Life Is Strange 2 - Episode 3: Wastelands Reviews
Whereas the first episode was a promising start and the second episode seemed like anomaly, this third episode appears to disprove that by setting a disappointing tone for the rest of the season. And we’ll have to wait yet another four or so months to see if that’s accurate or not.
Wastelands dishes out some of Life Is Strange 2’s strongest moments as well as its weakest. Sean gets some welcome character development and the darker tone fits well, however, Daniel’s repetitive plot arc simplifies him into a whiny brat, and a series of scattershot sub-plots seriously bloat the story. A strong finale does set up a dramatic hurdle in the brothers’ road, but Life Is Strange 2 still has a lot of catching up to do if it wants to match the quality of its predecessor.
The third episode of Life is Strange 2 doesn't really nail its emotional beats but sets up for what's bound to be an exciting next episode.
Life Is Strange 2: Wastelands is an unsuccessful attempt to create a rebellious product. Characters are badly written and a story is boring. And that's the worst verdict for a modern interactive adventure.
Review in Russian | Read full review
While Wastelands improves on episode two for the most part there's still a long way to go to hit the heights of season one.
Another slow-paced and only intermittently interesting episode, that underlines the fact that the story and characters are never going to be as engaging as the first episode suggested.
The third episode of Life is Strange 2 delivers a constant sense of tension while focusing on the characters. The choices you have make however feel forced upon you. It's a bit weird since this episode lets you breath and delivers some depth.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Overall, Wastelands is a small bump in the Life is Strange 2 road. The story is still engaging enough to keep players going, but perhaps this episode was too ambitious.
There's no question that Sean and Daniel leave Life is Strange 2's third episode with more scars than they began with. Scars have a way of robbing innocence and dispiriting the spirited. It's no wonder Daniel is disillusioned. But that headstrong attitude leaves Wastelands feeling like an episode without much development. Deep in the California forest, the weed is growing but that's about it.
Life Is Strange 2 Episode 3 has a thrilling conclusion but its core conflict and new characters never fully make a connection.
Wastelands seemed slow-paced and filled with boring pointless chores. However, Dontnod captured the bumps in Diaz brothers relationship pretty well and in a mature manner.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
More than halfway through the story of Life is Strange 2, and it seems that the series story is still off the track. Wastelands episode offers the same solid music and tempo that we expected, but nothing more, and the only reason it can be considered a good episode is because of the way it concluded and opened up a huge potential for the next episode.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Wastelands' thrilling finale means it's a step up from Rules, but it makes a few missteps in its handling of the brothers' relationship to get there.
Life is Strange: Episode 3: Wastelands is going to ultimately appeal to long standing fans. Instead of worrying about narrative or pushing the brothers closer to Mexico, it's more about the characters and their lives. This allows some of the characters, namely Daniel, get a moment to explain their feelings though it doesn't do much for the overall experience. Given the path thus far, I don't know if it will be satisfying or if they'll make the most of the supernatural elements but at least the characters are strong enough to endure the storm.
Life Is Strange 2: Episode 3 still has a problem with pacing and may put off players who aren't diehard fans of this series. But for those willing to forgive some of its more mundane passages, this episode delivers a pretty compelling denouement and hints at better things to come.
This is the weakest episode of Life is Strange 2 so far, but that doesn't make it a bad one. DONTNOD has decided to tackle a number of brave, progressive themes and explores more of the characters I've come to love.
Despite a thrilling conclusion, this episode suffers from imbalanced pacing and annoying characters
The original game charmed people with its characters and premise but fell through on delivering a satisfying story. This game feels like it’s been mapped out from beginning to end, and this strength carries me through its weaker moments so I can experience events like the climax of Wastelands.
Episode 3 has some questionable turns, but reignited my love for the series.
Life is Strange 2 Episode 3: Wastelands is a better effort than the previous episodes and feels more like the original game in the franchise.