Although Life is Strange 2‘s second episode, Rules, expands on the framework of its introductory chapter, it doesn’t necessarily raise stakes. Rather, it seeks comfort and familiarity. That’s a very real aspect of the human condition: When faced with tragedy and overwhelming circumstance, try to cope by staying grounded through whatever normality you can latch onto.
Rules is a relatively slow-paced act. It’s mostly free from the suffocating desperation that seeped out of every seam in the first chapter. Despite all evidence to the contrary, it’s not all tough times for the Diaz brothers. The bulk of Rules is a reprieve of sorts — albeit a reprieve that still manages to sneak in some well-timed emotional gut punches.
Source: Destructoid Review: Life is Strange 2: Episode 2: Rules