"Everything is Political" | Institutional Racism in Life is Strange 2
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- Life is Strange 2 stands out for being an overtly political game, explicitly tackling racism in a post-Trump America. But racism isn’t just an isolated act of violence, it’s woven into our institutions and our everyday lives. Especially in light of current events, it’s time to take a deeper look at how racism is represented in Life is Strange 2.
Obviously, this video contains spoilers for Life is Strange 2.
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I related to this game so much, i have a little brother the age of daniel and im the same age as shawn, When i played it it made me appreciate my little brother so much. Especially because im a mexican whos parents crossed the border illigally. To think that shawn and daniel were just an ordinary family kills me as well. Def an eye opening game.
The way you described the Blood Brothers versus the Redemption ending is spot on. I never understood why other people called the Blood Brothers ending “bad”, when I got it on my first play through because I went into the game vowing to make every decision in protection of Daniel and Sean’s safety. I only ever let Daniel “unleash” his power when we (or others) were in the way of direct harm. So I’m so glad you’ve spelled it out so perfectly here. In my opinion, the Blood Brothers ending is the only one that feels like true redemption to me,
considering what they had to go through.
Absolutely!
this is the first lis2 video essay that hasn't driven me into a blind rage. thank you for such carefully articulated and well-researched words. this is exactly the type of praise this game needs and deserves. it is a gorgeous and devastating story of the reality of being a person of colour in a place where you are always seen as 'other'. just like you, lis2 holds its own special place in my heart and it always will. it's so unique in the way it allows us to cultivate a bond between two brothers in a world where they have no one to turn to for help but each other.
watching this video, i was so happy to see someone else picked up on and acknowledged the subtle displays of racism shown to us alongside the more overt and physically violent displays. as a woc myself, i was deeply upset by so many things in this game. not because i disliked them but because they are very real and the game doesn't sugarcoat the horrendous reality of racial trauma, institutional racism and the dangers of being complicit to racism. this game made me feel so validated in the way i think, in my politics, and i hoped it would enlighten and inform those who are oblivious to systemic and institutional racism.
unfortunately, most of the playerbase has completely and grossly missed what the game blatantly tries, time and time again, to tell us. its always the same regurgitated comparison to lis1; complaints about daniel being annoying, troublesome, dramatic and unrealistic; the game being too political and over the top with the topic of racism; sean's decisions making no sense. i find it so eye-opening and ironic when people complain about the political message of the game or question sean's decision to run away and travel across the country -- they are essentially real-life examples of characters like the reynolds and david, who aren't overtly racist but are complicit to institutional racism and the racist state. i hope people that make such criticisms can learn something from your essay.
i love ur comment! please share the other essay that you liked
@@toothy8923super late but i agree with most of what you have to say, that most of the player base misunderstood what this game was about! The only thing I disagree with is that yes, most of the complaints about the game are misguided, but there were definitely moments where the writing of Sean and especially Daniel made me roll my eyes. I felt Sean had a natural progression through the story, but Daniel's was full with weird lapses. Especially the whole thing with the heist with Finn, I chose to not go along with this plan to protect Daniel from harm, and I felt Daniel's reasoning for doing it behind Sean's back was overly childish coming from the Daniel that had matured so much during the first two episodes. That kind of character regression coming seemingly out of nowhere bothered me. Also how you can just reconcile with Karen so easily if you wanted to. I picked those options to hear her out and get to know her character, but then randomly Sean trusts the woman who abandoned him? I felt they could've expanded on their reconciling to where the hug or no hug decision felt more real than it was, because Sean had the option of already almost completely trusting this woman before he even wrote her the final note or chose whether or not to hug her. I just felt it could've been tweaked!
But let's be real, no one who complains about Daniel or Sean actually has these opinions, they just don't like the idea of a little Mexican American child having powers and that he and his brother are complete badasses.
I taught Daniel to be good and got a sad ending, so in my second play through "screw it, Daniel, kill them all"
lis2 is my favorite game of the series and i always wish i seen more deep dive videos like this on it. it’s frustrating seeing so many people dislike the game because they feel like it’s too political. i definitely appreciate the work you put into this video and the way you were able to perfectly voice your thoughts on the racism in the game.
It's a bad game buddy
@@purpleclaws202 i don’t remember asking what u thought ab the game lol
@@purpleclaws202 You spelled good wrong try better next time.
Yeah.. same...
I don't know where to find someone making a deep look into Life is Strange: True Colors...
And sharing their insights here on CZcams...
Bah..
I am so happy that she made this video to share...
Yeah.. finally, someone really spent a lot of time and actually cared about the story with its elements...
I hate that Life is Strange was the talk of the town but this sequel which in my opinion is much more impactful didn't get nearly as many video essays made about it. I'm happy to subscribe and can't wait to wait the rest of yalls videos!
Thanks so much for the lovely comment and the sub! I We hope you enjoy our other video essays, and for sure keep an eye out for more content soon 😁
LIS2 is my favotire by far, it hits hard and gets too much hate.
I’m an 18 year old Mexican American with a little brother who looks just like Daniel and holy fuck this game completely ruined me, its been 4 months since I last touched this game and I still cannot stop thinking about this game. I’ve played a fuck ton of video games in my life and this is the only one who genuinely stuck with me, everything about it destroyed me. I’ve never actually experienced racism in my life, so when I played this game I got chills every minute of it, I wish more people would play this game, ESPECIALLY in 2020, the fact that this game touches on topics like Racism, Police Brutality, Classism, Abuse of Immigrants, Homosexuality and Religion... This is easily the most important game of the decade, sad how much people throw it off bc it’s not Max and Chloe.
I couldn't agree more. As much as I love the first LIS, the double standard in fan reception to both games is so clear. I argue in our video on disability and gender in LIS1 that it's a very political game too, in a different way, but it's very telling that people think racism is 'too political' or that LIS2 is 'unrealistic', isn't it! It really shows the extent to which people are desensitised to and willing to ignore and overlook the violence that POC face, and how uncomfortable they are when forced to confront their whiteness.
-Sara
As a younger brother myself this game does hit different.
you are the only person that I heard that actually understood the game and caring about not being racist. It's crazy how some people played this game and just say "i didn't like Sean and Daniel" or shit like that, like they only care when are withe people represented. Im not saying that people can't like this game, I'm only saying that we should question "why I don't like this?". I can't speak for mexicans, but I can say that as a latino: this game show us exactly how racism works for white people.
I absolutely agree, especially considering that many fans of the first Life is Strange didn’t like this one... There is a clear double standard in my opinion.
I’m glad you liked this video and that it hit the mark for you 💜
-Sara
Hey man, fuck you for implying some stupid reason as to why I don't like this game. I for one, think the writing is just hot garbage.
Thank god you guys existed...
You guys really care about these games!
I really love our collective enthusiasm for these stories...
It feels nice to know that we are here, and we could really see what the storytellers at dontnod may want to imply...
as a person of LatinX origin, your comment is very offensive.
Tbh I didn't like Lis 2 because I find the story boring and uninteresting. The game didn't managed to mix well all the elements of realism and paranormal, witch is something the first game and the prequel did way better. Those games made you really feel fully immersed in the world and in the characters, while this one made me feel like i was only "spectating" wathever shit was going on. Plus, Sean Is a very bland protagonist imho, even more than Max in the first chapters.
This game was made for a specific group of ppl to relate to and i think thats important. They're just against it because they don't want to face the truth that it happens. As a poc, this was my favorite one, and i hope they continue with making games about all types of people (trans, different religions, races, sexuality, etc)
I'm neither white nor Hispanic and this made me uncomfortable, I can see the reality of it all, my eyes are not closed trust me....some of it was too much like the kidnapping and chaining a minor so you can call the cops...like fr that is a crime bigger than what you accused them of commiting. Part one was more enjoyable for me. It took you for a crazy ride but didn't leave you feeling some kinda way lol
🙄
@@MaladroitFilms 🤡
As a young Mexican American who's been racially prejudiced against since middle school, this analysis made me want to cry from how much it matched my experiences
another thing i noticed is that sean being mixed, white and mexican, is significant. yes youre half white, but youre still colored, and any color eliminates any privilege whiteness could give you. as a mixed person, that's so important. it captures how we experience racism at the hand of our own families, and having one side of your family dismiss your racist experiences while the other side discusses their trauma in hushed whispers.
Yes definitely, he is racialised and perceived as 'other' therefore he has those experiences (we talk more about 'racialisation' in our other videos), and his white family doesn't understand that and even perpetuates racism towards him. It might be different if he were 'white passing' but he is clearly racialised and perceived as Mexican not white.
That must be so painful and I'm so sorry that you and others have that experience with your families.
@@GameAssistI am mixed Asian and Hispanic. I know nothing of my Asian heritage or family, and I’m pretty sure there’s African American and Native blood in there somewhere, but on my mother’s side of the family most of my cousins and Uncles are “white passing”, and one thing I never realized even though they’re hispanic also, I was never taught Spanish and so there’s very little connection between us. And over time as an adult I’ve realized there’s more of a push to get along with my “whiter” cousins and “extended” family. It really does happen in your own family where you have to speak up just to be heard.
@@shepherdstar14 I'm so sorry, it's one thing to experience these sorts of racism in general but I imagine another for it to be from family who are white. And part of that is being alienated from ancestral cultures
Blood Brothers ending is something you kinda missunderstood. It is implied Esteban's house was habitated by this gang, so they had to use Daniel's power to force them out, killing two of them in the process, which is why they come back later pointing a gun at Sean.
So, yeah. They live in Mexico, after killing a dozen cops and a couple gang members. That's why they are the Blood Brothers.
are you sure? why are they in Lone Wolf too then? hm 🤔
Thank you so much for making this. Much like you, Life is strange 2 was one of the most important games of my life for me. It echoed some of my own personal experiences, and so the negative reactions the game received on release had made me feel like my lived experiences were being questioned. It was good to hear you break things down, and I thought your analysis was spot on!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I think I'm coming to terms with just how life effecting this game has been for me.
thank you so much for this video. as a woman of color and daughter of a brown immigrant in the US, it hurts me seeing people who will never understand the struggles of people like the diaz brothers and then bash on this game relentlessly. it's the most underrated game of the life is strange series, and it's because white fragility causes people to hate this game rather than acknowledge the problem. thank you.
Yeah I think you are right. And I'm sorry, I'm right there with you and share your pain but you're not alone 💜
I finished this game about 2 hours ago, and I gotta say this has enhanced my experience with the story and has opened my eyes to so many details that I literally didn't get. As a latino man myself I'm baffled with how I missed to notice the gaslighting and constant micro racist remarks from those who were supposed to be support characters. I even remember (cause it took me two attempts to finish the game as I was expecting something more in the line of the story and gameplay from LiS1) that I noticed the MAGA cap on grandpa's office on my first playthrough and I thought myself "nah, it can't be. It might just be a generic red cap" or brush it off as some sort of dark comedy easter egg.
Me, a latino man who doesn't live in the US but has had experience with instances of racism in online gaming, couldn't bring myself to see Sean and Daniel's story through the eyes of a latino completely, as I've been kinda programmed to experience games through the eyes of a "white protagonist" only this time "cosplaying" as a minority, and this video has shocked me to the core upon this realization... Now I can resonate way more with every remark you made about this game themes and criticism of the system. I have found a new appreciation for this extremely underrated gem and, even though there is no comparison between the first installment and this one, I would say this one way somehow hits more personal and painful than LiS1, but not implying one is better than the other, they're just completely different games upon closer inspection.
I have been through a similar situation, albeit not as dramatic or adventurous as the one portrayed for the siblings in the game, with my own little brother and we both kinda identified with Sean and Daniel. We wanna get matching Wolves tattoos as they appear during the loading screens. But what I once thought was just an amazing story about siblinghood, now feels more serious and urgent as an overall message of a status quo that is still alive and burning in today's society... Again, thank you for this essay.
PS: I also got the Blood Brothers ending!
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this lovely and thoughtful comment!
I totally get you - though most racialised people experience racism in some form, either interpersonally or structurally, we have different experiences of racism. Factors like class, gender, sexuality, and sociopolitical context influence this - the Diaz brothers are a good example because even though there are some things I relate to, they have a very particular experience of racism as homeless young men, much of which I haven't experienced. If I were to make this video now in 2022, that's probably something I'd talk about more as I have a better understanding of it now - that people are racialised differently in different contexts and racism isn't a homogenous thing. For example, from learning from Latinx people and learning about the history of colonialism in South America, I now understand better that Latinx people are racialised in a homogenous way in the U.S., while in South American countries they will be racialised differently, and the experience of white, Black, and Indigenous South Americans are vastly different. I have no lived experience of this myself, but I have my own particular experience of racialisation and racism as a South Asian and Arab person living in Britain.
This nuance is something we try to bring out more in our video "Decolonization is not a metaphor" - which you might be interested in checking out if you liked this one! I definitely want to discuss race and racism in games more in the future as well.
Again thanks for taking the time to watch this video and to leave this comment 💜
-Sara
@@GameAssist I truly appreciate the content you've been putting up. I'll definitely check the video, I'm intrigued! Ty, Sara
so awesome that it impacted you so much
this game hurt me on a spiritual level and it deserves to be appreciated so much more. i remember people dismissing it on the basis of it "making white people seem evil!!!" and being "obsessed with trump!!!!!!!". hell even jacksepticeye complained this game had "an agenda" it was trying to push. yeah... an agenda like... everyone deserves basic empathy and dignity. ooo, scary.
so yeah. thank you for making this.
We're so glad you liked the video! You're definitely right that this game deserves to be appreciated despite its 'agenda'. All games, and all forms of art for that matter, have a purpose. They all aim to tell us something. What these people really mean is that they don't like the way the message is being portrayed because they don't want to acknowledge their own complacency and part in the system. Most games before LiS 2 showed us racism in fantasy or sci-fi settings, through metaphor. The reason this game hits differently is simply because of its grounding in our own reality. Thanks again for your comment, and we hope you continue to support us!
@@GameAssist oh 100%. it hit too close to home for a lot of people and made them uncomfortable, which is what good art does. i just hope lis 2 continues to be re-evaluated over the years. i will definitely continue to support you guys
@@ASS_ault why
Guess it’s only bad when the us does it huh instead of literally any other damn country it’s pushing shit agendas
@@unusannus..8005 when did the game ever even imply america is the only country with police brutality as an issue?
Late to the party, but I have to say I'm still pissed at the LiS fanbase for shitting on this beautiful piece of a game. Their criticisms always go back to either comparing it with the first installment or it being "too political" and that's just not fair. This video sums up perfectly what I was thinking, so thank you for taking the time to showcase just how meaningful this game really is!
@Leonard Trent And you are the type of person this video is directly criticizing. You came to a video that clearly and demonstrably showed the incredible quality of LiS 2 and how it brilliantly addressed the very real problem of institutional racism, just to assume things about me and tell me to "get some standards." Your opinion of me and this game couldn't be more wrong. So why don't you get yourself some standards, learn to respect a good game that you simply can't bring yourself to understand, and leave your shit opinions at the door
@Leonard Trent Are people not allowed to like games? In my opinion, this game was really well written and had an amazing plot. You do not have to agree, but respect people who do.
People also bash it for the racism in it being obvious. Let’s be real. Racism from overt racists, is never, ever, subtle. That complaint is invalid. Real, visceral, life shattering issues like this aren’t hidden. They can be, but when it comes to police brutality or persecution like this, it’s in plain view.
Just finished this game last night. While I wish the last two episodes were a bit longer and gave more time to really see how decisions you both made affected Daniel, this game is definitely up there as one of my favorites. Something I also thought was interesting is that whether it be that their Mom left early in their lives or this chaotic power that Daniel gains, Sean really has very little control despite wanting to do everything he can to give Daniel the best life. To me, it connected to this idea that he can neither control how other people treat them nor what life does to them. While LiS1 is great in its own way, I don't think the story overall really pushed into any new territory and overall was very safe for the player to interact with. Even if you chose queer options, you don't have to interact with the homophobic reality that would come with it. I really appreciate that despite being so sad, that LiS2 goes all in from the start on being full of obstacles that almost always you play no fault in, but take the brunt of the blame from. At least to main stream media/broader white people, it was slightly ahead of it's time and extra telling to play after the death of George Floyd and the movement that followed.
Great video! Thanks for sharing your thoughts
LIS2 is incredible, I'm glad it hit you in the same way it did me!
This game truly is a gem that often gets overlooked amidst mixed reviews. Personally, I've never been as deeply immersed in a game as I have been with this one. I've replayed it seven times just to explore all the possible endings, and each playthrough leaves a lasting impact that resonates with me. Despite the potential backlash, I would wholeheartedly welcome a longer remake. Don't Nod stands out as one of the few studios that treat their stories as genuine art rather than mere commodities, and this dedication shines through in their exceptional end results. While True Colors fell short of the original Life is Strange's status, Life is Strange 2 managed to capture that essence brilliantly. It's important to recognize that consuming media purely for fan service undermines the depth and artistry of storytelling, as someone who's passionate about writing myself.
This game doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It is arguably one of the most informative pieces of media that discusses systematic racism in America. As a white male I’ll never be able to truly understand the racism POC face on a regular basis, but this game has given me a deeper understanding of how deeply racism is embedded in society. I really hope more people within the LIS fandom give this a chance, the message is to important, now more than ever.
Couldn’t agree more!
White people deal with racism more than anyone. Mainly because of our history or our race over all. We’re constantly being made fun of and called “crackers” or “white boy” or “white girl.”
@@ThatOneGuyInCZcamsComments please tell me this comment is satire
@@Lukeishness yes, it’s satire.
@@ThatOneGuyInCZcamsComments you really gotta work on that cause it did not sound like it was a joke at all.
Really interesting, the ways you showed how even likable characters like Brody, Karen's parents, and the more mellow David are racist really reminded me that it's not always necessarily monstrous, just complicity in an oppressive system. When I first played the game, I chose the Redemption ending, partly because I was afraid of a Thelma & Louise-style result, and while it is an appropriately bittersweet one that feels of a piece thematically with the whole game (just like the first one's Bay ending), I'm sure as heck going with Parting Ways everytime now, because there's enough misery in this world (even if Daniel can't see his brother for a while).
tbh i always lumped clair with the bigots... she was quite overtly racist to me and almost every interaction she had with sean was a micro agression. i was surprised by stephen owning a maga hat (didn’t even see it in my gameplay), but it makes sense when we analyze claire. i don’t doubt that they love them but the racism is still there... as for brody, he looked like the text book definition of a white liberal. at least these 3 were helpful i guess
as for the ending, i chose blood brothers but i just wish that they could just get to mexico and live a normal life, without getting into any trouble... but i still think that and parting ways are the best endings and especially the ones that make sense.
Racists? Opressive system? Can't you please stop saying bullshit?
Who cares if they are racist,people are free to have motives and I like the characters
@@alventuradelacruz522bruh… 😐
Thank you for making this video. I was so surprised how everyone either swept LiS2 under the rug or had really misinformed opinions about it, but it's actually my favorite in the entire series. I couldnt put into words why it was so badly received, until I watched this and understood "oh, it's the racist undertones." People couldnt swallow how this is actually a mirror to their faces, especially in the time this game was released.
Absolutely, there's such a double standard. There's fair critique to be had about LiS2, some of which I tried to touch on (like arguments that it's trauma porn, that it normalises the idea of the 'good cop', or that it associates Mexico with criminality) but overall I think it's an important game which does a lot of stuff very well. All LiS games are political, it's just 'too much' for some people to be confronted about racism ig...
You've earned a subscriber simply because this is the only youtube video i've found on LiS2 that actually dicusses the game as a piece of art, instead of dismissing it because it has no max and chloe or no time travel mechanics... As for me, I went with the "redemption" ending and felt it was right for the way that I played the game - Sean sort of internalizing the racism he has to suffer and accepting it for a chance to give his brother a decent life, and also to not be separated from him, making Sean a sort of a tragic hero.
While I am as far away as can be from understanding what it's like to be a person of color in the United States (I'm not even from there), I really think this game did a good job in making it feel like I'm the one suffering from systemic injustice, being powerless and angry and scared, actually helping me empathize with this experience.
I loved LIS2 and love to find others who loved it too!
Excellent video. Thank you so much for making it, you analysed everything with so much details. I keep thinking about this game, and Sean and Daniel, very regularly and I'm glad someone made a video adressing this subject. I'll definitely keep watching what you do !
Thank you so much for your kind words! We really appreciate the support, and we're glad that we're not the only ones thinking about racism in this game.
Excellent essay! I got the blood brothers ending on my initial play through. There was no way I was going to have Sean surrender. Seeing Daniel and Sean live free in Mexico after all they went through is the only ending I can stomach.
Thank you! Yeah it really is the best ending
Very thoughtful and well-researched video, thank you for sharing. As Life is Strange 2 was being released, I recall many reviewers and commenters as being highly critical of Sean's character -- that since he and Daniel were clearly innocent, he shouldn't have taken what they saw as such drastic and irrational actions. I think those people failed to see, in spite of the game's many efforts, that there is no way Sean or his brother as young men of color would have received fair treatment under the law. They believed, just as Brody and David and Mrs. Reynolds wanted to believe, that the law would be on their side. I would hope that some of those people have the self-awareness to examine the events of the past few weeks here in America and arrive at a different conclusion.
Completely agree, couldn't have said it better ourselves! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment, we're really glad that you liked this video. We hope it helps people examine themselves and their assumptions, and to come to the conclusion that you've described.
yeah, i immediately understood why sean saw fleeing as his only chance of surviving, because there was no way they would’ve believed to latino kids over a dead white cop. it’s unrealistic. and all of this makes the surrender option at the end of the game so dumb, if sean wanted to do that then he should’ve just stayed in seattle, which is why i decided to cross the border immediately
@@lanadelreyisgay _"sean saw fleeing as his only chance of surviving"_ you hit it right on the head. especially bc after sean wakes up, sees his father's body and the mayhem around them, you (and him) immediately hear MORE cop cars on their way. why would he stay and wait to face more cops literally a few minutes after one just waved a gun in their face and murdered his father? i never understand ppl that say sean was unreasonable for running like what are yall even talking about
It bothers me how many people try and pick this game apart from the incighting incident.
Super late to this, but I'm super glad I watched this. It's a very interesting and adequate take an how complicated the racism is in this game. The fact how so many people disregard or downplay it without any proper analysis literally shows a phenomenon you're covering in your essay. One doesn't have to like the story or whatever and that's not the point, but saying the portrayal of racism is "unrealistic" or "too political" (everyone's favorite phrase) kinda exposes a lack of understanding the issue.
Couldn’t agree more! Thanks so much for your comment 😊
Ur the first person I've seen to give an actual in depth review. Such a stupid criticism "this game is too political" when in all honesty this game doesn't even focus on politics.
Its about two half hispanic brothers who are effected by racism in very realistic ways. It's never over done or over glamorized or even the main focus of the story. The game shows exactly how traveling this country is as a hispanic or even a POC is like: Dangerous. Thats the real reason so may white ppl dont like this game. Not because its overly political, but because its uncomfortable for white people to address. The game wouldnt be nearly as dangerous or tragic if Sean and Daniel was white, and thats the key to understanding the story.
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
thank you for this. when a show, movie, game, etc discusses controversial topics, people seem to shy away from it because it's "too political". human decency and lives aren't political and shouldn't be viewed as such. while this game does discuss actual politics, most of it is about internalized racism and even blatant racism. when we're faced with these hard topics, they may come off a scary, because in reality, that's the truth. the truth is scary and hard, but we still need to face it and educate ourselves on it or else we won't grow. thank you.
Thank you for the comment 💜
Personally I do believe the idea that “everything is political” - I think it means that we live in a world which is shaped by political forces and power structures, therefore everything we experience exists in a political context. Something I tried to get across in this video is that racism is everywhere because it isn’t just interpersonal violence, it’s embedded in the very fabric of society - in the existence of capitalism, criminality, borders, policing, and more. Interpersonal violence is just an extension of that, but an important one. The ways we relate to ourselves and each other are absolutely shaped by systems such as racism, misogyny, queerphobia, disablism, and capitalism. I agree that we have to be willing to face hard and uncomfortable truths, including our own complicity, if we ever hope to dismantle these structures of violence in our world, and build a more compassionate future. (Which I wholeheartedly believe we can 💜)
I always recommend this reading list for folks if you’re interested in learning more about the angle I was coming from in this video, the angle I think this game portrays so well! x
abolitionistfutures.com/full-reading-list
@@GameAssist thank you for that insight! i guess i missed something!
No worries at all, I really appreciate you taking the time to engage from a place of compassion and leaving such a kind and thoughtful comment on the video 💜 I hope you’ll consider checking out some of our other content if you enjoyed this one!
I was absolutely broken watching this story play out. Outraged that this is genuinely some peoples live
No you aren't.
@@greghauser742 lol i sure am.
this game deserves so much more love than it gets. (i’ve been recommending it to anyone i know who is an oldest sibling bc im sure they can relate to the pressure that is put on sean at a young age and his desire to protect daniel) this is such a special story between two brothers who are only trying to survive in a world that doesn’t want them or accept them. this video goes a great job at explaining why racism is in everything, and as a white woman a lot of the more subtle displays were lost on me. it was explained beautifully and i have an even deeper appreciation for this game. thank you for taking the time to make this
Thank you for taking the time to leave this lovely comment. I'm glad this video can help illuminate why this game, and talking about this game, is so important 💜
You commented on wanting to discuss the Nightmare sequence and the use of guilt in trying to force the player's hand in the final decision for the first Life is Strange, and I will say I am truly interested in hearing you comment on this. But if you're interested in another game to discuss, you might consider the game "Gone Home" which involves an older sister coming across an audiodiary from her younger sister, basically a coming of age story of a teenager realizing she is interested in another girl, set back in the 1980s. If you've not played the game I highly recommend it, though it's more an exploration and puzzle-solving game even as you piece together what's going during the story.
Yes, we have plans for videos discussing issues such as disability and gendered violence in LIS1 and we will be discussing the nightmare sequence as part of that so do keep an eye out! Gone Home is an old favourite of mine (Sara here) so I'd be very interested to re-play it and talk about it for the channel!
I searched for life is strange video essays and the first one blew me away with all the comments condemning the game with things like, if they had just waited for the cops the whole game never would have happened. What you said here is what I got from the game. People don't want politics in their game but have no problem with violence against women?
This video was great. I'm going to play again. I was disappointed when I crashed the border and Daniel jumped out. I nearly dropped my controller in my foot bath reaching for the screen. I was brainwashed to in trying to follow the rules. Im going to make better choices and hope for blood Brothers. That's the only one that seems fitting.
this game has changed me so much. i cry everytime certain events happen bc it isn't fair. I hope more can find and be inspired by this game.
Keep up the great work.
Agent Flores initially threw me off guard, because I had thought as a fellow Latinx to them, she would be more sympathetic to Sean’s situation, but that’s something a lot of white people (admittedly like myself) might not immediately notice because it’s so easy to overlook. Here in America, we still suffer from the “model minority” myth, with is such a horribly pervasive thing that it affects the very psychology of minorities who have integrated into white culture as well. People will turn against their own ethnic background and the struggles of their fellow poc for the sake of attaining similar success as white people, making them perhaps unknowingly complicit in the system. It was telling to me, too, that rather than attempt to speak Spanish with Sean (which she could have), Flores exits the room to have a phone conversation with her family in Spanish, almost as if it had to be kept a secret. And I think if she did sympathize more with him, she would certainly have risked losing her job and status, same as Joey. I think it’s absolutely vital for other white people to realize this is a thing that happens, and that sadly, we’ve all been a part of and contributed to that system of internalized gaslighting and erasure, too. I personally think it’s the worst kind, and perhaps the next wave of what we need to be discussing next in our collective efforts to uproot racism, so I’m glad you discussed the point that she serves as a tool of the state. Also, I just want to thank you SO much for this amazing analysis of the game, the examination of veiled racist language used, and every other talking point. I’m still learning a lot and trying to educate others, so this is massively helpful, and I’ll be watching it quite a few more times to really absorb the message. 💚
Thank you so much! Yes, I can understand why the initial reaction would be to think that Flores might be more sympathetic as a fellow Latinx. As I argue in the video, it's a telling example of POC participating in racist structures of power and perpetuating racist structures. Capitalism teaches us that we will be fine as individuals and can 'make it' if we simply assimilate into the existing (racist) structures, never mind the liberation of all of our people.
Personally when playing, I immediately distrusted Flores because she is an FBI agent. Regardless of individuals' intentions, as I've described, the FBI is an inherently racist institution, founded by people like J. Edgar Hoover with racist ideology, and purpose-built to enact racist violence. By participating in such an institution, one is complicit in racist violence. This has been true throughout the history of the FBI and the police and is true to the present day.
There's a lot of good literature out there about this, but recently I've been reading the autobiography of Assata Shakur, in which she describes how the FBI and the police systemically murdered, imprisoned, and scapegoated the Black Panthers and other Black revolutionaries. I also recommend the website Abolitionist Futures: abolitionistfutures.com/
-Sara
Bihh your name is Peter Von Harten you are the furthest thing from Latino lmao
@@FireRayquaza24 I never said I was, but I can see how my comment was misconstrued. Edited it for clarity lol.
LIS2 is my favorite of the series! Besides doing a great job making our actions have consequences, i actually liked how “political” it is. As a black person who has experienced alot of racism it was still eye opening to see the experiences that other people have. It always bothered me how reductive people are when talking about it. I feel like a lot of the things brought up in the game were meant to be uncomfortable and thought provoking, but because it was institutional racism instead of school bullying people immediately wrote it off as bad. This is the first time I’ve heard a really good deep dive. You immediately hooked me by dissecting the wolf metaphor, which I hadn’t thought too hard about, and I love how well researched and worded this is.
Thank you so much that's so kind 🥹
The distinction between "teaching Daniel to follow the rules of society" versus "Teaching Daniel to look after himself and his brother" also reminds me a lot of the ethics of care detailed by (white) feminist scholar Carol Gilligan in her book "A Different Voice." In short, she discussed how abstract rule and law-based ethics tended to be prioritized in patriarchal philosophy, from Kant to Freud to Kohlberg, largely based on the lived experiences of white men. Conversely, relation ethics, or ethics of care, tend to be more prominent in the lives of women, and tend to be the types of ethics women are socialized to enact, but because all of the philosophical systems for evaluating ethical development were these patriarchal abstract ones, women tended to be judged as less ethically 'mature' than men by the rubrics developed by your Freuds and your Kohlbergs.
The fact that gamer culture assigned one the designation "high morality" and the other "low morality" is a laughably on-the-nose indication of the degree to which patriarchal norms have pervaded so many spaces of games criticism and discussion.
Also, this video is excellent, and I'm so glad I discovered this channel.
Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed the video! And that's such an interesting point - I haven't read any Carol Gilligan but definitely interested in checking this out. The gendered/caring nature of this construction of 'morality' hadn't occurred to me but it's especially interesting regarding Sean's positionality as a queer young man of colour in a caring role, displaced from the ethics of state really as soon as he runs away in the first episode. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts!
-Sara
Tank you for doing this video, you really opened my eyes. I never considered myself being a racist, I truly hate racism! But I have no words now for how ashamed I feel right now, that I didnt see even half of the gaslighting you pointed out. I even chose the surrender option in the end, because I really thought the truth will be on my side/ seans side. I was crying when I saw Sean so broken in the end and taken half his life away. I was so naive! I finished the game yesterday and I cried a lot during this game, but seeing your video made me cry again, how I could choose the surrender option. How I could not see that Sean would never have a chance from the very first moment his dad was killed. I even agreed somehow with these moralic-non moralic-comments, because you still had to choose if you kill/hurt people in the end. But I did not see that the wolf brothers are forced to do this, if they will fight for their rights and lifes, because the system would never give them a chance. Even if they have to live their life in mexico in half a violent way, it is because they are faced with violence. It is the system to blame.
I read in comments a lot about morality and non moralic endings. But know I see that this way of thinking is so racistic without even noticing! Is this the most dangerous racism in the long way? It is creepy that so many people have written this. I hope these persons also never meant to hurt and will also learn the meaning of their words. For me I have learned a lot through this game and your analysis of it. Thank you really for this effort! I know this might sound exaggerated (I truly hope it doesn't) but because of your thoughts to this game I learned an extremely important thing about humaneness.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful, vulnerable comment. I want to assure you that everyone has internalised racism, and those of us who are committed to unlearning it are committed to a lifelong journey, which requires vulnerability, humility, and the willingness to learn and grow. You have demonstrated these qualities and such wonderful open-mindedness in this comment, it truly means so much to see. It's natural to regret our past actions and beliefs once we've questioned them and realised the harm they cause, but I hope you can be proud that you have demonstrated such a willingness to change. I'm humbled to be even a small part of that. Much love and solidarity 💜
this is genuinely the best life is strange analysis i've seen. life is strange 2 is one of my favorite games ever and i firmly believe it changed my life. i'm so sick and tired of people disregarding it as it's "too political," when in reality, they're just too racist. i don't wanna insert myself, as a white person, in this conversation, but i will say this: i first played lis2 when i was 14 and coming into my own individuality, forming beliefs independent of my complicitly racist family's. though it may be unfair to site this game as the only thing that allowed me to develop a progressive and liberal mindset, it was definitely a major instigator. i am so thankful for lis2 and other forms of media that demonstrate oppression and how much it's intertwined in our society. sadly, i was taught to hate before i was taught to love, but sometimes all it takes is a story for one to unlearn years of bigotry.
Thanks so much for the kind words, and for sharing your experience with us 💜 We're all on a journey with unlearning these violent systems we've internalised and doing everything we can to fight them every day. At Game Assist we're humbled to be even a small part of that journey for folks, which is what our channel is all about. Proud of you!
this was posted a while ago, but oh my god thank you for this. i hate how misunderstood this aspect of the game is and you did a spectacular job. ending the video with the scene of sean in his room before the accident.. wow. you articulated so many loose and incoherent thoughts I had about this topic in the game! this channel is great!
Thank you so much, I’m so glad this video resonated with you!
what a amazing analysis!
thank you so much for sharing this, just finished lis2 an hour ago and this video really opened my eyes on institutionalized racism and trauma being the overarching theme in the game. being Mexican myself and living so close to the us border, I truly empathized with everything the Diaz went through, and the fact that you don’t get justice for the murder of their dad or all the racist violence the brothers suffered in any of the endings just broke my heart; it made the story feel in equal parts authentic as well as heartbreaking.
it truly showed how traumatizing racism and injustice is on poc, as both Sean and Daniel sacrifice something in all of the endings.
what an amazing video on an amazing game.
Thank you so much for watching and for taking the time to leave this lovely comment! I’m so glad this video resonated with you 💜
I’m about to finish this game and I started really late, but from what I’ve seen by the fan base, this game is shitted in constantly because of how “racism doesn’t really look like this!” And how it’s “too” political… as a latina who lives in a very conservative state, I’ve experience similar racism from the game and to see people dismiss that is so annoying.
Great, I am Latino too and Sean received more racism in Episode 1 than I have my entire life. This game was way too on the nose with racism. It’s generally way more subtle.
@@awill3454 He was also wanted by the Seattle PD and Hank knew who he was.
I watched a video involving criticisms against this game, in which most, if not all, criticisms relied on the fact that the game was "too political" and somehow Sean and Daniel manage to meet every racist on earth. They then followed these criticisms with the words "but I'm not racist though". Yes, they may not be racist on the face of it, but the fact that a game explicitly shows two people of colour experiencing racism first hand and is ultimately met with "this is too much" is implicitly racist.
People of colour don't get to complain when they're met with racism and adversity.
People of colour don't get to say "this is making me uncomfortable, I don't like this".
I wish people would recognise their privilege in being able to complain. They get uncomfortable at a video game showing a couple scenes of racism whereas people of colour have to deal with it every single day.
Life is strange 2 is one of, if not my favourite game which realistically shows how much harder it is to simply exist as a person of colour.
This video is EXCELLENT. Loving the analysis and the deep dive! Recommending this to everyone on my social media, it's such a timely discussion.
Excellent video! I just watched a Life is Strange 2 let's play for the first time and the person playing it got the ending were Sean goes to prison. I cried so much, it felt so wrong and not cathartic at all!
The Blood Brothers ending seems way more satisfying, more like the Arcadia Bay destroyed ending in Life is Strange 1.
I really love your videos and can't wait for your full playthough of The Last of Us 2 to be posted so I can binge watch it!
Thank you so much! Yeah I also prefer the 'Sacrifice Arcadia Bay' ending as I discuss in our video on disability and gender in Life is Strange 1. We really appreciate your support and we're so glad you enjoy our videos!
I loved the video, it was kind of a release after seeing MangaKamen dismiss the themes and actual message simply because it was too “on-the-nose” for him and lacked nuance. It’s a shame that a lot of viewers on his channel just mock the whole “Everything is Political” message without looking deeper beyond “racism bad”
Thank you so much for creating this video. I truthfully think anyone who has played Lis2 or "couldn't get into it" really needs to hear everything you covered in this video. People avoiding this game due to it being "too political" is frightening that they don't see that racism is "woven into every aspect of American life" as you said in your essay. It's not just a political game- it is a reality that POC experience everyday. I recently just finished playing the game myself. I really wanted to get the Blood Brothers ending because it seemed so clear to me that was what the brothers deserved. However, while playing I didn't steal, or argue, etc and I focused on raising a high brotherhood because I thought that was how I could get both brothers to cross the border. I wanted to be a "good influence," so I continued to make the "high morality" choices and in the end I surrendered. I tried to reason with the ending and I thought I made peace with it. I admired Sean protecting his brother and seeing them reunite after and watch Sean begin his journey in Esteban's car. But then I watched your video. I didn't teach Daniel to "do the right thing." I taught him to grow comfortable with the racism in America. I see it now that teaching him to put him and his brother first is the actual moral choice for their well being. With the ending stats representing high morality as "following the rules of society," I realize now the message this game really has. Your analysis is really powerful. Your metaphor about the wolves really stood out to me. Thank you again for showing people what is so important about this game.
Thank YOU so much for watching, and for leaving such a thoughtful comment!
I really enjoyed reading your words and I really appreciated you sharing your experience. I found it really powerful to read because it came across as having a humbleness and an openness to challenging your assumptions and reframing your thinking, which I think is a wonderful and very important quality. I certainly don't pretend to have all the answers myself, and I'm sure if I made this video now it would be a bit different, reflecting the learning I have done since then as well - but I'm really glad that the analysis I did three years ago (I can't believe it's been that long) has resonated with you.
Comments like this make me feel heard, and they make me feel connected. So thank you for your openness and for taking the time
@@GameAssist Thank you so much for the response. I was really moved by your analysis even though it was written three years ago! I appreciate it so much that you took the time to create something like this that was able to give me the chance to learn more and reframe my thinking. A lot of people think they know the whole story when it comes to a situation like this and it is because of the people like you that others can learn. If you ever attempted an analysis on this game again, I think it would be just as powerful- if not more, and I would love to hear it. I think you are doing an amazing job and I hope you never lose your voice. Thank you again
Re-watching this video about a year after I initially saw it, and again, I am blown away by the thought and empathy put into it. I even had to pause the video and talk to my dad about the game and your video in the middle of it.
It really is astounding to me that people associate color of Sean’s glqss eye as his morality, but honestly (and though I COMPLETE agree with your assessment on the game’s endings), I think the developers of the game intended it to be linked to morality, because of the gang violence association if the brothers make it to Mexico. it sucks, but like. It’s not a perfect commentary, but it’s a good one in other areas. Still love the game
Thank you so much 💜 I hope you had a great convo with your dad!
Yeah I mean unless there are explicit statements of intentionality it is always something hard to read, but in terms of the text itself I think it's there, black and white colouring as an indicator of morality has been around in fiction for ages (both in the classic Western sense of dark is evil, white is good and in subversions, like the way Audre Lorde makes black a place of depth and comfort and white a place of violence). Like any game or text there are things I raise my eyebrow at and I think it's important to have those constructive critical conversations, but I do love this game so much and I value so much that we are having this conversation at all because of this game being a thing that was made with a lot of thought and love
I loved the entire franchise but the second game was always my favorite, it wasn't afraid to show it's truth and explore dark concepts, I always hear the argument "Shaun is such a boring protagonist because he has no powers" but nobody complained when Chloe got her own game? I'm Hispanic and my Wife is white and even she can agree that not only is this our favorite game in the franchise but that people are really ignorant unless it is something they can relate too.
It's true, there is such a double standard! And it's a bit shocking that people are sometimes only interested in art if they can 'relate to' it, it's a good thing to be interested in experiences that aren't your own as that's part of what makes us grow as people and build community
Also Sean and Chloe not having powers was thematically important for both of their characters and stories and it was a very interesting choice!! I will die on that hill
@@GameAssist I really enjoyed your video keep up the good work 👏
@@pixlpuk3 Thanks so much, and thanks for taking the time to leave thoughtful and kind comments 😊
While some of the moments were criticised for being ‘heavy handed’, it’s about racism at its core and people I think are just shocked at what they saw, it wasn’t what they expected and so they were angry.
I love how you are the only one talking in depth about the political side of LiS2, when the entire story is about literal racism. I only picked up again and finished the game this week this video was a great read
Thank you so much 💜
Love your analysis, especially with the split scenes decisions. Excellent take on the game, I love it and hopefully we get to see the diaz Brothers again in the lis universe.
Thank you so much 💜
As an Immigrant who lived in Australia for many years and returned home, which isn't even America but still, this game clicked with me so hard, to the point where I actually got Blood Brothers ending on my first playthrough. I think only those who were immigrants truly understand how hard this game can feel sometimes. Your video is so on point. Thank you.
also i love this comment section so much. sometimes the lis fandom doesn’t feel very safe or welcoming to these opinions
I'm really glad this comment section feels like a space where you can share your opinions safely 💜 We certainly appreciate you taking the time to share here!
@@GameAssist thank you! looking forward to getting through your other videos :))
strange, but i liked that most of the blatant racism happens abruptly and out of nowhere. I understand it angers people but that’s genuinely what it’s like as a brown person. its absolutely useless, no one gains anything from it, and that’s how it is IRL. and just like in the game, you have to move on like nothing happened.
I get what you mean! Honestly one of the things I came to appreciate about this game after a few playthroughs as well is using it as an opportunity for catharsis - to like say what I want to say to a racist or even to fight back physically when I generally really struggle with that in real life, like I have a freeze or flight response, or don't want to make myself more unsafe
I hate how the gaming community ( majority not all)
get upset they didn't get the redemption ending. Why!? You telling me you rather have seen in jail then free? I don't get it... So I agree redemption ironically doesn't offer redemption. That's why I always cross the border
Agreed, I feel that BLood brothers or parting ways are the best. BOth endings the brotehrs are free and alive.
@@lachdownproductionsyt exactly
i've heard about life is strange 2 a lot but didn't know of its contents. this video was such a good watch, incredible analysis, and i was gripped watching it. it's made me want to play the game and see what i can glean from it myself. it's wild to me to hear that there's a game out there depicting racism as the insidious force that it is, beyond racial slurs and overt discrimination, and this video is somehow, even though i haven't played the game (yet), so so important to me. thank you!!
So glad that this has been meaningful to you and that it's encouraged you to play this game. There's been so much vitriol from (white) people saying that LiS2 is 'over-the-top', 'unrealistic', 'too political' and so forth, I think it's super important for us to play it, to support it, and to spread the message that we WANT overtly political and anti-racist games. So thank you!
Part two was messed up on alot of levels....I can see how it reflects what really goes on in America to an extent but really...some of it was too much...like the racial slur, kidnapping a minor and chaining them etc. It definitely made white people truly villainous, there was no balance
I never experienced racism and that's why it hit me even more in the game. I love all Life is Strange games but this one has my whole heart (broken)
From an old person who has been watching the world since the Fair Housing Marches and the Watts riots in 1968, THANK YOU.
Finally finished this vid. Great break down of the game and honestly loving how Dontnod's style is to recontextualize these systemic issues the way they do.
Maybe it was the timing of this game releasing over a wider window than the first game, the last episode passing months before covid had everyone's attention but I'm surprised by how little is discussed about this game's messages. Thanks for another breakdown!
Thanks so much for the lovely comment! Me too, and that's a great way of articulating what I find so compelling about Dontnod and why I keep coming back to their games again and again. Unfortunately I think people on both sides have dismissed this game, either for falling short of moral or political perfection, or for being SJW nonsense attacking the integrity of real gamers
It's sad that games and gamers have been conditioned to think every choice has to be blakc or white, good or bad because so many games create those poor karma systems
Infamous is a good example of this lol. I remember doing everything and anything to want to get good karma.
Love this video so much. Rewatched so many times. No one ever talks about the racism in this game in depth. They look at the main 3 instances and say it’s unrealistic.
Thank you so much 💜 And I could go on about it for hours to be honest! We're thinking of doing a Stream/Let's Play with commentary soon to discuss some things in more depth
This was a lis game i played blindly (I played with no spoilers) I thought it was beautiful but more realisitc, there are more situations that Sean and Daniel have caught themselves in, When they talked about the wall that was actually built i was shook, the racism in the first episode.. It feels real which is why I love this game
Thank you so much for this. I’m not great at putting my thoughts into words and this perfectly articulated why I was put off by most of the adults that helped Sean and Daniel. Even if someone is not malicious with their prejudice and ignorance, it still harms a POC at the end of the day. This game was not just heartbreaking because of what the Diaz brothers went through, but also because a prejudiced society placed them in this situation and continued to harm them even if they made choices that aligned best with “good” morals.
Also, the detail about the important choices being placed on a certain part of the screen and showing what they represent is genius and I didn’t catch it before!
Thanks so much for the lovely comment 💜 And yeah the framing of important choices is great, one of the brilliant details of this game!
I just want to hug sean so much! Can get rid of these bad people
uma das maiores e melhores análises de life is strange 2 que já vi. tentei escrever esse comentário em inglês mas não consegui escolher as melhores palavras para descrever o quão preciso e incisivo esse vídeo foi para mim, materializou em palavras todos os sentimentos que senti ao longo do jogo e me fez observar em outra perspectiva. parabéns, estou muito emocionado!
this is so good - you really voiced so many of my biggest qualms - the way the community frames it as a 'morality' meter [I didn't know that wasn't an in-game thing], the way Sean is both demonized and infantilized and the way he's expected to sacrifice himself for Daniel's sake [which isn't what Daniel needs in the first place, and is just a tool used against Sean to make him submit], the association of mexico with gang violence... thank you for this. it felt really good to hear from someone who gets it. and i love what you said about the wolf metaphor! it's such a good one and it works so well. wolf brothers 4 life.
Thank you so much for such a lovely comment 💜 As far as I can tell it isn't an in-game thing, though I have been told it might be, I haven't seen any in-game textual evidence to that effect!I'm actually working on a video at the moment, hopefully to come later this year, taking a close look at similar themes in Telltale's The Walking Dead which I think has a bunch of parallels to LIS2, especially around Sean as a racialised parent AND kid, simultaneously demonised and infantilised - totally worth checking out that series if you haven't yet and you like LIS2!
I bloody loved this season of Life Is Strange. It definitely had its issues, but I applaud the writers for trying to highlight the issues of racism in America. Found myself feeling incredibly uncomfortable in parts of the game, but I understand that I am lucky enough that I will never face that kind of discrimination in my lifetime. Honestly, what an incredible season this was. Sean is by far one of my most favourite characters in any game franchise.
Amazing video, I've been confused about my own feelings about LiS2 because I loved/was affected by it so much but cannot bring myself to play it again. Awesome analysis. Thank you.
I can definitely relate, I found it so hard to play again. But really glad you enjoyed this video, thank you so much for taking the time to comment ☺️
-Sara
@@GameAssist thanks for the awesome content :")
@@GameAssist I have to say parting ways is the best ending in my opinion they both deserve to be happy even if their not together daniel does not seem to be happy in mexico and also sibiling's need their time apart and to not be codependent
I found this video super late, but i once again played through the game and needed to address how emotional this game makes me. My favorite game out of them all, because of how raw it felt.
Growing up as a mexican-american in a predominantly-white suburbia, this game made me confront a lot of things that were uncomfortable for me to experience. I am for the most part american, growing up with little connection to my mexican heritage on my dads side with them being 3rd generation americans by the time i came into the world. Despite feeling that disconnect, i am still brown, and my brother is white. Both share same parents, and for the most part experiences werent too different, at least until i started paying attention. The microaggressions that started to add up towards me for things out of my control made this game hit hard in those areas (particularly the grandparents and their "loving nature" concealing their political and racist beliefs that would contradict what they preach).
In an exploration of systemic racism, it was frustrating seeing the limited dialogue responses when Sean is always asked why he ran instead of waiting. It was frustrating to the point that at first i felt like it was just bad writing to avoid an easy explanation. But in Sean's eyes, how else can he articulate everything going on? Especially how does he articulate this to those who trust a system blindly because they dont have a reason to question it personally? This lack of agency in how Sean experiences the world led me to pour all i could into making sure Daniel got the best life he could ask for given the circumstances. Sean is probably my favorite character in all of the LIS games, and i really attached it to the big brother role he plays. I made it my priority to ensure Daniel will not give into violence when he can, and to not lose sight of his inner child. I didnt want him to bear the brunt of the consequences. I didnt want Sean to either, because the system is unfair and everything about it is unfair. But i ended up surrendering myself and got the "Redemption" ending.
To be clear, i hate that the ending is called that because that is not what I view it as, and I equally hate the "high/low morality" mechanic being named as such. I dont view it that way. I chose this ending though, knowing how unfair this would be to Sean, only because as Daniel's big brother, I thought Sean would want Daniel to live as normal of a life as he could, even if it is with racist grandparents. I guess it was a choice made with hope for change in mind.
Sean gets out 15 years after, and has Karen, Lyla, and Daniel there for him. He will need that support, even if Daniel and him live separate lives as shown by the end. But Daniel got to live his whole life as normal as he could be, with a best friend and loving family figures. Karen is in the picture now, and it even seems like her relationship with Claire and Stephen is improved, which gives me hope that they can still unlearn their racist beliefs (especially seeing Sean in prison for so long). Theres no guarantee, but i hope. Seeing Sean and Daniel return to the camping spot fron episode 1 breaks my heart, because everything came at the cost of Sean. Maybe its the self-martyr in me, but i accepted this as if I was a big brother doing what it took to give Daniel his best life, even if it meant taking the brunt of everything wrong in the world.
It definitely is not a happy ending (for me none of them are), but it felt like the thing Sean would do, even though that is influenced by a dead dad whos words of protecting daniel haunt him. It felt disturbingly fitting for how bleak the world is. I cant even imagine thankfully how hard it woudl be to lose 15 years of your life after EVERYTHING and to have to rebuild yourself, even with support. Yet i did it, and it hurts, but i guess thats the ending that resonated most with me.
"Lone Wolf" is arguably the worst out of them, because Sean straight up gets murdered unwillingly which just horrified me. Daniel makes it ot mexico though he didnt even seem to want that as much as he just wanted freedom, and now he is alone. Plus, he just heads down a dark path and i dont see any redeeming qualities about this ending, especially if you played thriugh the game teaching daniel to protect himself and sean first then go back on your word. It feels likenthe ending where someone thinks the choice to surrender now IS the choice to go back on how you raised Daniel, only to find out you made that choice too many times and now you pay the price. Depressing stuff.
The "Blood Brothers" ending is my second-favorite ending because i dont see them using violence as something malicious in this one, and of course they have each other. My main issue is that Daniel doesnt get really what he wants out of this aside from his brother. They are both likely stuck in Mexico forever, and wont see Lyla, Karen, Claire, Stephen, or anyone they left behind ever again (at least thats the vibe i get). It just disheartens me, and ultimately its why its not my preferred ending. I just feel like they traded one cage for another, but theyre together at least.
The ending where they are separated is interesting, because this one feels like Sean gets what he wants out of life but it is as Daniel's expense. I dont like that Daniel is on house arrest, while Sean gets to have a beach house and drink coconut cocktails. It still seems like he will still live a happy life but under a watchful eye.
I mean all of the endings still have the weight of systemic oppression carried out in them, an ever-present force no matter the distance. I feel like in both Mexico endings, the reality is that they are stuck there for life. The government will be looking for them until there is no more government, forever added to a list. Blood brothers gives them the peace of mind they have each other, just isolated and locked away metaphorically. Lone wolf is just daniel forced by the injustice of the world to enter down a dark path that breaks you thinking about how he was just a kid, and how now Sean's efforts were in vain regardless since he is dead. The ending of them separate but both relatively happy feels like a compromise, but one that again leaves Sean content but never to see anyone he loves again. Daniel will always be watched and just the image of this kid being on house arrest waving to stephen mowing grass outside hurts me. He truly feels like a prisoner. And then the ending i chose. Sean gets all of the system oppression weighed on him and pays the price. I think him getting out after so long is just sickening to think about, but it is balanced out by the fact that at the very least, Daniel was never exposed for his powers and is not going to be watched by the government. Sean can now rebuild his life and heck, in this ending both will have the freedom to even possibly see Mexico one day together. All of it is just hopes and dreams, and all of it comes at a cost that understandably people consider unacceptable, but I felt it was the most unfair but most hopeful to me.
Maybe i see things from a skewed perspective but damn this game hurts me every time i pick it up. I didnt want Sean to surrender at the very end but every outcome has their ups and downs (except lone wolf, screw that ending) in different spots. I chose to concentrate the consequences for the hope of rebuilding Sean and preserving Daniel's chance for a life on his own terms. Sorry if this is a jumbled rant I am just passionate about this game. Also i really appreciate this video and your analysis of everything; it is sorely missing these video essays when every other game gets analyzed to bits.
That was a beautiful in-depth read especially when you delved into the multiple endings and what they intail.
my favorite video on LiS2. this game is so underappreciated
This is such a beautiful and eloquent video addressing such an important issue touched on in this game. For me, in my white perspective, I found the smaller interactions such as the "if you did nothing wrong, why did you run?" From the grandparents, Brody's comments and even some of Karen's and David's interactions to be more powerful than the "more overt" scenes that have critics of the game foaming out of the mouth. The illusion of good and bad characters over something so entrenched in a system. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences of the game related to your own life.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely comment! Really glad you liked the video and found it apt.
THis game hits so hard.
WISH I COULD LIKE THIS 1000 TIMES. this may be the best analysis of this game. first of all the gaslighting thing is so true! basically most of the analysis videos or gameplays are by white men who gaslight us into thinking the racism in lis2 isn’t realistic at all. and im just thinking, how would you know? they’re so bothered by white people coming across as racist, that they won’t even acknowledge that this is a reality for a lot of poc people. they’re exactly like some of the characters who just want us to pretend this doesn’t happen and that’s why they just say it’s a bad game instead of realising why it makes them uncomfortable.
i really wish everyone with the “too political” view could watch this video bc literally the problem is you and not the game (not to say the game is perfect). the different reactions to this game is VERY telling of not just privilege but how you view minorities and their rights.
It's so true and such a shame that many white people find being accused of racism more harmful rather than... perpetuating racism. I'm personally of the opinion that (a) it is consciously or unconsciously a tactic for re-centring their own feelings; (b) it makes people defensive because it makes them feel like they are being judged as a 'bad person', but we need to move away from thinking of 'a racist' as an evil caricature and more understanding that we live in a racist society therefore we have all internalised racism and are capable of perpetuating it, and of course white people are benefitting from it. And white people need to be doing this self-work so they stop being defensive and self-centring, and actually can contribute to the fight against white supremacy. I think an interesting thing about this game is actually that it explores some of those nuances... most (but not all) of the white characters feel not like evil caricatures of racists (maybe like he white people 'hunting' immigrants at the border?) but like complex and even sympathetic humans who are *also* doing a racism, sometimes without even realising. This is very, very, very important for white people to engage with!!! And it is a shame many white audiences won't engage with this for self-reflection because I think it would benefit them and of course us all
@@GameAssist i completely agree! it’s crucial for people to recognize the significance of these conversations. if one is confident in their stance against racism, they shouldn't perceive such discussions as attacks. as a black woman with an african heritage, I'm aware of issues like homophobia within my culture and country. others addressing these matters doesn't feel like a personal attack; on the contrary, i welcome these discussions. talking about these topics is vital, as it helps us confront unconscious biases and promotes personal growth. unfortunately, some individuals let their pride hinder these important discussions and continue being complicit in it
My take on why Sean or both of them experience gang violence in the Blood Brothers and Lone Wolf endings was less of a racist implication and more about familial conflict than anything else. Sean's influence on Daniel at times had the capacity to be toxic, to the point that them being together at all might understandably cause a rift (Finn says "the more you try to control him, the less you have"). Throughout the game, Daniel constantly says he DOES NOT WANT to go to Puerto Lobos. Putting your brotherhood first means he'll comply if you want to cross the border, because you raised him that way--however, in the ensuing scenes of Blood Brothers, you can tell he's NOT happy being there. He helps Sean of course, but he's also seen mournfully looking through his journal and at their father's lighter, always regretting the past while being hopelessly driven and affected by it.
I have to argue that in that context, the ONLY reason Sean continues disobeying the "rules of society", even in Mexico, is BECAUSE DANIEL IS THERE and he clings to him; they are all each other knows. Without Daniel (Parting Ways), he no longer has a reason to run or possibly resort to crime anymore to protect him. Sean is thus free to live on his own terms in a place he feels comfortable doing so. In a sense, they only suppress each other's freedom by remaining together.
In Lone Wolf, all Daniel knows of survival are going against a society to protect yourself above all else, which leads to another life of hardship because Sean isn't there to teach him any different (and had him kill people along the way). It's all he observed Sean doing. Daniel brings up the points on the way to the wall, "I don't know Spanish, how will I go to school, how will I survive?" He trusts Sean. So when he goes against Sean's decision to surrender, it's because all along you suppressed him from doing what he wanted, and it's an out-of-character/untrustworthy thing for Sean to suddenly give up. He's sick of being suppressed (as Karen was of her parents). His thoughts are "you're not being my brother right now", and he expresses the same when the opposite choice is made. The point is, he's at last making his own decision -- the biggest of his life -- based on how you raised him. In Lone Wolf, that means defiance -- whether it's surviving in the US or elsewhere. Either you taught him to react with violence (necessary or unnecessary), or he defied Sean because brotherhood was low. In Parting Ways, it's going his own way because Sean allowed him to be himself while still loving him, and both get their freedom. It's a loving act. In Redemption, he bitterly accepts that Sean never wanted to stay in the US, but understands he does it so Daniel can get the happy home life he deserves.
Either way, Daniel never wanted to go to Puerto Lobos and never felt he belonged there, and that's the crux of it. He always wanted to stay in the US.
It may be controversial to bring up, but this familial/generational context as the children of immigrants is important, because the younger generations tend to be the most "integrated" in such a family. And sad though that might be (as it no doubt perpetuates the continuance of a racist state that whitewashes immigrants), it's how things often play out in real life; younger generations tend to have less qualms about "fitting in" because they know less about the culture their family came from than they do about life in the US, and that seems to be the perspective of many kids whose parents are of differing nationalities. They deserve the freedom to make a choice for themselves, too. Shaky ground though it might seem to those of their native culture, those feelings of belonging are still valid.
First of all, what Daniel wants is *dependant* on what you taught him. Saying he never wants to go to Mexico is just disregarding the immoral influence and labeling it as "obviously bad" which is bs. Lone Wolf would NEVER be possible if what you say was true.
Also, Parting Ways ending isn't that good at all, because you condemn Daniel to being tracked by the U.S. authorities. You exposed his power and lost him for good. I dislike how people romanticise Sean's mistake by being like "aww, Daniel went his own way" or "Daniel sacrificed himself for Sean". No, Daniel freaked out and left you because you taught him morals, then suddenly turned on him and asked to hurt the officers. If you teach Daniel to be moral/lawful, then *own it* and surrender. Just like crossing the border leads to a better outcome if you made Daniel a survivor. Plus, there's actually no implication Daniel's unhappy with Sean in Mexico. That melancholic face at the beach literally could be just him missing dad, because Sean pulled out the lighter.
@@johnsk.j6894 "What Daniel wants is dependant on what you taught him" I strongly disagree, because that would completely destroy Daniel's sense of agency as a person and character. The brothers have certain traits and desires that are set in stone. Just because you can make choices and direct the flow of the story doesn't mean you can customize everything about them. Daniel's desires are immutable. Sometimes they involve his desire to follow Sean, but not always. And no matter which choices you make, he still says "f*ck Puerto Lobos" or "who cares about Puerto Lobos" and still raises apprehensive points about going. He also went his own way a lot of times, like in spending time with Chris or asking Sean "why do you always force us to run".
I don't think Parting Ways condemns Daniel to being tracked by the authorities. As a child, regardless of Sean's choices, he still deserves to go to a loving home where he's safe, happy, and cared about, and I'd argue all the photos shown imply that. Sean can never provide for Daniel at the level the Reynolds can, and it's obvious Daniel is more culturally dependent on the US system as a child, whereas Sean is experienced in survival, knows Spanish, and can travel anywhere. The only reason I think Daniel has an ankle monitor in PW is because he had to experience some of the consequences of his choices without Sean shielding him all the time, a fate he accepted by jumping out of the car. And he's on house arrest, it's not a maximum security cell, so it's fair to say he was seen using his powers in the open at some other point (possibly the school bus he saved). I'm not saying that's just either mind you, but it does play into his acceptance of society's rules. The fact he's also shown in Chris's treehouse at age 12 (which isn't at the Reynolds) implies he wasn't on house arrest when he was first returned to his grandparents, so we know the ankle monitor is not due to the border incident.
While I don't think Daniel was old enough to know if he'd end up at the Reynolds (he thought he'd be going to prison), he does state "I hope you'll be happy in Mexico" to Sean, because he cared more about Sean's happiness than his own. To be honest, first time players are surprised at this choice, and I'm not sure I'd pick PW if I didn't know Daniel would end up with the Reynolds, but it does make total sense to me, and I do pick PW in hindsight because Daniel deserves his family, his new dog, seeing his mother again, and having his friendship with Chris.
I got Blood Brothers on my first playthrough, for the record, and I like to think that eventually they would end up happy in Mexico together. But that was before I saw all the other endings and considered how it's possible their brotherhood turned unintentionally toxic along the way, with Sean always clinging to him and instituting rules Daniel probably saw as being just as restrictive as Claire's. Finn even says "the more you try to control him, the less you have" and based on further playthroughs, I've found that's true. You need to allow him SOME agency. Daniel's power is an immutable part of his nature after all, so forcing him to withhold it at every opportunity doesn't bode well, and neither does restricting him from making friends.
The reason I don't "own" the morality to get the Redemption ending, as you said, is because it was always Sean who wanted to go to Puerto Lobos, not Daniel, so choosing PW ensures they both get what they want in the end. Plus Redemption is terrible to me, because Sean gives himself up to the same system that got their father killed. While this could've been true for Daniel, he's more free than Sean would be. While I do value morality, there is societal morality and brotherhood morality in this game. In a perfect world, those two types of morality can only remain more or less equal if you're safe, protected, and sheltered, but since the boys are forced to live apart from society, they have to develop their own rules and the scales are constantly tipped, so every choice you make causes cognitive dissonance.
In the levels in which you exist within a society, like the Reynolds, I noticed the brotherhood rules can prove catastrophic. They tend to only be applicable out in the wild. But some choices, for me anyway, supercede both of those as being immutable human moralities that are unchanging regardless of the environment, so the choices could swing either way for me at those points. Like the decision to save Chris, or the one to go to Puerto Lobos, I make that choice for the boys both because it's what Sean wants, and because I now know where Daniel will end up. The choice is also important from an ethics standpoint because once a child is dependent on you or any system, it's unethical to tear them away from that, though I think living in a comfortable, protective home is what Daniel needs most and regardless of Sean's reasoning, it was unethical for him to rip Daniel away from the Reynolds (or chastise him about wanting to seek out their mom). He deserves stability. But if I didn't know otherwise, I would pick Blood Brothers, even though I was a little disappointed in that one.
It's not just Daniel's expression, it's also that he's looking through Sean's journal and very likely seeing all the times Sean wrote "Daniel had another accident, we have to run AGAIN because it's not safe", and I don't think he'd feel too great about that in hindsight, because he'd feel he's the reason everything bad happens. As Karen points out in Faith, "making your own choices doesn't mean you can never fool yourself", so it's my opinion that Daniel has some deep-seated regrets about following Sean and now having to live a rough life when he could've stayed with the Reynolds and had some sense of normalcy. He was obviously tired of going on the run all the time, and it's no way for a kid to grow up, so even if PW does mean Sean loses him, at least he'd be safe and cared about because he's not ending up in prison or a government lab (there's definitely no evidence of the latter so idk why some people even assume that).
And yeah on the one hand if he's high with societal morality, he doesn't want to be separated from Sean, but he also doesn't want Sean to get hurt because of him anymore, as he feels enough regrets about his eye and all the other stuff. But even if he's lower morality, the way he clears the road and then says sadly "we can go now", it just doesn't seem true for me that he would love Puerto Lobos all that much. And in Lone Wolf, he may seem happy to reach Mexico, true, but imo Daniel only made that choice because he wanted to prove to Sean he could get them there himself, and he's happy he proved himself right until it becomes a horror story. Given the pictures, it can be argued he came to enjoy Puerto Lobos for a time, but he still holds a lot of regrets over what it cost him, and he seems very cut off from the world in the end regardless.
I agree with every bit of this! So eloquently worded.
i cant stop crying with this video, thank you so much for these powerfull words
i love life is strange 2, but the parts you mentioned in were actually the reason i didn't rate it a 10/10 game. as a person of color myself, i found these interactions more forced than anything. it made me roll my eyes, i get what they wanted, but i came to play this game to destress not for a political narrative to be pushed down my throat. i get i might not be their target audience, but i feel that they should have done it with the same approach as the first game. this time with better writing and less side characters, and more focus on the brothers. i really would have liked to the see the game actually focus on the brothers more, instead of inserting these moments. it should have displayed the culture of mexicans love for their family and built the relationship between brothers better so choices would effect more than just the last min of the game. the gas station i can excuse, but the beating in the middle of the night or the boarder felt so jammed in there.
i think because of how the game throws you into places without seeing the gaps of everyday life it would seem unrealistic how much racism occurs. This game pans out between 10ish months (i could be wrong). I also think because the game creators are white men who don’t live in the united states it was a bit harder to fully grasp how subtle racism really is.
Thank you for making this
Thanks so much for this thought-provoking video. Like others who have commented, I had not thought about the complicity of some of the other characters in institutional racism and it has made me consider my own potential complicity and my own attitudes, particularly about the role of the police.
A few things that I didn't agree with:
1. I think you have sold Claire and Stephen a bit short. You are right that they have some systematically racist attitudes rather than overt ones at the beginning (although Stephen says "what the hell are you doing here" regardless of whether you stole from Hank or not). On the other hand, they do go through something on a growth arc which I think requires acknowledgement. It's not all one-way morally.
For one, both take Sean and Daniel in to their house and hide them from the police, at considerable personal risk. They protect them and try to care for them during that week. Stephen - on behalf of both of them - offers Beaver Creek as a permanent home, albeit I accept it is something on an unrealistic proposal, possibly borne of privilege. Nonetheless, in that "golden prison", Daniel finds stability and genuine love. They help S and D escape. Later, when S is captured, they want to visit him and look out for him. And in the Redemption ending, we have clear signs that D grows up happy - I don't agree that you can doubt whether him living there is a good outcome for him.
What I'm trying to say is that at least some of their racism is challenged by their experience of their two grandsons. We need this sort of thing to happen if racism is ever to end.
2. Karen is not an exemplar character for me. Her pursuit of freedom is incredibly harmful to Sean. Her selfishness in cutting off all contact damages him very badly. She is prepared to apologise - belatedly - and hear Sean out, but refuses to express regret. She is an interesting and nuanced character but I think her negative traits need to be acknowledged.
3. I can't accept that Blood Brothers is a "self-defence" ending. S gets D to massacre Flores and dozens of police officers so that they can cross the border. This ending requires killing and hurting people to achieve.
4. I found it a bit amiss to suggest that any POC who was trying to integrate into American society was "domesticated". This applies to Flores, but also to Esteban and Joey. Again, if racism is ever to die, don't we need to come together around common ideals to unite us, whilst allowing also for difference? It almost feels like you are saying that those who try to play by the rules of American society are traitors to their heritage. I agree society - and not just American - needs to change, but some of that has to come from greater representation internally and not just externally.
5. Some of the characters' assumptions about the killing of the officer come from the lack of information, and not just racism. There are 5 witnesses. 2 are dead. 1 is knocked out and says he can't remember anything. 2 of them run away and S is unable to explain about D's powers.
Don't say any of the above to detract from your well reasoned and often persuasive video. The above just stuck out to me as areas I wasn't fully on board with.
Hope to see more of your analysis in future. Thanks again for making me consider these themes.
I can't really speak on behalf of how accurate or inaccurate the depictions of discrimination or prejudice against Mexican-Americans may be cause I'm white as mayo, but I played LiS 2 last year, and the brotherhood aspect of this game hit on a whole different level to me, and was part of the reason I ended up liking this game even more than the 1st LiS game. Obviously the 1st game is great, but it's much harder to relate to the day to day life of a woman in college than it is to relate to these two knuckleheads. There's a variety of reasons that I related really hard to this game: A. I myself am a younger brother, and I can say, they definitely nailed the writing for Daniel. He feels like he could literally be someones younger brother, or a childhood playground friend, he just feels so real (I also played Minecraft a lot just like Daniel did back when this game came out, and a while before it as well). B. I'm now 17, and was 16 when I first played this game last year, working my first job, nervous about having to drive while trying to get my license, I listened to the same type of music Sean does (I love the Streets and was super shocked hearing one of their smaller songs in a game), and I enjoyed drawing personally (though I wasn't/still am not nearly as good as Sean. My older brother, Tristan, would skateboard and smoke, was artistic, and was also pretty athletic. I'd annoy him, he'd tell me to get out of his room, and I'd do random shit while he hung out with his stoner buddies. He's 24 rn, so I guess when this game came out, I swear it would be like this game is literally just mirroring his life (but he never really plays video games tho, so I guess he'll never know), as he is very similar to Sean and this game is based in 2016, when my brother was 17 going on 18. So yeah, heavy feels this game brought on for me because I know how it feels to be a younger brother, I know how my older brother was and probably felt, and now as a 17 year old, I can relate to Sean as well.
Life is Strange is a great franchise, but I must say I like this one especially because it actually has the most to say out of any of them. Awesome vid!
Thanks so much! This one is incredibly underrated so we appreciate being a place to give it some love
This was a great presentation! Well put and refreshing to hear from the prospective of others who appreciated LIS2. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the lovely comment! Glad you liked the video 😊
playing this game made me feel like a fake latino in a way. i live in miami where like 98% of people are latino and i look white as hell on account of my cuban spaniard heritage. If I left miami, i probably wouldnt even be on the recieving end of racism right up until someone saw my last name. i guess my point is that even though im a minority overall, i didnt naturally have this view point on the world until recently
I understand why you would feel that way but I wouldn't beat yourself up for being "fake" anything! I think this game can help us understand though how race and ethnicity are distinct, and race is this socially constructed thing which is dependent on context, like place or time. (We talk a bit about this in depth in another video, Decolonization is not a metaphor.) Something I would want to talk about more if I did this video again would be how when I use 'Latino' here I am talking about how in the specific context of the U.S. a certain racial category of 'Latino' is constructed, and how Sean and Daniel face this specific kind of racism of being marked as Latino/racially other therefore marked for homelessness, persecution, and even death. By contrast in South America people aren't racialised homogeneously as 'Latino' but as white, Black, Indigenous, Mestizo, etc. and that's a whole other kettle of fish entirely. A lot of us as racialised people live in precarity (our membership of Western society is conditional, something we talk about more in our LP of the game) but might not have experienced the same kind of racism as others, especially on a structural level (looking at immigration status, criminalization and homelessness in this case). For example I think a big part of the reason Sean and Daniel face so much overt racial discrimination after being made homeless and criminalised is because they're turned into easy targets for this sort of abuse and harassment. All of this is to say I hope you don't take anything to feel bad or "fake" about yourself personally, but to learn more about how complex race is, and how even as racialised people we don't always understand each other's experiences of racism, especially when it comes to structural issues like the ones looked at in this game, and that's ok! It just means we develop understandings of race and racism more deeply every day by learning from experiences and knowledges that aren't necessarily our own. (Sadly an attitude I've seen a lot in this comment section, is people considering their personal experience as POC as the be all and end all!)
Idk I don’t think the issue is it’s too political, the issue is the politics doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t add anything to the plot, the story isn’t about fighting racism or oppression, it’s about 2 kids running away after being framed for murder. It just doesn’t feel needed at all not because I don’t want it but because it doesn’t go anywhere. It’s as if the devs went “ok let’s have a scene where Sean and Daniel get racially abused for the 90th time because why not?”
Just feels out of place
The “politics” absolutely have a place in this game. It’s not even politics, since being racist isn’t political. The game starts off in late 2016 right before Trump’s presidency. Sean and Daniel are Mexican Americans who travel across the US at this point. Them NOT running into racism at all would be unrealistic, especially at this time. Notice how these racists don’t show up in any big cities, they’re usually on the outskirts of society. Hank was in the middle of the woods, Chad was in the desert, and Madison and her father were near the border.
E um tipo de visão que eu gostaria que tivesse ficado mas claro dentro do jogo, eu não tinha pensando que as consequência do final "redenção" era na verdade deixar eles presos no sistema racista, mas eu também fiquei incomodado com a utilização de estereótipos para representar o México, eles usaram isso para reforça o suposto final verdadeiro.
Ótimo vídeo.
Unfortunately, as a person of Hispanic descent, I can't really relate to the racism-centered themes and commentary both within this video and the game itself. Yes, I've been prejudiced for my heritage; taunted that my beloved hard-working dad would be deported, told that Hispanics suck and/or are lame, accused of not belonging in America, all since I was in middle school... but, I've always more or less just been able to laugh it off and/or walk it off as the bs it was. Not to say I'm "tougher" than others who went through the same thing, and I'm not trying to downplay the pain of people traumatized by their experiences, but that's just how it was for me. Certainly as a little kid, I'd be lying if I didn't sometimes wonder how good white folks must hav it, and I still viscerally remember the fights I got into with other kids on the playground, but not long into my teen years I just sort of learned to wave it off as just people's bs. This isn't to say I _don't_ get upset at hearing racism-motivated violence and/or crimes on the news, _especially_ a certain incident last year that I don't need to name, just that whenever it happens to me I've simply learned to roll my eyes and ignore it.
It might have something to do with the fact that I don't even consider myself to be Latino; though my parents both were born in Hispanic nations and came to America, and I was raised with some influences of my ancestral country, ultimately I became way more familiar with English slang and American food and western movies than the Spanish songs my father blared from his room and the Spanish language my mother used with her relatives. Not out of lack for trying by our parents, as they always spoke in Spanish around us and told us stories about their childhoods and how things were for them growing up, but for me and my siblings, America was really all we knew, with influences and schooling about our heritage falling to the wayside. By the time our family took a vacation to my parents' homeland a few years back, I actually felt like the _foreigner_ stepping into alien territory than any kind of ancestral pull or anything like that; all that talk of wolves returning to their ancestors' lands from both the game and this video went completely over my head. The only thing connecting me and my parents' home country - or really just _implying_ any connection at all - was my skin color; I didn't dress the way my cousins, aunts and uncles born and raised in their home nation did, I didn't enjoy the same activities (especially the sports), didn't quite understand the customs and traditions outside of the extremely barebones stuff I saw in movies like _The Book Of Life,_ and I couldn't even communicate well since I didn't (and still don't) properly speak Spanish.
Though this video and the game it talks about puts emphasis on fighting to preserve one's culture and "remembering the wolves that they are", I personally never really - and honestly still don't - give a crap about such things, since I don't really consider myself Hispanic to start with; any "wolf" my parents might've had in their blood before I was born was simply left back at their home country when they emigrated and later had me, and considering a major and literally scientifically _proven_ trait of natural life is being able to adapt and change to fit different circumstances, it's difficult and even impractical to feel any regret or bitterness about it. However, I also don't really consider myself "American" either (not least because of how ridiculously of a broad umbrella term it is); national pride as a whole is just a dumb concept to me, since I never knew the forefathers before me nor do I have ample reason to care for what they accomplished for their own ends. I simply consider myself a human being, honestly don't much care for the "American" or "Hispanic" labels that for some reason are given such weirdly high importance in today's time.
None of this is an attempt to discredit or contradict the trauma and eternal legacy that racism has and will have on the entire world, not just America. The effects of gaslighting and abusing legal options to carry out racist violence is explained with the importance they deserve here, and I thank God that I seem to have had a comparatively easy time dealing with the prejudice and discrimination over my lifetime. I'm just pointing out the differences in my own experiences and point-of-view as an apparent person of color to the things described here in this video. Cheers.
I really thank you for this video. It made me look deeper in what the creators were actually trying to tell and made me think about it more. I don't agree with everything said, but it really makes you think about the racism being everywhere, even in the words said by 'the good guys', even though they probably didn't mean any of it that way; it's their point of view, being white persons in a 'white state'. I'll watch the video again sooner or later to process the message even thoroughly.
Also, how you pointed out the symbolism in the screen dividing of some of the choices, that left me speechless for a few moments. I love those details and when someones uncovers them. Thanks for that.
Thank you so much, I’m so glad that this video could be helpful 💜
omg thank youuuu for this video!!! i watched a great video essay on lis1/before the storm, calm and well thought out like this. and while watching that, i was thinking about how much lis2 improved on all the flaws of 1 they were pointing out. but then the first video i found on lis2 was aggressive and negative and sarcastic-i was like woah how could someone do a video on a game like this and so clearly not take it seriously? but the bit of fandom stuff you touched on here adds context. it, unfortunately, makes total sense that ppl dismiss this game as too political and call the ending with American imprisonment "high" while the one with Mexican freedom 'low." im not much of a gamer and played this with friends so i wasn't privy to that stuff. we got the sean-in-jail ending, but i at least knew it was a sacrifice. its sad so many miss the point of that final choice, and the game as a whole. so thanks for being someone who got it :)💗
Although I don't agree with everything, this was a very good video. Something I like about this game is that, even if I like certain endings more than others, they all feel cathartic to me. I think it depends on how you want to see the brother's journey. Once I heard someone talk about how the Lone Wolf ending was quite logical if you see this game as a convoluted brotherhood story. Although it depends on how you play, there are plenty of instances where Sean and Daniel have issues with each other, especially when it comes to their personal agency.
About the Blood Brothers ending, I never saw Sean and Daniel as gangsters or criminals. Opposed to the Lone Wolf ending, the only thing that could imply that is the newspaper about the other gang's hideout. And based on the two pictures we get to see about Esteban's house, I think it's more likely to think they just wanted money to repair the house and make whatever changes they needed to start a repair shop. Notice how in the first picture there was no car entrance for example, that alone would be quite expensive. To get this ending, you have to teach Daniel to put himself and his brother first after all, that includes taking advantage of Daniel's power to survive. There's also one detail that I believe it's important, neither in Lone Wolf or Blood Brothers, Daniel kills the gang leader, he defends himself/themselves and scares them off. Even if these are 'Low Morality' endings, they just do what it's necessary and nothing more, they don't kill for the sake of it or whatsoever. So the whole 'two casualties' thing that appears in both endings must have been because the situation left him/them with no choice.
In the same boat.
This video absolutely sums up my thoughts while playing this game. Excellent video, thank you for making this.
Glad you enjoyed it! 💜
I only just found your channel and I finally feel safe somewhere in the gaming side of CZcams.
hi! (sorry if my english is not perfect) i know this is old, but i just wanted to say that lis2 is my favorite game and i loveeee your lis analysis, im really fascinated about how great your channel is, (im actually trying to do something similar but in spanish lol), and as a trans ftm borderline and latin person (and someone who lost their mother), i relate a lot to some things you say. im happy such channel exists, being honest it gives me hope, i feel less alone for some reason
anyway, im not good explain myself and less in a language that's not my mother's language, but really, really, thank you for creating this vids and this cannel.
just one thing, i know you didn't do it on purpose but when you say "America" you're actually referring to North America or USA specifically, America is the continent and we're actually pretty tired of north americans referring themselves like they're the only americans, sorry if i didn't explained myself well.
Thanks for bringing that up! I'll try to be more mindful of my language in that regard in the future. And I appreciate your comment very much, we're happy to help you feel less alone 💜 And don't worry about your English you're doing great!
Damn this a really underrated channel
We're so glad you're enjoying our content! Any support is much appreciated. We're only a small and relatively new channel, so likes, comments and subscribes are great, as well as sharing our content and telling your friends about us! We also have a Discord community which you can join if you become a Patron.
It makes me sad that this could have helped white people try to understand racism but it went over most of their heads for being “too political “
@Leonard Wolf you live in a fantasy world where racist's are the minority my dude
@Leonard Wolf - jobless virgin
ah yes, because white people need a preachy game with a hamfisted message to learn and understand racism lol
You'll never accomplish that by trying to shove it in people's face. That never works.
Subscribed! I look forward to further essays like this!
Thank you! We've no plans on stopping this kind of content any time soon 😊
- Errol
"Jeez, i thought we were family, not prisoners"
"Well Maybe without us you might be"
0_0
You mean not prisoners?
@@jtg9210 fixed it
To me, separating Sean and Daniel is completely pointless because I felt like the game was showing that no matter what any of the brothers desire personally, the only way they can truly live is by being together and that is the value that matters the most. I played just like you did when you got the Blood Brothers ending and I can't accept any other ending as a better one. Sure they weren't really safe but none of the endings are perfect happily ever after that's not realistic for such young people that went through that much trauma, their lives are already kinda ruined and the only thing that brings me comfort is knowing they are together.
I’m a Guyanese man (yes I know I’m not Hispanic) but still a visual minority. Some of time things in this game pissed me off and honestly because of the personal I have it made me pick certain options out of our anger. It may be how I was raised but I wasn’t really offended by the game or scarred by it.
I’ve been dating a white girl for about 8 years. She never understood racism until she really started dating me. She gaslights me a lot because I jump to the racism card because I live in an area with alot of old white people. I always assume 9/10 white people are usually racist. Just so I can keep my guard up. My girlfriends grandpa is clearly racist and he clearly hates me but her cousin defends the dude. This game is good for people who don’t understand the concept of racism and being in the shoes of the situation.
(Mind you I’m Canadian) About the justice system. My girlfriends dad is a cop. I don’t bare any ill will or hatred against him. I don’t think he’s racist because of what he does. He’s just doing his job. He’s told to catch this certain type of person so he goes after what’s he’s told to do. I get it. The justice system can be unfair but you can just blame it solely on the cops and such. They’re doing their job and making money to support them or their families. I’ve dealt with the cops in many family situations and I never took a racist stance against them. It’s their job at the end of the day.
Unfortunately, the "high morality vs low morality" terms are used officially, like on the official LIS channel showcasing all the endings (and so is "Redemption" for the surrender option).
I overall "thought Daniel to follow the rules of society", but only because 1 - I was afraid to make their situation even worse and add more stuff for the cops to blame them for and 2 - on the other way he is completely ok with killing people, hurting animals, lying to his friends, and even rejects certain "childish" things (like if you draw him as a more childish superhero he complains that he "doesn't look badass enough"). If we were playing as Daniel, I wouldn't mind going on the other route. I actually think it's super cool to see him using his powers to fuck shit up. But since we're playing as Sean, I felt a certain responsability into trying to make him be a "good person".
I'm actually latino but I'm brazilian and white/white passing (my dad is half black, but my mom's white and my skin's white as a paper) so the game sits on this very weird fence for me where I can *kinda* relate with the oppresion but at the same time I can't. A cop wouldn't look at me and think I'm dangerous. But I wonder if when people knew my name and where I come from if I would be seen in a different way than before.
Thank you for this video! I am a first generation central american and have had complicated feelings about LiS2, though now I've decided i do not like it and it is not for me (in my eyes, it's trauma porn). However, i think the story and truth told was important for white gamers. This video is thorough and great and i wish more ppl gained this from playing the game.