We continue the misadventures of Sean and Daniel Diaz as they make their way to Puertos Lobos. They are currently on the run after an incident in Seattle. In episode 1 we see them adjust to life on the run.

They had a nice but short stay with their grandparents in episode 2 but now they are moving with a group that does day work and live in the forest. See below a short recap of episode 2.

Rules

In episode 2 we see the Diaz brothers traveling in the middle of winter, trying to survive off the land. They found an abandoned house in the forest they take refuge in. They would have stayed longer but Daniel has developed an illness that isn’t letting up.

Eventually, they do leave the house, though they do lose little Mushroom to a mountain lion as they leave. Daniel can either use his powers to kill the mountain lion or let the mountain lion take Mushroom. It was a very unfortunate scene as Mushroom was still a small puppy.

They venture to their grandparents: Claire and Stephen Reynolds, who are not very far away in Beaver Creek, Oregon. They are elated to see them because they are aware of who is searching for them. The Reynolds advise that they stay with them but have set ground rules to keep them safe.

After a few weeks, Daniel is feeling much better and has found a friend with the next door neighbor Chris, who players saw in The Adventures of Captain Spirit. The ending of that short demo left many players wondering if Chris actually had powers, but as we’ve played through Life is Strange 2 we see it was Daniel who saved him.

As the episode progresses, we get to know the Reynolds’ a little more. They are their mother’s parents who had abandoned them early on, which has left all but Daniel disgusted with her. The grandparents urge the Diaz brothers that they are free to roam but can never enter their mom Karen’s childhood room. They eventually do break in and find a letter that shows that she knows what has happened to them.

Not long after, they are found out by local authorities. The players had an option to log onto social media, that can determine police getting their location. There is also another possible way they are caught, which is when they do Christmas tree shopping with Chris and his dad. Either way, they are back on the run. Depending on the players’ choices, Chris will try to intervene with the cop car because he thinks he has the power to stop it. Daniel will either use his powers to keep the car from hitting Chris or if he represses his powers the cop car will hit Chris. His fate is unknown if the latter is the outcome.

Episode 3

In this episode, we see the brothers working a marijuana farm to make money so that they can escape to Puertos Lobos. They have already saved up over $1000, so they are not far from their goal.

Now that they are part of a crew that is similar in age to Sean, he spends less and less time with Daniel. This is an experience Daniel has had before when they lived in Seattle and Sean only wanted to hang out with his friends.

Initially, the game had a flashback to 3 months before the incident, which mirrors the relationship issues Daniel and Sean seem to be experiencing. As I played through the episode, I’m seeing a very confused young Daniel trying to figure out where he is on the scale of child and adulthood. He feels his powers give him an air of maturity, Sean has to reign Daniel in numerous times throughout the episode that he is still just a kid.

The episode shows a more complex dynamic of family and friendships and how a person grows in this environment. I believe the characters are three-dimensional and have the same amount of internal conflict an actual person would have, minus the superpowers.

10/10

Episode 3 is available on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.