REVIEW

Life is Strange 2 Episode 4: Faith Review

by Rob Pritchard, August 31st, 2019

Three months have passed since the third episode of Life is Strange 2 blew us away with its explosive conclusion, which left Sean Diaz with injuries that will affect him for the rest of his life. The fourth episode of Life is Strange 2, which has been named Faith, deals with the fallout of Daniel’s power going haywire as well as several narrative issues that have been unresolved.

Sean Diaz wakes up in a hospital bed after the events of Wasteland, after being in a coma for approximately eight weeks. He is now in the custody of the authorities, who are planning to charge him for the death in Seattle that began the brother’s long and painful journey. Daniel is apparently on the run all by himself, and after discovering information that tells him of Daniel’s location, Sean manages to escape the law. His new goal is to head to a mysterious town named Haven’s Point to reconnect with his runaway brother.

Like the drifter community in Episode Three, Faith introduces us to a new group of individuals with a common goal. The citizens of Haven’s Point are at first glance altruistic and god fearing, but after discovering what they plan to do with Daniel and his abilities, the true extent of their practises become horrifically apparent. As you spend most of the episode away from Daniel, this places the gameplay away from using supernatural abilities, and instead focuses on Sean’s emotional development. Several of his fate altering choices are between self-preservation and reacting to the injustice forced upon him, which makes the player feel more connected to Sean’s journey than at any previous time.

The Life is Strange franchise has never been one to shy away from emotional or political issues, and Faith proves that it is no exception to this standard. After his first attempt to liberate Daniel is foiled by the church’s acolytes, Sean is approached by his estranged mother Karen, who tends to his wounds and wants to work with Sean to liberate Daniel from the church’s clutches. The sequence where the emotional teenager and his mother can potentially reconnect is probably one of the finest moments in the entire game, hitting all the right notes and giving the player the ultimate decision on whether Karen does enough for Sean to begin to accept her back into his social circle.

The Unreal Engine 4 framework used by DontNod Entertainment is once again working at full capacity, providing a smooth 60fps experience on the PS4 Pro, with very few graphical glitches or technical problems that were evident in the first few episodes. The voice acting is as solid as ever, with the soft soothing soundtracks once again providing the perfect background to Sean and Daniel’s long and difficult journey. In an unusual move, only one licensed track has been included in the game, but this works to Faith’s benefit, as it provides the game’s original soundtrack more of a chance to be judged on its own merit.

Overall, the penultimate episode of Life is Strange 2 is without a doubt one of the best episodes in the sequel’s repertoire. The focus on Sean’s inner struggles as he attempts to rescue Daniel, as well as the difficult return of the brother’s absent mother proves that the development team have not lost their touch when it comes to building believable characters. If DontNod can fulfil on the promises that have been made by Faith, as well as the other three episodes thus far, then it is safe to say that Life is Strange 2 will conclude on a note that will leave players feeling ultimately satisfied.