“10-53. Send backup immediately!” This astounding scene is what you will hear right in the first few seconds of the sequel, “Life is Strange 2.” Following the award-winning episodic graphic adventure game, Dontnod Entertainment has made its second entry to the series, “Life is Strange.” Right away, the beginning provides players with a shocking scene viewed from a cops dash cam. With the camera plummeting to the ground and the voice of a cop shouting for backup, already does the game pull the player on the edge of their seat with this attention-grabbing scene, prompting them to play on.

The episode officially starts as a scene unfolds with Sean Diaz and his friend Lyla prepare for an upcoming Halloween celebration. We then follow these two as they share a banter of your usual high school conversations, even going as far as discussing college and distance. After they part ways, the next cutscenes provide players with heartfelt and nostalgic feelings showcasing in on the Diaz family. Episodic video games that include these kinds of scenes are ones that really make for an overall feel-good experience, even if they can stray away from your usual chaos for only a few seconds. Players are then able to walk around the Diaz family home as Sean finds his laptop in order to call his Lyla. This game supplies little things around the house that can be further looked in on. Whether it is a magazine or even something lesser than that, this rather small detail can really give players background information on the personality of a character.

After the players indulge in those heartwarming scenes, tragedy then strikes. Sean witnesses a scene coming from outside as his brother Daniel has spilled fake blood all over their neighborhood bully, Brett Foster. Enraged, Brett begins to pick a fight with Daniel as his older brother Sean storms over to the scene. The screen then issues two options to be chosen, Confront Brett or Question Daniel. Every choice made in the game can make an impact in further parts and episodes.

Much like its previous entry, “Life is Strange 2” is available on a variety of platforms including, PC/Steam, PS4, Xbox One; macOS, and Linux (2019). The hard work put into this long-awaited sequel can easily be seen throughout the game, especially the setting. The variety of settings showcased in this are beautifully incorporated into the game with pleasing, easy on the eyes graphics. The Dontnod writing team are all huge fans of road stories and they include this by using the classic American road movie template for most of its setting. Michael Koch, Raoul Barbet, and Jean-Luc Cano have traveled around the Northwest and United States gathering inspiration for this game even as far as going to Mexico to do research on the Diaz brothers heritage. The setting is easily one of the best parts of the game and brings the story to life even more.

Many video game sequels like to focus on characters they’ve had since the beginning, but “Life is Strange 2” has given us a new set of characters. In a previous interview with IBTimes, it was stated that “Max and Chloe's story was already told.” While this may disappoint some fans, I believe that the new characters have a lot of potential. One of the things that captivate me most about this sequel though is the theme. Playing the part as the older sibling in the game you want to influence Daniel as best as you can. Each choice you make in the game can have an effect on how he will turn out as he grows older. While not a common theme for many, It is definitely a unique one. This distinct game about the adventure of siblingship truly makes for an enthralling journey.