Life is Strange 2

This game has one of the best story lines in any game I have played thus far, If you love a game where you choices have actions in the world around you, you will love this game

I know the second game has far fewer fans than the first, and I get why. It has a different pace, different characters. There’s less Twin Peaks and more real America. It gets a lot of criticism, but I want to praise it instead. Maybe even overlook some of its rough edges, because Life is Strange 2 is a unique experience I genuinely want to recommend to everyone.

The story doesn’t hold back. It starts in warmth, in the comfort of a loving family. But within minutes, everything falls apart. Safety becomes a memory, replaced by the road — long, dangerous, and filled with impossible choices. The emotional weight doesn’t build by episode — it builds by the second. At some point, you think: that’s it, this is rock bottom. And then the game hits harder.

This isn’t just a story about brothers, the road, or superpowers. It’s about humanity, about choices, and the cost of kindness. There are no perfect answers. There’s just you, your little brother, and a world that isn’t always willing to make space for you. And all you have is each other.

One of the game’s biggest strengths is its visual style. It’s rougher, less “cozy-vintage” than the first one. But that’s intentional. The scenery keeps shifting — forests, deserts, makeshift shelters, strangers’ homes. Everything’s constantly in motion, just like the characters. Sometimes it’s bleak, sometimes stunningly beautiful. In those landscapes, you can feel the loneliness, the running, but also life, raw and real.

The music? Pure love. Every song is carefully chosen and hits just right. You’ll want to play them on repeat. They wrap around the atmosphere perfectly, right when they need to.

The gameplay is quiet, unobtrusive — it lets you truly step into the role of an older brother who isn’t just surviving, but teaching someone else how to live. That’s the core of it: you’re not just choosing dialogue. You’re shaping a personality, a moral compass, a child’s response to a brutal world. And because of that, the consequences hit differently — they feel like your responsibility.

Life is Strange 2 isn’t a perfect game. It has its flaws — some episodes drag, some plot twists feel abrupt. But even so, it deserves love. If nothing else, because every ending leaves you with a lesson that matters.

i cry every time i remember this game, one of the greatest things ive played and its not even glaze

It's hard to believe that anyone might not know what the first “Life is Strange” game was. It stands out as one of only 14 games, out of the 629 that I own, to which I have given a score above 9.5/10, and it is undoubtedly the best game in the Life is Strange franchise. The game is a third-person adventure where the player controls a character.

In "Life is Strange 2," the main character is a 17-year-old boy named Sean. The player interacts with the surrounding world, communicates with other NPCs, and performs actions that advance the game's storyline.
The plot is divided into episodes (here there are five plus a prologue), each set-in different environments and often featuring different NPCs. The only constant is the presence of Sean and his younger brother, Daniel, who is revealed in the prologue to have telekinesis powers. Although initially unknown, this power becomes increasingly significant as the game progresses.

The core of the game is not the power itself, but the interaction and relationship between the two brothers. The player’s choices and actions will influence their relationship throughout the game and determine the ending. Therefore, the choices are fundamental and should reflect how the player wants the main character to behave.

Unlike "Life is Strange 1," where the drama unfolds later in the game, players are immersed in a whirlwind of emotions from the prologue in "Life is Strange 2." While I don't want to compare this game to its predecessor too much, I consider both to be excellent games, even though I personally find "Life is Strange 1" superior to "Life is Strange 2".
I found Chloe (from LIS 1) to be more compelling than Sean, whom I felt was too submissive to his brother. Additionally, some parts of the storyline are hard to believe and overly filled with sad moments compared to LIS 1. Daniel is also challenging to manage, considering his young age of 9, and secondary characters often only appear for one episode, limiting the possibility of maintaining relationships with them.

If you loved “Life is Strange 1,” this second game is a must-buy, as it retains the same gameplay style. If you haven't played it before and are interested in these types of games, I recommend getting both.
As for the other titles in the Life is Strange series, I haven't played True Colors yet, so I can't comment on it, though it seems promising. However, I would advise against Double Exposure, which I have read is not worthy of the Life is Strange title.

The game takes about 12-20 hours to complete, depending on how much you enjoy reading, finding hidden objects for achievements, or talking to people. I believe a playtime of 15 hours is average.

Final rating: 8/10

Sometimes I wish I could revert time back like the prequel.
Great game awesome story.

Some choices feel pointless since the end point is same with slight differences. Although all choices contribute to ending overall.

Don't let your little brother say fuck or bad things will happen. Actually, it doesn't matter, at least before the game ends.

This is truly a very special and captivating story that slowly and surely draws you in. A story that really makes you think.
So regarding whether it is recommended... Yes, absolutely! ...that's a nobrainer.;)

Though displeased with the severe lack of desire to care how we gamer's feel when comes to their closed-mindedness on relationships. this was still my favorite of those I've played. the girl on girl writings were detailed, but the writers complete lack of desire to write more than a small peck for homosexuals. when talking of girls. they always had plenty to write. unfortunately. it comes off lacking of any care for anyone who wished to go through options to be with boys as a boy. they could of easily written more. they just prefer to be bigoted towards idea. I vote for re-write or adding dlc for each game to add the inclusivity it was severely lacking. the profit margins were easily high enough to do this, and doing so would aid in future sales exponentially. I am also aware of the trolls who bad mouth anyone who tries to say anything on this touchy subject. these are choice and consequence based stories that if they do not wish to play as homosexual or bisexual, they can simply choose not to. I have CPTSD myself, growing up in closet and dealing with such bigotry. especially as sexuality can be studied on multiple levels, as can mental illness. regardless, the point is in how such trolls should leave well enough alone as they try and force us to do. these are personal matters, thus has nothing to do with them. same as I've advocated for optional first, third. among other views, as I am medically retired and bed ridden a lot. I have severe high light concentration sensitivity. trolls despise we have a voice, despite their own desire to force their own views upon others. I vote for equality. it is just sad how so many just don't care to do anything but force their own individual logic upon others. they refuse to see beyond their own closed minded views and ideas. not caring as it doesn't bother them so it doesn't exist. truth is, Trolls are nothing but overgrown children, choosing to be petty. the writers of these books and games are behaving just as similarly as those trolls. these are only suggestions that would help the gaming industry, increasing the relationship with said customers, and help them to continue for many more generations to come, profits only increasing even higher as they would be giving the customers what they need to only increase their fortunes all the more. its sad, and evidence they don't care about their customers. especially, when adding something so basic is well within their means. its called respect. unfortunately, that seems to only be lacking more and more as the years go by. I can only hope this statement helps us all in the end.

From "life is strange" it is definitely masterpiece (compared especially to bullshit like true colors) in atmosphere, music and to some extent in plot (except from wild startup).

I am a lonely wolf unlike sean , Ill do everything for the people i love , even if they dont want me to , recommended 10/10 experience my ending .... i wont heal from it ever ig

I consider myself a fan of choice-based games, and among many of them, I feel a deep connection with Life is Strange 2. I believe this game resonates with my life due to the various situations and decisions one must face, and the consequences that come with them. It reflects the responsibility and weight a person must carry in life. It’s a calm and slow-paced game, yet it delivers a powerful message, touching on sensitive topics that are still relevant today—and likely will continue to be. If you’re going to play it, make sure to pay attention to everything around you and to the dialogues. With that said, I hope you enjoy this game as much as I did.

Life is Strange 2 is a beautifully made, emotional story that absolutely deserves recognition—but for me, it just didn’t hit the same way as the original. That’s not to say it isn’t good—because it really is. The journey of Sean and Daniel is powerful, full of heart and difficult choices, and it explores themes like brotherhood, identity, and survival in a way that’s raw and deeply moving. The writing is strong, the art style is familiar and comforting, and the moral weight of your decisions is as heavy as ever. But despite all that, it didn’t quite leave the same lasting imprint that Max and Chloe’s story did. Still, if you love narrative-driven games or the Life is Strange series in general, it’s definitely worth playing.

It's a great game. Nice engaging story. Wish they didn't portray nearly every white dude as either liberal, gay, or a racist jackass, but it was still a fun game! 8/10

my favourite game ever. i could go on about how amazing it is and how everyone should play it tbh. its just so so so good. the characters, the story everything. yes, the animation are stiff sometimes and my game lagged a few times but to be fair, this was released almost 7 years ago, so i dont mind. i do wish some characters had more screen time like lyla. other than that i genuinely loved this game so much.

ITS SO AWESOMESAUCE!!!!!!!!

This game is a wild ride of emotion it had me crying at 3am but by 7 I was super happy 10/10 story would recommend for sure

cried 4 times in a span of what? 15 minutes maybe??? 10/10 game would recommend, don't have a brother so Daniel just pissed me off half the game, but hey he's just a kid after all. so yeah, ruined me emotionally but that's okay cause its a banger game also, David cameo!!!!!!!

absolute peak game, changed my life and the main characters are very likeable. 10/10 would recommend

It's a different experience to the first game, but I had come to appreciate it by the end. Has a road trip feel to this adventure.

I have had this game for so long and never can seem to will myself passed the ride in the car after the gas station. Every thing leading up to that takes so long to play out... and it's just a very static feeling story. I am sure based on the other reviews that this is a good game.

It's just... remember the first one? How it came out in episodes and they kind of just stopped doing it that way? Every episode had a climax and/or cliff hanger that kept you wanting to play. I think they have definitely lost sight of what made their first one so popular.

Life is Strange 2 is not a bad game overall, but it definitely has its flaws. Sometimes the story has really silly moments, and some choices lead to strange or unrealistic consequences. Compared to the first game, the second part feels weaker and less impactful. That said, it’s still a decent experience, especially if you're into narrative-driven games. A lot of the game depends on the younger brother, which can be interesting but also frustrating at times.

best LIS game out of the series, 10/10 experience, didn't expect it to be this emotional and heavy

played for the 3rd times, and this is the best wolf stories that ever existed, que padre!

It did not click the same way LiS1 did, it feels more difficult to relate to the characters.

Man i really slept longer on this one than i should have. For sure worth a chance by anyone curious. I wasn't sold quite yet until i got into episode two then suddenly i cared a ton about these characters. These games are all a bit corny and extreme sometimes , which most know the type of game to expect when playing any lis games. To people who don't might not give it a chance to build the scenario, underneath the extreme ways it gets its story moving is meaningful perspectives on different lives. The way it drags you into the insane emotional decisions of the characters that feel real somewhere( without powers) . The responsibility of trying to still guide your younger brother to be a good person and do the right thing in such an unfair world is kind of what i imagine having kids is like. Mad respect to people with kiddos. That pressure is low key really scary. The game really makes you believe you yourself are in this situation and you start really thinking hard about whats the right move for not only yourself but people around you. I'm telling you , something about this one.

the game is absolutely amazing. life of strange 2 is definitely the best of all the LiS , although the graphics aren't the best i think that adds a lot to the charm of the game a brilliant game with 5 more endings than the 1st

I can understand it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but honestly, LIS2 is the greatest of the series (alongside before the storm). I mean, the themes it discusses are done spectacularly. Plus this game had me crying like a b-tch half the time so i'll give it that. It may not have the same amount of insane plot twists LIS1 had, but its a truly amazing game.

I absolutely love this game! The story is so engaging, and you get super attached to Sean and Daniel. Their journey is emotional, intense, and full of tough choices that really make you think. I’ve replayed it twice just to see how different things could turn out, and I’m so glad I managed to get the two best endings!

If you play this, just be ready to cry your eyes out. Seriously. 💙

I've always loved the Life is Strange games, even dating back to when it first came out on PS3.

Out of them all I'd say that this one is the best in the series <3

Don't understand the hate. Besides Tell Me Why, this is my favorite LIS game ever. Love the story of Sean and Daniel Diaz. Only LIS game that made me cry like a baby, and I can relate to to Sean on so many levels myself. Beautiful game, beautiful soundtracks, as with all LIS games, and excellent writing, and I also like the upgraded graphics. Those who hate on this, calling it too woke or political are the very people who are the reason these brothers became wanted fugitives in the 1st place. If this game doesn't break you, I dunno what will. Besos!

This game is one of the best games i ever played. The graphic, the story, everything was amazing. I think its amazing how they added a little bit from lis 1 to the story as well. Its worth it, i recommend it to everyone, unless you don't like long games.

100% worth the price (32$)

You get a pretty unforgettable story with memorable characters.
If you're hoping for a great story, just stop reading reviews and buy the game!

The bad reviews for this game are usually just sad they didn't get to see Chloe and Max again.

ENG:
Life is Strange 2 delivers an emotional and thought-provoking journey, driven by strong character development and meaningful choices. The writing feels authentic, and the relationship dynamics evolve naturally, making every decision impactful. While the pacing can be slow at times, the story’s depth and emotional weight keep it engaging. The soundtrack and art direction enhance the atmosphere beautifully. Some players may find the lack of traditional gameplay elements limiting, but the narrative strength makes up for it. It’s a powerful experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

RO:
Life is Strange 2 oferă o experiență emoționantă și profundă, susținută de o dezvoltare puternică a personajelor și alegeri semnificative. Dialogurile sunt autentice, iar dinamica relațiilor evoluează natural, făcând fiecare decizie importantă. Deși ritmul poate fi lent uneori, profunzimea poveștii și impactul emoțional mențin interesul ridicat. Coloana sonoră și direcția artistică completează perfect atmosfera. Unii jucători ar putea considera lipsa elementelor tradiționale de gameplay ca fiind o limitare, dar forța narativă compensează acest aspect. Este o experiență puternică, care rămâne cu tine mult timp după ce se termină jocul.

After playing LiS1 I was pleasantly surprised by how good the sequel is and in many ways an improvement. The writing in general is better and less internet cringe, but that also makes the events all the more devastating. The gameplay has more to it than the first as well which was a nice change. It is a story that uses supernatural elements, but at it's core is a truly human and real experience

I really enjoyed this game. It was a really cool, emotional story, and I like the freedom of choosing your path along the way. Deals with some important, tough life circumstances in a really impactful way. I'm already trying to figure out what choices I'll make in my next play through.

Bravo! Encore ! Encore!
The crowd stands to their feet clapping and cheering. What amazing theatre ! Take a bow, team Dontnod. Well done.

Such a powerful story, so detailed and nuanced. The expressions of the characters, so well thought out, so appropriate, speaking volumes more than words. And each character, so interesting, tiny cosmic universes, all passing like ships in the night, each helping to shape the wolf brothers as Sean and Daniel hurtle (often helplessly) to their inevitable final decision. And what a finale it was! Absolutely edge-of-your-seat immersion.

By far my most favourite game played to date.

Achievement Hunters: Like the first Life is Strange, this one is easy to beat. Just Play the game from start to finish and return to the chapters to mop up any you missed in Collectable Mode.

Replayed this game recently and i can say it is my favourite game in the franchise. I felt connected to the story and engaged the whole time. I do enjoy all the different places that the brothers go to and i really like how there are a lot of different ending depending on your morality and choices throughout the game. I also really like the side characters who may only be in a episode but they really make the story.
Overall score 9.5 / 10 .

Not a good game tbh. I had played LIS which was quite fun and the choices actually meant anything. This game hardly offers you choices that are relevant and it's just not upto the mark if you have played other choice based games like the telltale ones. Besides, the story falls flat and sometimes feels absurd.

Where do I begin with this game, damn.

All I can say is this game lacks any substance or direction

I don't think any other game in this franchise was as impactful as this one to me, it stays in my thoughts, I keep replaying it. You did something really well with this one, I hope you hold on to that.

Great game that touches on multiple heavy subjects, xenophobia, racism, friendship, family, etc. would recommend to anyone.
Personally I found the first episode slow to get into, but once you get past that beginning stage it's fucking fantastic.
I loved the first life is strange, and this one is just as good, if not better but that just goes down to my personal preferences.
If you like a tragic thriller and a slap of drama when you least except it, this is what you're looking for.

When this game first came out, I held pretty negative views on this game but as I grew older, played more games and interacted with people all over the world... I see this game as nothing less than a masterpiece that tells a unique and very important story about familial/human bond, sacrifice, freedom and morality.





(I had a whole essay to write, but decided to keep it short)
The music's amazing, the themes of the episodes are consistent and pretty good. (Ep.2 "Rules" is really powerful), lots of innovation in this game, the characters have a lot of growth but they are contained in the episode they appear in, lots of different little outcomes that can happen. There are some parts that feel a little preachy but now that I'm older, I really don't see the issue people had with this game.

I think this game deserved much more than what it received, but I'm glad it still succeeded and that it has its own dedicated fan-base even though it's considered the black sheep of the franchise.

Overall a great game, but I hate Episode 5.

Absolutely stunning graphics all throughout. Each episode takes place in a different state, which I think is cool, and each one has spectacular scenery. The graphics are perfection.

The gameplay is also excellent. Tons of interactivity, so even though it's mostly an interactive movie, you feel like you can really explore the world and at least somewhat shape the story. Your choices really don't matter that much, and I get it because the devs would have to have an astronomical budget to make tons of genuinely branching content at such a high production value, but what changes your choices do have always feel smooth and natural. Each episode also has six little collectibles you can search for.

The story, well... the storytelling is excellent. The LiS franchise really excels at that. The story itself... there's a lot of stupidity. Basically Sean speedrunning Bad Choices Simulator, regardless of whatever you choose. The premise the entire story is based on is questionable at best. But okay, whatever, it's a great game, so I'll take it. The first two episodes are fantastic, and the incorporation of The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit in Episode 2 takes it to another level. In Episode 3, the politics start to ramp up and the story quality starts to fall off. Same in Episode 4, which also feels too rushed to appropriately resolve the plot it took on. And then, Episode 5 nearly brings the entire thing crashing down.

Long story short, the game doesn't respect your choices and forces you into its own opinions. This broke me out of the immersion and I lost my spiritual connection to Sean because he wasn't following the choices I was giving him, so I no longer really cared what happened to him. Huge letdown for what started out as such a great game.

Long story long, Karen, Sean and Daniel's mother who abandoned the family when they were kids, shows up in Episode 4 and explains why she left: because she "didn't like being a mother." Oh, I see. Okay. Well then that certainly justifies traumatizing three people you supposedly love, leaving two kids, one of which is a newborn, without a mother. She never made any attempt to contact them either, but oh, don't you know, it was "hard" for her, but oh, she had to stay "true" to herself. How noble. Does she regret it? No, because she decided to "live life without regrets." Well how fortunate for you and you alone, Karen.

So okay, alright. I chose all the bad dialogue options with her. No, I as Sean don't forgive this raging hedonist. I let her help me rescue Daniel because that was a dangerous situation, but otherwise, gtfo, Karen. But then, Episode 5 opens a couple months later with the boys living in Karen's little hippie commune in Arizona. Uhh... okay, maybe Sean just agreed out of desperation and is actively looking for better optio-- oh, wait, no. He loves it there. He makes sure to insinuate that hard every time you look at anything. "Wow, we sure are lucky we can live here with Karen." "Wow, it must have been so hard for poor abusively selfish Karen to have responsibilities, wow I sure can empathize with her abandoning her entire family, including a newborn, to aimlessly travel the country writing poetry."

That would've been fine if I'd chosen positive options with Karen, but I didn't. The game forces a positive relationship with her no matter what, which only made me hate her more. Devs, you could have allowed us to have a negative relationship with her and then just shown Sean years later gazing at a picture of her looking sad, which would have allowed you to push your stupid opinion without taking away the player's agency. I was already disillusioned with the story by the time I got to the end, which made it a lot less impactful.

But despite the terrible ending, do I recommend this game? Yes, absolutely, it's a great game.

The game is extremely unique and interesting, with great characters you just want to learn more and more about, I owned the game since day 1 on playstation and waited for each episode with anticipation. I had to get it again on PC and re-live it. Once i finished the game it really settles in that you are no longer going to see more of these characters and its sad. You really grow a connection with the characters and really just wanna follow them in the long run. I know its extremely unlikely but i hope we get more content for this game or a sequel in some way. I think if LIS2 gets a canon ending it should be blood brothers. (or if they have an option on what ending you like LIS2 does for LIS1) And imaging playing as Sean while Daniel is grown up able to make his own decisions know would be interesting. And potentially have a plot where the have to go back to America. And i know that sounds dumb like "Why would they ever go back?" but i think thats something that could also make for an interesting plot.


Whether its Mexico's police getting their "illegals" out and their sent back to the US or perhaps Sean awakens a power too. and just to see how the brothers handle the world while being an adult. Meeting an adult Chris or an Older Brody or potentially Max (Maybe Chloe) would be great.

While after they get forced back into America they would have to find a way to prove that Sean is innocent, in a short period of time. But again that can be something in the story. (I'm not a story writer) and obviously the story would shift depending on the ending you got. I think for this to happen tho they would need a minimum of the 15 time skip because of one of the endings.

I don't think LIS2 would ever choose a canon ending, so if they really could somehow include all endings to be a game that would be incredible. Even if we always somehow end up on the same path as the other endings.

Again unlikely, this was just a dumb brainstorm idea i had. I just think any more content with this game would be great.

The game is 10/10.

Great stories. Sad that we never see cassidy again after the wasteland.

An emotionally devastating game with a variety of unexpected twists and turns. The characters are so terrifically well written. which only makes the dialogue and choices you make in the game all the more harder and impactful.

Honestly, If there had to be one DontNod game to recommend, I'd choose this one over and over, despite how much the story kicks your mental health in the ass.

I played every installment of Life is Strange so far and I really loved it.

This game has nothing to do with that experience. It's a walking simulator and it cant even do that correctly, because after 2.6 hours the character moves at its own when arriving at the river. I cant give it back, there is no fix.
No, my keyboard is not broken. Yes, all drivers are up to date.

Also the graphics are really outdated and the story so far makes no sense at all.

👍

Game hits hard, especially as an older sibling. It’s hard to put into words, but there were moments when I was just sitting there, jaw dropped, tears in my eyes. The side characters felt incredibly real—never like caricatures, but like actual people with their own struggles and personalities.

The world is so detailed and fun to explore, full of small things that made it feel alive. I especially loved the moments where you could sit down and listen to Sean’s thoughts, or start another one of his drawings. It added so much depth to his character and the journey overall.

Daniel, as a little kid, was realistically annoying at times—hard to control, unpredictable—but that just made the relationship feel even more genuine. You do your best as his older brother, even when it’s tough.

The choices you make actually change the story, on a smaller and bigger scale. I was really satisfied with my ending, tho I think the "right" ending is different for everyone :)

This game is VERY relevant to today's times to a point that it's just really sad.
It's a wonderful game and I think made me more emotional overall than LiS1 or Before the Storm. Not at all saying it's more emotional in general than those games, it's just my personal experience.
Less licensed songs, but they do have some good ones like I Found A Way and On Melancholy Hill. The original background music is really nice, fits the mood well.
The characters really grew on me. I know it's notorious that Daniel can be annoying, but in my playthrough even though I was going for low morality to aim for Blood Brothers I still managed to get high brotherhood - so he wasn't that much of a pain. There are way more choices to account for, even little conversations can change things, so I had to watch out for that a lot (especially because I wanted the best relationship for them).
My main gripes were some graphical issues (Sean had the walkie talkie in his hand the entirety of the final scene in episode 4/Faith, which I couldn't decide if I wanted to laugh at how absurd it was that it was just impaled on his hand or how devastating the scene was as the cult church was burning down lmao) and some game bugs (when it comes to Daniel following you in segments of the game where you're walking with him, those were a bit weirdly-designed; as well as a part in episode 5/Wolves where I actually got stuck after building the sculpture with Joan and Daniel because the next event - Daniel radioing Sean to ask about the treasure hunt - didn't trigger because he was still in the chair when the cutscene had ended, so I had to reload that checkpoint) but to me it wasn't that detrimental to the gameplay overall, just kind of there.
Really good, would probably replay one day in the future on the high morality track just because.

A forgotten and underappreciated gem of the LiS series.

Many people have commented that they don't relate to the characters, found the pacing boring, or the story to be too heavy. I personally found a lot of moments to be really heartfelt, while also heartbreaking, a lot of cute, funny, well-written scenes that felt quite similar to real life, and characters that I grew to love and appreciate.

This is a pretty in-depth game, and though not perfect, I am playing through it for a second time after playing it a few years ago and enjoying it even more this second time.