In 2006, Doctor Who episode ‘Love & Monsters’ aired, the plot of which focuses on directionless adults finding community in a shared interest, which was a departure from Doctor Who’s usual sci-fi magic and baddies. As a teenager, I didn’t really get it; I’d waited a week for a new episode, and it had none of the flash and adventure that I expected from Doctor Who. When I complained, my parents said it was a “grown-up episode”, and that descriptor is how I’ve come to think of Life is Strange 2 (LiS2).

LiS2 has us play Sean, a boy forced to be a parent too early, in a society he cannot trust. Unlike LiS1, there’re no mysteries to solve, no supporting cast to check on, no rivals to spar with. While there is a journey, there isn’t an adventure, and, while there are conflicts and villains, it isn’t about them either. It’s about parenthood, grief, survival, and questioning how far you’ll go for family. It’s slow, and the activities can seem like busywork, but each section wants you to take your time with its scenery and character moments. By example, in LiS1 you can quickly take photos as collectibles before continuing on, whereas, in LiS2, Sean draws in his sketchbook instead, and this activity takes significantly longer as you have to look at the scene, then draw, then repeat several times before he’s done. The speed difference between these two actions is echoed throughout LiS2’s pacing, and, consequently, I can see why people would find it a less compelling play, but its plodding exterior is overflowing with heart and emotional turbulence if you can open yourself to it.

LiS2 is a story about the relationship between Sean and his younger brother, Daniel, and how that relationship is shaped by their journey. The story takes place over nine months with each chapter picking up several weeks after the last, such that each acts as a vignette of the larger events that happen on their path. Minor characters aren’t persistent outside of letters and sketchbook updates, which is a con for some players, but that’s because LiS2 isn’t about them. It’s the brothers against the world, their relationship is the only permanence that they (and you as the player) have. LiS2 wants you to get invested in them with nothing else in the way, and this focus means you get a depth of relationship you wouldn’t get from a larger cast.


Thematically, LiS2’s main motif is grief. From the haunting soundtrack to the chapter themes reminiscent of the stages of grief*, you can palpably feel the deep sorrow that pervades the brothers’ journey. There are moments of relaxation and calm, but the sadness is always there, lingering. This makes LiS2 an emotionally punishing voyage, more so than any other video game I’ve played in ~30 years of gaming. I was completely gripped (even though it was like being repeatedly punched in the heart), and I was absolutely devastated at the end. The feelings I was left with lingered in me for over two weeks after I finished, a clear discomfort that escalated to angst when I actively thought about the game.
* I don’t have the review space to go into this, but if you think about it then you’ll see it.

LiS2’s other main theme is parenting. Detractors highlight that playing superpower-less Sean feels unfulfilling compared to LiS1’s time-rewinding Max, but I think this view is short-sighted. Sean is not only not powerless, but he has one of the most adult superpowers of all: parenthood; the power that you don’t fully appreciate as a child but is the dominant force in our upbringing. You wield this power over Daniel in every decision, big and small, and it's not just about how Daniel uses his own power, but also his moral and practical development. Sure, it’s not as thrilling as telekinetically flinging stuff around, but it holds an incredible subtlety that influences the player as much as it does Daniel. The game sneakily instils parental values in you as you play, pushing you to try and keep the brothers together, keep them happy, find them a future. I found myself turning down the game’s romance option to make sure Daniel was better supported, and I NEVER turn down the romance option in games. A remarkable reminder of the grown-up experience LiS2 provides.

I haven’t touched on mechanics yet, but, LiS2 contains excellent genre improvements, particularly compared to LiS1. I struggled far more regularly with the decisions offered, and the callbacks from them felt more frequent and organic, particularly in the context of the brothers’ evolving moral landscape. Twinning the player (Sean) with a vulnerable NPC (Daniel) makes decisions more complex as you’re no longer considering just your own life and values (which are easy to disregard in a game world if you want to). Instead, you feel you have to make choices you otherwise wouldn’t for Daniel’s sake. Furthermore, LiS2 tracks aspects of the brothers’ relationship to tailor later conversations and decision outcomes based on those tracks; another element that makes the story feel reactive to your choices. Finally, the endings are a masterclass of nuance and depth. There’s indisputably one “worst” ending, but, of the others, it’ll come down to what you value most to decide which is the “best”, as all the endings are bittersweet in their own way. I’ve never seen such a meticulously well-balanced approach to complex alternate endings in another game.


LiS2 was an extraordinary experience for me, though not a flawless one. Chapter 4 was a bad day at the office. The premise is fine, but the story development, player involvement, and nuance around the presented topics are all either lacking or rushed. LiS2 also lacks meaningful gameplay sections a lot of the time, instead, you’ll mostly be wandering around, talking to people, looking at objects, taking it all in. LiS2 flirts with minigames in the third chapter, but it doesn’t stick with them. However, I think the game’s biggest flaw is more subjective than the actual game elements. It’ll most likely fall flat for you if you don’t approach it with the right mindset, which is something you can only really judge for yourself. I’m glad I was in the right space for it, but I can see why it wouldn’t be for everyone.

It's no secret LiS2 wasn’t as well-received as LiS1, and I think that – like Doctor Who’s ‘Love & Monsters’ – LiS2’s departure from the exciting, school mystery romp presented by the former made the latter a less accessible experience. LiS1 has a lot of dynamism that keeps the plot moving, not to mention the mischievous joy of watching Max & Chloe’s relationship. Comparatively, LiS2’s pacing and the emphasis on the brothers’ relationship above all else makes for an entirely different beast, one that I can understand being harder for audiences to connect with. However, I think LiS2 is an emotional masterpiece that tackles a lot of grown-up themes that we don’t often get to see in gaming.


Overall, I was engrossed with, and deeply moved by, Life is Strange 2. I felt like I lived every moment of scared and desperate Sean, and it was one of the most emotionally challenging game journeys I’ve ever travelled. I consider LiS2 vastly superior to LiS1, but, in some ways, it’s hard to recommend to everyone, particularly if you came from LiS1 and wanted more of the same. Even if you don’t mind the tone shift, the feelings LiS2 left me with were uncomfortable to handle, and I feel the gameplay benefits from having an openness to embodying a parental role, otherwise you may find some elements tedious. That said, there are very few games that have captured my heart so spectacularly as LiS2 did, and if you have the mental fortitude for it then LiS2 is an emotional rollercoaster that you owe yourself to ride. I have no doubt that my journey with Sean and Daniel will bear a mark on my gaming experiences for the rest of my life.