Life is Strange: Reunion may just have solidified its status as the franchise’s best entry yet, with its triumphant return of Chloe. I recently had the opportunity to go hands-on with the highly-anticipated sequel for around 90 minutes and, personally, it’s beyond what I hoped it would be. Here’s why.
I’ll preface this by saying that I adored Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Although, I will say it was made much easier for me considering the fact that in my playthrough of the original game, Chloe died. I didn’t feel her absence in the way that so many did in Double Exposure. I took Double Exposure as proof that Life is Strange had grown with its audience, using a larger-than-life narrative to tap into the agonising and relatable difficulties of adulthood. Deck Nine concocted a formula that really added the sense of player agency previous Life is Strange entries were missing.
Already, I feel quite confident that Life is Strange: Reunion builds on the already wonderful formula. The narrative is certainly made all the more richer for bringing Chloe back into the fold, but it also diversifies Life is Strange: Reunion’s gameplay, perhaps making this the franchise’s most engaging instalment to date.
We Played Through Two of The Game’s Early Chapters
If you clicked on this preview to find out how Chloe returns from the dead – I wish I could tell you. I can’t say – and no, I’m not keeping it a secret. I’m totally in the dark, as it’s a key aspect of Life is Strange: Reunion’s central mystery. After Max has a vision of Caledon burning with both Chloe and Moses trapped inside, it’s up to the reunited duo to uncover the fire’s preceding events if they want to halt what’s already set in motion.
My preview consisted of two early chapters of Life is Strange: Reunion, with the first reuniting Max and Chloe. As I said, Chloe had died in my playthrough, but that’s not exactly something she remembers upon returning to the waking world. The chapter featured Max and Chloe narrowly missing one another at The Snapping Turtle, before Chloe finally got a lead that directed her towards swooping in to save Max from a rather unfortunate situation elsewhere. Gameplay hopped from one character to another.
In the next chapter, the duo had the opportunity to catch up which is where Chloe discovered the truth. Memories she assumed to be real somehow appeared to be Max’s memories from after Chloe died. Chloe divulged that she’d seen Max in several visions involving the lighthouse that the duo soon deducted also feature Safi. I can’t exactly tell you how all of the pieces fit together at this early stage, but it’s clear that Chloe’s reintroduction has been carefully considered. There’s not a scrap of her return that feels rushed or in favour of fan service. It’s all tied into the events that Double Exposure set in motion.
Tonally, the presence of both Max and Chloe harkens back to that original franchise entry. It’s a delight to watch the duo reunite. Chloe’s bullishness and Max’s wistful nature both clash and compliment in the most charming of ways. For me though, the biggest strength of bringing Chloe back into the fold is how it rejuvenates the gameplay even more so than we experienced in Double Exposure.
Max’s Rewind Ability Returns, And It Feels Wonderfully Familiar
In that previous game, Max gained the ability to hop between timelines which is what added that aforementioned sense of agency I so deeply appreciated. It wasn’t all about picking dialogue options, reversing, and then trying something else out. The timeline hopping added an element of puzzle-solving as players would have to navigate between the two options in order to unearth items or find a way through impassible paths.
Here, that power is gone, but Max’s ability to rewind returns – and it feels a lot more engaging this time around. The general usage felt familiar, I will admit. When I first gained control of Max, I had to use the power to remove a heckler from The Snapping Turtle, for example, before they ruined Amanda’s set, or quiz Lucas on information that I could then use against him after rewinding time. That’s pretty much how things happened in the original Life is Strange, but it all just feels smoother here. It seems as if the player is expected to give things a tad more thought instead of cycling through the various options on autopilot.
Later on in the chapter, I had to use Max’s rewind power to escape more of a physical threat. You see, The Abraxas Society’s old building was scheduled for demolition, with poor Max and Loretta finding themselves in the basement just as the demolition crew prepared to blow the charges. In that instance, I had just 20 seconds to find the charges and a way to disable them. As the countdown neared its end, my controller rumbled with growing intensity and let me tell you, my heart was in my mouth.
Poor Max and Loretta were blown to smithereens several times before I was able to rewind time and save the day successfully. I adored the intensity of what was demanded here though. If the rewind ability is used in similarly high-stakes situations elsewhere in the game, Reunion will really continue the upward climb that Double Exposure put in motion when it comes to player agency.
Chloe Is Ready to Argue Her Way Through Anything Once More
That’s not the only returning mechanic you’ll get to make use of. Chloe’s ability to argue also returns from Life is Strange: Before The Storm. I only got to try this out once during my preview, but the same rules as before apply. Chloe must one-up her opponent by selecting the dialogue option that uses a piece of information previously heard in the conversation. Pick the wrong choice and eventually, your opponent will ‘win’ the argument, resulting in a different turn of events.
There may not have been a major overhaul to this mechanic, but there didn’t need to be. Life is Strange has always struggled with player passivity until, at least in my opinion, Double Exposure. With players alternating between both Max’s rewind and Chloe’s argument abilities, it really does make it so much easier to immerse yourself in Life is Strange: Reunion. I felt a part of the action, and I certainly never had the opportunity to put the controller down and watch on. Your input is constantly required, and it’s when that’s remembered that this series excels.
Given that Max and Chloe act as dual protagonists, it’s also worth mentioning that the game’s branching narrative system has been fleshed out in accordance. When both characters are away from one another, gameplay progresses much as you’d expect. You’ll be faced with various options which’ll affect the outcome of the story. Of course, Max and Chloe do spend much of the game together though including a hefty chunk of the preview segment I played.
Players Will Make Pivotal Choices as Both Chloe and Max
When our leading duo is together, you’ll still make choices for both characters. What happens in those instances is that sketches of Max and Chloe will appear above the dialogue options. The character that the choice impacts will be highlighted. For example, I had to pick Chloe’s response to Max so the sketch of Chloe was highlighted in white whilst the Max sketch was greyed out. It was super clear who you were making the decision for, and I found it a thrill that you really get to shape these two interconnecting lives in a way that we haven’t seen for this narrative saga before.
Life is Strange: Reunion feels like another step in the right direction. If, like me, you adored Double Exposure, you’ll take to Reunion like a duck to water. It isn’t simply more of the same, but it does feel like a natural extension of that former game. If Chloe’s absence soured your feelings towards Double Exposure, this newest instalment may also be able to win you over. Certainly, there will be some, though, who may struggle with the ever-increasing melodrama of the franchise, but I’m very much along for the wild ride.
Life is Strange: Reunion launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on 26 March.
