The first biggest surprise and part of the best section of the EA E3 2018 briefing was the sudden reveal of Unravel Two, a sequel to one of my favourite indie games of all times and one that kick started the whole EA Originals programme for EA. The real surprise was that the game was completed and released at the very moment it was revealed at the briefing making it the first “you can play it right now” moment of E3. The first game has a big place in my gamer’s heart and I hoped for a sequel so it was almost like Christmas Morning to find it on the store just under an hour after the reveal. The biggest change was that for the first time Yarney would not be alone as co-op was introduced to the game. To say I was excited to jump back into this world was an understatement but after playing it, sad to say it did not have the same impact as the original despite the evolution of the gameplay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2TmLrTl6g

The game opens with a boat at sea in the middle of a tremendous storm with huge waves crashing against the boat causing our hero Yarney, though it is never explained exactly why he was on the boat to start with, to break his line fall into the sea to end up washed ashore. Waking up to find an old suitcase, it slowly opens to reveal another Yarney which is coloured blue climbs out of the case and after meeting the two connect their yarn lines forming a bond that sees them both heading off on their own journey together. That journey will have them following the ‘Spark of Adventure’, a glowing orb that guides them in the direction they need to go to in each of the seven chapters that make up the main campaign.

The gameplay is very much in line what the original game so those who have played the first Unravel will instantly pick this up and feel at home but the evolution into having two Yarney characters adds a refreshing new dynamic especially in how you approach the puzzles. Now it must be said if it is not obvious but this is designed to be played in co-op with two players controlling both Yarney characters. The first disappointment with this is that it is limited to local co-op only which is something that in the last couple of years has really annoyed me quite frankly when games do this with the main complaint being with LEGO games. I get that the real joy to sharing a game via co-op is having that person right there next to you as you enjoy the game and solve puzzles but for those who have their main gaming friends not available geographically local enough to pop over to pick up my spare controller, it is a wasted opportunity to share this game with friends far away when they is no real need to remove online co-op at all.

That said, this is a game that despite being designed to be played by two people, it can still completely be played enjoyed as a single player. Both Yarneys can be controlled by a single player by switching the focus to either of them at any time whilst the other remains in the position you left them. When needed to just move through the level, the two will combine together to form a single Yarney making everything so natural and fluid which comes in very handy when dealing with the new designed puzzles that require the two characters to work together. Some puzzles will need one to hold an object to allow the other to reach a higher platform or to help the other navigate to an area to then hold on the line to allow the other to pull them to rejoin it. The puzzles are so cleverly designed for this new mechanic that it made it both familiar yet different enough to the first game that I actually enjoyed the puzzles and level designs in the sequel to the original. Some really take some real thought into finding the solutions with some being obvious and some deviously clever in the solution.

The visuals, animation and musical score once again just blend together and compliment each other so well that as with the first game, just take this to an entirely new level of game experience that for an indie game is just crazy to see compared to other AAA titles that fail in getting that very same balance. It brings a level of emotion and emersion to the game that makes it a joy to be in as a player.

But then there is the sad point at which they just get the strongest element that made the first Unravel so amazing wrong, the story. The first game was all about life and the highs and lows a journey through life can have. It was poignant and emotional as you collected the memories for a scrap book and reliving some powerful events in a long lifetime that made Yarney’s journey so very special and brought the player along that ride so you each moment connected with you and the ending made it a complete journey for the player. That is where Unravel two….unravels. There is a story being told throughout each chapter with the shadow images of two children trying to escape sinister adult figures and we see them running away, exploring, playing and then trying to escape throughout the story. There are even moments where the solution of the puzzle will cause the spark you are following to interact with their world to help create a distraction or means of escape for the kids giving me hope that it was all connected.

Where it falls down is that it is never explained fully who the kids or the adults are and why they are running away. Throughout the seven story chapters I and especially during the final three chapters, I was concerned that what I was seeing being played out in the background to the gameplay was leading no where and sadly, the ending it so confusing and devoid of any explanation it almost feels that the game is actually incomplete unlike the first game which had a beginning, a middle and an end that was satisfying to play and understand. It quite frankly spoiled the entire experience to this sequel because the story for me was as important as the gameplay in the first game and this simply fails in telling that story but even worse in just deciding not to bother giving an explanation to events being played out. As the credits rolled and the personal thank you message from the developers rolls down the screen to explain that love is a bond that brings people together I was just reading there with a “is that it?” look on my face as I tried to process what the closing cut scenes were meant to show me. It was frustrating and disappointing.

I had high hopes for this sequel and ultimately was let down by the hype I had built up for it. The gameplay is strong though and there is some replay value in the speed running objectives that each chapter has after the prologue to complete it in the fastest time and by not dying along the way that some may be happy to go after. I did feel that some of the final chapters suffered from the puzzle designs feeling as though they wanted players to fail and learn so that they would go back and replay the chapter again which for me took me out of the chapter too much especially when the music and imagery in the background implied that this was an important chapter to play without the forced pausing.  A set of challenges have also been added which give players the chance to rescue other Yarneys who are captured by utilising the puzzle solving mechanics seen in the main campaign. These are both challenging and fun and after rescuing them, they become options in the appearance editor that allows players to modify the main Yarney characters how they want should they choose to.

However the story for me is key to why Unravel worked so beautifully as a game and sadly here it feels as though some attempt to recreate that in the sequel was made but somewhere down the line or perhaps a victim of the E3 sudden reveal and release, was thrown out leaving it incomplete and confusing. Though the gameplay, level designs, visuals and musical score are something to be applauded, it fails to recapture or even use the same storytelling and writing elements that made the first so magical and in such a way that it undoes  so much of what it had accomplished originally and tried to follow up with.

Sadly Unravel Two focused far too much on delivering clever gameplay at the cost of telling a fulfilling story and so almost becomes forgettable which is a real shame. Still worth playing if you enjoyed the first however it would be better to enjoy the gameplay with a friend or solo than to expect more of the same emotional story telling that won me over personally with the first game.

The original Life is Strange series hit me like a tonne of bricks emotionally and as a gamer fond of the player choice style of Telltale games. Coming from DONTNOD Entertainment it delivered a thought provoking game experience like no other in the use of combining a reach musical soundtrack with powerful story telling. However Before the Storm, the prequel to the original story was underwhelming for the most part and strangely, not created by the original DONTNOD team but now we know what they were working on instead, the true sequel to Life is Strange. Delivered as a nice surprise during E3 2018 comes ‘The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit’, a completely free prequel episode experience to Life is Strange 2 and boy, was I immediately transported back to the Life is Strange universe.

This story is set three years following the events of the original Life is Strange game and introduces as to Chris, a typical ten year old kid with a fondness for Superheroes as we find him alone in this room on a Saturday morning putting together the design for his very own Superhero persona Captain Spirit. Some player choice comes into play straight away as you help Chris decide what kind of costume he draws which is pretty much the classic go Batman or go Superman tough decision for any would be superhero wannabe. Scattered around his bedroom are various toys and posters and quickly giving the sense that this is just a kid with a superb imagination and passion for drawing but soon picking up hints that not everything is going great in this household. But I instantly connected with Chris as someone who grew up doing the very same thing in drawing my own superhero world, and just like in the original games, music is used to provide moments of solitude for Chris that brings you the player into his world in such a pure and immersive way.

Soon it is very evident that there is darkness next to Chris’s world of superheros and that real life is not all sunshine and rainbows. After answering his Dad’s call to come to breakfast it becomes quickly evident that he dad has already starting drinking beer that early in the day as he takes a swig from his can only to put it down next to two empty cans on the counter. After a fun exchange where the player is given the chance to try and lie about how terrible his dad’s cooking is, we learn that Chris has bruises on his left arm, which he dad sheepishly attempts to offer help to Chris with whilst at the same time making sure to ask if anyone outside of the house had noticed the bruising. Just from this exchange it is easy to take that Chris’s dad had caused the bruising and also has a drinking problem. This dark tone combined with the reality that Chris has also lost his mum gives so much to why Chris spends so much time in his imagination and not just because he is a ten year old kid.

It does have to be said that this is strictly a demo of sorts and that there are no trophies or achievements to gain by playing through it. But as a preview of what to possibly expect in the main Life is Strange 2 game, it serves as a superb way of returning to this world with familiar gameplay styles and techniques. As we explore the world of Captain Spirit via Chris we learn so much about him in that he is clearly grieving for the loss of his mum and all the subsequent events following her passing such as his dad’s drinking problem amongst other things. By exploring the house you can discover clues such as letters which explain what has happened and the reality of his Dad’s situation which in no way excuses his treatment and possible abuse to Chris but some sympathy as the bigger truth of their situation becomes clearer, but I do not want to spoil it but will say explore and look at everything you can during this game to experience it all. It is all in very true Life is Strange style of the original game and plays so well that I straight way wished that 2 was already available to play.

This is a very short experience but it is cleverly timed out so that the main point of this mini episodes story has a strict timeline to follow, one that allows Chris and the player to head out and do things but the episode can be finished in just an hour but takes just over two hours to complete everything that you can. Even in just this short episode I have to be honest and say I did share a tear at the sad moments Chris experience because it resonated so much with me as someone who grew up without my parents and though older than Chris as that time, I did escape to the world of comic books and superheroes to deal with my loss. The power in the writing gives me such hope and expectancy for the sequel even without knowing anything about the sequel or even if Chris is the main character for the full game at this point.

I really do hope that Chris is the focus of the sequel, getting to know him as a kid and experiencing just this slice of his life has hooked me completely and though I did not know what to expect from this mini episode, it is clear that the power behind the original Life is Strange that made it an award winning and stand out game has returned even for this snippet preview which bodes very well going forward. This truly felt like Episode One instead of a demo and it was genius to make it free for everyone and transported me fully into the world of Life is Strange far more than the complete Before the Storm series.

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit were indeed awesome and with a fantastic ending that completely left me wanting more. The visuals and choice in musical soundtrack are simply striking with some outstanding voice acting performances that you can see a lot of care and time was taking in putting this preview together. It just ticks every box of the things I loved about the first game but by introducing us to a new character away from Chloe and Max it has a new fresh feeling to it all despite using so many familiar gameplay mechanics. The nods and references to the original game ties everything together and you do feel that this is now a universe with many potential stories to be told and characters to introduce.

I would like and need to see what happens to Chris and his dad and if they are not the stars of the full game I will feel a little cheated at this point but until we know what the full sequel is about, getting to know Chris and his alter ego Captain Spirit was a real joy and heartfelt surprise story to experience.

Life is Strange 2 is set to release September 27^th 2018 and is available to pre-order on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC right now.