By Charlene Chang
Reporter
Square Enix’s “Life is Strange 2” is one of the most outstanding games I’ve played where player’s decisions can make or break the lives of two Hispanic brothers trying to escape from the law. Having came out in 2018 with five episodes, “Life is Strange 2” takes a turn from the first of the Life is Strange series (2015) and successfully targets the hardships many people of color face in America today. The game touches on sensitive topics such as racism, police brutality, illegal use of marijuana and underage drinking.
You, the player, will play as Sean Diaz, a 17-year-old junior in high school living in Seattle, Washington in the year of 2016. Due to an incident that happened at home, you and your little brother, Daniel (age 9), must leave immediately to escape police custody and separation from each other. As said before, you will be given decisions throughout the whole game and whatever you may choose will determine the ending for both you and your brother.
The game has multiple endings, seven to be exact, and it all relies on your decisions.
I find it interesting how vital it is to choose carefully, as the tiniest of decisions could lead to long-term consequences. Being the older brother, you must be able to teach Daniel the rules of society and help him to keep a high morality as you are his one and only role model left.
What gives this game such a strange theme is that Daniel has a special secret which he is unaware of himself until the occurrence of the incident. With your help, you can either teach him to use his “secret” wisely or recklessly.
“Life is Strange 2” is not as popular as the first game but deserves a little more recognition as it does try to portray real-life situations and what minorities endure in America. What I love about this game is while you play as Sean, you get to experience the brotherly love they have for each other and really connect with the characters in the game, which does not happen too often in gaming.
If you are interested in plot-based, interactive gaming and have a feel for social justice, this is definitely a game I recommend to play.
This game can be played on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. Luckily, episode one can be downloaded and played for free on Steam, so if you decide you do not like the game, you will not have to waste a dime. If you would like to continue their story though, each episode after is $7.99 and Steam also provides discounts on bundles.
So, what will you be choosing?
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