With the final episode of Life is Strange 2 released in December 2019, a lot of fans are now comparing it to its predecessor from 2015.
In the original, you play Max, a photography student with the power to control time itself. In the sequel, you play Sean whose younger brother, Daniel, has the power to make objects move on their own. Both stories are pretty different despite being in the same universe with the same choice-based gameplay.
So here are five reasons we think the sequel is better and five reasons the original is better. Keep in mind that spoilers are ahead.
Updated on April 20, 2021, By Allison Stalberg: On March 18th, the third title of the Life is Strange series was announced. It will feature a female protagonist with powers to absorb the emotions of others. In light of this upcoming title to the popular series, players are taking a closer look at Life is Strange one and two. Each had its strengths and weaknesses. It makes one wonder what the third title will have in store. Will it do a lot with a little and have that dash of humor in Life is Strange one or delve into a journey of mature themes like racism, immigration, and police brutality like in the second title? Both games are brilliant, but their traits make certain players like one more than the other.
14 Life Is Strange 2 Is Better: It Has More Endings
The content creators definitely learned from the original that fans were not happy with just two endings. So in the sequel, they doubled the endings you can get. Two of them depend on your final choice, which is to either go to Mexico or turn yourself into the police. The other two are dependent on your younger brother and what you have taught him. Based on what you have taught him, he will also decide whether he agrees with your final choice.
13 The Original Is Better: Has Better Pacing
In Life is Strange 2, there are a lot of time skips. In fact, every episode has a time skip happen between them. That sort of story can make players feel more disconnected from the characters and what they are going through.
The original Life is Strange does not utilize time skips like that, even when Max has time-bending powers. While a time skip can happen, it's always from the perspective of Max who has also time skipped with the player. Players always are part of Max's journey, while they are not a part of the brother's journey between the episodes.
12 Life Is Strange 2 Is Better: Conflict Originates From Society Rather Than Just One Bad Guy
Some fans prefer a story of good guys versus bad guy, as it can be satisfying. That is the case in the first Life is Strange. Max and Chloe have one real enemy in their town, the man who kidnapped Rachel. Other conflicts with characters, like Chloe's step-dad are part of normal teenager problems.
Life is Strange 2 takes conflict a major step further in its storytelling. There is no single bad guy to blame their troubles on, because the real monster is the society they travel in. The brothers face abuses from simple shopkeepers, farmers, cops, and even a pastor. While this darker conflict may not make players of the original happy, it is a story much more rooted in reality.
11 The Original Is Better: You Spend More Time With Minor Characters
In the original, it feels like there are a lot more characters that matter. This is because you are in one place for the whole game. In Life is Strange 2, you move around so much that you don't get to stick around with minor characters for very long.
In Life is Strange, you have a lot of relationships with various characters that are consistent throughout all five episodes rather than just one.
10 Life Is Strange 2 Is Better: All Your Choices Matter
This is connected to the fact that this game has four endings instead of just two. In Life is Strange, all your choices may feel like they don't matter in the end. All that really matters is your final choice: save Chloe or the town. By the end, nothing else you did in the game feels like it mattered.
In Life is Strange 2 though, you spend all five episodes teaching your brother about the world and how to deal with his powers. These decisions build up to whether he agrees with whatever decision you make in the end.
9 The Original Is Better: You Have The Powers
Being a character with powers utilizes more mechanics and choices in a story. In Life is Strange, you have the power to change the world around you. Most players prefer that kind of game rather than playing a narrative where instead you have to deal with a younger brother with powers.
Having powers in the original added an extra layer to the gameplay. You could discover little secrets, like rewinding time to get someone's name correct or to get a girl out of the way of a thrown basketball.
8 Life Is Strange 2 Is Better: It Is More Of A Journey
In Life is Strange 2, you are on a journey to Mexico. This is an epic undertaking that feels like an adventure. It is more book-worthy in terms of story. You are introduced to new characters in every chapter and end up in new places as well.
The game even treats the journey like a story from a book, with Sean telling the story from the point of view of wolf brothers who are running away from hunters.
7 The Original Is Better: A Dog Doesn't Die
In Life is Strange 2, a dog dies. It is a cute puppy and while the brothers are not keeping on eye on it, the dog gets killed by a mountain lion.
Seeing people die in video games is one thing, but dogs are different. This is why there are websites dedicated to whether a dog dies or not in a movie, book, or show. It can be too much for our hearts to take.
6 Life Is Strange 2 Is Better: Is More Mature
Life is Strange 2 deals with some heavy topics and brutal situations. While the original did this too, it was not on a societal level. When we say heavy, we mean mature content about racism, politics, and police brutality.
The whole journey starts because of Sean and Daniel's dad being shot by a police officer just because he wanted to check on his kids outside. You also meet a lot of bigots on your way down South.
5 The Original Is Better: Has More Humor
While the second game may be more mature, there is also the other end of the spectrum. The original game has some pretty funny moments. Some of the dialogue was especially memorable such as, "Ready for the mosh pit shaka brah?" or "Release the Kra-CAN!"
You could also just find funny things around the school, like inappropriate grafitti and students just being idiots.
4 Life Is Strange 2 Is Better: Is Incredibly Relevant
In its maturity, Life is Strange 2 is definitely a product of its time. The issues of police brutality, immigration, and racism are incredibly relevant to the world we are living in today. The creators took some risks with such major topics, but they pay off. The game doesn't give you answers, but it certainly makes you see and reflect on the issues.
The game is a great example of how well storytelling and empathy for others can be taught through video games.
3 The Original Is Better: Did A Lot With A Little
While the sequel was an epic journey, the original game remained in a single small town. While that can be seen as a negative, the writers actually drew strength from it. Places can be a lot like characters, and Arcadia Bay was such a place.
The makers of the original showed that you don't have to go on an epic journey when you get powers. Instead, they focused on little things and that is part of why a lot of fans still think this game is the best of the two.
2 Life Is Strange 2 Is Better: Has Cool Plot Synopsis Methods
While the original Life is Strange had better pacing, the sequel made up a bit for its time-skips through its plot summaries. Sean tells a long and ongoing story throughout the game to Daniel about brother wolves as a way to digest all the crazy things that are happening to them. This is not just for Daniel though, its for the player as well.
The story is even accompanied by artwork, lighting up the child-like imagination for the characters. They certainly aren't the first kids to pretend they were wolves.
1 The Original Is Better: The Choices Are Easier
It's a close call, but the choices of the original Life is Strange are a little easier to make than in the sequel. At the end of the game, players have to decide whether to sacrifice Chloe or Arcadia Bay. Online game statistics has fans at half and half on this choice, but it's a choice that comes easier to fans than what happens at the end of the sequel. That is because the player in Life is Strange is aware of the consequence.
The sequel has four endings, and they are all either absolutely tragic or a bit bittersweet. There is far less predictability of the consequences of your choices. There is not a sense of what ending you are going to get until after the choice is made to either surrender to the cops or floor the gas pedal.