After a jaw-dropping teaser, Dontnod unveiled Life is Strange 2’s first full trailer during gamescom 2018. The sequel stars new characters, brothers Sean and Daniel Diaz, and features a brand-new story. Max Caulfield and Chloe Price, the leads of Life is Strange’s original series and prequels, aren’t present in the forthcoming release. Since Max and Chloe are so ingrained in the franchise’s DNA, even Dontnod struggles to move on. However, the developers feel confident in their decision. Life is Strange’s universe has stories worth telling beyond Arcadia Bay.
In an interview with IGN, developers from the studio were asked what defined the series if not Max and Chloe. Co-Director Raoul Barbet responded with the following: It?s a question we asked ourselves at the beginning. Is it Max and Chloe, Arcadia Bay" No it?s about everyday characters, relatable characters with stories you can involve yourself in, because it reflects your own experiences. With some supernatural stuff on the top.
Lead Writer Jean-Luc Cano added that social themes rest at the heart of the franchise. Tackling themes that don’t often receive attention in video games are significant to Dontnod’s vision of Life is Strange. Cano said,
For us it’s really important to talk about social themes that we think are sometimes not maybe shown enough in video games and it was also important for us to start a new story with brand new characters, so we could also tack...