideal for new players. The fact that Rachel was in Before the Storm, adds so much impact and feeling of loss, into LIS1. Blackwell and the junkyard are great environments too that had a lot of detail and being in the junkyard added a lot of paranoia and anxiety to me even before Jefferson shows up. LIS2 had 3 likeable characters imo and that’s Daniel, Chris and Charles. I felt bad for all three of these characters because Charles means well but struggles with loss, Chris uses his imagination and superhero persona do help him deal with loss and his dads abuse, and Daniel was a 10 year old trying to survive with powers and loss. Sean’s voice was terrible and immersion breaking because all he did was moan and sound like he’s gonna tear up crying. E.g. whenever Sean examines an object he does a subtle laugh or he takes a breath and says “I remember _____ did that” or he says “I remember ____ liked that” etc where as Max had a great voice actor and it fitted her shy personality E.g. “Wait Rachel Amber was kidnapped and put in here wtf” or “David Madsen is spying on us?” Or just things like that. Every thing that max examined in LIS1 was interesting whether it be a hawt dawg man sticker or a characters belongings that gives Max info and later brings up a new conversation with someone or even creates theories. In LIS2 everything was so random most objects that Sean examines were rocks off the ground, spider webs or irrelevant letters that were sent to side characters that mean nothing. I don’t think the devs know how good of a creation LIS1 was and they probably thought that LIS2 would be of the same quality or better but nope. They tried to copy of David Cage games and they forced Straight white men to be the bad guys and they even made Sean be bisexual for whatever the fuck reason. These games don’t NEED to display social issues in the world for the sake of it, if they blended issues into the story then it would make sense and would be immersive but every LIS2 episode was like watching a school education video on Hate crimes etc. Every load up to each episode had me wondering what topic would they discuss now... etc. Sean was really dislikable and was a waste of space, he couldn’t do anything without his brother and couldn’t even put up a fight against anyone. Daniel saves Sean’s life on multiple occasions for problems that SEAN caused and yet Sean lashes out at people in his whiny voice or gets beat up. I think for future LIS games, there should be only one canon ending and the other endings should just be “what if” cutscenes that are showcased in the “Extra” menu. I got the Lone wolf ending today on my first time playing LIS2 and I didn’t even care about Sean dying at all, he was an annoyance to everyone around him even his dad. He smokes,drinks,smokes weed, mistreats Daniel, brought cops to his grandparents house, had sex at the campsite with his brother around, has optional Gay romances, he can get captain spirit killed by a car because he brought the police to his grandparents house because he rang Lylla, he doesn’t really help Charles out at all, he has the option of knocking out Joey with a metal pipe and so on and so on. “Sacrifice Arcadia Bay” and “Lone wolf” should be the canon endings because they are the only endings that make sense. Daniel has future potential, being a lone wolf in Mexico at the age of 16 ( I think) with powers, and Max has future potential having rewind powers living with Chloe at a young age. Max still has powers and yet people think her story is over which is dumb considering Max wouldn’t hesitate to use her powers if she of Chloe got in danger in New York. Rachel Amber also has loss of unexplained plot holes and shes in high demand for a return because the community wants her back. One of the devs said the reason the games are episodic is so they listen to feedback and add more dialogue with characters that are liked. And true fans want Rachel Amber saved considering her story was left undone in Before the Storm and her Doe animal was alive and in physical condition in episode 1 so Max could have a dream about that and realise Rachel was alive during episode 1 ,even Jefferson is on the phone to someone in episode 1 presumably Nathan because he wants the caller to hang up so that Jefferson doesn’t get caught. He also leaves a message for Nathan in the Dark Room saying “ Don’t shout my name outloud” and “Use disposable phones” so what was he discussing in episode 1🧐 maybe Rachel was in the Dark Room and was alive. So if the devs care about fans and don’t want to go bankrupt, then they will bring either Max Chloe or Rachel back. Because the people who actually appreciate the first game are aware of the forced diversity and representation shown in LIS2 and Tell Me Why.
I actually enjoyed LiS2 more than the first, but I’m shocked people are being haters towards other fans! We all love these games! We must unite so they keep them coming!
I think part of the difficulty this game had with regard to location was due to something that I really don't like about the genre in general: the need to fit the story to be told in some rigid 5 episode format. This game, with its diverse characters and locations needed a larger canvas than it received. If we had been able to be in these locations for more than one episode, I think it would have been a more cohesive and immersive experience. This story needed space, it needed time. In particular, Beaver Creek, the drifters camp and Away would have benefited greatly from a two episode treatment. As would have the characters you end up meeting there and the relationships that you could have built with them.
You might have finished the game already but you can call her again in Episode 2. Unfortunately, she will just appear as an adult in the redemption ending. Such a missed opportunity for an interesting character.
Yea I sort of agree with this review. For me, I fell in love with the story mainly after episode 4. I felt like the story was ok, only after episode 4 when I felt like Sean and Daniel’s bond became closer. The story development of the brothers lacked a bit mainly because of the different time span you play with each episode. Because the places and story changed within each episode, I feel like you don’t get to see that brotherly bond like how you would get with Max and Chloe. The entire time, I just thought Daniel was a shitty bratty little brother who never listens lol. It’s like you think the story develops at a good constant pace, but because each episodes jumps a few weeks/months ahead, I feel like we as gamers “miss” those connections between them within those time frames and don’t know if their relationship was getting better, or not. I mean each episodes tries to catch up the gamers where the story was going, but development of the brothers still lacked a bit because I really didn’t care about Daniel at one point lol. Plus, Sean didn’t have any power either, so that’s also a bit disappointing, since we have Max as the time traveler and with her rewind powers. I think the story overall was good, but not greatly executed. What I can say is that the situations they’ve shown in the game were quite realistic to some degrees. I’ve seen / heard lots of documentaries, news, and researches to understand what the brothers were going through. In episode 3 where Sean and Daniel were on the pot farm, that was actually quite true and spot on lol. I live in the west coast and I hear / know some people go to the mountainous areas on the west coasts and that’s where people secretly have their pot farms. They hired people to cut weed like how Sean and Daniel did. That was on point. I was surprised when they put that in episode because that’s quite true lol. In episode 5, where daniel was shot by the random strangers at the border, thats actually quite true as well. I’ve seen in some documentaries before where polices stated that there are many random scary strangers out in the desert who do intent harm and do intent to steal from you or even kill you. There are crazy people who do actually go around in the desert and do whatever they want, so when Sean and Daniel was founded by those strangers who shot Daniel, that was quite spot on the point that they portraying the dangers when you go on desert alone. In terms of the racism portrayed in the game, I think certainly have happened to some folks before. I can’t say much because I live in a diverse community. From what I’ve heard is that Hispanic people who live near along the American-Mexican border do face racism assuming they are illegal immigrants, but I’m not sure if they face it like how Sean did. Overall, I like the story, but it could have been better. I do agree with you that the ending did it for me too. I seriously did not care what happen to Daniel at all, but after seeing Sean getting beat up at the church made me realize I want the brothers to stick together into the end. I’m glad I got the ending where they both made it to Mexico. Another thing... I bought the ps4 disc version and I fucken hate the fact that the company was so cheap, they put only 4 episodes on the game disc, and left out episode 5. They add a code to redeem episode 5 online, but this sucks if you’re trying to resell it or give the game for someone to borrow it. I’m sure NO ONE is going to buy the game used because you are forced to buy episode 5 online. How the fuck do get 80% of the game on disc, but not the entire thing!? Like create 2 disc for the game at least. I don’t recommend buying it USED at all because I’m sure episode 5 code would already been redeemed if it’s already used. Might as well just buy it online.
I agree with the most part but I dont agree with the racism part...first thing you have to give credit to a game who takes bold steps to even have it in the game, that took guts whether it was done right or not and having said that I think it was done right. I also think that you can't really talk about racism if you're never really experienced it. It does happen...and everyday even for some of my less fortunate friends. You also have to take in account that the game makes it pretty clear they travel more and more south and even characters in the game say that you "meet a lot of people like that" in this corner of America. They did meet some people who helped them too like the writer guy, claire etc...overall the problem with the game wasn't that, it was everything else like writing, plot etc.
I loved the relationship between Sean and Daniel and that carried the entire game for me. I disliked the endings but I feel like they painted themselves into a corner, it needed an ambiguous cut-to-black type of ending but the entire game is predicated on the idea that your choices mattered so they had to present a bunch of concrete endings. Ideas that were interesting (the cult plotline for example) felt rushed, the settlement Karen lived in felt like a boring retread of the hippie pot farm setting from episode 3, and I agree that the road trip story setup hurt the game in many ways. I felt like certain important choices / events were totally out of my hands. I also adored Chris and the entire wolf brothers thing really tapped into me emotionally as someone with a younger brother myself, but as a whole product the plot failed to reach a satisfying conclusion. Poor Sean never gets a truly happy ending despite being the only character you really root for the entire game.
To me Daniel of episode 1 and episode 2 was good character. He was cute, innocent and not annoying. Episode 3 he was a little bit more annoying but still realistic and likable. But Daniel of episode 4 I really hated what they did to him. I don`t believe he would just abandon his brother and I wish they did him differently. Then in episode 5 I liked him again. So I think Daniel would be much more likable if they did him different in episode 4 and maybe make him a little bit less annoying in episode 3. That`s my opinion.
I totally agree with you! As a younger sibling I couldn't imagine just leaving my only brother, even if I did think he was dead, because of something I did. Sean was hurt because of Daniel's losing control. If I had lost control and seriously hurt my brother enough to half blind him, I could never leave him.
Am I the only one who was annoyed when the choices faded while you were deciding which one to take? I mean, it's okay when it shows you how much time you have left for a decision, but often you didn't even know there was a time limit. I think I went back to the last checkpoint at least 3 times to pick my answer because I didn't want to say nothing.
I found this game to be my favourite in the franchise. I’ve seen a lot of complaints about Daniel’s attitude and personality in the game, but honestly, how would a 9 yr old who has experienced so much trauma and has a power he can’t control act, exactly like Daniel. I think his character is misunderstood and so is the story of LiS2, the plot points are a bit rough but the story and the two main characters are amazing.
Great review. Very sensible and measured take! Subscribed. I love this game though. The music, the characters. I played it after all were released though, so less of an issue for me. I found that I couldn't play one after another anyway - had to wait a week or so to take in an episode and reflect before starting the next one.
Just finished the game and I really enjoyed it, regardless of all the politics in ur face. But I assumed that the gov knew Daniel had powers because of the cam in the cop car at the start and wanted to capture him or something but that doesn’t happen in any ending. Even after they break out at the end and you surrender Daniel just gets sent to his grandparents. I thought it was kinda weird. In my mind that’s why they were treated as suspects and why they had to run. Idk I think they could’ve gotten real dark with it.
I have some thoughts about your review. So, i totally agree with the logic, and i think they did a perfect job with daniel. I have a little brother, so i think they potrayed having and educating a kid correctly. Now i will be honest, i didnt really get attached to many of the characters, but i did find some interesting, like cassidy, finn, and maybe some of the people from ep5, like joan, arthur and stanley. I did wish we couldve spent more time with them. I loved how this game had more variety. Each episode had different choices, and endings, which was all build up for the final ending. I love how there werent really happy or sad endings. Just like the first game. Although ur choices had more effects
@@fergboyrossgerson1412 I'll be honest, i was thinking abt lone wolf when i wrote that. Just the other ones (blood brothers, redemption, and parting ways)
I hope they make life is strange after the storm, or before lis2 / lis collection (comic). Of course it's all about Max and Chloe plus Rachel after the storm and After that (when they with david on the desert before sean and daniel). came. Or a game about Rachel lol
I personally liked moving to different places because it felt real. It felt like I was in their shoes of being wanted all over And not blowing my cover.
Well the story takes place over the better part of a year and I can think of only 4 racist incidents in the game so that's hardly every day is it. And they meet more people that arent racist than are. And America is a very racist place
Gas station owners = 2 Nevada thugs = 4 Border hillbillies = 6 Grandparents =8 So there’s 8 racism white characters in the game and they are the only villains, literally every non liberal in the game are villains.
It can be a daily thing really bc I live in the south and it almost definitely is a daily thing but it happened over in the west of America so it prolly different over there but idk but in today’s world it can happen in America to be profiled I was pulled over bc I was at the wrong place at the wrong time and it’s awful you just gotta live here to understand
Warning: this is very long and has a lot of spoilers. I don't like that most LiS hardcore games didn't seem to be willing to give this game a chance because it didn't have Max/Chloe. Because the game has a lot of problems, but so does the first one, and I don't think the second has more or worse problems than the first. I like both games, but I'd say I like the second game a lot more. I felt like Daniel and Sean where a lot more interesting than Max and Chloe (specially since I don't really like Chloe). Unlike Max, that experiences a lot of things second hand most of the times (like the bullying, the crimes, the missing friends) and some of the main problems to be solved aren't that relatable (like serial killers and the supernatural storm), Daniel and Sean are directly influenced by the things happening around them and their issues felt a lot more real (like racism, persecution and having to abandon people you started liking and learned how to love). And most people didn't seem to like Daniel, but I loved him very much and cared for him a lot. I found the moments he was being bratty to be understandable, because we can see that before everything he was a loud and later he has to learn that his father was killed, he has to leave his life, it's comforts and his friends behind, and keep doing so, losing the dog, Chris and his grandparents, while trying to deal with a power that can be extremely destructive and it's consequences. They even go through a lot we don't even see, like sleeping in the streets and staying in shelters, which is not safe at all for a kid and it's a big change considering he had a good home with comforts and a loving father. He looses it all in a split second and we see him loose himself to grief and anger in chapter 3 to later find himself again in chapter 4 to 5, all while Sean is trying to navigate both their emotions while becoming a parent figure to his young brother at only 16, which I also think explains why he also makes some very bad choices. I agree with you completely on the point of their whole plan. I understand Sean, being only 16 and scared, thinking that running away is not only the best but their only choice to remain together, thinking that they are going to suffer from racism and end up being blamed, but that actually happening doesn't make any sense. Like you said, it was all an accident that couldn't really be explained. An investigation would show that there wasn't any bomb that caused the explosion. And I was going with that mentality the whole way, thinking it was impossible they were going to be actually blamed for that, which just caused me to be more broken with the ending I got (with Sean going to prison for 15 years). I also didn't like the endings that much because I felt like they deserved better, after all the shit they went through, I wanted them to have at least one option of a truly happy ending, where they could have it all back. I liked that they kept moving around, it was heartbreaking to leave people you learned to like and grown accustomed to behind. But that is because it's something I related to from my personal experience growing up, so I really felt their pain. And also I don't know if you are the type that explores a lot, but the things we learn from the characters exploring, in my opinion, made me bond with them further than if I just had gone through without it, but this is also personal, it would take more to some people than to others, specially considering that in LiS1 we get to play with the same people the whole game, which does lead to a deeper connection. I don't have much of a problem with the PC not being the one with powers, since the whole thing is a big plot point, with of Sean being older, not having powers and feeling weird about it, how he is unable to control Daniel, along with Daniel, being younger, having a harder time to control his emotions and therefore his powers. But I wish we had the chance to play as Daniel for one chapter, because I do think it would have been fun to play as the person with powers. I have to say that the voice actors for Daniel and Sean are awesome, and so were Max's and Chloe's voice actresses. I also missed them having more featured song in LiS2, since I liked a lot the ones they did have in both games. The original soundtrack composed to both games are also awesome and are great to set the tone on each of their stories. One thing I remember loving about the second game is that you could sit down with Sean, draw something or just listen to his thoughts. It really gives you an inside on his struggles with everything, it's calming and it feels like giving him a break, besides, sometimes, bonding with characters, even in silence (like the scene with his mom on chapter 4). If you could do that in the first game, I think it wasn't that often, and definitely wasn't the same thing. Also, different side characters are given a lot more space, which is a common complaint from the first game along with the ending (not the endings themselves, but the system, having just two and the only choice that matters being the final one), so I'm glad they heard the fans and improved those things for the second game. I hope they keep putting more effort into fixing the overall issues seen for future games in the franchise. Overall, I felt like the first game allowed for improvements in the second one and hope the critics on the second one allow for an even better third installment, with new powers and characters that I'll come to love even more.
"I raised my Daniel well", that sounded to me as if Daniel were a pet or a pokémon or sth like that😂 What you said about racism reminded me of this book "Americanah", I disliked the protagonist and the book in general because of that: I felt that out of ten people the protagonist (a girl from Nigeria living in the USA) met nine and a half were portrayed as racist so it became repetitive and somehow annoying. Anyway, spot on review, I really really like how you express your thoughts :)
Great video. Mostly I have the same opinion. But I still think it's a great game (8/10) and I love it very much. The whole issue in the game is very close to me (brotherhood, injustice, faith) I hope there will be a sequel like Before the Storm that could be in the past and expand characters like Lyla and Esteban
I concur with many of your points. The game really "jumped the shark" for me and turned into a slog when Finn became an active cast member with his plan. It was just so stupid and you could see it coming from a mile away. Chapter 4 was the same thing as soon as you set foot outside the church. Was like, "oh, well duh its a cult and Im going to have to go through plot point X Y Z to get Daniel back. Sarcastic yay". In the first chapter or two, however, I really enjoyed that it felt like your inventory made a difference and that you could play with your money. It came dangerously close to actual gameplay.
You have to understand that the game takes place over 9 months or so. Rasism didn't happen every day. I believe it happened 4 times in the entire 12 hours of the game. I feel it is a good dosage. It is about how much people experience racism in a year, on average. I am Romanian and I totally get it. I really cannot leave my country for 2 weeks without experience racism at least once.
I would love to see a lis spin off based on Nathan , maybe he is fighting his father , as part of his Prescott destiny seen on his dorm computer in e4. Also he is fighting for redemption and having a similar power to Max, He can jump timelines , maybe he can save Chloe and Rachel And maybe he has to let Jefferson kill him to be redeemed
That is a good idea because cut audio files lead to Nathan telling Max Chloe and Warren that the tornados coming, there’s also a bunker built for the tornado, “the end of the world” party, “Vortex” club, the drugs that Nathan were forced to take, it’s like Nathan has rewinded time a lot and went crazy because nobody would believe him so he sided with Jefferson because he had no other option. The drugs also disrupt time travel abilities so that’s a reason why he took them” Nathan definitely has a lot of potential as possible time manipulator or the prescotts and vortex club know about the tornado because of the club name and vortex name.
I personally felt like the racism in LiS2 was a bit overdone. It felt like it was every corner and every episode, that too in states that were generally liberal. Even in LiS there wasn't that recurring prejudice.
Yeah I agree....life is strange 2 didnt strike a chord with me as much as the first one. I think the writing and pacing is just all over the place. My biggest complain is a lack of plot...there wasn't a driving force to this game that really made me feel like they had to run at all. You had a lot of interesting characters are the very start like layla and the father character but they go away quickly...its like what's the point. The chemistry between layla and sean was just absolutely spot on and so believable...im so pissed off they didnt explore that more. They instead go on this wild road journey...it just idk...it felt flat and the voice acting was monotonous too...the things i loved from the first life is strange are missing in this...like even when you "look" at objects around you, your inner thoughts or monologue are so boring and doesn't add anything to the game. Whereas in the first game i loved pressing the look button to hear max's inner thoughts...they were so unique and full of expression and didnt sound like a fucking zombie...there were some good moments in the game like meeting the big nerdy online journalist guy who was so lovable and interesting but the thing is just when you think some characters are going to be in the long run they are not, they disappear as quickly as they come. On the whole, i just expected more from this game having played the first life is strange
One area where i feel like life is strange 2 was better over 1 was I felt like we knew more about Sean's family in 2 than Max's family in 1 we get text's from her parents but we don't interact with them with sean we get to interact with his father, Mother and Grandparents I just feel like Sean is more fleshed out than Max what do you think?
I'm not averse to political themes as long as the developers let the players make up their own minds. This game does no such thing. No independent thinking person could play this game without having his or her intelligence insulted. Anyways, thanks for playing this, Stop Me Oh. Entertaining as always.
I've played games where I have to take care of kids like The Last of Us, Telltale's the walking dead and probably am goin to do A Plague Tale next, but OMG, Daniel is just unbearable. I even thought that the finale would end like Daniel became a villain and Sean had to deal with him after episode 3... well... turned out that devs prefer sending the message more. As much as I agree about the final episode on it being able to make the player feels emotional, it doesn't make sense one bit.... I was looking to see how he would cross the border "Hmm will he use the broken wall route earlier, or he would ask Dan to break a new passage for him??" No..... The man went straight to the barricade using the main road. sigh.... sis, this is too much plot convinient for me to rate it over than 5.
I enjoyed life is strange 2 a lot but it had a lot of what I felt like was forced political commentary that could’ve been way better. I really liked Finn as a character considering it was a group of drifters they should’ve stuck around more than a single of episode. As for the main characters I liked Sean despite his VA being a bit shaky at times and Daniel reminded me of my niece at points. But the biggest issue is the racist people typically blend in while everyone in this game was cartoonishly evil
I can’t remember where I saw/heard it but I guess they already kinda announced Life is Strange 3. It was your typical “we’re thinking of idea’s for a third installment and it will involve all new characters” kind of announcement. I’m guessing someone asked them about it and that was their answer 🤷🏼♂️. That’s nothing new though. I’m pretty sure most of us figured that much out. Hmm, I wonder if people will start saying that they want Sean & Daniel while playing Life is Strange 3 just like they did with Max and Chloe while playing Life is Strange 2”. 🤔
Really awesome video review Ola and I actually agree completely. Life is Strange 2 was a good game but it was those minor issues that you mentioned that in my opinion stopped it from being a great game like the original Life is Strange. Keep up the awesome videos and stay awesome Ola and i hope you have an awesome Christmas.
I kind of liked the game at the end, but i hated, that creators just pushed their agenda down my throat. People in the game are either racist assholes, or just assume, that the policeman was wrong, no questions asked as it seems...Its very serious situation, cop is dead, another guy is in hospital, could have been dead too, mysterious explosion... How can you trust the brothers if they just say, that they didnt do anything wrong, but they cant tell the whole story about Daniels powers... How could grandparents accept them, without full disclosure, they would see that they dont tell the whole truth... How could they just let everybody know about the power? Nobody was scared, confused, assume that Daniel was the source of the explosion, killed a cop? The game avoids all the inconvenient questions, plows through with the agenda... And as always with LiS, creators don't give me choices that i would pick, in context of all the avoided interactions, that would ruin the agenda narrative, it was especially annoying... I really hope they will keep making LiS games, but please, for all the good in the world, stop it with the politics!
I agree for the most part. I liked the traveling aspect but also disliked it for the same reasons as you. My opinion of the game is it’s a little disappointing compared to the first but it isn’t a bad game. It’s just got it’s flaws like how unrealistic things are, which honestly if they just fixed that I would’ve loved this game more. But of course there’s other crap too. Still love the series though and enjoyed LiS2
I can understand the studio wanting to go in a new direction explore new concepts because nobody wants to do the same old thing over and over I would have liked to have seen a game about brothership and bonding but the incessant racism and politics - regardless of whether you think it exists or not - made just a game about that and not the brothers relationship Not controlling the powers was annoying and saved money for the studio but even that could've been worked around by presenting moral choices like with the cougar Do you tell Daniel not to help the little lady about to fall off the ladder? How bad do you feel when she does fall and you learn later she died from her brother?There was so much wasted opportunity to actually focus on brothership and family You're being a lot nicer than I would be - personally I thought this game was just not a life a strange game - it literally took everything 180 away from the 1st from static location to road trip, etc. It really feels like to me that they tagged the strange name for better reviews and sales - this game could have easily been called road trip and tried to stand on its own merits and would have been accepted more Anyway long post - if there is a life is strange 3 no matter what direction they go I really hope they remember what it was that was fun and fans liked in the 1st overall. And not focus so much on promoting a message
I'm here for the law deep dive video. Crave it, in fact. Absolutely, Daniel and Sean would be assumed kidnapping victims immediately. And that frames *everything* else, including how the Stampers would probably react to them, bigot or not.
Even though I don't fully agree with you, I agree the fanbase shouldn't attack each other. I feel like the divide happened when before the storm was released as it became a ship war and people started attacking each other over ships. I'm looking forward to Life is Strange 3 didn't realise it would be talked about so soon.
Tbh ye I agree that when it comes to logic there is not a lot of it in the game . What annoyed me the most was the fact that all the adults Saun and Daniel met along the way weren't suprised or concerned that basically two kids (both under 18) are going alone so far away. They were all just like ye we are gonna help u guys who cares that is not a responsible and an adult thing to do! Karen lent Saun the car but shouldn't she at least drive them to the border ?
Ya. It felt like a chain of missed opportunities. Politics/Religion/Race are usually polarizing and need to be handled. You get plenty of people wanting to feel good by putting all the evils of the world on one thing to justify toxic reactions. A big part of communicating is simply listening and taking in information instead of getting the idea of "i'm right and your wrong" stuck up their ass. I'm just after finished the second season of Life is Strange. There wasn't enough time spent to know people along the way, Brody for example I thought would have been a good chance for the boys to have their story told. Life is Strange 2 was streched too thin with not a lot to work with so it comes off as padded with the racist parts in it. Nothing would have changed if those crow barred in racist parts wernt in it.There was even a missed chance in the last ep of LiS 2 where they could have shown a trial for the brothers but didn't. Even when all the best choices were made for Daniel and depending on the ending you choose. 15 years of Seans life were gone for nothing. Even basic questions that could have been asked to the police in the last episode like "How did x happen with a kid in a secure area" got skimmed over or how the cult leaders wern't caught when questioned by the police who could have had all the info they needed to lock them away. Episode 3 and 4 felt right. But for me it's 5 out of 10. The music saved it from being lower for me. That's my two cents.
I feel like the biggest disappointment with life is strange 2 is that we never got any answers about Emily's death which was a shame cause I want to know who killed her
I'm curious what do you think of the idea of a prequel game to life is strange 2 that focuses on Karen and Esteban's relationship like how it started how it ended and everything
It kinda cracks me up that all the things you didn't like is basically about 15 min and what you liked is like 5 heh Tho I think I can pretty much sign under what you said in that 15 mins
I must say I disagree with your opinion about the representation of racism, even though I’m a white Dutch female and thus have nothing to say about the experience of minorities in the USA or anywhere for that matter. This video explains it very well: ua-cam.com/video/Af9kcJ59NGI/v-deo.html . Everyone has their own opinions of course, but a lot of racism in this game is implicit portrayed (at least, for me)
Both LiS and LiS 2 suffer from one fatal flaw. The fact that your choices do not matter. I'll briefly explain. In the first game, no matter what you do you only end up with 2 actual choices right at the end. A lot of the "big" decisions throughout the episodes only seem to alter the dialogue very slightly (or a small scene) and you'll soon forget what choice you made because it doesn't matter. Then LiS 2 comes and confirms the ending of the first game, making even the final choice irrelevant. So I ask, what was the point of saving the christian girl from suicide or flirting with your guy best friend if the game just kills them all anyway and forces you to be with Chloe whether you like it or not? The sequel sadly wasn't much better when it came to player choice. For example, when the old guy accuses of you stealing early on. The game gives you 3 options but all of them end up with the exact same scenario where he "kidnaps" you so why bother? Same thing happens at the end of chapter 3 where the "boss" catches you trying to steal from him, regardless of your choices. There is more but you get the point. At least they diversified the endings a bit more by having a morality system for Daniel but that's not saying much, it's incredibly basic nonetheless. Compare it to Until Dawn, Detroit Become Human or Man of Medan where you actually have complex story writing and REAL player choice. As for the politics in the game, I would be okay with them if they weren't constantly preaching to the player and having so many one dimensional characters. Something the first game did infinitely better.
Yes I agree with you with most of the points but you are wrong about lis 2 confirming the ending of the first game. It doesn`t confirm it, it still takes your decision in effect. Remember at the beginning of episode 1 it asks you if you sacrificed arcadia bay or sacrificed Chloe. And based on this the conversation with David and pictures around his trailer in episode 5 are different.
I agree about LiS 1, I mean its either none of your decision stick (if you sacrifice chloe then you basically reset the game so you never saved Kate yet, flirt with your best friend etc), or they all die which made your decision pointless. However, I disagree for LiS 2, as the choices you make will determine either daniel will listen to you or not for the ending. Which make your choice valuable at the end. Now I agree it suck that we can't change big event like the robery, but you have to understand that changing them would change a lot of the game, and would require probably playing multiple character like in Detroit Become Human. And they wanted to focus their story on the wolf brothers. I mean detroit become human and man of medan have impactful decision because you can make character die, remove the possibility of making a character die and you just impact dialog, like in LiS 2. So you would need more then 2 character for that type of game, which mean stopping focusing on the story of the wolf brothers.
You can tell this woman doesn’t have a social life, has kids or knows much about raising children. The fact that she says a 9 year old is too childish is hilarious. Young Daniel hasn’t even gone through puberty, he just watched his only loving parent get Murdered right infront of him discovered he has superpowers and is trying to cope with all his losses while being a fugitive and making decisions on a whim only to try to find the love of parent figure, his mom who abandoned him. The only 2 points that I can agree with is that Dontnod took more than a year to finish the whole game and the time gap between the episodes hurt the game. Another point is that some of the adults were ok for them to escape to Mexico, nothing else this woman said is credible i fact I feel this a str8 plagiarism review. The fact that she mentions Daniel is too childish I know I could not trust this channel to review these types of games and the fact that she says “I know I’m white but don’t think I don’t what racism is” and then proceeds to gaslight what Sean has been through because according to her it doesn’t really happen in the real world 😂 claiming the game’s plot is about racism is just as bad as lying 10:01 majority of the people who help you in the game are white. 10:47 And 11:01 is the most 🤮 gaslighting I have heard from a UA-camr. Wtf, this woman is clearly clueless. The games timeline took about 1 1/2 years in that time frame Seanmet 3 racist assholes it didn’t happen on the same day get your shit together man. 🛑 while you’re ahead 12:30 can get you in trouble. Do you even go outside? As a journalist I feel you have been living under a 🪨
Yea the entire plot of the game makes no sense lol From the very beginning i was thinking to myself.....Wouldn't there be an amber alert out for 2 mission children.....guess not
I liked first one but this second seems to be absolutely the worst game I've ever played. It's like looking maximum stereotypicalized slow moving poorly written series in the world. This really should've been titled something like "American Life is strange". And it's not even a game. Here you're looking boys traveling etc. for minutes you don't do anything and then you have to push button to ring doorbell?? I don't think I can even complete this one it's so bad with those stereotypical things and politics?! My rating absolutely maximum 0,5/10. Absolutely nothing is compelling in this. I'm doing all other things like game is going in background at writing this? Tells really much about the "quality" of this adventure.
I agree with the most part but I dont agree with the racism part...first thing you have to give credit to a game who takes bold steps to even have it in the game, that took guts whether it was done right or not and having said that I think it was done right. I also think that you can't really talk about racism if you're never really experienced it. It does happen...and everyday even for some of my less fortunate friends. You also have to take in account that the game makes it pretty clear they travel more and more south and even characters in the game say that you "meet a lot of people like that" in this corner of America. They did meet some people who helped them too like the writer guy, claire etc...overall the problem with the game wasn't that, it was everything else like writing, plot etc.
Yeah I agree....life is strange 2 didnt strike a chord with me as much as the first one. I think the writing and pacing is just all over the place. My biggest complain is a lack of plot...there wasn't a driving force to this game that really made me feel like they had to run at all. You had a lot of interesting characters are the very start like layla and the father character but they go away quickly...its like what's the point. The chemistry between layla and sean was just absolutely spot on and so believable...im so pissed off they didnt explore that more. They instead go on this wild road journey...it just idk...it felt flat and the voice acting was monotonous too...the things i loved from the first life is strange are missing in this...like even when you "look" at objects around you, your inner thoughts or monologue are so boring and doesn't add anything to the game. Whereas in the first game i loved pressing the look button to hear max's inner thoughts...they were so unique and full of expression and didnt sound like a fucking zombie...there were some good moments in the game like meeting the big nerdy online journalist guy who was so lovable and interesting but the thing is just when you think some characters are going to be in the long run they are not, they disappear as quickly as they come. On the whole, i just expected more from this game having played the first life is strange
I spill some Life is Strange 3 beans (haha) here: www.patreon.com/posts/life-is-strange-32375088
I'll see if and when I record a video sharing more news about what I was told - stick around!
Stop Me Oh Is the Life Is Strange channel. I've watched and enjoyed every play through, and no one else talks about life is strange more than this channel lol
It would have been cool if they switched between sean and danial throughout game
"Don't you think your Papito deserves a huuuug?"
I totally hugged him in my first blind playthrough.
[SPOILER] I was so sad when he was killed. 😢
Twitter is a literal disaster area where lis 1 and 2 stans start a war! Like seriously why can’t we just have our own opinions without being attacked for it?
Honestly i enjoyed all of the games
Same for reddit.
Unfortunately, we will, for the most part, always argue our opinions. We can't always agree to disagree.
I related to LIS 2 more because of the issues it touched, racism, family relationship, the journey I liked the brotherhood teaching Daniel made me feel special he felt like a brother to me since I never had a brother. The problem I have with Max is she too shy and uses her power to benefit herself and only Chole I got tired of Chole always blaming others for her problems. I do deal with racism being a person of color but not as much as they did as Sean and Daniel. I like the choices in LIS 2 Because they mattered, time rewinding was cool but you didn't really prevent the storm and everyone can die thus undoing all your choices. LIS 2 choice matters in the end. I really like teaching Daniel and that effected the outcome. I'd give LIS 2 A 7.5 out of 10
I actually liked that we have to move around a little. This way I felt that the story is progressing somehow. I even thought at the end of the game that's it's a shame that we will never get to meet most of those people again. I mean, the effect is kinda different. If you meet someone and bond with them then it hurts when you leave, but if you meet an interesting person and have to go separate ways, the feeling is kinda different. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing, just different and if we like it or not depends on what we expect.
About that racism thing, I don't think they were exaggerating tbh. People of color do experience racism (or at least microaggressions) every day even if we think they don't. It may not be as bad as Sean and Daniel's experiences but remember their journey took a lot of time. It wasn't like they have meet all these people one by one. And this is something that I also liked about this game, that it shows a problem that is systematic and lies deeper than just in a personal story. I believe that their story would be different if they were white. I believe Sean wouldn't get scared and run away from Seattle in the first place. I didn't understand him at first either but then I thought that it might be the reason. There are still many plot holes and logical mistakes and it annoyed me so much during this game as well as the first one and BtS that we have to make up the lacking part of the story in our head for it to make sense. But I guess it is a problem that Dontnods has in general.
I totally get your skepticism on the logic issue section, I totally understand that you haven't seen that level of racism in your community, but it doesn't mean it's exaggerated, I personally know people that have faced racism and discrimination everywhere they go, it may be just bad luck, or that they are not that nice, but it's totally a reality, and I really appreciate the game portrayed the worst of the possible outcomes.
It is exaggerated and very one sided
@@gbdeck200 nope
The game was so predictable and biased. The game had no hidden foreshadowing,symbolism,Easter eggs or good villains. Lis1 has a really good villain and the plot was genius and so many theories were made for it,but in LIS2 every straight white person is portrayed as bad. Brody was a pervert, Karen was a deadbeat, Seans neighbour was a bully, every truck driver was racist and violent against Sean, the White cop shot Esteban, the hillbillies at the border were bad, Sean’s grandparents had trump hats and the washing machine note “don’t mix whites with colours” was probably more subtle racism. The only white villains that were needed was the gas station owner and the hillbillies at the border. The game made most characters secretly gay too. LIS2 was literally a tool for Social Justice instead of being a psychological masterpiece like LIS1.
@@Unknown-zn8cg yeah, you just don't get it
@@Unknown-zn8cg The white truck driver literally gives you a free ride and sandwich in episode 4 lmao. Brody is also white.
As for characters being secretly gay. Not even slightly sure what this could be referring to. If you are talking about Finn then you are wrong, he mentions at the fire that he likes both during one of the dialog options. If you are talking about the gay couple in ep 5 they literally have a pride flag on their house and mention they are gay to him almost immediately lol. Penny also mentions about his love for the person who went missing (forgot his name).
It would actually be cliche as shit if they made a big statement and shoved it in your face about how gay they are or made their entire characters just about being gay. Like Penny was gay but literally said nothing about it, didn't have anything to do with the story, barely gets brought up in a few scenes and you might even miss it if you aren't paying attention.
Yes, the white cop shot Esteban. Just like the other day that white cop literally pressed his knee down on the back of a black handcuffed man and killed him. Or how bout that dude in Georgia that was just jogging through the neighborhood and some hillbilly fuck literally shot and killed him for no apparent reason other than he was "suspicious" and of course the guy he shot was black.
Don't pretend that racism is only presented in subtle ways. People are fucking horrible and horrible shit happens like this all the time, especially in America.
I agree with your review 100%, especially the part about Sean and Daniel going on the run. That scenario is not believable. They should have kept all the episodes in Seattle and had the boys go to live with their mom or someone else.
I totally agree with your review. Let me add one teeny tiny thing that I felt was missing compared to LiS1... mystery.
The 90s Twin Peaks/X Files vibe in the first was missing in LiS2 most of the time. The little David Lynch easter egg in the gas station in episode one can't compensate for that imo :).
Nah seriously, in 1 I felt the power Max got was given her for a reason. In 2 most of the time Daniel's power was the root of their problems just getting them into more and more trouble.
Quite well said. I feel like I'm watching the most boring and badly written American stereotypical TV series instead of playing adventure game. One of the scenes in game has been running on background all the time writing this with phone. This second one is absolute garbage imo.
jothain well said, the first game is a psychological masterpiece with an immersive environment, Good voice acting, Heavy symbolism and foreshadowing, likeable characters. In LIS2 the only likeable characters for me is Daniel and Captain Spirit, the rest are just Racist, Gay or weird for no reason. The game was like paranormal activity or outlast with the church cult and people being afraid of Daniel etc. I hope the devs realise that LIS isn’t LIS without Chloe. LIS2 was an SJW David cage game. It’s like a mix between beyond two souls and Detroit become human.
I personally LOVED this game! It's the only game that has made me emotional and made me truly love the characters!
Regarding your last comment, I hope you are wrong about the divided fandom. I am the person that liked Life Is Strange 2 more, but I totally understand why people like the original game more. And I think you are right that people should not argue about it or be agressive about it, especially since the first game was about friendship and the second game tried to make people in general more tolerant. Thanks for you this great review Ola!
(P.S.: If you are doubting about becoming a patron, just try it out for a month, you won't be dissapointed :) )
Samuel, thank you so much :))
Tbh i like all 3 games
Sadly its true. I read a lot of posts and comments on Reddit and Its very noticable. Sometimes there are some big not so friendly arguments between LIS1 and LIS2 fans. And lots of LIS2 posts are downvoted by LIS1 fans for no reason. Probably the same thing are doing LIS2 fans to LIS1 posts but I notice more LIS1 fans doing it.
Sean Was my favorite character in LiS2 :) I really connected to him as well! As I don't deal with racism I hear it all around me and I feel bad for the people who have to deal with stuff like that. But amazing review!
A good video. You expressed your position reasonably. I don't need to add anything further, other than, I liked *Before the Storm* better than 1 & 2; and think it would have been embraced more by the fandom if it hadn't been so short; and side-railed by the Sera subplot.
I love LIS2 so much but I agree with most of the things you said.
Try here www.moddb.com/mods/mehem-the-mass-effect-3-happy-ending-mod/downloads/mehem-v05-installer
For me, I believe your review checked all the boxes that I was thinking as well. I love how you went through one section at a time, initially start with the facts and then bring in your opinion in smart, yet critical way. Thank you for this update. Merry Christmas!
They reveal details about a life is strange 3 hopefully they make a before the storm 2 or change there mind and bring Chloe and max back
Max and Chloe story is done and I get that - but there is many other stories they could tell. How about a Rachel story where we learn she has the power of manipulation sort of like Chloe's back talk that way fans get their Max and chloe and we tell a new story about Rachel?
@@michaelcramer9006 they can still do games about them if they ever wanna crossover with Sean and Daniel and that doesn't mean anything so
It's not necessarily done though.
I'm agreeing with you both believe it or not - while Max and Chloe story is done I'm not saying that they couldn't be part of other people story. We just know how their story finishes but that doesn't mean that they can't have other adventurers with other people
@@michaelcramer9006 yea they can still make games with them tho
Dear Ola! Thank you for this comprehensive review!! Although I do not agree with you in all aspects, I really like how you see things and explain your thoughts. I'd like to reflect to one single opinion: the one about Daniel. I personally liked him as well. :-) His character was authentic, he felt like a real kid: very lovable on one hand, and fairly annoying on the other. :-) But this just made him authentic, as most kids are annoying and educating/raising them is an incredible challenge. And I think, having such an "annoying" kid (instead of a polite and easy one) in a game where the story focuses on the moral education of the kid just makes a lot of sense. So I liked his character as well and cared for him a lot. :-) Last thought: wish you a very happy Christmas and thank you for all the great content you constantly provide.
Ya pretty much same. But I really disliked Daniel of episode 4. They shouldnt have done him like that.
@@ariton2990 Yes, that was a bit too much perhaps... However, I can believe that a child who is very much confused can be influenced and brainwashed that way :-(
When lis1 was out I remember caring so much and waiting for each episode to download, and having all those theories as to what will happen.
With lis2 I just didn't care.
Still not played e4 or 5.
Just watched them on UA-cam.
Same, I was so excited to play Polarized before it came out but It made the game go from 10/10 to 9/10 because none of the UA-cam theories came true.
I finally bought LIS2 and it completed it this week and it’s no where near as good as LIS1. It’s like LIS1 was made by creative geniuses but LIS2 was made by SJW David Cage wannabes. I got the worst ending where Sean dies and I didn’t even care at all lol.
They HAVE to bring Chloe Rachel and Max back
Unknown No, they don’t, and they shouldn’t, you got 10 episodes with them in it, it’s over, please accept that.
Redlight89 why do you want them to be gone so bad. LIS wouldn’t have a sequel if it wasn’t for the success of the first one and most people prefer the first one.
@@Unknown-zn8cg wtf 🤣 you are so enamored with Chloe and max that you can’t even tell the that BTS has a 🗑 story telling. And LiS1 had so many plot holes and illogical decisions that dontnod fixed many of them in LiS2. yet, all people complain about is that the game is pushing a xenophobia agenda? Lol
I have seen your other comments that say LiS2 was pushing a gay agenda and making everyone gay 😂wtf? yet u prefer the other 2 games before that? Weird
I think something’s wrong with u dawg
Personally, I enjoyed Life is Strange 1 and Before the Storm more then LiS 2. I think why, for me, was because those 2 games had characters I knew. Whereas in the second game, it was all new characters. Daniel, Sean, Lyla, etc. They were all new. Of course, as the game went on, I enjoyed Sean more and more. Not so much any other character though. So in the end, I prefer LiS 1 and BTS simply because those 2 games revolve around characters we've already been introduced to and got to know
Would you care if any character from LIS2 returned in future games?
I haven’t played LiS 2 Episode 4 yet but I just want to say my opinion here first, because I watched it, then see how I feel after I play. :)
I think the major problem is that every bad person is incredibly shallow and contrived. Literally every bad character is a stereotypical caricature (meant to be taken seriously though) of right wingers or conservatives… ALL of them! And every racist in this game is a white male quite conveniently. It feels like propaganda that’s forcing beliefs on me instead of prioritizing the telling of a good, balanced story, and it’s arrogant as hell to tackle U.S.
Politics as an overseas developer, and NOW I’m betting we can hear crap about the wall and ICE in Episode 5. They’d be much braver if they also depicted racism from minorities directed at one another or towards white people. Being tied so closely to a political narrative makes the story way too predictable as a result.
Sure, the cop was an idiot (more so than even the most incompetent real-life cops) but he DID come across a kid who appeared to be dead, he DID tell the dad to stop, the dad DIDN’T stop as everyone knows you’re supposed to and Sean DID decide to run away from a crime scene wherein he DID paralyze a kid as well (which he conveniently never talks about when the topic of why they ran away comes up).
And on top of that, FUCKING Karen. It’s like the game tries to force you to connect with a deadbeat mom who, if she were a man who’d done the same thing, NO ONE would feel any sympathy for. She brings kids into the world TWICE and leaves without any follow up just because she felt like it? REALLY?!? So everything Lisbeth said to Karen is in fact true, but we’re just supposed to be cool with Karen shifting the goal post because she’s the most liberated female in this game who ditches responsibility along with her children until she can show up for the bad guy and do literally nothing but tell Sean to keep up the corny yelling. I swear…
People from Latino/Mexican backgrounds are often looked upon with disdain in the states because of the controversy surrounding illegal immigration.
But this is completely forced in Life is Strange 2, out of context and it actually ruins the storyline. It’s overly patronizing and ridiculously hyperbolic in such a way that this seems like a parody rather than a genuine attempt to tackle the issue. It’s inserted in such a way that it derails the narrative and feels extremely random.
The original Life is Strange used original characters like the Prescott family and Jefferson to push controversial narratives. I feel like there has been a huge loss in creativity by using Trump and randomly inserting political messages into a storyline without proper explanation or context.
I actually really disliked LiS 2 because of this, and it’s constant. It doesn’t feel like a Life is Strange game in any shape or form and instead feels like cringeworthy political propaganda game. Esteban being randomly shot for no reason also doesn’t make any sense. Police brutality and corruption is an issue in America but this is a terrible way to deliver that message to an audience.
This game is a disappointingly hollow attempt at recreating a sequel with the same magic as the original, as it sacrificed originality for woke points.
Very well said and I agree 100% (the community needs more smart people like you) LIS1 is genius, the scene where Jefferson doses Max and Kills Chloe is better than every scene in LIS2. LIS2 was missing mystery,emotion,symbolism,good characters,immersion, all of which LIS1 had. Before the storm is also a lot better than LIS2 because of Rachel alone. Before the storm can be played before or after LIS1 which is very ideal for new players. The fact that Rachel was in Before the Storm, adds so much impact and feeling of loss, into LIS1. Blackwell and the junkyard are great environments too that had a lot of detail and being in the junkyard added a lot of paranoia and anxiety to me even before Jefferson shows up. LIS2 had 3 likeable characters imo and that’s Daniel, Chris and Charles.
I felt bad for all three of these characters because Charles means well but struggles with loss, Chris uses his imagination and superhero persona do help him deal with loss and his dads abuse, and Daniel was a 10 year old trying to survive with powers and loss.
Sean’s voice was terrible and immersion breaking because all he did was moan and sound like he’s gonna tear up crying.
E.g. whenever Sean examines an object he does a subtle laugh or he takes a breath and says “I remember _____ did that” or he says “I remember ____ liked that” etc where as Max had a great voice actor and it fitted her shy personality
E.g. “Wait Rachel Amber was kidnapped and put in here wtf” or “David Madsen is spying on us?” Or just things like that.
Every thing that max examined in LIS1 was interesting whether it be a hawt dawg man sticker or a characters belongings that gives Max info and later brings up a new conversation with someone or even creates theories.
In LIS2 everything was so random most objects that Sean examines were rocks off the ground, spider webs or irrelevant letters that were sent to side characters that mean nothing. I don’t think the devs know how good of a creation LIS1 was and they probably thought that LIS2 would be of the same quality or better but nope. They tried to copy of David Cage games and they forced Straight white men to be the bad guys and they even made Sean be bisexual for whatever the fuck reason. These games don’t NEED to display social issues in the world for the sake of it, if they blended issues into the story then it would make sense and would be immersive but every LIS2 episode was like watching a school education video on Hate crimes etc. Every load up to each episode had me wondering what topic would they discuss now... etc.
Sean was really dislikable and was a waste of space, he couldn’t do anything without his brother and couldn’t even put up a fight against anyone. Daniel saves Sean’s life on multiple occasions for problems that SEAN caused and yet Sean lashes out at people in his whiny voice or gets beat up. I think for future LIS games, there should be only one canon ending and the other endings should just be “what if” cutscenes that are showcased in the “Extra” menu. I got the Lone wolf ending today on my first time playing LIS2 and I didn’t even care about Sean dying at all, he was an annoyance to everyone around him even his dad. He smokes,drinks,smokes weed, mistreats Daniel, brought cops to his grandparents house, had sex at the campsite with his brother around, has optional Gay romances, he can get captain spirit killed by a car because he brought the police to his grandparents house because he rang Lylla, he doesn’t really help Charles out at all, he has the option of knocking out Joey with a metal pipe and so on and so on.
“Sacrifice Arcadia Bay” and “Lone wolf” should be the canon endings because they are the only endings that make sense. Daniel has future potential, being a lone wolf in Mexico at the age of 16 ( I think) with powers, and Max has future potential having rewind powers living with Chloe at a young age.
Max still has powers and yet people think her story is over which is dumb considering Max wouldn’t hesitate to use her powers if she of Chloe got in danger in New York.
Rachel Amber also has loss of unexplained plot holes and shes in high demand for a return because the community wants her back.
One of the devs said the reason the games are episodic is so they listen to feedback and add more dialogue with characters that are liked.
And true fans want Rachel Amber saved considering her story was left undone in Before the Storm and her Doe animal was alive and in physical condition in episode 1 so Max could have a dream about that and realise Rachel was alive during episode 1 ,even Jefferson is on the phone to someone in episode 1 presumably Nathan because he wants the caller to hang up so that Jefferson doesn’t get caught. He also leaves a message for Nathan in the Dark Room saying “ Don’t shout my name outloud” and “Use disposable phones” so what was he discussing in episode 1🧐 maybe Rachel was in the Dark Room and was alive.
So if the devs care about fans and don’t want to go bankrupt, then they will bring either Max Chloe or Rachel back. Because the people who actually appreciate the first game are aware of the forced diversity and representation shown in LIS2 and Tell Me Why.
I actually enjoyed LiS2 more than the first, but I’m shocked people are being haters towards other fans! We all love these games! We must unite so they keep them coming!
I think part of the difficulty this game had with regard to location was due to something that I really don't like about the genre in general: the need to fit the story to be told in some rigid 5 episode format. This game, with its diverse characters and locations needed a larger canvas than it received. If we had been able to be in these locations for more than one episode, I think it would have been a more cohesive and immersive experience. This story needed space, it needed time. In particular, Beaver Creek, the drifters camp and Away would have benefited greatly from a two episode treatment. As would have the characters you end up meeting there and the relationships that you could have built with them.
Huh, I've never thought about it. The game would have benefited nicely from it.
I agree with every single point you made. Amazing review.
Tbh i really thought lyla was gonna show up again throughout game
I figured she was gonna try to track them down or something
I just finished episode 1. Does she seriously never come up again after that last phone call?
You might have finished the game already but you can call her again in Episode 2. Unfortunately, she will just appear as an adult in the redemption ending. Such a missed opportunity for an interesting character.
Definitely mine favourite of the franchise and although the ending's are so sad I will always love this game
Yea I sort of agree with this review. For me, I fell in love with the story mainly after episode 4. I felt like the story was ok, only after episode 4 when I felt like Sean and Daniel’s bond became closer. The story development of the brothers lacked a bit mainly because of the different time span you play with each episode. Because the places and story changed within each episode, I feel like you don’t get to see that brotherly bond like how you would get with Max and Chloe. The entire time, I just thought Daniel was a shitty bratty little brother who never listens lol. It’s like you think the story develops at a good constant pace, but because each episodes jumps a few weeks/months ahead, I feel like we as gamers “miss” those connections between them within those time frames and don’t know if their relationship was getting better, or not. I mean each episodes tries to catch up the gamers where the story was going, but development of the brothers still lacked a bit because I really didn’t care about Daniel at one point lol. Plus, Sean didn’t have any power either, so that’s also a bit disappointing, since we have Max as the time traveler and with her rewind powers.
I think the story overall was good, but not greatly executed. What I can say is that the situations they’ve shown in the game were quite realistic to some degrees. I’ve seen / heard lots of documentaries, news, and researches to understand what the brothers were going through. In episode 3 where Sean and Daniel were on the pot farm, that was actually quite true and spot on lol. I live in the west coast and I hear / know some people go to the mountainous areas on the west coasts and that’s where people secretly have their pot farms. They hired people to cut weed like how Sean and Daniel did. That was on point. I was surprised when they put that in episode because that’s quite true lol. In episode 5, where daniel was shot by the random strangers at the border, thats actually quite true as well. I’ve seen in some documentaries before where polices stated that there are many random scary strangers out in the desert who do intent harm and do intent to steal from you or even kill you. There are crazy people who do actually go around in the desert and do whatever they want, so when Sean and Daniel was founded by those strangers who shot Daniel, that was quite spot on the point that they portraying the dangers when you go on desert alone.
In terms of the racism portrayed in the game, I think certainly have happened to some folks before. I can’t say much because I live in a diverse community. From what I’ve heard is that Hispanic people who live near along the American-Mexican border do face racism assuming they are illegal immigrants, but I’m not sure if they face it like how Sean did.
Overall, I like the story, but it could have been better. I do agree with you that the ending did it for me too. I seriously did not care what happen to Daniel at all, but after seeing Sean getting beat up at the church made me realize I want the brothers to stick together into the end. I’m glad I got the ending where they both made it to Mexico.
Another thing... I bought the ps4 disc version and I fucken hate the fact that the company was so cheap, they put only 4 episodes on the game disc, and left out episode 5. They add a code to redeem episode 5 online, but this sucks if you’re trying to resell it or give the game for someone to borrow it. I’m sure NO ONE is going to buy the game used because you are forced to buy episode 5 online. How the fuck do get 80% of the game on disc, but not the entire thing!? Like create 2 disc for the game at least. I don’t recommend buying it USED at all because I’m sure episode 5 code would already been redeemed if it’s already used. Might as well just buy it online.
Agree with the endings; just WOW!!!
Agree with your music and replay value.
I agree with the most part but I dont agree with the racism part...first thing you have to give credit to a game who takes bold steps to even have it in the game, that took guts whether it was done right or not and having said that I think it was done right. I also think that you can't really talk about racism if you're never really experienced it. It does happen...and everyday even for some of my less fortunate friends. You also have to take in account that the game makes it pretty clear they travel more and more south and even characters in the game say that you "meet a lot of people like that" in this corner of America. They did meet some people who helped them too like the writer guy, claire etc...overall the problem with the game wasn't that, it was everything else like writing, plot etc.
I loved the relationship between Sean and Daniel and that carried the entire game for me. I disliked the endings but I feel like they painted themselves into a corner, it needed an ambiguous cut-to-black type of ending but the entire game is predicated on the idea that your choices mattered so they had to present a bunch of concrete endings. Ideas that were interesting (the cult plotline for example) felt rushed, the settlement Karen lived in felt like a boring retread of the hippie pot farm setting from episode 3, and I agree that the road trip story setup hurt the game in many ways. I felt like certain important choices / events were totally out of my hands. I also adored Chris and the entire wolf brothers thing really tapped into me emotionally as someone with a younger brother myself, but as a whole product the plot failed to reach a satisfying conclusion. Poor Sean never gets a truly happy ending despite being the only character you really root for the entire game.
To me Daniel of episode 1 and episode 2 was good character. He was cute, innocent and not annoying. Episode 3 he was a little bit more annoying but still realistic and likable. But Daniel of episode 4 I really hated what they did to him. I don`t believe he would just abandon his brother and I wish they did him differently. Then in episode 5 I liked him again. So I think Daniel would be much more likable if they did him different in episode 4 and maybe make him a little bit less annoying in episode 3. That`s my opinion.
I totally agree with you! As a younger sibling I couldn't imagine just leaving my only brother, even if I did think he was dead, because of something I did. Sean was hurt because of Daniel's losing control. If I had lost control and seriously hurt my brother enough to half blind him, I could never leave him.
Am I the only one who was annoyed when the choices faded while you were deciding which one to take? I mean, it's okay when it shows you how much time you have left for a decision, but often you didn't even know there was a time limit.
I think I went back to the last checkpoint at least 3 times to pick my answer because I didn't want to say nothing.
I found this game to be my favourite in the franchise.
I’ve seen a lot of complaints about Daniel’s attitude and personality in the game, but honestly, how would a 9 yr old who has experienced so much trauma and has a power he can’t control act, exactly like Daniel.
I think his character is misunderstood and so is the story of LiS2, the plot points are a bit rough but the story and the two main characters are amazing.
Great review. Very sensible and measured take! Subscribed.
I love this game though. The music, the characters. I played it after all were released though, so less of an issue for me. I found that I couldn't play one after another anyway - had to wait a week or so to take in an episode and reflect before starting the next one.
Just finished the game and I really enjoyed it, regardless of all the politics in ur face. But I assumed that the gov knew Daniel had powers because of the cam in the cop car at the start and wanted to capture him or something but that doesn’t happen in any ending. Even after they break out at the end and you surrender Daniel just gets sent to his grandparents. I thought it was kinda weird. In my mind that’s why they were treated as suspects and why they had to run. Idk I think they could’ve gotten real dark with it.
I have some thoughts about your review.
So, i totally agree with the logic, and i think they did a perfect job with daniel. I have a little brother, so i think they potrayed having and educating a kid correctly. Now i will be honest, i didnt really get attached to many of the characters, but i did find some interesting, like cassidy, finn, and maybe some of the people from ep5, like joan, arthur and stanley. I did wish we couldve spent more time with them. I loved how this game had more variety. Each episode had different choices, and endings, which was all build up for the final ending. I love how there werent really happy or sad endings. Just like the first game. Although ur choices had more effects
hello sir ‘there weren’t any really happy or sad endings’ *lone wolf has left the chat*
@@fergboyrossgerson1412 I'll be honest, i was thinking abt lone wolf when i wrote that. Just the other ones (blood brothers, redemption, and parting ways)
I hope they make life is strange after the storm, or before lis2 / lis collection (comic). Of course it's all about Max and Chloe plus Rachel after the storm and After that (when they with david on the desert before sean and daniel). came. Or a game about Rachel lol
I personally liked moving to different places because it felt real. It felt like I was in their shoes of being wanted all over And not blowing my cover.
Well the story takes place over the better part of a year and I can think of only 4 racist incidents in the game so that's hardly every day is it. And they meet more people that arent racist than are. And America is a very racist place
Gas station owners = 2
Nevada thugs = 4
Border hillbillies = 6
Grandparents =8
So there’s 8 racism white characters in the game and they are the only villains, literally every non liberal in the game are villains.
It can be a daily thing really bc I live in the south and it almost definitely is a daily thing but it happened over in the west of America so it prolly different over there but idk but in today’s world it can happen in America to be profiled I was pulled over bc I was at the wrong place at the wrong time and it’s awful you just gotta live here to understand
Warning: this is very long and has a lot of spoilers.
I don't like that most LiS hardcore games didn't seem to be willing to give this game a chance because it didn't have Max/Chloe. Because the game has a lot of problems, but so does the first one, and I don't think the second has more or worse problems than the first. I like both games, but I'd say I like the second game a lot more.
I felt like Daniel and Sean where a lot more interesting than Max and Chloe (specially since I don't really like Chloe). Unlike Max, that experiences a lot of things second hand most of the times (like the bullying, the crimes, the missing friends) and some of the main problems to be solved aren't that relatable (like serial killers and the supernatural storm), Daniel and Sean are directly influenced by the things happening around them and their issues felt a lot more real (like racism, persecution and having to abandon people you started liking and learned how to love). And most people didn't seem to like Daniel, but I loved him very much and cared for him a lot. I found the moments he was being bratty to be understandable, because we can see that before everything he was a loud and later he has to learn that his father was killed, he has to leave his life, it's comforts and his friends behind, and keep doing so, losing the dog, Chris and his grandparents, while trying to deal with a power that can be extremely destructive and it's consequences. They even go through a lot we don't even see, like sleeping in the streets and staying in shelters, which is not safe at all for a kid and it's a big change considering he had a good home with comforts and a loving father. He looses it all in a split second and we see him loose himself to grief and anger in chapter 3 to later find himself again in chapter 4 to 5, all while Sean is trying to navigate both their emotions while becoming a parent figure to his young brother at only 16, which I also think explains why he also makes some very bad choices.
I agree with you completely on the point of their whole plan. I understand Sean, being only 16 and scared, thinking that running away is not only the best but their only choice to remain together, thinking that they are going to suffer from racism and end up being blamed, but that actually happening doesn't make any sense. Like you said, it was all an accident that couldn't really be explained. An investigation would show that there wasn't any bomb that caused the explosion. And I was going with that mentality the whole way, thinking it was impossible they were going to be actually blamed for that, which just caused me to be more broken with the ending I got (with Sean going to prison for 15 years). I also didn't like the endings that much because I felt like they deserved better, after all the shit they went through, I wanted them to have at least one option of a truly happy ending, where they could have it all back.
I liked that they kept moving around, it was heartbreaking to leave people you learned to like and grown accustomed to behind. But that is because it's something I related to from my personal experience growing up, so I really felt their pain. And also I don't know if you are the type that explores a lot, but the things we learn from the characters exploring, in my opinion, made me bond with them further than if I just had gone through without it, but this is also personal, it would take more to some people than to others, specially considering that in LiS1 we get to play with the same people the whole game, which does lead to a deeper connection.
I don't have much of a problem with the PC not being the one with powers, since the whole thing is a big plot point, with of Sean being older, not having powers and feeling weird about it, how he is unable to control Daniel, along with Daniel, being younger, having a harder time to control his emotions and therefore his powers. But I wish we had the chance to play as Daniel for one chapter, because I do think it would have been fun to play as the person with powers.
I have to say that the voice actors for Daniel and Sean are awesome, and so were Max's and Chloe's voice actresses. I also missed them having more featured song in LiS2, since I liked a lot the ones they did have in both games. The original soundtrack composed to both games are also awesome and are great to set the tone on each of their stories.
One thing I remember loving about the second game is that you could sit down with Sean, draw something or just listen to his thoughts. It really gives you an inside on his struggles with everything, it's calming and it feels like giving him a break, besides, sometimes, bonding with characters, even in silence (like the scene with his mom on chapter 4). If you could do that in the first game, I think it wasn't that often, and definitely wasn't the same thing.
Also, different side characters are given a lot more space, which is a common complaint from the first game along with the ending (not the endings themselves, but the system, having just two and the only choice that matters being the final one), so I'm glad they heard the fans and improved those things for the second game. I hope they keep putting more effort into fixing the overall issues seen for future games in the franchise. Overall, I felt like the first game allowed for improvements in the second one and hope the critics on the second one allow for an even better third installment, with new powers and characters that I'll come to love even more.
"I raised my Daniel well", that sounded to me as if Daniel were a pet or a pokémon or sth like that😂 What you said about racism reminded me of this book "Americanah", I disliked the protagonist and the book in general because of that: I felt that out of ten people the protagonist (a girl from Nigeria living in the USA) met nine and a half were portrayed as racist so it became repetitive and somehow annoying. Anyway, spot on review, I really really like how you express your thoughts :)
:))
Agree 100%
Merry Christmas
Great video. Mostly I have the same opinion. But I still think it's a great game (8/10) and I love it very much.
The whole issue in the game is very close to me (brotherhood, injustice, faith)
I hope there will be a sequel like Before the Storm that could be in the past and expand characters like Lyla and Esteban
Can i just say that with the Life Is Strange 2 music in the background of this, this video was so soothing to me lol.
I concur with many of your points. The game really "jumped the shark" for me and turned into a slog when Finn became an active cast member with his plan. It was just so stupid and you could see it coming from a mile away. Chapter 4 was the same thing as soon as you set foot outside the church. Was like, "oh, well duh its a cult and Im going to have to go through plot point X Y Z to get Daniel back. Sarcastic yay". In the first chapter or two, however, I really enjoyed that it felt like your inventory made a difference and that you could play with your money. It came dangerously close to actual gameplay.
Loved the review!
You have to understand that the game takes place over 9 months or so. Rasism didn't happen every day. I believe it happened 4 times in the entire 12 hours of the game. I feel it is a good dosage. It is about how much people experience racism in a year, on average. I am Romanian and I totally get it. I really cannot leave my country for 2 weeks without experience racism at least once.
Sean and Cass in México ♥️
"Not a pun intended"that little smile tho 😂
I would love to see a lis spin off based on Nathan , maybe he is fighting his father , as part of his Prescott destiny seen on his dorm computer in e4.
Also he is fighting for redemption and having a similar power to Max,
He can jump timelines , maybe he can save Chloe and Rachel
And maybe he has to let Jefferson kill him to be redeemed
That is a good idea because cut audio files lead to Nathan telling Max Chloe and Warren that the tornados coming, there’s also a bunker built for the tornado, “the end of the world” party, “Vortex” club, the drugs that Nathan were forced to take, it’s like Nathan has rewinded time a lot and went crazy because nobody would believe him so he sided with Jefferson because he had no other option. The drugs also disrupt time travel abilities so that’s a reason why he took them” Nathan definitely has a lot of potential as possible time manipulator or the prescotts and vortex club know about the tornado because of the club name and vortex name.
Agree 1000% ♥️
I personally felt like the racism in LiS2 was a bit overdone. It felt like it was every corner and every episode, that too in states that were generally liberal. Even in LiS there wasn't that recurring prejudice.
The game also took place over 10 months, with each episode only taking place during a few days, so it’s not that exaggerated.
Loved your explanations. You deserve more views.
Yeah I agree....life is strange 2 didnt strike a chord with me as much
as the first one. I think the writing and pacing is just all over the
place. My biggest complain is a lack of plot...there wasn't a driving
force to this game that really made me feel like they had to run at all.
You had a lot of interesting characters are the very start like layla
and the father character but they go away quickly...its like what's the
point. The chemistry between layla and sean was just absolutely spot on
and so believable...im so pissed off they didnt explore that more. They
instead go on this wild road journey...it just idk...it felt flat and
the voice acting was monotonous too...the things i loved from the first
life is strange are missing in this...like even when you "look" at
objects around you, your inner thoughts or monologue are so boring and
doesn't add anything to the game. Whereas in the first game i loved
pressing the look button to hear max's inner thoughts...they were so
unique and full of expression and didnt sound like a fucking
zombie...there were some good moments in the game like meeting the big
nerdy online journalist guy who was so lovable and interesting but the
thing is just when you think some characters are going to be in the long
run they are not, they disappear as quickly as they come. On the whole,
i just expected more from this game having played the first life is
strange
One area where i feel like life is strange 2 was better over 1 was I felt like we knew more about Sean's family in 2 than Max's family in 1 we get text's from her parents but we don't interact with them with sean we get to interact with his father, Mother and Grandparents I just feel like Sean is more fleshed out than Max what do you think?
I'm not averse to political themes as long as the developers let the players make up their own minds. This game does no such thing. No independent thinking person could play this game without having his or her intelligence insulted. Anyways, thanks for playing this, Stop Me Oh. Entertaining as always.
I've played games where I have to take care of kids like The Last of Us, Telltale's the walking dead and probably am goin to do A Plague Tale next, but OMG, Daniel is just unbearable. I even thought that the finale would end like Daniel became a villain and Sean had to deal with him after episode 3... well... turned out that devs prefer sending the message more. As much as I agree about the final episode on it being able to make the player feels emotional, it doesn't make sense one bit.... I was looking to see how he would cross the border "Hmm will he use the broken wall route earlier, or he would ask Dan to break a new passage for him??" No..... The man went straight to the barricade using the main road. sigh.... sis, this is too much plot convinient for me to rate it over than 5.
I am currently playing Plague Tale sequel and Hugo is the most adorable kid, he is everything Daniel is not!
Great review! Honest and fair. I agree with pretty much all of it.
I enjoyed life is strange 2 a lot but it had a lot of what I felt like was forced political commentary that could’ve been way better. I really liked Finn as a character considering it was a group of drifters they should’ve stuck around more than a single of episode. As for the main characters I liked Sean despite his VA being a bit shaky at times and Daniel reminded me of my niece at points. But the biggest issue is the racist people typically blend in while everyone in this game was cartoonishly evil
I can’t remember where I saw/heard it but I guess they already kinda announced Life is Strange 3. It was your typical “we’re thinking of idea’s for a third installment and it will involve all new characters” kind of announcement. I’m guessing someone asked them about it and that was their answer 🤷🏼♂️. That’s nothing new though. I’m pretty sure most of us figured that much out.
Hmm, I wonder if people will start saying that they want Sean & Daniel while playing Life is Strange 3 just like they did with Max and Chloe while playing Life is Strange 2”. 🤔
Really awesome video review Ola and I actually agree completely. Life is Strange 2 was a good game but it was those minor issues that you mentioned that in my opinion stopped it from being a great game like the original Life is Strange. Keep up the awesome videos and stay awesome Ola and i hope you have an awesome Christmas.
I kind of liked the game at the end, but i hated, that creators just pushed their agenda down my throat. People in the game are either racist assholes, or just assume, that the policeman was wrong, no questions asked as it seems...Its very serious situation, cop is dead, another guy is in hospital, could have been dead too, mysterious explosion... How can you trust the brothers if they just say, that they didnt do anything wrong, but they cant tell the whole story about Daniels powers... How could grandparents accept them, without full disclosure, they would see that they dont tell the whole truth... How could they just let everybody know about the power? Nobody was scared, confused, assume that Daniel was the source of the explosion, killed a cop? The game avoids all the inconvenient questions, plows through with the agenda...
And as always with LiS, creators don't give me choices that i would pick, in context of all the avoided interactions, that would ruin the agenda narrative, it was especially annoying...
I really hope they will keep making LiS games, but please, for all the good in the world, stop it with the politics!
I agree for the most part. I liked the traveling aspect but also disliked it for the same reasons as you. My opinion of the game is it’s a little disappointing compared to the first but it isn’t a bad game. It’s just got it’s flaws like how unrealistic things are, which honestly if they just fixed that I would’ve loved this game more. But of course there’s other crap too. Still love the series though and enjoyed LiS2
I can understand the studio wanting to go in a new direction explore new concepts because nobody wants to do the same old thing over and over
I would have liked to have seen a game about brothership and bonding but the incessant racism and politics - regardless of whether you think it exists or not - made just a game about that and not the brothers relationship
Not controlling the powers was annoying and saved money for the studio but even that could've been worked around by presenting moral choices like with the cougar Do you tell Daniel not to help the little lady about to fall off the ladder? How bad do you feel when she does fall and you learn later she died from her brother?There was so much wasted opportunity to actually focus on brothership and family
You're being a lot nicer than I would be - personally I thought this game was just not a life a strange game - it literally took everything 180 away from the 1st from static location to road trip, etc. It really feels like to me that they tagged the strange name for better reviews and sales - this game could have easily been called road trip and tried to stand on its own merits and would have been accepted more
Anyway long post - if there is a life is strange 3 no matter what direction they go I really hope they remember what it was that was fun and fans liked in the 1st overall. And not focus so much on promoting a message
LiS3? Check the interview of the devs on Gamespot. Or the coverage by Dom...
I know more than Dom does actually ;)
Stop Me Oh do you know if Rachel Amber is returning ?
I'm here for the law deep dive video. Crave it, in fact. Absolutely, Daniel and Sean would be assumed kidnapping victims immediately. And that frames *everything* else, including how the Stampers would probably react to them, bigot or not.
EXACTLY
Even though I don't fully agree with you, I agree the fanbase shouldn't attack each other. I feel like the divide happened when before the storm was released as it became a ship war and people started attacking each other over ships. I'm looking forward to Life is Strange 3 didn't realise it would be talked about so soon.
i agree 100% with you, thanks for the review
Tbh ye I agree that when it comes to logic there is not a lot of it in the game . What annoyed me the most was the fact that all the adults Saun and Daniel met along the way weren't suprised or concerned that basically two kids (both under 18) are going alone so far away. They were all just like ye we are gonna help u guys who cares that is not a responsible and an adult thing to do!
Karen lent Saun the car but shouldn't she at least drive them to the border ?
Ya. It felt like a chain of missed opportunities. Politics/Religion/Race are usually polarizing and need to be handled. You get plenty of people wanting to feel good by putting all the evils of the world on one thing to justify toxic reactions. A big part of communicating is simply listening and taking in information instead of getting the idea of "i'm right and your wrong" stuck up their ass. I'm just after finished the second season of Life is Strange. There wasn't enough time spent to know people along the way, Brody for example I thought would have been a good chance for the boys to have their story told. Life is Strange 2 was streched too thin with not a lot to work with so it comes off as padded with the racist parts in it. Nothing would have changed if those crow barred in racist parts wernt in it.There was even a missed chance in the last ep of LiS 2 where they could have shown a trial for the brothers but didn't. Even when all the best choices were made for Daniel and depending on the ending you choose. 15 years of Seans life were gone for nothing. Even basic questions that could have been asked to the police in the last episode like "How did x happen with a kid in a secure area" got skimmed over or how the cult leaders wern't caught when questioned by the police who could have had all the info they needed to lock them away. Episode 3 and 4 felt right. But for me it's 5 out of 10. The music saved it from being lower for me. That's my two cents.
I feel like the biggest disappointment with life is strange 2 is that we never got any answers about Emily's death which was a shame cause I want to know who killed her
I'm curious what do you think of the idea of a prequel game to life is strange 2 that focuses on Karen and Esteban's relationship like how it started how it ended and everything
Love every single lis video of yours 😂 ever since the beginning.
Cannot believe that this game was released more than one year ago 😥
It kinda cracks me up that all the things you didn't like is basically about 15 min and what you liked is like 5 heh Tho I think I can pretty much sign under what you said in that 15 mins
I must say I disagree with your opinion about the representation of racism, even though I’m a white Dutch female and thus have nothing to say about the experience of minorities in the USA or anywhere for that matter. This video explains it very well: ua-cam.com/video/Af9kcJ59NGI/v-deo.html . Everyone has their own opinions of course, but a lot of racism in this game is implicit portrayed (at least, for me)
Both LiS and LiS 2 suffer from one fatal flaw. The fact that your choices do not matter. I'll briefly explain. In the first game, no matter what you do you only end up with 2 actual choices right at the end. A lot of the "big" decisions throughout the episodes only seem to alter the dialogue very slightly (or a small scene) and you'll soon forget what choice you made because it doesn't matter. Then LiS 2 comes and confirms the ending of the first game, making even the final choice irrelevant. So I ask, what was the point of saving the christian girl from suicide or flirting with your guy best friend if the game just kills them all anyway and forces you to be with Chloe whether you like it or not?
The sequel sadly wasn't much better when it came to player choice. For example, when the old guy accuses of you stealing early on. The game gives you 3 options but all of them end up with the exact same scenario where he "kidnaps" you so why bother? Same thing happens at the end of chapter 3 where the "boss" catches you trying to steal from him, regardless of your choices. There is more but you get the point. At least they diversified the endings a bit more by having a morality system for Daniel but that's not saying much, it's incredibly basic nonetheless. Compare it to Until Dawn, Detroit Become Human or Man of Medan where you actually have complex story writing and REAL player choice.
As for the politics in the game, I would be okay with them if they weren't constantly preaching to the player and having so many one dimensional characters. Something the first game did infinitely better.
In the beginning of lis 2 it has u choose which ending u picked in first game
It didnt really confirm either one as cannon
You're not forced to be with Chloe, you can always choose to let her die and save both the Christian girl and your guy best friend. ;)
Yes I agree with you with most of the points but you are wrong about lis 2 confirming the ending of the first game. It doesn`t confirm it, it still takes your decision in effect. Remember at the beginning of episode 1 it asks you if you sacrificed arcadia bay or sacrificed Chloe. And based on this the conversation with David and pictures around his trailer in episode 5 are different.
I agree about LiS 1, I mean its either none of your decision stick (if you sacrifice chloe then you basically reset the game so you never saved Kate yet, flirt with your best friend etc), or they all die which made your decision pointless. However, I disagree for LiS 2, as the choices you make will determine either daniel will listen to you or not for the ending. Which make your choice valuable at the end. Now I agree it suck that we can't change big event like the robery, but you have to understand that changing them would change a lot of the game, and would require probably playing multiple character like in Detroit Become Human. And they wanted to focus their story on the wolf brothers. I mean detroit become human and man of medan have impactful decision because you can make character die, remove the possibility of making a character die and you just impact dialog, like in LiS 2. So you would need more then 2 character for that type of game, which mean stopping focusing on the story of the wolf brothers.
"He was so childish even for a child"ahah
You can tell this woman doesn’t have a social life, has kids or knows much about raising children. The fact that she says a 9 year old is too childish is hilarious.
Young Daniel hasn’t even gone through puberty, he just watched his only loving parent get Murdered right infront of him discovered he has superpowers and is trying to cope with all his losses while being a fugitive and making decisions on a whim only to try to find the love of parent figure, his mom who abandoned him.
The only 2 points that I can agree with is that Dontnod took more than a year to finish the whole game and the time gap between the episodes hurt the game. Another point is that some of the adults were ok for them to escape to Mexico, nothing else this woman said is credible i fact I feel this a str8 plagiarism review.
The fact that she mentions Daniel is too childish I know I could not trust this channel to review these types of games and the fact that she says “I know I’m white but don’t think I don’t what racism is” and then proceeds to gaslight what Sean has been through because according to her it doesn’t really happen in the real world 😂 claiming the game’s plot is about racism is just as bad as lying 10:01 majority of the people who help you in the game are white. 10:47
And 11:01 is the most 🤮 gaslighting I have heard from a UA-camr. Wtf, this woman is clearly clueless. The games timeline took about 1 1/2 years in that time frame Seanmet 3 racist assholes it didn’t happen on the same day get your shit together man.
🛑 while you’re ahead 12:30 can get you in trouble. Do you even go outside? As a journalist I feel you have been living under a 🪨
Yea the entire plot of the game makes no sense lol From the very beginning i was thinking to myself.....Wouldn't there be an amber alert out for 2 mission children.....guess not
I liked first one but this second seems to be absolutely the worst game I've ever played. It's like looking maximum stereotypicalized slow moving poorly written series in the world. This really should've been titled something like "American Life is strange". And it's not even a game. Here you're looking boys traveling etc. for minutes you don't do anything and then you have to push button to ring doorbell?? I don't think I can even complete this one it's so bad with those stereotypical things and politics?! My rating absolutely maximum 0,5/10. Absolutely nothing is compelling in this. I'm doing all other things like game is going in background at writing this? Tells really much about the "quality" of this adventure.
Id rate it 0/10
Hello
hi
how is this a comment 😂😂
I'm on the first episode and I find it hard to have the motivation to go further
I hated life is strange 2
I agree with the most part but I dont agree with the racism part...first thing you have to give credit to a game who takes bold steps to even have it in the game, that took guts whether it was done right or not and having said that I think it was done right. I also think that you can't really talk about racism if you're never really experienced it. It does happen...and everyday even for some of my less fortunate friends. You also have to take in account that the game makes it pretty clear they travel more and more south and even characters in the game say that you "meet a lot of people like that" in this corner of America. They did meet some people who helped them too like the writer guy, claire etc...overall the problem with the game wasn't that, it was everything else like writing, plot etc.
Yeah I agree....life is strange 2 didnt strike a chord with me as much
as the first one. I think the writing and pacing is just all over the
place. My biggest complain is a lack of plot...there wasn't a driving
force to this game that really made me feel like they had to run at all.
You had a lot of interesting characters are the very start like layla
and the father character but they go away quickly...its like what's the
point. The chemistry between layla and sean was just absolutely spot on
and so believable...im so pissed off they didnt explore that more. They
instead go on this wild road journey...it just idk...it felt flat and
the voice acting was monotonous too...the things i loved from the first
life is strange are missing in this...like even when you "look" at
objects around you, your inner thoughts or monologue are so boring and
doesn't add anything to the game. Whereas in the first game i loved
pressing the look button to hear max's inner thoughts...they were so
unique and full of expression and didnt sound like a fucking
zombie...there were some good moments in the game like meeting the big
nerdy online journalist guy who was so lovable and interesting but the
thing is just when you think some characters are going to be in the long
run they are not, they disappear as quickly as they come. On the whole,
i just expected more from this game having played the first life is
strange