Life Is Strange 2: Episode 1 Review
Life is Strange 2 - Episode 1: A headlong rush to the slightly windy beginnings.Three years after a first season that enchanted lovers of interactive drama with its aura, its setting and its characters, "Life is Strange by DONTNOD" is indeed back. Exit the adventures of Max and Chloé who had since offered a prequel signed Deck Nine, and place a whole new story, very different from the first formula in many ways. And if work is indeed present on this adventure, more mature than the previous one, it is clear that it does not, for the moment in any case, have the same power of attraction as the previous one, nor - even, strangely, the same mastery of the video game medium ...
A CURRENT ADVENTURE, MORE MATURE THAN BEFORE
Life is Strange 2 - Episode 1: A headlong rush at a bit windy beginnings ...Life is Strange 2 puts you directly in charge of Sean Diaz, a young teenager from Seattle who lives a peaceful life with his father, garage owner, and Daniel, his little brother in need of love and attention. After a few minutes of play, a tragic event occurs and the two brothers are forced to flee their daily lives, chased by the police for a murder that they did not commit.
Life is Strange 2 - Episode 1: A headlong rush at a bit windy beginnings ...
In the heart of an America which will see the election of Donald Trump a few days later, Sean and Daniel will suffer racism, loneliness and sorrow during their journey. They will then have, during five episodes, to relate to a handful of things remaining in their life: fraternity, on the one hand, but also and above all the strange power developed by Daniel when he loses control of his emotions .
Life is Strange 2 - Episode 1: A headlong rush at a bit windy beginnings ...
This supernatural faculty, which the two brothers will have to identify and tame, will allow them to brave the pitfalls and reach Mexico, the ultimate objective and land on which they will logically be delivered from this headlong rush. Sean will soon have the heavy task of assuming his new role of responsible adult and will have to brutally detach himself from his carefree teenage life. A passage, from one age to another, that the player will have to ensure through the many tests that make up Life is Strange 2.
AN ALTERNATION OF TEMPO THAT OFTEN FLIES
Life is Strange 2 - Episode 1: A headlong rush to the slightly windy beginnings ...This first episode therefore propels us through four large distinct sequences. Some will offer us a plethora of elements to interact with, bringing their share of sometimes moral choices, while others will be more intimate. In these latter, it is the relationship between Sean and Daniel that is at the heart of the story and the dialogues. We discover a whole new dynamic in Life is Strange: the importance of the example that we give to our younger brother, based on our actions as a player.
Life is Strange 2 - Episode 1: A headlong rush at a bit windy beginnings ...
There are therefore three major axes of influence over the course of the first episode: vulgarity, honesty, and violence. According to our reactions to various sequences or dialogues, Daniel will retain behaviors and reproduce them, we imagine, in the future, in future episodes. Unfortunately, we cannot judge the relevance of the consequences at present because the repercussions are currently minimal, not to say invisible ... Furthermore, do not expect to see alternative sequences according to your choices, because even having redone the episode by taking opposite choices, the course is broadly the same, from the beginning to the end, which is a shame considering the genre on which we are.
However, let’s keep in mind that the course of the episode remains pleasant and free from false notes. From the famous sequence of the beginning of the flight until the end of this first section, we feel regularly touched by the story of the two brothers, despite the fact that Daniel appears, at first sight, unbearable, because totally disconnected from what is going on Sean. The latter, through the player, is therefore forced to lie to him about the reality of their fugue, and protects him constantly, paying attention to who he speaks, what he says or what he does for not to draw attention to the duo, actively sought by the police.
We are surprised to have pain when hard blows hit the siblings, but also to be touched when the big brother takes care of his protégé. Left to themselves, without technology and without clearly drawn horizon, the Diaz brothers manage in the space of 2 to 3 hours to lose us with them and to embark on an improvised road trip, enjoying from time to time a beautiful panorama that allows you to breathe between two moments of tension. A distress that is reminiscent of that experienced in Detroit Become Human through the arc of Kara and Alice. A particular sequence (a quarter of the episode of Life is Strange 2) is indeed based on the same drivers in terms of choice and ethics. A coincidence unfortunately fortuitous in view of the production timings, but which will have a little taste of deja vu for those and those who will have made the adventure of Quantic Dream a few months before Life is Strange 2, and who will be here faced with the same situation, from one game to another.
QUALITY TECHNICAL AND SOUND COATING
Life is Strange 2 - Episode 1: A headlong rush at a bit windy beginnings ...Obviously, the epic presented here would not be as effective without a good soundtrack and at this level, DONTNOD always knows how to do it. The soundtrack, without reaching the quality of that of the first season, perfectly accompanies our road trip and will shine at several moments of escape, sporting strong themes or beautiful discoveries in folk and pop music. The dubbing is also very good and the graphic aspect of the title benefits from the hard work done by the studio since its passage on the Unreal Engine 4.
Life is Strange 2 - Episode 1: A headlong rush at a bit windy beginnings ...
Thinner, more realistic and more detailed than its previous episodes, Life is Strange 2 offers a level of quality equivalent to that of the Extraordinary Adventures of Captain Spirit. He also takes up the initiative in terms of the dynamism of dialogues and sequences of interactions. However, the title sometimes feels a little too forced to make certain sequences interactive, and it shows clearly ...
GOOD INTERACTION IDEAS… SOMETIMES Poorly EXECUTED
Life is Strange 2 - Episode 1: A headlong rush at a bit windy beginnings ...The new dynamic of game design, which proposes here to dwell on the education of Daniel according to our actions, is therefore the big focus of the adventure, which seems to neglect in passing what was in part the success of the first season. A multitude of once significant elements therefore seem to have become minor in the eyes of the teams. We could cite as an example Max's "diary", which offered passionate and fascinating stories, and which gives way here to a drawing book which is ultimately quite poorly maintained. In the latter, Sean pencils some sketches decorated with descriptive inscriptions, which are no longer directly translated into French. You will therefore have, as with any document in the game, to press a key to obtain the translation, which removes a lot of charm from the process.
Life is Strange 2 - Episode 1: A headlong rush at a bit windy beginnings ...
SMS, which was once a good way to feel immersed in the adventure and to see that the different NPCs react to our actions, are also underused in this suite. They will therefore be relegated to the background, but in a completely logical way since Sean must “play dead” with his friends. The cell phone will therefore only be used at the start of the adventure, but will soon be forgotten.
As for the photos that our heroine took at various places in Life is Strange, they are replaced here by some landscapes that our character will crunch and will be made thanks to an interaction, in several stages, with the decor. Based on a good idea, this feature is quite poorly executed since we will simply target a plan, turn the stick of the joystick and repeat the action until we have finished drawing. It's a shame not to have made it an art more complex to master, even if it means taking inspiration from other productions of the same type.
These new interactions, minimal and minimalist, mark out the narrative at regular intervals, without having any interest or purpose. The height is reached when the Diaz brothers dance in rhythm and that one can manage the camera to zoom in, zoom out, and make a “tilt” ... DONTNOD seems to want to familiarize the player with these “small interactive actions” but their playfulness and their depth is currently very limited. So let's hope they gain in ingenuity and usefulness as the episodes progress.
Note however the appearance of some nice additions to the rank of novelties. Among them, we find the inventory, completely reworked and symbolized by Sean's backpack, which can also be customized thanks to small lucky charms found in the levels. As for the multiple references to pop culture, they are replaced here by a few nods to games known as Minecraft or The Last of Us, and which are rather well brought by writing.
The notes
+ Positive points
Moral dilemmas very present…
Technically more beautiful, sharper and much better animated
Larger and more open environments ...
Beautiful soundtrack and quality dubbing
Tell yourself that our actions educate little Daniel ...
A story without false note and rather touching
-Negative points
... But no significant branching is present in the episode
Some totally useless interactive sequences
... but a lot of invisible walls
Underused journal and SMS
... But no repercussions are visible during the episode
Life is Strange 2, through its first episode, transforms the formula of the first season. We therefore move on to a survivalist, intimate getaway, in which the player must above all feel adult and responsible for little Daniel, which is not always obvious. The possibilities are theoretically much greater, but in reality the adventure has never been so linear. At present, only the education of Sean’s little brother is significantly impacted by our actions, and the consequences are not really visible at the moment, except on the summary screen broadcast at the end of the episode. While remaining rather beautiful, interesting and engaging, Life is Strange 2 seems, with this first opus, to have somewhat forgotten its roots and the genre to which it belongs ...
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