Life is Strange 2 follows an entirely different story and protagonist from its predecessor, yet I would argue it is the most relevant and impactful game in the series to date. The game, directed by Michel Koch and Raoul Barbet, is choice-based, meaning players can choose which decisions they want their characters to make that drastically impact them and the game's subsequent outcomes. Choice-based games are one of my personal favorite genres of video games, having played similar ones like Detroit: Become Human and Until Dawn. Those who have played these types of games know how incredibly fun and interactive they are, but also how stressful. Life is Strange 2 is particularly stressful because these decisions bring consequences that mirror our reality all too well.

The game follows two Mexican-American brothers, 16-year-old Sean, controlled by the player, and 9-year-old Daniel, who has telekinesis powers. After an argument that ends in tragedy, Sean and Daniel decide to travel from their home in Seattle to their father’s hometown in Puerto Lobos, Mexico. The game consists of five episodes, each following a different stage of their journey to cross the border.

A lot of criticism I have heard from friends who have played the game is that since it is a storyline-based game following just two characters backpacking through the U.S., it is naturally boring in comparison to other games. I cannot deny that this game is slower than many others that I have played. There is barely any action, and the majority of the game is mostly spent clicking objects and seeing which ones you need to further the plot. Yet, I did not mind, and I truly think I would have liked the game less if the writers had tried to pack more excitement into each episode.

This is the type of game where, after playing a scene, particularly ones with a lot of emotional weight to them (which happens often), I pause the game and stare at the wall for 5 minutes. I did not play multiple episodes back-to-back, and frankly, the game took me a year to complete. I will admit that it is way too long to spend playing a video game, and someone could easily finish it in 2 days max, but I felt that I did not want that. I would purposely take my time with it, pressing every tiny object to hear Sean’s narration about it. The little details – like an old letter from the brothers’ mother or a photograph of Sean’s best friend – felt like a character deep dive, which I really appreciated. Maybe the plot was not logical at all times, and maybe it could have been faster, but when I think of the game, I remember how much I admire Sean’s strength to step into the role of a parent, or Daniel’s continuous resilience to all the misfortune around him.

Without spoiling much, the ending that I finished with made me cry for far longer than any other video game I have played. What is interesting about the game is that there are four main endings, and in some ways, none of them is truly a perfectly “good” one; tragedy follows the siblings no matter your decisions, in some ways reflecting reality. As much as the game hurt my soul, how likely is it that people get their happy ending just the way they expect it?

Life is Strange 2 touches on themes of brotherhood, responsibility, and, most importantly in my opinion, racism, intertwined with police brutality and immigration. The blatant racism they face due to their Hispanic heritage is the reason why they are on the road in the first place. The video game was released in 2018, during Donald Trump’s first term, and the directors were not shy to express that the game was rooted in stories and consequences of Trump’s policies and perspectives on immigrants.

More than seven years after the game was released, Trump is now in his second term, and his policies are greatly affecting Hispanic Americans today, who make up more than 62 million of the population and are the second largest ethnic group in the U.S. after White Americans. More than half of the Hispanic population in the U.S. have personally experienced racial discrimination. On January 20th, Trump signed multiple executive actions related to immigration, including promoting greater cooperation between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local and state governments. As of September 22nd, those with no criminal record now make the largest group in ICE detention.

Adding to that, recently a case was taken to the Supreme Court involving ICE, masked and heavily armed, specifically targeting Latinos and Hispanics around Los Angeles, including U.S. citizens, to interrogate them about their immigration status. Lower courts ruled this was illegal, and ICE did not have reasonable suspicion to justify these stops. Yet, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision (with three of the judges who voted for the ruling appointed by the President), ruled in favour of ICE to continue these patrols that involve heavy racial profiling. Their decision now allows ICE to target any person in Los Angeles they deem looks Hispanic, speaks Spanish, or works low-income jobs.

I have included these facts as anyone who has played the game knows that the challenges and hardships the brothers face draw inspiration heavily from the lived experiences of the Hispanic community. However, the game’s political themes have sparked mixed reactions. Some players share on the Life is Strange Reddit forum that hey appreciate its portrayal of discrimination, finding it reflective of realities they or others have encountered. Others view the depiction of racism and antagonists as exaggerated or lacking nuance. Personally, I think, given the state America is in, calling the game unrealistic no longer reflects reality.

I disagree with those saying that the racism is too extreme and that antagonists lack depth. Yes, there are some characters who are blatantly racist and truly have no redeeming qualities. Yet, there are still more subtle demonstrations of anti-immigrant sentiment, which I appreciated since it demonstrates the spectrum of racism that minorities face. This grey area manifests in the brothers' White grandparents, for example. The more conservative-leaning Reynolds family kindly takes care of the brothers in their time of need, prioritizing their safety and well-being. However, through the dialogue, I still picked up on the idea that these grandparents want the kids to conform to the white half of their heritage, downplaying their Mexican identity. There is no doubt that they are well-meaning, but the game gives you the choice for how you want to view and treat them based on this racial tension. These forms of covert racism go along with those that are overt, and I do think the game balances both sides of the spectrum well.

In response to an interview question on how the team tried handling a story with accuracy despite living far from the experiences they try to portray, game director Michel Koch replied that "[t]he most important thing to do when talking about these subjects, especially when we are not directly ourselves concerned in our lives with those issues, is to make sure we do a lot of research by talking to people, looking at documentaries, articles, playtesting the game with players to make sure we are not hurting anybody or misrepresenting someone."

Yet, it seems more research could have been done. The only criticism of the game that I cannot argue with, is repeated claims that it was obviously made by two French directors, despite their honorable intentions. For example, one may notice that the game leans into the "White savior" trope, making white characters consistently the ones to save the brothers from tough situations. Another critique was the way Mexico is portrayed as a country full of criminals and gangs, not amounting to anything else.

Overall, however, Life is Strange 2 really stuck with me. It combines the supernatural with real stories and hardships perfectly. Players get the experience of having fun playing around with Daniel's powers while still witnessing many moments of loss, abuse, police brutality, and bigotry. As a storyline-focused, choice-based game, it makes the player question their own morality, but also that of the world around them. It is also more politically relevant than ever, so despite its flaws, if you have the chance, check it out.