Another night of Life is Strange 2

 Good afternoon everyone,

Last night we continued Life is Strange 2 with Episodes 3 and 4, and boy did the bad and lazy writing of it really rear its ugly head tonight, particularly in Episode 4... but we'll get to that.

First Episode 3, which sees Sean and Daniel wearing on a Pot Farm in California where they meet up with Cassidy and Finn from Episode 2... and it's really the only time in LIS2 where you're not fully meeting characters for the first time, you actually have some things that carry over from the previous episode, like if you found Cassidy's guitar pick, Sean will say he found it. Think about it in comparison to the other Life is Strange games where you have so many characters to interact with to where you can see how they react to things or previous conversation. Hell everything about the scene and the folks that we see through out the episode feels like it could have been a lot more than what it was. 

The big problems of Episode 3 come down to Daniel who is just intolerable as it's said real early that he's going to screw the entire situation up for everyone. I get why that was done, but clearly it was something that could have been avoided with him wanting to help Finn and his idiotic plan of breaking into a safe... which results in Finn being killed, Sean and Cassidy being badly injured and Daniel being taken to a cult for Episode 4.

And Episode 4 is wear things really hit the fan, where Sean breaks out of a Hospital, steals a car and when he pulls over for a break he is confronted by two dudes, one being yet another stereotypical representation of White Men (Joining the Cop and Station Attendant from Episode 1 and the Christmas Tree market dude from episode 2), and you're given a choice of either Sean having some pride and not complying with them, resulting in him getting beaten up or embarrassing himself  (and if I remember right, still getting beaten up... can't quite remember what happened in my original play through back in 2019)

Fast forward to when Sean reaches Haven point and we see that Daniel is the focus of a cult-like representation of the Christian faith and that his head is so fare up his own ass that it takes the sight of seeing his own brother being beaten in a burning church just for him to say 'I'm not staying here'/ And don't get me started on the whole 'He wants to repent' bullshit, because Daniel does not come across that way at all, it's just his bratty nature. Throw in there the shoe horned in Conversion Therapy' bits for when Sean and Jacob are looking for a file, that feels nothing more than a tacked on reason to split some money with Jacob while giving him some depth at the last second.

Now let's talk about the Karen & Sean subplot... here you have a confrontation between the mother who walked out on her family and her oldest son... and the developers at DONTNOD thought it was best to have Sean act like a complete dick to her, even when we the players are hoping for maybe a chance to smooth over some hurt feelings or open the door for some reconciliation. Maybe it's because I had a point in my life where one of my parents wasn't around for different reasons, but the entire Karen & Sean Motel conversation feels like it was half-way to where it should have been.

I know... believe me... I KNOW there are people who love Life is Strange 2, but since the other three games are very fresh in my memory, it's really hard to over look the very noticeable issues with this game. Hell this isn't even going into the fact that walkie-talkie  Sean has in Episode 4 is clipping through his hand for every second of the final act, even when he's not supposed to be holding it!

That said, we got one more episode to go, and we'll tackle Episode 5 on Monday's stream... and we'll probably do some Forza Horizon 4 as well on the back end.  

Of course who did we raid after the stream? Well sent the fun over to TaterSalad21 who was Tales of Arise and Phasmophobia. Tater doesn't stream often, but he's a good dude you should check out over on twitch.tv/tatersalad21!

 Life is Strange 2: Achievements

1. The Dharma Bums: Find optional collectible #1 in Episode 3
2. American Graffiti: Start any drawing in Episode 3
3. Train Of Thought: Find optional collectible #2 in Episode 3
4. Zero Hugs Given: Find optional collectible #3 in Episode 3
5. Green Thumbs: Find optional collectible #4 in Episode 3
6. Dancing Days: Find optional collectible #5 in Episode 3
7. One Of Us: Find optional collectible #6 in Episode 3
8. Lost Boys Chronicles: Find all optional collectibles in Episode 3
9. Adrift: Finish Episode 3
10. Chiaroscuro: Start any drawing in Episode 4
11. A New Perspective: Find optional collectible #1 in Episode 4
12. Lone Wolf: Find optional collectible #2 in Episode 4
13. Amazing Grace: Find optional collectible #3 in Episode 4
14. Promised Land: Find optional collectible #4 in Episode 4
15. All Sinners: Find optional collectible #5 in Episode 4
16. Archivist: Find all optional collectibles in Episode 4
17. Heaven & Hell: Find optional collectible #6 in Episode 4
18. Romans 3:23: Finish Episode 4 

Twitch Clip Links

• We picked up the stick!
• No We Will Not Go Along With Finn's Plan
• A Kiss In The Lake
• A Stairway To Heaven
• Hospital Escape Simulator 3000
• We found the thing!
• I Said Lost Wages Not Las Vegas
• Ooo yeah Dig it! 
• The Walkie Talkie Glitching Ruins The Scene! 
  

And it's Sunday which means we have a Twitch Bits Highlight reel featuring the best clips of the week! This week we played Overwatch, The Wolf Among Us, Smite, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Gears of War 3, Star Trek Online, SoulCalibur V and of course Life is Strange 2! 

You know it's never easy going though the clips after the Saturday night streams to pick out stuff, but hey there are a few moments of me being a complete idiot... including the 'Bend and Snap' moment.

The false hopes for the Philadelphia Phillies are rising as they have won four in a row and are now a game behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East while remaining 2.5 games back in the Wild Card race. Well at the very least they are trying to make it interesting I guess.  

Probably going to stop trying to document all the Overwatch matches I play, because I don't feel like I can present a clear enough of a picture without having individual match statistics, and the game doesn't have a way to review stats for matches, just on a 'life time' or 'Season' basis.

Today's Fitness Boxing 2 daily workout lasted 31 minutes, with today's exercises being Weaving Combo #1, Intermediate Combo #2 and Advanced Combo #. The estimated calorie burn was 476 kcal. Achievement progress update is that we're up to 282 out of 300 for the Ten Months' Hard Work and Transcendent Stamper, 395257 out of 405000 for Monster Weight Puncher Lv. 3 and 23 out of 30 for Hiro's Contender. There is a chance we could knock out the Monster Weight Puncher by the end of the week.

For tonight's stream, well it's Sunday, which means Overwatch is on deck! Of course we'll mostly be playing Quick Play matches and having a good time!

See you later over on twitch.tv/fredcasden!

The Colors Were Indeed True In A Life That Is Strange

Good afternoon everyone,

Last night we finished Life is Strange True Colors and I love the finish of the game, as it really does feel like all the choice actually mattered in the outcome of the game. Anyway this will contain SPOILERS!

Episode 4 begins on the Spring Festival, and it's a fun little out door party with a handful collectables, as well as where you can fully lock in your love for Steph (or Ryan). There is a really sweet scene with Duckie in the Black Lantern, along with some things that are very easy to miss (such as Riley at the Bus Stop, which I didn't know about until after the chapter ended). Episode 4 is also where Jed being the true villain of the game is revealed when he tries to kill Alex.

Episode 5, sees a deep diva into Alex's past, the last time she spoke to her mother, the day her father left and her time shuffling through the system once she was taken in by CPS. A lot of it is real heart-twisting stuff, and pretty deep, including a real kick in the teeth of how fucking awful the actual mentality of a lot of people who say they want to adopt a child really is. You learn about the actual fate of Alex's father plus make some huge decisions regarding Jed, plus Alex's future.

Now when I said before that choice actually mattered, so depending on how you interact with key people (Duckie, Charlotte, Eleanore and Pike) can determine of if they side with Alex or not in Episode 5 for it's climax. Basically your actions really matter with them in key moments, in fact Charlotte's big moment is in Episode 3. Also depending on your love interest, Alex will be given a choice of to stay or leave Haven Springs, and there is a different ending on each.

There is another episode 'Wavelengths' coming out towards the end of the month / start of October, so we're certainly streaming that. And we'll probably work in Life is Strange 2 in between, depending on what major game I choose to start up

Following the stream we sent the fun over to Kalenal who was playing Final Fantasy XIV online! You can check their streams out over on twitch.tv/kalenal!  

And yes I'm still debating on if I'll give FF14 a try lol

Life is Strange: True Colors Achievements (Earned on Stream)

1. Pressed Rose: Find the “Pressed Rose” Memory in Chapter 4
2. Count Me In: Find the “Drum Kit” Memory in Chapter 4
3. Exactly 731: Help the Jelly Bean Counter win the contest
4. In Front of God and Everybody: Find the “Microphone” Memory in Chapter 4
5. Birthday Boy: Find the “Polaroid” Memory in Chapter 4
6. The Kind of Thing You Can't Undo: Complete Chapter 4 of Life is Strange: True Colors
7. Scary News: Find the “Mom's Keys” Memory in Chapter 5
8. Some Kind of Fight: Find the “Business Card” Memory in Chapter 5
9. Guitar Strings: Find the “Guitar Strings” Memory in Chapter 5
10. Where The Devil Sleeps: Find the “Pendant” Memory in Chapter 5
11. You're a Helldiver Now: Find the “Bomber Jacket” Memory in Chapter 5
12. Emotional Unearthing: Find all Memory Collectibles in Chapter 5
13. The Only Promise is The Adventure: Complete Chapter 5 of Life is Strange: True Colors 

Twitch Clip Links

• And The Rose Goes To...
• They are totally playing music... can you hear the music they are playing right now?
• Dude... That's One Hell Of A Kiss
• Jed's A Jerk 
• Where The Devil Sleeps 
• And I condemn you

Like the other Life is Strange games it is possible to go back to each chapter of Life is Strage: True Colors to find the collectables missed, and that's what I did earlier this morning.

Life is Strange: True Colors Achievements (Earned off stream) 

1. Crack: Find the “Crack” Memory in Chapter 1 
2. Officer Fish: Find the “Business Card” Memory in Chapter 1 
3. Emotional Enthusiast: Find all Memory Collectibles in Chapter 1 
4. Phone: Find the “Phone” Memory in Chapter 1 
5. Team Chomp-Bot: Find the “T-Shirt” Memory in Chapter 2 
6. Amateur Archaeophile: Find all Memory Collectibles in Chapter 2 
7. Emotional Archeologist: Find all Memory Collectibles in Chapter 4 
8. Haven Historian: Find all Memory Collectibles in Life is Strange: True Colors 
9. Proud Parent: Find the “CIT Sticker” Memory in Chapter 4
   

With those final nine achievements, we have 100% completed Life is Strange: True Colors. 

It's Sunday which means, we have this weeks Twitch Bits video! This week we have clips from Overwatch, Life is Strange Before The Storm, Street Fighter V, WWE Battlegrounds, RWBY Grimm Eclipse, Mario Golf Super Rush & Life is Strange: Before The Storm!

I am debating what would be the next big game I'll start up, I'm leaning towards Final Fantasy VII Remake and Tales of Arise, but there are certainly other contenders depending on if I want to pad the games finished list list with a lot of short games (the current total is 41)

As the Phillies flounder, I do have to wonder should Bryce Harper be heavily considered for the MVP on the National League... and my gut, heart and brain all say no. If they don't win the Division, he should not win the MVP or even be in the conversation regardless of what his stats say.

Today's Fitness Boxing 2 Daily Workout lasted 33 minutes with an estimated calorie burn of 644 kcal. The exercises were Difficult Challenge Combos #2, #3 and #1 in that order. Managed to get another perfect score on DCC #1. I do have some issues with Difficult Challenge Combo #2 which involves a step & jab followed by a quick step back, and with my heavy footed stance it ends up turning into half-step jab with an awkward sway back.

For tonight's stream, well it's obvious folks, we're starting a new week and so we're playing Overwatch! 

So on that note we'll see you tonight over on twitch.tv/fredcasden!