Jacksepticeye Reflects on Past Criticism of Life Is Strange 2’s Political Themes: “I’ve Grown a Lot in Eight Years”
YouTuber and Let’s Player Seán William “Jacksepticeye” McLoughlin has expressed regret for his earlier criticism of Life Is Strange 2’s political themes during his gameplay in 2019.
When Dontnod released Life Is Strange 2 in episodic format throughout 2019, it aimed to address a range of political issues, including police brutality, racism, and immigration, through the experiences of two Mexican-American brothers, Sean and Daniel. The brothers find themselves on the run from law enforcement after a tragic incident involving a Seattle cop, which triggers Daniel’s telekinetic abilities. As they journey across the U.S., they face various forms of racism, abuse, and systemic injustices.
Life Is Strange 2 makes its political stance clear early on, and while many critics praised this bold approach back then, it also sparked debate among players who felt the commentary was forced or overly heavy-handed. Fast forward to today, and the game’s reflections on real-world issues have become even more relevant. McLoughlin, who completed the game in 2019, concluded his Let’s Play by critiquing the writing as “pushing one very specific agenda,” although he acknowledged he wasn’t equipped to address such political matters and didn’t intend to diminish the experiences of marginalized communities.
“I feel like there’s a lot more depth to this than you’re really tackling,” McLoughlin stated. “I hope I’m not coming across as ignorant or anything because that’s not what I’m trying to say. If anything, I want to learn more about it. I want to get into it and I want to understand what’s going on a lot more, but these things just don’t really shine a light on it that much. If anything, it is just shining a light on it and then taking the light off immediately. It does suck that this stuff happens in the real world, and I really wish it didn’t. Humans are complicated, and a lot of humans are messed up and have no empathy at all, but hopefully, we get to a better place soon and things don’t get worse before they get better.”
Recently, the Life Is Strange community revisited McLoughlin’s comments, with a thread circulating on social media asking fans to share “the worst Life Is Strange takes” they had encountered. One fan responded, “White men playing Life Is Strange 2 and calling it unrealistic and too political.” Another tagged McLoughlin, stating they were still waiting for an apology for his 2019 remarks, prompting McLoughlin to respond with an apology, admitting he had been “naive.”
“Did I really say that? Jesus! I’m sorry. How naive I was. I’ve learned a great deal in the last 8 years,” he tweeted.
While McLoughlin expressed hope in 2019 that things wouldn’t worsen in America, the reality has unfortunately proven otherwise. With increasing reports of ICE’s mistreatment of immigrants and the dire conditions in detention facilities, it’s become increasingly difficult to ignore the harsh truths depicted in Life Is Strange 2. The game wasn’t merely political; it offered a stark and honest portrayal of the troubling realities many face. It’s unfortunate that it took such a dire situation for many to recognize these issues.
