Life Is Strange 2 episode 1 'Roads' review: An emotional start to the road trip

The first Life Is Strange was a narrative success, touching on everyday themes rarely covered in video games. While female friendship and companionship largely took the fore across the season, the game handled themes such as bullying and PTSD as well.

Three years have passed since its release, and with the medium continuing to evolve as a storytelling platform, developer Dontnod Entertainment’s sequel – starting with episode 1 ‘Roads’ – has proven to be more ambitious in its scope.

Whether or not you saved Arcadia Bay, Max Caulfield and Chloe Price are nowhere to be seen in Life Is Strange 2. Instead, the main characters here are Sean and Daniel Diaz, two Mexican American brothers aged 16 and 9 respectively, who are forced to go on the run after a nightmare series of events unfolds.

Beginning in Seattle, the pair’s objective is to reach Mexico although they run into a number of difficulties along the way. Food and shelter are huge concerns, but strangers they come across on the road can also be a threat to their safety.

In a time when mainstream games still prefer to remain largely apolitical, Life Is Strange 2 stands out by not shying away from political commentary. The story begins in late October 2016 against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton, and although it never explicitly references Trump by name, multiple clear references are embedded across the first episode.

The writers appear to have good intentions, with the narrative firmly centred on a family from a severely underrepresented and marginalised group and serving to raise awareness of issues that the average white person living in a Western country won’t ever have to worry about.

As a Latinx person, player character Sean is the victim of numerous instances of racism in ‘Roads’. Bigoted and deplorable characters spew threatening remarks, bringing up ‘building the wall’ and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and there is a scene that depicts police brutality too.

To the credit of the writing and the voice acting (Gonzalo Martin voices Sean), the racially-charged moments are horrible to sit through. Some players may feel that it’s occasionally guilty of being heavy-handed, but racism of this level absolutely does exist in life.

The core characters are a likeable bunch. Sean is a relatable high school teenager; when we first meet him, he’s preparing to go to a party but is anxious about how to speak to his crush. As a teen, he yearns for freedom while feeling bogged down at times by the responsibility of looking after his younger brother.

His father Esteban is kind and empathetic, working hard to provide for his boys, while Sean’s best friend Lyla, an Asian American, is the fun and outgoing type – but she’s also very caring, and shows genuine concern about Sean’s safety when he abruptly leaves Seattle with Daniel.

But it’s Sean’s sibling relationship with Daniel which is the most prominent and takes centre stage, particularly when they become fugitives.

Daniel is a well-written and believable 9-year-old who enjoys his Minecraft. Naive but optimistic. Whiny but innocent and with a good heart. At first, playing the role of the older sibling at home, I found it difficult to connect with Daniel. But on the road, fighting for survival, Sean becomes Daniel’s protector and over the course of the four hours of playtime, that bond developed in an impactful way.

The relationship that the player as Sean has with Daniel grows organically, and that’s in large part down to the game’s dialogue features.

Daniel is an impressionable kid, and certain decisions and events can affect the way he behaves going forwards, as well as the level of trust he has in Sean. Although the first episode never really deviates from the major story beats and decisions often result in the same wider outcomes, some of the choices are made more difficult knowing that Daniel is watching and can be inadvertently influenced.

For instance, stealing food – while tempting as hunger is a concern – might set a bad example for Daniel.

The choices do feel like they have a weight to them, and although the consequences are fairly minor so far, this mechanic (which in essence replaces Max’s rewind from the first Life Is Strange) could have larger ramifications as future episodes are released.

Though the story does not feature any time-travelling this time around, there remains a supernatural element. One of the characters develops a power, but at this stage the ability does not affect gameplay, just the story. It could be that this changes as the season progresses.

Verdict

Life Is Strange 2 is an entirely new story with an entirely new cast of characters. Its only link to the first game, based on the first episode, is that it takes place in the same universe – but that was perhaps the best direction Dontnod Entertainment could have taken.

Starting virtually from scratch has allowed the developer to experiment and push themselves as storytellers, and the result is a more grounded and mature story that has real potential.

Release date: September 27, 2018

Available on: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Developer: Dontnod Entertainment

Publisher: Square Enix

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