DontNod talk similarities and differences for Life Is Strange 2

Since it was announced that Life Is Strange 2 will leave behind the first game’s heroines, Max and Chloe, in favour of a new pair, brothers Daniel and Sean Diaz, many fans have been left wondering about how the sequel will compare. Now, developers DontNod have released a video called “The Road to Life Is Strange 2” that discusses what’s changing and what will keep the sequel feeling like part of the same overarching world. You can watch it below:

Apparently the idea of moving onto new characters came early in the development process, which makes sense as Chloe and Max are living on in a live-action “digital series” and a comic that will continue their story past its in-game ending. Instead, writer and co-creator Jean-Luc Cano explains that Life Is Strange as a series will be tied together by telling the stories of “everyday, relatable characters, facing universal issues, laced with twists of the strange.”

On the other hand, I wouldn’t necessarily say that the Diaz brothers are facing universal issues. Instead, DontNod are continuing their focus on underrepresented protagonists, this time with two Latino boys who flee their home after an unspecified “terrible incident” that appears to involve a crashed police car and multiple casualties. Alone, they try to travel from Seattle to Mexico, and, of course, there will be “some supernatural elements,” along the way.

There’s no word on what kind of research or consultation the Paris-based studio has done to tell this story, but the video includes an introduction to the game’s voice talent, including Latino actor Gonzalo Martin who will play older brother Daniel. And from what we’ve seen of the dialogue itself, it seems less cheesy than the teen slang of the first game. Personally, I didn’t mind that writing because, yes, teen colloquialisms are often cringeworthy and that’s a good thing, but it understandably put some people off. At the very least, it's good to see DontNod avoid being quite as jarring as Cyberpunk 2077.

Finally, the video talks about the art and music style of Life Is Strange 2, promising that they intend to keep the same “vibe” as its predecessor. If the soft guitar from the video’s background is anything to go by, they haven’t strayed far from their roots, which is promising since, for me, that's a lot of what makes a Life Is Strange game.

Mark me down as tentatively hopeful for this one – we’ll get a look for ourselves when the first episode releases on September 27th.