"Rules" is the second episode of Life is Strange 2. It was released on January 24, 2019 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Synopsis[]
Official[]
"The two brothers continue their journey on the road into the winter months & struggle against the cold. As Daniel gradually falls ill, Sean’s concern for his younger brother increases and decides the pair of them must make their way to their distant grandparent’s house to recover and seek shelter.
During their stay, they encounter next-door neighbor Chris, a young boy the same age as Daniel who believes he is a super-hero by the name of Captain Spirit.
As Daniel and Chris begin to form a friendship, Sean insists on Daniel following a set of rules around his power. Will Daniel keep his power concealed or break the rules in a time of need?"[1]
Checkpoints[]
- Young Apprentice
- Ship, Captain, Crew
- Rule of Might
- The Road to Beaver Creek
- Sanctuary
- The Gingerbread House
- Bending Laws
- Christmas Spirit
- Confessions
- Screeching Tires
- Breaking Free
Characters[]
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Deaths[]
- Mushroom - After being let outside while Sean and Daniel prepare to leave for Beaver Creek, Mushroom is attacked and dragged away from the abandoned house by a wild cougar.
- Cougar (Determinant) - Upon finding the cougar that killed Mushroom, Daniel will telekinetically ensnare it. If Sean chooses not to step forward and intervene, Daniel will snap the cougar's neck with his powers in a fit of rage.
Licensed Soundtrack[]
- Main article: Soundtrack (Life is Strange 2)
- Red - Mt. Wolf (Played during montage as Sean and Daniel traverse towards Beaver Creek)
- I Found A Way - First Aid Kit (Covered by Cassidy at the Christmas market, played over ending scene)
- Death with Dignity - Sufjan Stevens (Instrumental, played over several scenes involving Chris Eriksen)
Reception[]
Episode 2 received generally favorable to average reviews.[2][3] GameSpot praised the episode for its strong attention to detail in environments, engrossing writing and heartfelt performances.[4] "The decision-making mechanic does not overwrite the nuanced motivations and personalities of the characters."[4] Key points of criticism were the under-utilization of interesting newly-introduced characters[4], (...).
- Steam user-reviews are "mostly positive" out of 115 reviews.[1]
- Destructoid rated the episode as "good" with a score of 7/10.[5]
- GameSpot rated the episode as "great" with a score of 8/10.[4]
- ...
Achievements[]
There are nine achievements the player can earn on Steam, PlayStation or Xbox for finding collectibles or drawing something.
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Back in Time  15  Find optional collectible #1 in Episode 2 |
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Family Business 15 Find optional collectible #2 in Episode 2 |
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Bad Santa 15 Find optional collectible #3 in Episode 2 |
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Heirloom 15 Find optional collectible #4 in Episode 2 |
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Teenage Angst 15 Find optional collectible #5 in Episode 2 |
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Small Town Blues 15 Find optional collectible #6 in Episode 2 |
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A Private Journey 40  Find all optional collectibles in Episode 2 |
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Free Spirits 30 Finish Episode 2 |
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Draw The Line 30 Start any drawing in Episode 2 |
Trivia[]
- The title "Rules" has two meanings within the context of the episode. It may allude to Sean's rules regarding keeping Daniel's power a secret, which is brought into question over the course of the episode. It may also allude to Claire's overly strict house rules, which Sean and Daniel struggle under and eventually break in order to find more information about their mother.
- Trains (and training) represent freedom and change in the context of the episode.
- Training his powers allow Daniel to grow and develop, but they are repressed for his safety.
- Both Sean and Karen intended to escape the Reynolds' home and their rules via train.
- The fact that Stephen took nearly a decade to build his model train set may be a reference to Daniel's age (9), and therefore allude to a parent's long journey to lay the foundation for his child's future.
- Cassidy and Finn essentially live without rules and jump on freighters, which Sean finds an attractive idea.
Gallery[]
Concept Art[]
Promo Screenshots[]
Trailers[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Steam Store page
- ↑ Metacritic
- ↑ OpenCritic
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 GameSpot: Life Is Strange 2: Episode 2 Review - With Great Power (January 22, 2019)
- ↑ Destructoid: Review: Life is Strange 2: Episode 2: Rules (January 23, 2019)
Life is Strange Episodes
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| Life is Strange | Chrysalis · Out of Time · Chaos · Dark Room · Polarized | ||||||
| Before The storm | Awake · Brave New World · Hell Is Empty | ||||||
| Life is strange 2 | Roads · Rules · Wasteland · Faith · Wolves | ||||||
| Life is Strange:True Colors | Side A · Lanterns · Monster or Mortal· Flicker · Side B | ||||||
| Additional stories | Farewell · The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit · Wavelengths | ||||||