Wastelands’ finale was enough to drop jaws, leaving the fate of the Diaz brothers a mystery. In Life Is Strange 2’s fourth episode, entitled “Faith”, we find Sean waking up in a hospital. It has been two months since the incident at the farm, and Sean has no clue as to where Daniel has gone.
Given the emotional connections and intriguing narrative decisions that were present in Wastelands, Faith has a lot to live up to. What allows Faith to stand out among the other episodes is its effort to strengthen the bond between player and Sean; the episode also marks a return of larger societal issues taking place in the game (even if the plot can get a little congested at times).
The episode has a solid set up; as Sean wakes up in the hospital, the player is introduced to Joey (a friendly nurse attendant), and Agent Flores (who pushes Sean to tell her more about the incident in Seattle). With the destruction that took place on the farm, one of Sean’s eyes has been badly injured; this brings up a small interaction between Sean and Joey, where the player helps the former test his depth perception.The moment works in allowing the player to feel for Sean, while also feeling part of the conversation with Joey. Shortly after this moment, Sean discovers where Daniel is and decides to escape the hospital.
Throughout the story Sean looks inwards; he acknowledges not being there enough for Daniel and missing his father. These sequences of introspective thought bring a great deal of love and care, further connecting the player with Sean. This bond with him is further amplified in the game’s use of narrative and dialogue decisions. For the most part, the episode throws some tense choices the player’s way; depending on the situation, it is difficult to choose between options, given that certain possible outcomes could lead to more trouble.
Near the halfway point in the episode, Sean finds himself confronted by a racist; the latter berates Sean, antagonizing him to speak in Spanish and sing. The player is then presented a couple moments where they can decide how to interact, either going along with the racist’s demands or fight back. Given the time spent guiding Sean on his journey and being with him, the player feels both sadness and anger for what is taking place.
It is here where we see Faith begin to address societal issues; there has been little to no mentioning of any worldly themes since that of episode one. The thing with Faith, however, is that while its efforts to address issues is commendable, it rushes things a bit much. If a game is going to tackle such topics as racism, and organized religion, it makes more sense to have these ideas fleshed out over time, rather than shoved together in one episode. To be fair, though, Faith doesn’t completely fail in addressing these topics, it’s just more effort could have been made in the writing, allowing for stronger commentary.
Yet, what really saves Faith is the time spent with Sean. Between his external engagements and introspective moments, there’s a greater sense of bonding with him. We see a lot of growth through Sean in the various struggles he confronts throughout Faith. In the end, Life Is Strange 2 is all about the two brothers, and has continuously delivered upon meaningful relationships (between Sean, Daniel, and that of the player).
While the story can get a little too congested at times with its various topics, the effort to explore such issues makes for an experience with more depth and meaning. Faith is another step forward in a wild journey. The episode’s twist and turns offer a blend of exhilarating and heartbreaking moments, and is an experience that Life Is Strange fans can embrace as they continue forward with the brothers.
Given how Faith concludes, there’s no telling what to expect in the final episode when it arrives this December.
Life is Strange 2: Faith review code provided by the publisher.
Life is Strange 2: Faith is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.