Review for Life is Strange 2. Game for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 27/09/2018
The long path to the credits continues, and the creature of Dontnod e Square Enix does not disappoint expectations. In Life is Strange 2 Episode 4: Faith, as per the tradition of the series, the more the hours pass, the more the story becomes darker and more mature, with the plot that evolving accompanies the growth of the protagonists, to whom we are now inextricably linked thanks to an empathy that only Dontnod is able to build.
Sean is in the hospital with severe damage to one eye. Episode 3 was short and not too incisive for the economy of the whole adventure, if not for a gunshot ending that has upset the narrative plot for the umpteenth time, proving how if you are a Life is Strange character you can never hope to sit quietly for a minute and rest. The two protagonists are now separated: it is not known where Daniel is, and Sean has been captured and taken to the hospital to heal from the wounds inflicted on him by the extraordinary power of his brother.
While the utopian dream of Puerto Lobos is increasingly a distant mirage, in Life is Strange 2 Episode 4: Faith most of the time we will take control of Sean and we will bond even more deeply with this incredible character.
The themes dealt with by storytelling are by now well-established and known: the story of Life is Strange 2 once again brings with it reflections on racism and on growing up, as the first three episodes have accustomed us to. Focusing on Sean is an interesting choice: the older of the two brothers is in fact the one closest to adulthood and his having to take care of his brother forces him to often fought decisions, perfect for increasing the degree of empathy with the player and making him repent. of every single choice. Why this is what Life is Strange has always done: every moral choice, large or small, affects the plot in a - at least apparently - very strong way, giving the impression of a butterfly effect that drags events and that could never have been foreseen.
“Impression” because, as we have already highlighted in the review of the previous episode, replaying and trying to make different choices we realize how after all the story leads in the same direction; Dontnod's ability, in fact, always remains that - incredible and fascinating - of making it seem that every single choice triggers a series of cascading events making the player feel like the author of a plot always able to make him exclaim "Oh my God what have I combined! ".
On the gameplay side there are no particular news, except that by controlling Sean the part of puzzles related to the use of Daniel's powers is missing, which however in the second part of the adventure you can use in an unconventional and quite innovative way compared to what has been seen up to Now. The moral choices are heavier, and we perceive the beginning of the climax that, with the fifth chapter, will prune at the end of the adventure: finally, especially compared to what happened for the third and previous episode - decidedly more transitional and in which perhaps the most important choice was whether or not to give in to the temptations of the flesh with the disturbing Cassidy - this time the maturation of the protagonist also reflects on the "Heaviness" of the decisions to be made.
Nothing to complain about the technical sector: we have already praised it several times in the reviews of the first three episodes, and Life is Strange 2 Episode 4: Faith has done nothing but confirm our already excellent judgment. The transition from the shady forest to the landscapes of Nevada is as convincing and surprising as the transition to the snow-capped mountains of Episode 2, demonstrating how versatile Dontnod's graphics engine is. We will never get tired of saying it: don't be fooled by the cartoon look, because Life is Strange is more adult and complete than ever, and despite the apparently childlike aspect his characters are so deep that they always know how to enter your heart.
Definitely better in terms of longevity and involvement than the third episode, Life is Strange 2 episode 4: Faith proves to be of the highest level. Obviously, the definitive judgment remains open which, as for every Dontnod product, can only be expressed once the epilogue of this umpteenth adventure has been tasted. For the moment, the conditions are all there and we can't wait to witness a finale that we sincerely hope will be full of fireworks.
► Life is Strange 2 is an Adventure-type game developed by Dontnod and published by Square Enix for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 27/09/2018
