Leo Venancio

As someone who enjoyed the first game, and especially Before the Storm, Life is Strange 2 was a disappointment. I was made to constantly feel like my choices were irrelevant, more often than not allowing me to shape only the "how" instead of the "what". I could perhaps change what one character might say here or there, while inevitably barreling toward whatever often-illogical and frustrating event the narrative had in store for me next. The game never seemed to care about common sense, much less how you as the player might feel about the necessity of common sense in a decision-based game. Both your character, the characters around you, and especially your little brother, will consistently make senseless and irritating choices on your behalf, which you will not be able to escape. The narrative forces you to buy into whatever's happening at moments when your decision ought to be critical, just so the story can limp along toward the next faux-emotional hyperbolic mess it wants you to experience. And during these events, the narrative will beg you to feel a certain way--sad, scared, hopeless or hopeful, affectionate--but you will instead feel shackled, constantly shaking your head at the screen. And then there's Daniel. Your partner-in-crime who, for the first episode-and-a-half, you want to protect and keep safe, quickly deteriorates into a little ball of ingratitude, anger, and irresponsibility, in the flip of a switch. Suddenly, everything is your fault. He will hurt your friends with his power, he will hurt you with his power, he will watch you get hurt and do nothing, multiple times, all while your character absurdly begs him for forgiveness at every turn, as if YOU were the one screwing up; you will often just get to choose HOW you want to beg for forgiveness. The narrative simply attempts to manipulate your feelings at every turn, in the most lazy possible way; instead of utilizing strong writing, emotional progression, and a reasonable sequence of events, it instead relies on...nothing in particular. Things just happen as they do, and you're meant to feel the way it wants you to feel, so don't bring your logic nor your intelligence into it. If I could make a suggestion to the writers: next time, don't assume so staunchly that you have all of the answers, especially in a decision-based game. Don't feel that it is your job to keep taking the player forcefully by the arm and dragging them back to what you believe is the best path for the narrative. Be a little more open-minded, and allow that open-mindedness to reflect on your project. This was a poor example of moral and creative exploration, because there just wasn't any. It felt like watching a linear movie--a very trying, oftentimes infuriating movie.