Life is Strange 2 - Episode 1: Roads Reviews
Unfortunately the episode is let down by the less than subtle way it deals with delicate subjects like racism, as well as gameplay that means this episode feels like quite a slow start to the story. There are several hints throughout the episode to suggest the gameplay may be spiced up in the future, and it may need it if players are going to make it through to the end of the story.
Starting virtually from scratch has allowed the developer to experiment and push themselves as storytellers, and the result is a more grounded and mature story that has real potential.
Life Is Strange 2: Episode 1 – Roads has the same je ne sais quoi as its predecessor, but it's a different kind of game. This isn't a series about teenage angst anymore – it's about survival in a contemporary United States that's more hostile than it'd like to think it is. Larger, more detailed environments and inconclusive moral decisions that have a direct influence on key cast members make for an impressive, brave opening.
Overall, Life is Strange 2 was not only better than I expected, but I believe it would have been a hit even if no one had ever heard of the first game.
Returning fans of Life Is Strange will find this sequel refreshing, but not unfamiliar. With its brand new setting and story, Life Is Strange 2 is also a great point of entry for any new players. As a fan of the series, I'm excited to follow the Diaz brothers on their new adventure.
Life is Strange 2 strikes out on its own. In a amazing captivating first episode we meet the new central characters and begin an immensely interesting, and sad, tale.
A solid start! Episode One of Life Is Strange 2 takes us out of the Bay and introduces us to new characters but retains the emotion and beautiful narrative of the first game. Gameplay and graphics are improved, however, it's too soon to tell if the brothers Diaz are the perfect spiritual successors to Max and Chloe, but I can't wait to find out.
Life is Strange 2: Episode One - Roads is a sluggish beginning of a new season, which lacks depth of the original Life is Strange story. It can turn into something big in the following episodes, but right now it feels like something from Telltale Games and not Dontnod Entertainment.
Review in Russian | Read full review
With a new story and protagonists, the second instalment of the anthology delivers a range of emotion as two brothers find their way across America.
Life is Strange 2 starts in the right gear, with a subtle change in direction to help tell an altogether new story, albeit with a few growing pains.
Episode 1 can be guardedly recommended, then. It stumbles in parts, sure, but it also proves that DontNod has some ambitious ideas for this instalment of its teen adventure series. On top of that, it ends intriguingly enough to ensure that many who play through it will want to see what the next episode holds.
Despite some questionable moments in the second episode, Life Is Strange 2 is off to an excellent start. Daniel and Sean's journey is a tough, racially-heated story that will draw you in, even as it breaks your heart.
Life is Strange 2's first episode goes in a bold new direction that points the series towards current political issues as much as it does human drama. It's promising but a little slow to get going after a thrilling opening scene.
Dontnod is capturing the mood of a powerful country in the midst of a crisis of identity. If they can stick the landing, Life is Strange 2 has the potential to be a masterpiece.
This first episode for Life is Strange 2 is one of the biggest surprises of 2018 so far. Dontnod Entertainment not only has improved its saga in a technical way, but the script and characterization for the game presents huge and delicate topics among the American culture.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
While this is just one small moment in the whole of the first episode, to me it demonstrated just how far that Dontnod has come in delivering a story that truly speaks to the emotional and human drama that Life is Strange explores at its best.
This is an excellent start for the second season of a game with big shoes to fill. We may have lost Telltale Games forever, but you can dry your tears with Dontnod's big-hearted adventure of a story game.
Episode one can be a slow burn at times, but it sets the tone for the rest of the series nicely. While not a continuation of its predecessor in any way, it stays true to the series while adding enough to make the formula feel engaging to the player. I'm looking forward to seeing where the new series goes.
‘Roads' is a heart-breaking leg of an emotional journey that never feels limited by its medium. I've played seasons of other choice-driven narrative games that had less emotion and heart than this five-hour odyssey. With Life is Strange 2, DONTNOD has upgraded and refined every element that made its forebear successful, whilst sprinkling some magical new additions into the mix to create an essential genre-pushing experience that isn't just for fans.