A few decades ago the masses believed video games were a waste of time for lackadaisical youths to pacify themselves while ignoring their responsibilities as both kids and young adults. As more and more people started understanding the benefits of gaming so too did the perception of what a video game is and, most importantly, the benefits gaming can bestow on a person’s life changed. Hi, my name is James Bullock and I am a gamer who has spent the better part of his existence testing the laws of physics, exploring the vastness of a world ruined, and been a champion inside various arenas courtesy of digitized worlds both driven by reality and created through pure unbelievable ingenuity unlike anything seen by human eyes. And as a gamer I’ve discovered something else video games provide: life lessons. Today I examine a game that showcased what happens when you don’t face your fears, “Life is Strange 2”.
Don’t Run Away From Your Troubles
Thanks to the rising popularity of point & click adventures on consoles mostly thanks to Telltale Games’ “The Walking Dead” series, developer Dontnod had the opportunity to present an episodic, story-driven experience mixing the absurdity of a girl who discovers she can rewind time with the realities of bullying & sexual assault and how it affects the victims & perpetrators. “Life is Strange” gained critical acclaim and encouraged both a prequel and a sequel with the latter coming out during the latter half of 2018. Between those adventures, the developer decided to give fans both original and potentially new a chance to experience what is to come with “Life is Strange 2” by controlling Chris as he explored a world unseen and hidden from everyone who can’t delve into his imagination. The teasing of a new super power being explored eventually became something of a minuscule factor in the overall narrative presented when “LiS 2” was released in full.
The brothers Diaz featuring high school student Sean and his nine-year-old sibling Daniel are just the average, run-of-the-mill twosome in a single parent household at the start of episode one – Sean wanting to be a semi-rebellious teenager looking to score with that girl he has his eye on for a while and his little brother always bothering him. On one faithful afternoon before Halloween, the brothers’ worlds turn upside down due to an obvious supernatural tragedy that includes the murdering of a cop alongside the slaying of their own father. Sean takes his brother and runs for Mexico in hopes of settling down in home their father long talked about returning to one day, but the journey is as arduous as one would think for two adolescents completely inexperienced at fully fending for themselves.
Though trying to keep a low profile fails mostly thanks to an angry Daniel being unable to control his budding telekinetic power, the fact remains that Sean & Daniel’s attempt to avoid the reality of their situation where they are looked at as cop murders only digs their hole deeper. During their quest south the perception across the country grows about two youngsters who were ruthless killers. The dreaded “Diaz” brothers needed to be arrested to protect the public from their apparent tendency to blow up any room they occupied for an extended period of time. Running from your troubles usually has a tendency to not only affect the person responsible, but also others just caught in your figurative gravitational pull. During the season’s third episode, Daniel & Sean end up working in a commune of sorts; cutting and bagging marijuana for an illegal cartel. Their interactions with these mostly good people doesn’t end well as desperation & fear of not moving opens the door to destruction. An episode earlier almost results in Sean & Daniel’s grandparents being taken to jail for harboring fugitives (not to mention the potential accident to a sweet boy just trying to save his friends).
Sometimes it’s incredibly difficult to come to grips with actions that will definitely get yourself and maybe even someone else you care for in trouble. But a majority of the time it’s better to face the consequences of one’s actions to avoid further ruination and, most importantly, being embarrassed by your little brother when you’re simply trying to teach him how to move objects with his mind.
Have you learned any major life lessons from playing “Life is Strange 2” or any video game for that matter? Leave them in the comments below and, as always, thanks for reading.
