Draft:Sean Diaz

Sean Diaz
Life is Strange character
First appearance	"The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit" Life is Strange 2
Created by	Don't Nod
Voiced by	Gonzalo Martin

Sean Diaz is a fictional character from the Life Is Strange video game series published by Square Enix. Created by Don't Nod, Sean is a playable character in the 2018-2019 video game Life Is Strange 2 as the main protagonist. After an accident with his father, Sean and his little brother Daniel Diaz are forced to go on the run from the police whilst maintaining Daniel's supernatural power of telekinesis. He is portrayed by Gonzalo Martin.

Concept and creation

Sean Diaz was supposed to be part of the fusion of what the intention of the Life is Strange 2 gaming experience was about. Where Life is Strange was a character-driven exploration of the powers surrounding Max's abilities, Sean's gameplay exploration was supposed to extend with family and sociological development and identity, specifically Sean Diaz as a microcosm of his and his younger brother Daniel's identity constructed by the fact that Daniel has telekinetic powers. Yet the fact that he is implied as a person of family not to be given gameplay options that diverge from the intention of who this character is for "the player" in the overall experience indicates that as much as Sean is not a definitive character associated with gameplay choices for the player, he should have been, instead, with divergent narrative paths chosen for him. The game developers did a number of things to ensure an authentic Mexican-American culture and immigrant experience in America. For example, they engaged cultural consultants and conducted interviews. The voice actor for Sean, Gonzalo Martin, didn't just collaborate with the game developers, but he also rendered Sean a real character. Thus, as a Latino immigrant, Martin infused his experience into Sean's identity crisis, family arguments, and outsider actions through prejudice.

Personality and characterization

Sean is characterized as a sixteen-year-old with a creative, reflective nature. Therefore, not only does Sean's ability to draw during gameplay render him capable of playing, but his diary from which players can peruse his drawings acts as a narrative device through which players learn more about his psyche. Sean begins the game as an essentially average teenager with friends and a crush (almost a girlfriend), an irritating father and brother, and when he has to render the homicide of his father by the police on top of it, he's placed in an immediacy that requires him to become an adult and take on adult responsibilities.

Whether Sean is kind or duplicitous, and what moral tendencies the player wishes him to have, are in line with what they've chosen for him to do throughout the game. Sean is meant to be an empathetic figure from a moral perspective of how one would want Sean to respond to misfortune—be it racist, violent, or merely how to survive in the woods.

Reception

Sean Diaz received critical acclaim because he was more three-dimensional and relatable. This game took great credit with regards to commitment towards telling a sensitive and highly social-conscious storyline by the developers of Dontnod Entertainment. Gonzalo Martin's great voice acting even earned him multiple nominations and single wins, such as the win in 2019 NAVGTR for Outstanding Performance in a Drama.

The game poignantly portrayed Sean as an older brother and mentor, while many players identified with the struggle of trying to protect and guide Daniel through difficult moments in his life. This character also spurred many conversations about representation in video games, especially that of Latino characters and immigrant experiences.