‘Life is Strange 2’ Struck a Deep, Personal Chord That I Didn’t Expect

I’m not sure that anything could have prepared me for Life is Strange 2. Not the first game, not it’s prelude chapter (The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit), nor anybody I knew who playing the game. Nothing. I am emotionally broken and it’s a much different feeling from playing the first Life is Strange, because this time it felt personal. So much so, that it completely caught me off guard, making every chapter harder than the last. A Tale of Two Brothers

Life is Strange 2 borrows a lot from its predecessor, including the excellent writing of its characters and the dramatic weight of its narrative. In an effort to make the story even more intense, it deviates from the small-town drama of Arcadia Bay and focuses on xenophobia spread throughout America. Players take the role of Sean Diaz, who through an unfortunate incident discovers his younger brother, Daniel, has powers and the two of them are forced to run away from the police. These opening moments of Life is Strange 2 perfectly illustrates today’s America. A place where racism is hidden under the guise of patriotism. Where immigrants aren’t given the benefit of the doubt because it’s automatically assumed they are dangerous. Where a cop sees a situation, pulls out his gun on unarmed civilians and someone ends up getting shot. It’s unfortunately timely, all too familiar, and very, very real. And for many people of color, we see stories like this every day and every day we are forced to ask ourselves…“Will this be me…