Episode 5: Wolves

Overview

"Wolves" is the fifth and final episode of Life is Strange 2.^[1] It was released on December 3, 2019 for PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Synopsis[]

Official[]

"Sean and Daniel have reached the end of the road. The border is close. One last, brutal gauntlet of challenges is all that stands between them and their goal.

Caught between responsibility and freedom, surrounded on all sides, can Sean find a way out of an impossible situation? And more importantly, in this moment of crisis, will Daniel still follow his lead?

Every decision Sean has made, every lesson Daniel has learned, every friend and foe they’ve met along the way: they've all been leading to this.

Can Sean and Daniel survive together – or will the world tear them apart?"^[2]

Checkpoints[]

New Dawn
Sand People
Fire Flies
Away
Last Miles
The Wall
Cages
Independence Day
Determinant ending:
1. Redemption- (Alternate scene - Lyla at Sean's release)
2. Lone Wolf
3. Parting Ways - (Alternate scenes - Sean with Cassidy and Sean with Finn)
4. Blood Brothers

Characters[]

Lyla Park (Determinant)
Tyler (Determinant)
Max Caulfield (Determinant, Photograph)
Chloe Price (Photograph)
Joyce Price (Photograph)
Nathan Prescott (Determinant, Photograph)
Victoria Chase (Determinant, Mentioned)
Mark Jefferson (Determinant, Mentioned)
Claire Reynolds (Determinant)
Stephen Reynolds (Determinant)
Chris Eriksen (Determinant, Photograph)
Cassidy (Determinant, Photograph)
Finn McNamara (Determinant, Photograph)
Jacob Hackerman (Mentioned)
Sarah Lee Hackerman (Mentioned)
Penny (Mentioned)
Hannah Reyome (Mentioned)

Deaths[]

Sean Diaz (Determinant) - If the player gets the Lone Wolf ending, Sean is shot in the throat during the shooting.
Joyce Price (Confirmed Fate, Determinant) - If the player chooses to sacrifice Arcadia Bay in the original game, Joyce is among the citizens to die from the storm.
Chloe Price (Determinant) - If the player chooses to save Arcadia Bay in the original game, she is killed by Nathan Prescott prior to the events of this game.
Residents of Arcadia Bay (Presumed, Determinant) - If Arcadia Bay was sacrificed in the original game, David will tell Sean that everyone in Arcadia Bay was killed by the storm, but this isn't entirely confirmed.
Maria Elena Flores (Presumed, Determinant) - If the player gets the Lone Wolf or Blood Brothers ending, Flores will be knocked out by Daniel's powers and is presumably killed.
Police Officers (Presumed, Determinant) - During the police station escape, Sean can order Daniel to kill the two approaching officers by snapping their necks. If the player gets the Lone Wolf or Blood Brothers ending, Daniel will attack the police officers blocking their way, either knocking them out or killing them.

Unresolved Issues and Open Questions[]

Like the original game, there are many unresolved ideas and unanswered questions after the end of the final episode.

Redemption Ending
- How is Sean only able to get 15 years, if he committed more crimes than stated?
  - Most likely because the evidence for the majority of the crimes he committed would have been circumstantial at best.
Blood Brothers Ending
- Do Sean and Daniel keep in contact with Cassidy/Finn (if Sean maintained his relationship with either one of them), Karen, Lyla (if Sean called her twice during the game), Brody, Jacob, Sarah Lee, David, Chris and their grandparents?
  - It is presumed that they do or at least could stay in contact with their friends and family.
- Are Sean and Daniel criminals?
  - It is presumed that they are merely career criminals.
Parting Ways Ending
- Will Sean and Daniel ever see each other again?
  - It's unknown, but implied Daniel longs to visit Sean in Mexico someday. Note the wolf carving on the tree. In contrast to the choice impact animation of running wolves shown throughout the game at the bottom of the screen, the carving features the smaller wolf chasing the larger one.
Lone Wolf Ending
- Does Daniel stay in touch with his family and the people that he and Sean met in the past?
  - Very unlikely. There's a reason this ending is called 'Lone Wolf'. The impulsive use of his power in this case resulted in the death of the person closest to him. There's no way Daniel would want to risk putting anyone he cares about in danger ever again, nor does he want to endanger himself after running from the law, which is why he resolves to live out the rest of his life alone. Not only that, but in feeling directly responsible for Sean's death, it can be inferred that his shame is so great that he doesn't feel he can face anyone from his past.
- What became of Sean's body?
  - It's never mentioned. Though from what we can infer of real life, once the press got wind of what happened and the FBI investigation was closed, it's likely his remains would be returned to Claire and Stephen if they chose to claim them.
- Are Sean and Daniel's friends and family aware of Sean's death?
  - Given the very public nature of what happened at the border and media coverage of their story in the newspapers, the news would reach them eventually.
- How did Daniel get to Puerto Lobos on his own? Did he walk or drive there?
  - By this time in the story, it can be assumed Daniel is very resourceful thanks to Sean, both with his power and in terms of doing what he has to in order to survive (the photos on the bulletin board of the money, the Chock-O-Crisp wrapper, and newspaper article imply this as well). It's likely he would walk if the car was too damaged, taking what he could of the supplies in Sean's bag, and maybe hitchhike some of the way (Sean's journal entries show they hitchhiked quite a bit). Alternatively near the end, he was shown driving the car with his power before they arrived at the wall, so that's not outside the realm of possibility either.

General

Like Max Caulfield in the first game, where did Daniel's powers come from?
- Since Daniel clearly still uses his powers, it is unknown if the Max of this timeline still uses hers or even still has them, though the comic series has confirmed that in at least one of the timelines, Max does indeed still have her powers. Life is Strange: Double Exposure also reveals that she does still have her powers.

Did Daniel have his powers his whole life or just after Esteban was killed?
- It's not implied he ever had them prior. It should be noted that the Life Is Strange series centers around protagonists who develop powers only after being triggered by an intense traumatic event of some kind—a desire to take back control in the face of a powerless situation. If Daniel or any of the protagonists had them prior, they'd most certainly be dormant until such an event.

Do Daniel's powers affect reality like Max's?

What happened to Karen in the "Lone Wolf" and "Blood Brothers" ending?
- Since Karen took the blame for the church fire in Haven Point, it is likely she was convicted of arson and sentenced to 2 - 15 years in a Nevada prison.
What happened to Hannah, Ingrid, Penny, and Anders after the story?
- Even though we've found out that Hannah and Penny were released from custody after Episode 3, Ingrid and Anders' fates are still left unknown.
- Through listening to Anders and Ingrid, it's implied they're having relationship problems in Episode 3. In one of the first scenes, they have a small argument in Big Joe's truck on the way to the pot farm. Ingrid can be seen talking alone to Cassidy at the final party, during which she seems upset. If you speak to Anders separately, he explains that Ingrid wants to travel to Texas, but he wants to go north to Canada. Whether or not they stay together after that is never mentioned.
What became of Sean and Daniel's house in Seattle?
- It's possible that the house was foreclosed, demolished, or sold to someone.
- It could also depend on any outstanding debts. It's possible Esteban's estate (the house and its contents) would be auctioned off to settle any outstanding debts or legal fees, though before that could happen, an executor would be in charge of his will and passing along any owed inheritance. In the Redemption ending, the car Sean drives as an adult is the same one his father was working on for him in the beginning of the game, so we at least know the boys would get something.

Who survived Daniel's attack in the "Lone Wolf" and "Blood Brothers" ending?
- Based on what was clearly seen after the events, it is highly presumed that Agent Flores and many of the police officers did not survive.
If Cassidy, Finn (if he didn't die in Episode 3), and Lyla do not appear in any of the endings, then what happens to them?
- Even though they don't appear in the "Lone Wolf" and "Blood Brothers" ending, it is possible that they are still friends with Sean and Daniel. That can still depend on whether Sean maintained his relationships with them.
What became of Merrill, Big Joe, Nicholas, Lisbeth (if she did not die in Episode 4), and all the other people that Sean met in Haven Point?
- Even though Merrill does appear in the Sacred Hope Hospital if Finn was killed in Episode 3, his fate remains unknown after that.
Who is Teddy, Merrill and Big Joe's boss?
Are Sean and Daniel's friends and family aware of their criminal activities in the "Lone Wolf" and "Blood Brothers" ending?
- Not that likely, though it could depend on two very specific factors. One, if they're following international news closely (the boys' story would eventually lose traction in U.S. press, especially beyond the border), and two, what friends and family might infer from any suspicious headlines, i.e. the Blood Brothers' article about a plague of pickpocketing reported by tourists (implying Daniel was using his power to snatch wallets). But even if their friends and family figured it out, they probably wouldn't be too surprised, given their press coverage in the States.
Did Joan die sometime after Episode 5?
- Since Joan's appearance suggests she's undergone chemotherapy for some form of cancer and Karen can be seen wearing her vest in the "Redemption" ending, it strongly implies that Joan passed away at some point.
Do Jacob and Sarah Lee's parents know the whereabouts of their children?
- It is strongly implied that they do not know that Jacob and Sarah Lee have gone to a hospital as shown in Jacob's letter.
- The reason why Jacob chose not to tell his parents where he and his sister are is probably because of their negativity towards medical treatment.
What happened to Arthur, Stanley, and David after the events at the border?
- Even though David does appear in one of the postcards in the "Redemption" ending, his fate remains unknown in the other alternate endings.
What became of the Mexican couple and the vigilantes if Sean and Daniel free them from the El Rey Police Station?
- It's unknown what happens to the Mexican couple after being freed, and it's not possible to free the vigilantes. If you try, Daniel protests they're bad people who don't deserve to be let go.
What happened to Brett Foster?
- If you use Stephen's laptop in Episode 2, it says he was hospitalized and released. Presumably still living next door to the former Diaz home.
Were there others who survived the Arcadia Bay storm besides Max, Chloe, David, and Victoria (if Arcadia Bay was sacrificed in the original game)?
- Even though Mark Jefferson was mentioned in Victoria's letter, it is still unclear if he survived or not.
What happened to the car that Sean stole from the Sacred Hope Hospital? More importantly, how did the owner of the car react when she discovered that her car was stolen?
What is Jolena Shore (the place that Agent Flores mentioned in Episode 4)?
- It's implied Jolena Shore is the juvenile detention facility where Sean will be serving time until he's a legal adult, at which point he would be transferred to an adult prison.

Licensed Soundtrack[]

Main article: Soundtrack (Life is Strange 2)

N/A

Reception[]

On Metacritic, the episode has a Metascore of 83/82/83 and a User Score of 5.8/6.4/6.3 for PC^[3] / PS4^[4] / Xbox One^[5] respectively
Steam user reviews were mostly positive^[6]

Achievements[]

There are nine achievements the player can earn on Steam, PlayStation or Xbox for finding collectibles or completing drawings.

Trivia[]

Due to the surroundings in the trailers, the episode was predicted to take place either in Arizona or New Mexico, the former of which was confirmed upon its release.
Considering the ending of Episode 4 and the early released sketchbooks below, it was considered likely that Karen Reynolds would return in this episode, which was confirmed upon its release.
This is the first episode in the franchise at the moment without licensed music.
This is the only episode of Life is Strange 2 that includes a character from the original LIS game, David Madsen.
In the Parting Ways ending, it is assumed that Daniel took the blame for everything else and is either on house arrest or the U.S. Government has Daniel under watch probably because they figured out that Daniel has telekinetic powers and wanted to study his abilities more.

Gallery[]

Concept Art[]

Promo Screenshots[]

Early Reveals[]

Pre-release preview of pages from Sean's sketchbook covering events that take place between "Faith" and "Wolves."^[7]

Trailers[]

Life is Strange 2 - Episode 5 Coming Soon

References[]

Life is Strange Episodes
Life is Strange	Chrysalis · Out of Time · Chaos · Dark Room · Polarized
Before The storm	Awake · Brave New World · Hell Is Empty
Life is strange 2	Roads · Rules · Wasteland · Faith · Wolves
Life is Strange:True Colors	Side A · Lanterns · Monster or Mortal· Flicker · Side B
Additional stories	Farewell · The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit · Wavelengths

[1] Everything You Need To Know About Life is Strange 2 Episode 5 - Life is Strange 2 Episode 5 Gameplay

[2] Steam Store: Life is Strange 2 Episode 5 (December 03, 2019)

[3] Metacritic Life is Strange 2: Episode 5 PC

[4] Metacritic Life is Strange 2: Episode 5 PS4

[5] Metacritic Life is Strange 2: Episode 5 Xbox One

[6] Steam Store Life is Strange 2: Episode 5

[7] Official Twitter post (November 24th, 2019)

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