Alice Bee: I’ve carried out the summoning ritual (the ritual is: sending an e-mail) and referred to as errant skate boy Brendy again for one final job earlier than retirement. It is, in any case, time for the final episode of Life Is Strange 2, a harrowing street journey game about two brothers making an attempt to make it from Washington state to Mexico. And since we started the journey together, it appears solely proper we must always end it collectively. Reader, there will probably be spoilers forward, so thoughts you don’t step in them.
What a journey it has been, eh? Last time, Sean Diaz rescued his magical little brother from an abusive Chrstian cult, and so they burned down a church with their mam. But this fifth episode, “Wolves”, was most likely probably the most saddest thus far, I believe. Brendy, would you agree?
Brendan: I didn’t cry, however I did have a really lumpy gullet.
Alice Bee: It’s received a really hopeful begin, although! When we rejoin the Fabulous Diaz Brothers, they’ve been dwelling in a bizarre commune for grownup hippies, referred to as Away, in the midst of the desert.
Brendan: For seven weeks! One factor I’ve actually loved in regards to the game, really, is these massive leaps throughout time. At the top, after all, they do a really massive leap – however that’s getting forward of ourselves. So, sure: the commune. It was like a grown-up model of the weed farm from manner again. I considered it as a little bit of a re-hash, really (hurr hurr). But a minimum of the parents there appeared extra mature. However, we don’t get lengthy to know “sculptor with cancer”, or “gay couple” earlier than the truck is loaded and we’re leaving. Did you construct the sculptor’s statue accurately?
Alice Bee: I constructed it how Daniel advised, as a result of in equity to him he was actually doing all of the heavy lifting. I did anticipate to do extra actions like that with the commune individuals. Maybe some cooking with the homosexual couple, or some gardening with mommy Karen. I do love, by the way in which, that you could uncover Karen is making ends meet by being an agony aunt. Like, certain, this girl offers nice relationship recommendation.
Brendan: I additionally discovered it arduous to swallow that everybody right here simply shrugged at Daniel’s psychic get together methods. After an entire 4 episodes of making an attempt to maintain schtum, it’s a bit implausible that these hippies could be like “sure, whatever”.
Alice Bee: Well, a minimum of one of the hippies has most likely, perhaps had some contact with supernatural powers earlier than, eh? Wink, wink.
Brendan: Ah sure, David. I’ve solely seen bits of Max and Chloe’s adventures within the first game, not the entire thing. But I believe this look of Chloe’s stepdad (and the wee cellphone name he has together with her off-screen) is kind of a pleasant gesture to LiS loyalists.
Alice Bee: In mine his cellphone name was with Joyce, Chloe’s mum and his ex-wife. Because in my model of the game, Chloe died to avoid wasting Arcadia Bay. He and Joyce break up up, and the tragedy made him develop a ponytail and cease being such an up-tight villain. I discovered a extremely heartbreaking letter to Joyce in his trailer the place he’d crossed out stuff he needed to say to her. Little choked up over right here.
Brendan: Ramifications! See, that is what this sequence is all about. In mine, he was fairly chill. He had made up with Chloe and Max, and was nonetheless in contact. I’m sorry to listen to about your Sad Dave.
Alice Bee: Speaking of ramifications, I believe that is the episode the place what you, as Sean, have taught Daniel actually really issues. I didn’t really feel prefer it made a lot of a distinction within the different episodes, however right here it definitely did. But perhaps I’m skipping forward once more.
Instead, minimize to: the Diaz brothers making good their escape to the border, whereas Karen stays behind to stall the feds. The scene the place they tear down a bit of border wall was one in every of simply 1,000,000 billion moments that I felt had been framed totally for the potential screenshots.
Brendan: It was a really “this is symbolic” episode, and probably the most in-your-face with its PoLiTiCaL messaging. Lyla, your buddy from yonks in the past, has a pic on Facebook from a “save the families” marketing campaign. Brody, your outdated bear-pal, laments “the state of the country”. You tear down the wall. And then you find yourself in a jail cell with two immigrants and two ultranationalist vigilantes, having an enormous outdated chat. It is relentless, and I generally felt prefer it may have benefitted from easing up on the gasoline pedal, ya know?
Alice Bee: It jogged my memory a little bit of the primary episode, when Brody mainly appeared down the digital camera and mentioned “Everything is political” and Sean was chained up by a racist for the crime of shopping for meals in a gasoline station. Although I suppose that’s sort of how racists function in actual life. I knew one thing dangerous was going to occur on this episode when Daniel ripped down the wall and began itemizing all of the enjoyable issues he needed to do in Mexico. It was the ten-year-old child equal of claiming you’re solely someday from retirement. I didn’t predict him getting shot by proper wing patriot vigilante supremacists, although. By the way in which, after you all get taken to jail, you possibly can select to free the great Mexican couple and the horrible racists. Did you?
Brendan: I left all of them of their cells. Partly as a result of I used to be like, “okay, let’s blow this concrete pig sty”. But additionally, I used to be afraid that if I let the Mexican couple free, they’d get into waaaay extra hassle. I kinda needed to psy-break the racists’ toes or one thing, however I don’t suppose the game is that versatile. C’mon, game: Just one little toe.
Alice Bee: I let all of them out. I let the great couple out as a result of they had been good, and I let the racists out to make some extent (regardless that I believe in actual life I might defs have left them there). The extraordinarily bigoted girl was like “WAI? WAI ARE YEW DOIN’ THIS?” and Sean mentioned, “Because we’re not assholes.” Mic. Dropped. And then we had been away to the border once more – to an precise manned checkpoint, for some purpose.
Brendan: This is when issues get megasad, although, isn’t it?
Alice Bee: Super megasad. And I did like how the game stored cat-and-mousing you on this episode. “Oooh, you’ve gotten away! Oooh, no you haven’t! Haha!”
Brendan: We wanted our showdown on the border, Alice! The finale sees the Diaz Duo going through a horde of po-po, under an indication saying “Bienvenido a Mexico”. You get one remaining alternative: “surrender” or “cross the border”. It’s fairly clear, from what one policeman has advised you earlier, what is going to occur within the give up situation. You’ll be arrested and Daniel will stay along with your grandparents. But crossing the border is unsure – it’s the Danger Option. Did you place your fingers up? Or blast on by?
Alice Bee: This is the place the ramifications come again up. I made a decision, “this is it; here we go, let’s blast through”. And I received an ending that I completely wasn’t anticipating. Graham requested if it was satisfying and I mentioned “No… but yes.”
You see, I spent the entire game educating Daniel to not damage individuals. He didn’t wish to injure anybody. He received upset and, regardless that he cleared the police out of the way in which, he mentioned “Don’t come back for me!” and jumped out of the automobile! I used to be genuinely shocked. I needed them to stay collectively in Mexico! But, properly, you reap what you sow, I suppose? And I sowed an ethical little boy.
Brendan: Well, I reaped 15 years within the state penitentiary. I surrendered. They cuff you and take Danny off to stay with the grandparents. He grows up, goes to highschool, graduates, and finally collects Sean on the day he’s launched from jail. A 15-year leap! He’s a beardy Sean now, with an extended unhappy face. They go into the woods on a visit, to the glade the place they stayed on their first evening after the Dad catastrophe. And as Danny is describing some recollection, Sean breaks down into these large sobs and has to carry on to his little brother, weeping. It’s brutal. Eventually, they drive off in numerous instructions. Danny makes use of his energy to open and shut his automobile door, and it’s as if the game is saying: “this is what your bro went to prison for: so you can do a menial psychic door trick”. Danny cries. Cut to credit. It’s TRAGIC.
Alice Bee: Oof. My ending was unhappy, however not as emotional. Six years after the occasions on the border, Daniel remains to be dwelling with the grandparents – he’s standing in the lounge, on the cellphone to somebody. There are hints he has been subtly utilizing his energy for good – stopping a college bus from crashing, and so forth. Then Grandma is available in and takes the cellphone – you see they’re speaking to Karen, which is good – and she or he fingers Danny an envelope. It’s images from Seany! He’s on a seashore someplace with uh… kissable hippy lady.
Brendan: Crusty Cassidy!
Alice Bee: Yeah, Crusty Cassidy! And they’ve despatched Danny some sand. So like, everyone seems to be glad, I suppose, regardless that the brothers can by no means see one another once more. At least, not till Daniel can journey on his personal.
Brendan: I’ve watched a number of the different endings too. And this appears to be a theme, that they’re separated ultimately. In my ending, it’s an emotional separation – that 15-year jail leap has created a rift between them. In different endings, Sean straight-up dies, pierced by a bullet within the escape sequence. Only one ending has them collectively, arm in arm, and it’s the Dark Ending, the place they each get by the blockade and develop into gothy criminals in Mexico. Weirdly, they’re fairly glad in that one.
Alice Bee: In one in every of them, Daniel is blonde. Blonde!
Brendan: The grimmest ending.
Alice Bee: Genuinely is, as properly. This actually was the repay for all of the “Daniel will learn how to behave from you.” It’s that ol’ doing-what-is-right-isn’t-always-doing-what-is-easy chestnut. But I actually loved it, as a result of it did make what you’d executed within the game matter. They’d tricked me! I assumed it was like “oh no, Danny will think it’s okay to steal chocolate bars”, not “Danny will murder everyone.”
Brendan: Even little issues mattered. Do you bear in mind some episodes again, when you might have referred to as your outdated buddy Lyla? And I didn’t, as a result of the police would have tracked it that. I want I had. Because in a single model of the “Sean goes to the clink” ending, Lyla can be ready with Danny for you on launch day. You have a buddy! But I ghosted her manner again, and I paid the worth. Sniff.
Alice Bee: Eh, I didn’t miss her. Wolf Brothers are extra necessary. But yeah… being good sucks for you, it seems. It’s nonetheless the suitable factor to do although, so no matter. I suppose the purpose is that, for those who do the suitable factor, Daniel has a great life.
Brendan: Yeah, Sean is the sacrifice. Now that it’s throughout, do you reckon it’s a great story as an entire? A very good game? I believe it has its ups and downs, proper as much as the top of this remaining act. It is… by no means a refined story. But the payoff was well-done. Like, my ending made sense. It felt proper.
Alice Bee: Yeah, I believe it’s good. It was a sluggish burn for me, for certain. And I agree there have been ups and downs, particularly within the emotional pacing of the sooner episodes. But they actually earned this ending.
Brendan: This unhappy, unhappy ending. Do you understand what sound wolves make once they’re unhappy, Alice?
Alice Bee: No Brendy, what sound do wolves make once they’re unhappy?
Brendan: [deep breath] … A-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Alice Bee: A-woo, Brendy. A-woo.
