Life is Strange 2 - Episode 3
Review
Weed of wrath
by Sean Martin
reviewed on PC
CALIFORNIA
Somehow it’s already been 3 months since the second episode of Life is Strange 2 came out. How time flies! In the new episode, you’ll find yourselves in California. After fleeing from their grandparents home, Sean and Daniel hop a train and in a Grapes of Wrath-esque fashion, head for the coast in hopes of riches and prosperity. Instead they hook up with a group of travelers (including Cassidy and Finn from episode 2) and begin working on a weed farm. It’s an alright setup, but they are still taken advantage of, worked hard and for less wages in exchange for no questions asked work. And on top of that, the area has been host to a number of mysterious disappearances, and the manager and security for the farm seem sinister.
TRAVELLERS
The central premise of the episode mainly revolves around two things — meeting other lost souls similar to you and Daniel, and the increasing strain on Sean and Daniel’s relationship. Sean wants to head to Puerto Lobos, but Daniel doesn’t see the point, struggling with anger and increasing outbursts with his power. At the same time, Daniel is starting to become independent, making his own friends and in some way, this causes Sean jealousy and fear, as the dad figure he has become. It’s honestly a pretty chill episode, with not many decisions of drastic importance. But at the same time, it’s probably the second weakest (after the first) out of the three so far. Hearing the stories/getting to know the new characters who also work on the farm is nice, and there are a lot of parallels to Sean and Daniel’s situation. But it doesn’t feel like much happens, more that the episode is building for something that is going to happen later.
ON THE ROAD
One thing that really has come into its own is the road-trip aspect of the game. Having Sean and Daniel travel to a new location in each episode is great, it grants new narrative possibilities for each episode, but it also fits culturally, with Life is Strange 2 as a series about America, and the road-trip as an almost inherently American idea. It’s one aspect of the episode I’m really excited about, and one that I think Life is Strange 2 can pass over to Life is Strange 3, if there is a Life is Strange 3. The other good thing about this episode is that it offers a romance option, and it’s really nice to see something beautiful bloom for Sean amid such hardship, an idea which also parallels Grapes of Wrath. In many ways this episode is about growing up — Sean continues to grow up in spite of the journey, and so does Daniel. It’s a confusing childhood certainly, and that shows, but there’s no stopping time, no going back, no matter how much Sean wishes otherwise. The only way is forward.
8.0
fun score
Pros
Interesting parallel to Grapes of Wrath, good romance, finding other lost souls
Cons
Episode endings are becoming a bit samey, not that much actually happens/decisions aren’t really important
