I’ve played all the LIS games and have been a fan of the series since the original released while I was in college.
For me, I think my ranking of the games is as followed:
- Before the Storm
- Life is Strange
- Life is Strange 3
- Life is Strange 2
Not including Captain Spirit because it’s really more of a companion title and so short. It’s a really close tie for me between the original LiS & LiS 3, as I really enjoyed both.
Before the storm was such a surprise for me and I really enjoyed the way they developed the characters & romance in that title, which makes it stand out for me.
Despite my love & enjoyment of the series, I really couldn’t get into LiS 2. I played the whole game, but I struggled my way through it. I did not like the characters or the plot, and only finished it out of a hope that the ending would be worth it.
What I find interesting about Life is Strange is that everyone has a bit of a different experience with the games depending on if the characters resonate with them, what they’re personally going through in their life at that time, etc.
I do agree with you that it felt like LiS2 was attempting to be topical, which is where I felt like it fell flat for me.
Whereas the stories in the other games felt a bit more timeless and relatable for most players.