If you’ve played the first Life Is Strange, or its prequel, then you’ll already be aware that developers Don’t Nod are fans of making onion chopping ninjas appear while you’re gaming. You’ll happily be making (what you thought were) smart choices, when suddenly, that smart choice doesn’t look so hot anymore.
I knew going in that this was going to be a rough journey. What I didn’t know was how incredibly sensitively handled and well-told this traumatizing tale would be. Life Is Strange 2 tackles a number of issues, with racism being the most prominent, and Episode Five continues in the same vein as the earlier ones. It skillfully weaves choices that really matter into a heartbreaking, but incredibly moving finale for two brothers who have finally come to the end of the road.
The Story So Far
While this review won’t include spoilers for Episode Five, it’s assumed that you’ve played the first four chapters. If you haven’t, why are you reading this review instead of catching up?
After the traumatic aftermath of their father’s death, Sean and Daniel went on the run. Right from the start, the choices you made mattered, and Episode Five really shows this. You can even choose if you saved Arcadia Bay in the first game, which is reflected in the later narrative of Episode 5, especially in this final part.
After numerous nasty incidents, mostly involving racists taking against the boys for being Mexican, and a close call with the police, we left the boys in the aftermath of a dramatic escape. After Daniel was brainwashed by a cult while Sean was in the hospital, Sean and the boys’ mother, Karen, mounted a rescue. As Episode Four concluded, the brothers finally looked at peace as they drove off with Karen.
The Wolf Brothers
The episode begins with some bonding between the brothers. Enjoy this peace, as things are about to get very rough. Predictably, the calm doesn’t last and the brothers are on the road once more, still hoping to reach the Mexican border and finally, Puerto Lobos.
In some ways, this episode is less traumatic than others. Episode Four was a rollercoaster from start to finish, but this finale slows the pace, at least in the beginning. It’s a welcome relief and gives players a chance to catch their breath a little as they meet some interesting characters, including someone who will be very familiar to fans of the first game.
We also find out more about the brothers’ history, their mother, and some other interesting details that fill in their background. There are also some intriguing interactions that will vary, depending on if Arcadia Bay is still around.
While we enjoyed the lighter story, it only made us love the boys even more, which, in turn, makes the ending even more difficult to cope with. When things predictably begin to fall apart, the boys flee and, as we saw in the trailer, finally reach that border. What happens next depends on you.
Every Choice Counts
In the first game, the player was offered a choice which led to two different endings, both equally traumatic. This follow-up is not quite so clear cut.
While players only have a choice of two alternatives for the final decision, the outcomes for each depend on previous choices. There are actually four distinctly different endings, each with a mix of happiness and tragedy. There is also a slight variant to one ending and three slightly different alternatives to another.
As you can imagine, with this many endings, every single choice counts, even down to the little things that slowly impacted your relationships.
Tackling Important Issues
All throughout the episodes, the issue of racism has been tackled, while homophobia was touched upon. This final episode continues in that vein, with both issues once again explored.
These are sensitive topics that have been handled incredibly well. The narrative in this last episode is just as engaging, sensitive, and well-written as those which came before it. There’s no jarring difference and no huge letdown.
This time around, while the drama is not on a “destroying an entire town” scale, it’s actually more traumatizing, as so much of it is rooted in the consequences of racism. I’ve never felt my white privilege more than I did playing this. So many of these incidents sadly do happen, and that realism is what makes this harder to stomach.
Watching Sean explain racism to Daniel still breaks my heart, almost as much as the loss of Mushroom did.
A Satisfying Finale
As expected, the graphics, narrative, and soundtrack are absolutely stunning throughout. This series is known for its attention to detail, and this is never more apparent than in some of the tiny details you’ll notice in Wolves.
The pace can feel slightly slow at times, and there are a couple of moments that made me want to scream at the boys to hurry up, but it’s all part of the story. Ultimately, they are very minor annoyances due to my impatience, and the pace is generally well thought out, building up the finale well.
While not all the endings are happy, with one, in particular, being especially traumatizing, they all feel realistic and in line with the choices you need to make to get to each one. Each has elements of joy and sadness, and this feels right for the script. After all, they left a large amount of chaos behind them which can’t fail to have an effect on them, or anyone playing this beautiful game.
A PC copy of Life Is Strange 2 Complete Season was purchased by TheGamer for this review. Life Is Strange 2: Episode Five, Wolves is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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