Life is Strange 2 (2018): The Review

Overview

Life Is Strange 2 takes the series’ familiar narrative-driven formula and stretches it across a broader, more ambitious canvas, confronting heavy, real-world themes as it journeys across the United States. If you’re here for the story, it delivers in spades, but the gameplay itself stays fairly light, serving more as a vehicle for the narrative than a draw on its own.

Score: 7 out of 10

The Positives ✅

Life Is Strange 2 takes the intimate, small-town focus of the first game and blows it wide open into something far more ambitious. Instead of staying rooted in one place, this story becomes a full-on road trip, following Sean and Daniel Diaz as they cross states, backroads, and borders in search of safety. That constant movement gives the sequel a scale and variety the original never quite reached.

The journey itself is packed with memorable encounters. From drifters growing weed in the woods, to estranged grandparents, to kind-hearted strangers and manipulative authority figures, every stop feels like a snapshot of a different America. Each new face brings a different perspective, and it makes the world feel alive rather than staged.

What really stands out is how fearlessly it tackles heavy topics. Xenophobia, police brutality, exploitation, abandonment, it’s a lot to juggle, but Dontnod handles it with surprising sensitivity. It never feels like it’s using these issues for shock value; instead, they’re woven naturally into the brothers’ struggles, making their journey feel painfully real.

Sean and Daniel’s relationship is the emotional backbone. Their dynamic starts off messy and believable, older brother annoyed, younger brother clingy, but watching them slowly bond through shared hardship is incredibly touching. You can actually feel them growing up, not just emotionally but physically as the episodes roll on.

Presentation helps sell all of this, too. The art style remains stylized but more detailed, environments feel richer, and the voice acting carries genuine warmth and vulnerability. Pair that with the series’ signature indie-folk soundtrack and you’ve got a vibe that’s mellow, reflective, and quietly devastating all at once.

The Negatives ⚠️

Where the game stumbles most is in its gameplay. Like its predecessor, it’s extremely light on interactivity, mostly walking, talking, inspecting objects, and picking dialogue options. That can work when the writing is firing on all cylinders, but long stretches start to feel more like watching than playing.

Daniel’s telekinetic power also feels underutilized. It’s a cool narrative hook, but mechanically it’s mostly limited to scripted moments and the occasional prompt. There’s a lot of missed potential here for puzzles or more dynamic gameplay sequences that could’ve broken up the monotony.

Pacing can drag, too. Conversations sometimes linger longer than they need to, with certain scenes repeating emotional beats without adding much new. When characters spiral into extended monologues, it risks dulling the impact rather than strengthening it.

Sean himself can be a mixed bag as a protagonist. His constant emotional outbursts are understandable given the circumstances, but they occasionally tip into melodrama. Instead of empathizing, you sometimes just want him to take a breath.

Even visually, while improved overall, there are small rough patches, like odd-looking hair physics that can make characters resemble they’re wearing plastic wigs. Minor, sure, but noticeable in an otherwise immersive presentation.

The Experience 🎮

Playing Life is Strange 2 feels less like solving a mystery and more like surviving a journey. It’s quieter, heavier, and more grounded. You’re not rewinding time or chasing a big supernatural hook, you’re just trying to protect your little brother and make it to tomorrow.

That constant sense of vulnerability sticks with you. Every decision feels weighted, even the small ones. Do you trust this stranger? Do you use Daniel’s power and risk exposure? Do you reach out to someone who could help, or hurt you? The game’s choice system makes you second-guess yourself constantly in the best way.

I found myself getting oddly attached to the in-between moments: sketching in the notebook, sitting by a campfire, riding trains, just existing with these characters. Those quiet pauses make the bigger emotional hits land harder. It’s less about spectacle and more about connection.

Watching Sean and Daniel change over time is what really sold it for me. By the end, they’re not the same kids you started with, and neither are you. Their bond feels earned through exhaustion, fear, and sacrifice, which gives the ending(s) real emotional punch.

It’s not the most mechanically exciting game out there, but that’s kind of the point. Life is Strange 2 lives and dies by its story, and thankfully, that story is heartfelt enough to carry the whole thing. Messy, slow, sometimes overly dramatic… but also sincere and deeply human.