Life is Strange Episode Two Review: Timing Is Everything

Game Reviewed: Life is Strange Episode 2
Release Date: March 24th, 2015
Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: [Reviewed: PlayStation 4], Xbox One & PC
Genre: Graphic Adventure

Arcadia Bay, where dreams are endless and so are the options that Maxine has the ability to change. Life is Strange has proven to be a title that leaves you questioning your every move and leaving you second guessing every decision. Only in this game you can reverse the entire scenario and change the future.

Maxine is hoping to become a photographer and moves back to her roots to attend a prestigious high school that focuses on her craft, Blackwell High School. In the first episode, we learned a few important factors: Her childhood BFF Chloe is almost shot and killed in school, Chloe’s friend Rachel is missing and only a few seem to care, Nathan Prescott is the son a wealthy family and uses to his advantage to get what he wants, David who is Chloe’s stepdad and psychotically head of Blackwell H.S. security and a few others who story is slightly introduced.

Similar to TellTale’s The Walking Dead, the decisions you make will affect the remainder of the story. Life is Strange also shows you how your story reflects to other gamers that have completed chapters as well.

There’s more than enough to explore in Arcadia Bay, sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming though as you’re expected to investigate and look at almost everything you possibly can. But the heart of the episode two focuses on Kate dealing with the unwanted video that has gone viral as well as rebuilding your relationship with best friend Chloe.

It’s hard to appreciate the game in its entirety unfortunately. Just as in episode one the game completely slow drags and fail deliver enough solid gameplay. The story is great and quite detailed, but when the story only opens gameplay two to three times in the episode, the challenge is calling it a “great game.”

And it’s just when you think it’s not getting better, the game surprises the heck out of out of you! I’ve never expected to be in a situation where I am being required to save a life. It’s a moment more intense than episode one and powers can’t save the scenario this time around. It was this very moment where I began to understand why it’s important to focus to every little detail through this episodic adventure.

Just when you don’t know what to expect in every episode of Life is Strange, DontNod hits you with an enormous “wow” moment that captivates you and leaves you wanting a bit more. It’s not as strong as The Walking Dead, but it isn’t meant to be. It’s real lives being affected in the most unexpected ways imaginable. Life truly is strange.

The Scores

Gameplay: 3.5/5

Visuals: 4/5

Audio: 4/5

Controls: 3.5/5

Replay Value: 3/5

Overall Rating: 3.5/5