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A vivid imagination will take you far. We’ve all been there when we were younger and inside of our cold, empty, adult shells, we often forget about those years when we could be anyone, could do anything. We were superheroes.

More often than not, this wild imagination is the only possible escape from a grim, depressing reality, and that is precisely what Chris is doing in The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit. He is a cheerful soul filled with dreams of power and justice, even in the face of his dad, a depressed, alcoholic man that tragically lost his wife and his bearings in a car crash. Chris goes to a better place, at least in his creative mind.

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<h1>A superpowered introduction to Life is Strange 2</h1>

At first sight, Captain Spirit may look like a simplistic, even childish game, one that no adult gamer has any interest in playing. Oh, how wrong you are. This game is the perfect appetizer for the still incredibly enigmatic Life is Strange 2, and after the disappointingly bland [Before the Storm](https://steemit.com/games/@gamingstation/life-is-strange-before-the-storm-episode-3-hell-is-empty-a-tale-too-normal-for-its-own-good), it renewed my faith in the series. Dontnod clearly has a knack for controversial themes and sensitive choices, and this free episode – I won’t call it a demo, as the more than respectable two hours of playtime are very generous – perfectly sets up the spirit (pun intended) for the actual game.

Captain Spirit doesn’t drastically improve on the template set by Life is Strange, instead opting for a more polished, user-friendly experience. The UI is similar but slightly refined, and while it’s still a bit difficult to look straight at the item that we want to interact with, this is also due to the considerable number of things to see and do in a single room. Chris has a sheet with his tasks so that you don’t lose track of your goals, and there’s a nice freeform feel to the way that you can accomplish these – I would definitely love to have a similar feeling of freedom in the following game, just as I felt in this spin-off.

Chris’ world also feels more real, more alive, thanks to these little details that may be imperceptible in a single playthrough, or for those who tend to rush through the story. For example, you get some remarks from your dad if you get in front of the TV – you know, things like “invisibility isn’t one of your powers”. This nice touch is surprising, and a good example of the care and attention given to the whole picture. Even the trail in the snow is enough to steal a smile, as I was wondering if they would actually bother with it – they did.

<h1>Is Captain Spirit a kind or vengeful superhero?</h1>

Choices are part of the DNA of the Life is Strange series – well, maybe until the very ending of Season 1 and its forgettable prequel Before the Storm. The same can be said about Captain Spirit, as Chris, or the player, often faces different options. It all starts with the superhero costume, which you can customize from a range of admittedly limited choices, but it becomes more evident when you’re asked if you want to spare or punish a supervillain. During Captain Spirit’s bathroom mirror interview, we get to shape a bit of his personality, and this will possibly affect the following episodes. Even if Chris isn’t going to be the main character in Life is Strange 2, it is likely that he will play an important role – player-controlled or not, that is the question.

One vital set piece involves a neighbour and what could eventually lead to an intervention by the social services. I’m inclined to think that this bit will be relevant to the future of Chris and his dad when the first episode of Life is Strange 2 releases in September 2018.

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This game touches on controversial topics and is clever at it, but the writing isn’t perfect. Sure, Chris’ wild imagination goes a long way and the delightful blend of real world and superhero daydreaming makes for some surprising moments, but you’ll stumble across a – luckily few – cringeworthy moments. Chris’ dad is the main offender, with his alcoholic tendencies leading to jarring tonal shifts – one moment he is smiling and acting as the greatest dad in the world, the next one he is blaming Chris for the death of his wife. I’m pretty sure that alcohol clouds your reasoning but going from 0 to 60 in a few seconds seems a bit too much.

But it can also be very endearing. It may look and feel infantile, but there’s no denying that you can sense this youthful joy when Chris gets into a fierce make-believe battle against a monster-shaped water boiler, as he discovers a couple of monsters in his backyard, or turns a pile of garbage into a creepy maze. It’s a wonderful mix that diverts us from routine tasks such as taking out the beer cans or cleaning the fridge.

Wherever you look, there is always something to see or do. Confined it may be, this game still offers plenty of options to keep you entertained, and not all of them evident. Chris’ dad cell phone has the Hawt Dawg Man Mustard Party 2 game – an actual, Flappy Bird kind of mini-game – that you can play if you discover the PIN, but good luck with that! It isn’t available anywhere and it requires quite some resourcefulness to discover, so you’ll be better off checking a walkthrough.

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<h1>Superheroes in Technicolor</h1>

It took Telltale Games over a decade and dozens of games to finally ditch their game engine and switch to Unity, with the Stranger Things game being one of the first to enjoy this trade-off. It only took Dontnod one Life is Strange season (the prequel was developed by Deck 9) to realize that its next game needed a more robust, less *oh-my-god-my-eyes-hurt* engine, and we’re finally seeing their cartoonish but somewhat realistic aesthetic shine with the help of the Unreal Engine 4.

Captain Spirit looks good, *really* good! The details are everywhere, the close-up shots that Life is Strange is so used to do now look great, instead of highlighting the horrible textures right in your face. This is miles ahead of the previous Life is Strange games, and while there’s some inconsistency to the characters – Chris’ father looks a bit off –, it’s a beautiful package nonetheless. The outside is stunning, and my only regret is the proliferation of the invisible wall syndrome, of which there are plenty of them.

Life is Strange is also known for its amazing indie soundtrack, and the three or so tracks from Captain Spirit more than fit the bill. Sufjan Stevens contributes with one of these, and if this name doesn’t ring a bell, then you should dig a little as you’re missing out on one of the greatest performers ever.

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<h1>A new breed of teaser trailer</h1>

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is the perfect teaser trailer, and hopefully will set the standard for other episodic games – I’m not convinced that it will, being free and all, but I can only hope. This is also Dontnod at its finest, and the cliff-hanger ending left me with so many questions, so many doubts that I can’t wait to dispel. How Chris and his dad will fit into Life is Strange 2, who will be the main character, but the biggest one is this:

Will Life is Strange 2 take creative risks just like in Season one with the rewind ability, or will it play it safe, throw some red herrings and ultimately be nothing more than a shallow experiment in human relationships?

I don’t know about you, but I prefer my Life is Strange with a large dose of… *strangeness*.

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