) proved to the world that not only Quantic Dream and Telltale, but also other studios can make cool interactive adventure games. The game turned out to be original and interesting, and therefore the expectations for the second part were quite high. Recently released, which tells about new heroes and their adventures. In our review, we will try to find out if the developers were able to meet the expectations of the fans and make a decent sequel.

New story with new heroes

As with the original, it is divided into several episodes. Now only the first is available, but in the future the developers promise to release four more. In the first episode, we are told the story of two Mexican brothers, Sean and Daniel.

Sean is a typical 16-year-old with age-specific problems. He smokes, loves to draw and dreams of picking up a girl at a party. Daniel, in turn, is nine, and therefore all that worries him are chocolate bars. The developers managed to plausibly depict the life of two modern young men in society, touching upon the themes of first love, friendship and relationship with their father. By the way, you can only play for one of the brothers, Sean.

At one certain moment in life, something unexpected happens to the guys, as a result of which they are forced to leave everything and leave their home. In addition, Daniel discovers that he has supernatural powers that frighten the child more than delight. The guys have practically no money and supplies, but they have a desire to move forward. During their journey, they get to know each other better, but also face a cruel world. In order not to spoil, we will not explain all the plot features of the game.

We can only say that Life is Strange 2, like many modern products, has not been without politics. In one of the dialogues, the character even emphasized that in the modern world, politics has penetrated everything that surrounds us. In particular, the game paid great attention to racism, which, as it turned out, is still found in the American outback. Some minor characters show a lot of aggression towards the heroes simply because they are Mexicans. However, there are also good people who help the brothers to keep moving towards their goal. Despite the fact that the plot may seem too childish, in fact it touches on very important things, such as trust, responsibility and care for others.

However, the problem of the plot is not even the story itself, by the way, it turned out to be very interesting. The key flaw was the linearity of the narrative. Our decisions are practically not reflected in the further course of events. Whatever answer we choose, whatever action we take, the story will move along a route clearly defined by the developers. Everything would be fine if the game was an ordinary adventure game. But when you play interactive cinema, you want that very interactivity and the ability to influence events. It remains to be hoped that the developers have reserved all the nonlinearity for subsequent episodes.

One step forward and two steps back

The gameplay in Life is Strange 2 hasn't taken a single step forward. On the contrary, in comparison with the first part, he even moved back a little. If before they tried to surprise us somehow, then in the case of Life is Strange 2 everything happens too monotonously. No puzzles, no mini-games, nothing to really remember. There are, of course, a couple of good moments with drawing and a slot machine, but there all interactivity is reduced to a minimum. Thus, Life is Strange 2 plays into itself, forcing us to be spectators, not players.

In terms of sound, which was really really cool in the original, the game also does not always manage to pleasantly surprise. Music changes too imperceptibly to be remembered. What's really exciting about the new Life is Strange is the staging of the scenes. Even with such simple graphics, the developers managed to render some scenes in a very interesting format. Seeing two brothers in very different situations does not create the feeling that we are being deceived. You believe them and you want to continue watching their strange life.

As for the graphics, in technical terms, it remained at the same level as the first part. But the artistic component has become much better. Some landscapes really want to be screened and sent to the desktop, the developers have made some scenes painfully beautiful.

Of course, there were some drawbacks (it's a little frustrating that the developers were not able to fix all the bugs for the release), but all of them, believe me, are lost in an avalanche of positive emotions, which will surely cover you right after the final credits run across the screen ... I, if anything, warned.

One of the characters towards the end of the episode expresses the interesting idea that "politics is everywhere today." Apparently, this is now one of the main beliefs of the Dontnod developers, since there is more of it in the sequel, especially when compared with the most apolitical first part. One of the main and key themes of Life is Strange 2 is racism (the main characters are Mexicans), so even one world-famous wall is mentioned here in passing in one of the dialogues. This is not to say that this is bad (on the contrary, it is great when serious topics are raised in video games), but if you came here in order to escape from boring reality into the wonderful world of "Strange Life", then this political background can seriously spoil the "experience" ...

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Sean is studying to be an artist, so he can practice his craft at times. Here's just one problem: helping him with this will be more difficult for the player than writing a masterpiece that surpasses the genius of Van Gogh's paintings. According to the prompts on the screen, you need to hold down the left button and crawl back and forth on the table with the mouse, but, despite doing these simple actions, the hero refused to make even a small stroke in the notebook. On the other hand, perhaps this is a single bug, and you will be more fortunate in drawing, who knows.

Of course, after a successful first episode, everyone will look forward to the second (for sure, it will not take long), but you should not create illusions that Life is Strange 2 will turn into a fantastic thriller. More precisely, not even so. There will be a thriller, but the elements of fiction will remain nothing more than elements, since the history of human relations has always been in the foreground in Strange Life. We remember: even the developers themselves later admitted that the very superpower, around which the fans built many interesting theories, initially played the role of a "piano in the bushes" in the plot, which was needed just for the plot to happen.

So from the second part it is worth expecting about the same. First of all, we have before us the tragic story of two brothers who are trying to get out of trouble, and nothing else. Without a doubt, there will be plenty of turning points and unexpected moments in the history of the Diaz family, but they are unlikely to be directly related to Daniel's superpowers.

From the point of view of history, the second part is quite a self-sufficient work (at least for now). And even if at one time you did not go through the first part, then you can take on the second without any fear. Just skip some interesting references, but it won't be that critical. Although the novelty, when creating the first save, carefully asks what choice you made in the final of the first part, so there will be more.

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A road trip without a cute helper dog? No way!

But what is definitely not worth doubting is the visual component of the new "Strange Life". Life is Strange 2 looks much better than the first part. This applies to literally everything. Stylistically, of course, the game has retained its trademark comic-cartoon style, but otherwise the changes are noticeable even to the naked eye. First of all, you notice how noticeably the environment has added to the detail: the forest looks exactly like a forest, and not like a small, closed corridor location with transparent walls.

Pleases facial animation and character animation in general. Let me remind you that one of the main problems with interactive films on the PC was the mediocre graphics and terrible "wooden" character animations. And Dontnod finally and irrevocably solved it. Now the characters (even minor ones) have finally become as much like people as possible, and their movements no longer cause gag reflexes, since they have become smoother and more natural (the only complaint is only about the animation of the protagonist's running - it is still the same "oak").

It is thanks to such significant changes, coupled with the use of the engine, that the system requirements have grown. So, to enjoy the American beauty in sixty FPS on "very high" settings, you need at least an average (by today's standards) computer: Intel Core i5-3470, 6 GB of RAM and a video card of the level of Nvidia GeForce GTX 970. On this configuration you can comfortably observe and take a direct part in the misadventures of two brothers who were left to their fate.

The locations are still as straight as a ruler, but due to their size, the developers managed to achieve at least some illusion of freedom. And more for an interactive film, in general, is not required.

In addition, this very illusion of freedom is successfully created by our ward - Daniel. He not only follows on the heels of his older brother, but also actively interacts with the world around him, in which absolutely everything is new for him. In this he really resembles a real child.

Conclusion

We can say that the first episode was a success, and the developers did even more than everyone expected of them. But this is just the beginning, and there is no doubt that the series "Roads" is a kind of "warm-up" for something big. For example, the scene after the end credits indicates that in the second episode, the stories from and Life is Strange 2 will overlap.

When the continuation of the adventures of the two teenagers will be released is unclear (the exact release date of the second episode has not been announced), so it remains only to wait. But the wait is definitely worth it.

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Verdict: Life is Strange 2 is not just an incredible adventure in the best tradition. The second part of the series has become noticeably prettier in many aspects, and I would like to hope that until the very end of the series the scriptwriters and game designers of Dontnod will not loosen their grip and make another great game, which, like the first part, will become the standard of the genre.

Rating of the first episode: 9.0 ("Excellent").

Ruslan Gubaidullin

Square Enix was pleased with the collaboration with Deck Nine, the authors, and we also liked the game at one time. But like everyone else, we've been waiting for the real sequel, Life is Strange 2 from DONTNOD Entertainment. The summer mini-episode, which takes place in the same world, only whetted the appetite. Finally, the time has come for a new journey, with new characters, but so familiar from the previous parts of the sadness in the voice of the narrator.

Life is Strange 2

Genre Adventure
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Languages English Russian
Developer DONTNOD Entertainment
Publisher Square enix
Website Steam

Sean Diaz is having a very important day. He's getting ready for a high school party where he plans to meet a girl he likes. Leila's best friend on Skype helps the young man plan a date and constantly teases Sean, either because of his indecision, or on the topic of sex. Teenagers fool around. Sean's younger brother, Daniel, is obsessed with getting ready for Halloween, making a costume and stuff in his room. The boys' father works in the garage. An idyllic picture, which in a few minutes will fly to smithereens due to nonsense, misunderstanding, wild coincidence of circumstances. In an instant, Sean and Daniel will lose everything, lose their father, friends, home and remain alone against the whole world. They will be forced to flee and go to wander around America.

Life is Strange 2 begins in the US Northwest, in the suburbs of Seattle. In the first episode of the game, subtitled Roads, the boys will travel along the coasts of Washington and Oregon and even take a look at Arcadia Bay for a while, the state of which depends on the decision you made in the final of the first Life is Strange (there is no save transfer, everything is determined one question when creating a new game).

The American hinterland in general and the Northwest in particular are clearly to the liking of Parisians from DONTNOD: one-story America, tiny towns, half-empty roads, harsh, fantastically beautiful nature. Some of the shots from the game, especially at night, seem to have departed from the paintings of regionalist artists: a gas station in the rain, a car under a lamp post, a motel with a neon sign, a view of the coastal city from a recreation area ... The studio artists work amazingly with the camera and side light from the low autumn sun, which gives the picture warmth and brings sadness about the passing summer. In short, Life is Strange 2 looks even better than the original - it's warm, lively, sad.

With the second must-have in the Life is Strange games - an awesome soundtrack that you want to send to your player right there, everything is fine here too. Pleases both the selection of compositions and their correspondence to the mood and situation.

By its structure, Life is Strange 2 is a typical American road movie, and it is not for nothing that the authors themselves name the films Into the Wild (2007) by Sean Penn and Of Mice and Men (1992) based on the novel of the same name by John Steinbeck as sources of inspiration. The brothers, who are going to get to Mexico, to their father's hometown, are trying to survive in harsh conditions, to find food and shelter. On the way, they meet people who treat them differently, both those who want to betray the fugitives to the police, and those who are ready to help them free of charge. And suddenly it turns out that there is too much politics in the adventure about children. Some characters do not hide their disdain for emigrants (the Diaz brothers are Mexicans) and even recall the wall on the southern border, which President Trump promised to build. Politics is everywhere, as one of the heroes of the game says.

Unlike the first part of Life is Strange, the main character of the sequel, and he is Sean, has no special abilities. All he can do is choose one of two or three available solutions in a critical situation. Hit or run, argue or yield, etc. Sean's actions, both at key points and in everyday situations, determine how his younger brother will behave, taking an example from his older one. Steal a tent in a store by sending a kid to distract the seller? Steal a car standing by the side of the road? Send Daniel to beg? These decisions will not affect the main plot of the game, but they can change some of the nuances, the behavior of the younger boy, his answers. A similar system of "moral compass" is implemented in, where Clementine's decisions determine how AJ grows up.

However, Life is Strange 2 was not without the supernatural. Like the original game and the spin-off The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, one of the characters has paranormal abilities. Daniel, like Captain Spirit, does not know and does not know how to control his abilities, Sean, under the player's control, will have to somehow humble this unwelcome force. Judging by the scene after the credits of the first episode, in the next part we will find out exactly how.

If Chloe in Before the Storm limited herself to graffiti on specially designated walls, then Sean is a real artist, and in some scenes of the game he can sit on a chair / stump / bench and sketch the view he likes in his notebook. Unlike the girls in the previous parts of the game, the young man is in no hurry to pour out his soul to the diary, limiting himself to short phrases or drawings. In general, there are noticeably fewer texts in the game.

The first episode of Life is Strange 2, as in the original part of the game, is only a prologue, presentation of characters, stage design. It is very uneven in tempo and mood and, despite such a tragic beginning of the story, it does not keep up with the intensity of passions in some episodes of the first game and Before the Storm. This is probably what the authors intended, but the prevailing mood of the first episode is rather confusion and apathy than sadness and grief. This is due to the shock experienced by both Sean and Daniel, trying to forget what happened in front of their eyes in Seattle. However, despite this confusion and unevenness, the first episode of Life is Strange 2 is still good. This is a very interesting project, and we want to know the continuation of this story.

Release dates for the next episodes of Life is Strange 2 have yet to be announced. But given the experience of previous games in the series, you can expect episodes to be released every two months. It will take you about 4 hours to complete the first part, which gives about 18–20 hours for the whole game, in fact, a lot. On Steam, the first episode is available for purchase separately for 123 UAH, and the entire season for 609 UAH. (the discount could be more than 3%).

The fates of Telltale Games and DONTNOD Entertainment are very similar. Both teams rose to prominence with episodic interactive stories that garnered a huge amount of prizes and great sales. After that, publishers began to hunt for teams, they themselves began to actively expand (now there are more than 160 employees in the DONTNOD studio), to launch new projects ... In 2018, DONTNOD released three games at once: an ambiguous, but very stylish vampire RPG, free adventure and now full-fledged Life Is Strange 2. What the constant rush and overhaul led to

Site evaluation

Pros: Atmosphere; fantastically beautiful picture; great soundtrack; heroes you empathize with; political overtones; moral compass system

Minuses: The first episode is uneven in pace and emotional tension

Conclusion: A beautiful and touching story of two brothers who are forced to flee home. A worthy sequel to Life is Strange

The release date is the time limit after which the game is considered released, which usually means that it can already be downloaded and tested if a licensed copy is purchased. For example, the release date for Life is Strange 2 is September 26, 2018.

Recently, more and more often, developers allow you to buy a game in advance - to make a pre-order. In response to support from potential buyers, who believe in the success of the project so much that they give money for it even before the release, the developers are sharing various bonuses and exclusive materials. It could be a soundtrack, artbook, or some mini-addons for the game.

Thus, pre-order actually allows you to buy the game before its official release, but this does not mean that the announced release date loses its significance, since you can play fully only after the release.

Why do I need to know the release dates of games?

If only because it is more convenient to plan your time and finances this way. If you know, for example, when Life is Strange 2 will be released, then it will be easier for you to navigate: save money in advance for its purchase, plan things so that you can dive into the game as soon as it comes out.

Many gamers keep track of the release dates of games using special calendars and thematic articles about the most important releases of the month or season. Both you can find on our game portal site

How do developers choose when to release?

They are guided by many factors at once. First, it is important for them to know that their target audience will be able to immediately join the gameplay, so games are released less often during the vacation season, as well as in those months when they usually have a rush at work, and students have a session.

Secondly, for a successful release, developers try to compare their plans with the announcements of potential competitors. For example, if we are talking about a shooter, then releasing it simultaneously with the new Battlefield or Call of Duty is not very reasonable.

Thirdly, the release date marks the so-called deadline - the very line after which the game is ready. This means that it needs to be completed on time. Alas, this does not always work, and therefore the release date of the game can be shifted one or even several times.

In addition to this, the release of Life is Strange 2 on PC and consoles may differ - often the developers try to release one version first, and only then move on to the next.

Finally it took place exit the highly anticipated first episode Life is Strange 2to all announced platforms! Those who wish to discuss the episode with others can do so. In contact with , in Discord or in Steam ... We also opened album for your screenshots. There you can share your favorite moments and other interesting photos.

In addition, we invite you to participate in the survey (below). What do you think - did you succeed DONTNOD keep the quality bar and maybe even surpass it, or have the developers lost ground? Do not forget to leave your detailed opinion in the comments!

Now let's move on to the news. First, in Birmingham the exhibition ended recently EGX. Sosisych and Jean-Luc Cano, writer for Life is Strange 2, decided to say hello to all fans of the series:

In the meantime, appeared on the web list of achievements for all episodes PS4—versions games. There are total trophies 47 pieces... Please note that each trophy has its own description, so if you do not want to stumble upon all sorts of spoilers, it is better not to follow the link.

Secondly, before the release of the first episode, the game received various ratings, which cannot but rejoice. For example, the edition GameSpot appreciated first episode on 9 /10 , and Trusted Reviews put up the game five stars! Overall, the new episode received positive reviews from critics. Based on about 41 reviews average score by data Opencritic is 81 points of 100 !

The ratings of the second season of Life is Strange cannot but rejoice

By the way, the release of the game was not spared by the fast food chain Arby's:

By the way, this is not the first time. A year ago Arby's similar met release Before the storm.

Insert coin also keeps up and has already released a line merch by Life is Strange 2:

More Alejandro Arque, Game Designer for Life is Strange 2, tweeted a photo of the Good News Wall in his office Square enix... At the time of the game's release, the wall looked like this.

Third, a vote is taking place right now Golden Joystick Awards! Life is Strange 2 claims to be " Golden Joystick"For the best audio design. If you agree with this nomination, then go here and cast your vote up the 25th of October!

And fourthly. Feral Interactive stated working on porting Life is Strange 2 to Mac and Linux... The second season of adventure will be available on these operating systems next year, the exact date will be announced closer to the launch. Considering such an early announcement of the port, unlike the first season and Before the Storm, you won't have to wait too long.

The game will be released on Mac and Linux in 2019

Finally, we will mention a few news not related to the games in the Life is Strange series. First, the news recently thundered that in the studio Telltale Games there were massive layoffs of employees, disrupting (almost) all of their projects. Michelle Koch, co-director of Life is Strange 2, left on this occasion, a post on his Twitter:

I was sad to hear the bad news about Telltale. I have always been a fan of all the wonderful work of these talented people. To be honest, they were the reason why I wanted to work on the episodic narrative, and if it weren't for them, Life is Strange wouldn't exist.

Thanks to all of them!

And secondly, Koethe officially released a new song, which was previously "" on Spotify... As expected, it is dedicated to Life is Strange 2:

In Life is Strange 2, players found an Easter egg on The last of us... In one scene, Daniel and Sean may find something strange on the tree. The first of the brothers will say that it looks like Nutcracker, and the elder will begin to depict the sounds of the monster from the game Naughty dog. Neil Drackmann, one of the leaders The last of us 2, the reference seems to be pleasant:

And if you don't like watching the end credits to the end, then in the game you might miss something else interesting. In the ranks of the writers of the second season, as it turned out, there are Steve Gaynor and Karla Zimondja of Fullbright, authors Gone Home... They supplemented the script of the game and refined the dialogues.

Steve Gaynor and Karla Zimondzh in the credits of Life is Strange 2

In addition, we suggest you watch a video that will introduce you to the voice actors who gave their voice to the characters in the game:

And the last thing. We invite you to remember the news that we are in February.

Looking back at this, I want to say: "It was close ..."