The first full trailer for Life is Strange 2 has arrived–and it teases some of the dramatic events to come. The story involves two brothers who are forced to leave their home in Seattle after a “tragic event that changes their lives forever.” As you can see in the trailer, this event appears to include a gunfight involving a police officer.
“On the run from the police, Sean makes a difficult decision; to take his brother and go to Puerto Lobos, Mexico,” reads a line from the game’s press release. “Life on the road is dangerous and the brothers will be faced with tough decisions as they bravely undertake a journey that will test the bonds of brotherhood.”
The brothers at the heart of the story are Sean and Daniel Diaz, who are 16 and 9 years old, respectively. The game features a “brand-new power,” which, along with its new characters and environments, makes Life Is Strange 2 the “most ambitious project in series history,” Square Enix says. More details on the new gameplay elements are expected to be divulged during Gamescom this week.
“Life on the road is tough and dangerous,” developer Dontnod said in a blog post. “The brothers will face all manner of challenges as they bravely undertake a journey that will test the bonds of brotherhood. Playing as Sean, you will need to make the kind of tough choices you can expect from a Life is Strange game, and you will need to live with the consequences of your actions. The game will this time focus on brotherhood alongside the need to guide and educate your younger brother whilst simultaneously coming of age yourself.
As with previous games in the series, Life is Strange 2 will tackle a host of issues that all of us can identify with and that will cause moral dilemmas and require much soul searching. These themes come together most powerfully in the way Daniel will develop depending on the lessons you teach him and the role model you decide to be.”
The original Life Is Strange and its prequel, Before the Storm, told the stories of Max and Chloe, while the spinoff Captain Spirit focused on a boy named Chris Eriksen.
“We have worked hard with the original team to keep what I personally loved to craft in the first game: the mood, the cinematographic work and of course, the music,” co-creative director Raoul Barbet said in a statement.
Square Enix executive Jon Brooke added said in his own statement that Life Is Strange 2 is one of the company’s “most important releases of the year.”
“After the overwhelming success of the original, we knew that crafting a sequel that is every bit as compelling and powerful as the first game would be a real challenge,” Brooke said. “We are confident that the talented team at Dontnod, who have been working closely with the Square Enix External Studios team, have truly outdone themselves.”
The first episode of Life is Strange 2 will release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on September 27.
