A sequel to the critically acclaimed Life is Strange is finally at the horizon and DONTNOD Entertainment recently released the Season Two reveal trailer and some gameplay footage during Gamescom 2018. Fans of Life is Strange are ecstatic as they can finally again be immersed in a beautiful heart-warming story that the first story provided. The first of five episode series will be released on 27th September this year.
The trailer started off with the elder brother, Sean Diaz, self-contemplating on what can he do and how he can take care of his little brother, Daniel Diaz. Their goals and how they came to be in that situation are unknown as the brothers are seen living off the land in the wilds until a flashback occurred and a little more context came to light. A terrible tragedy has happened and the brothers are forced to flee.
Gamescon Gameplay
The lucky ones at Gamescon were able to play around 20 minutes of Episode One and here are what many are saying about the first episode.
The Brothers
Like Max and Chloe, the starstruck lovers of Life is Strange, Life is Strange 2 aims to tell the story using brothers, 16-year-old, Sean Diaz and 9-year-old, Daniel Diaz. While watching the gameplay, I am sure many are able to relate to the relationship they have with their own brothers when they are at that age.
This time the game revolves around the choices Sean made which will decide how Daniel will turn out in the end. The sense of responsibility that the player will hold to make sure that Daniel be a good kid and not abuse his powers. Daniel probably being the strongest 9-year-old psychic will need guidance from the player to make sure he does not stray from the innocent little brother he is. Well, sometimes.
The Backpack
One of the playable scenes are a exploratory type scene where the player control Sean walking and experiencing the house. The player will be able to pick up stuff that lies around the house and put them into the bag. This is important because when the Diaz brothers went on the run, the only thing that Sean is able to bring with him is the backpack.
So when you are exploring around the house, you have to think, which of the water, can of soda or beer is going to be more important to surviving in the wild? It’s beer btw! It is still unclear if the bag is going to be limited by Resident Evil’s tetris style or weight, just like skyrim. Luckily, you aren’t going to be able to bring everything you put your eyes on. You can even find things around the house like blankets, snacks and condoms. Well better to have it when you don’t need it than not have it when you need it.
The Powers
The time rewinding power in Life is Strange is a puzzle solving mechanic that helps the player by allowing player to rewind time when a bad choice is made. How convenient! However, in this sequel, the power seems to be something your choices control rather than the power helping your choices. Make a poor choice and Daniel might do something bad. How inconvenient.
On the contrast with Max’s power, Daniel’s power is very destructive and it is capable of murdering people. Will it trigger whenever Daniel is upset or angry? Or will it trigger when Daniel is in danger. The trailer shows that his power responded to his dad getting hurt and is triggered by powerful emotions.
In Captain Spirit, we now know that the psychic powers that saved Chris from falling are performed by Daniel! This meant that eventually, Daniel will be able to control his powers and capable of performing it on people safely.
On the whole, Life is Strange 2 is set out to be a heartwarming tale of two brothers trying to survive. They will most likely meet people who might help them or hurt them. The decisions made by Sean during the travels and during crucial moments will be a life lesson for Daniel and inherently this affects what kind of boy Daniel will become. The player might not have much control over Daniel and if Daniel becomes naughty, troublesome, and with the overwhelming psychic powers, disaster could struck at any point of the game. With September just around the corner, I definitely can’t wait to get started on this game and with this, I will leave you with something to think about.
