It’s been nearly ten years since we last saw Max and Chloe together in a Life is Strange game. While the other entries in the series that starred other characters have been pretty good – in fact, its most recent entry, Double Exposure, was excellent thanks in part to its continuation of the core story of Max Caulfield’s complicated life with her even more complicated best friend Chloe – Life is Strange has nevertheless been missing that one thing that made the original episodic adventure so impactful. Now that the series’ co-protagonist (and sometimes antagonist if you really think about it) is back in the mix, Life is Strange: Reunion looks to not only be the game longtime fans have been waiting over a decade for, it also has the potential to be the strongest entry yet.
Taking place immediately after the events of Double Exposure, Life is Strange: Reunion looks to wrap up Max Caulfield’s time-bending, dimension-hopping adventure by reintroducing the catalyst for the entire series. Chloe is back, and without getting too deep into spoiler territory, she’s alive and trying to put the pieces together while Max is simultaneously dealing with the fallout from Double Exposure. While Reunion retains its signature indie sleaze aesthetic and at times eyebrow-raising dialogue (in an endearing way), the storytelling thus far is noticeably better than what we’ve seen from Life is Strange previously. There was a sense of urgency in the roughly two hours I had with the preview version, and I couldn’t help but notice how everything had a melancholic vibe to it. The music, character interactions, and general vibe of Reunion makes it obvious that this final chapter in Max’s story is going to be darker and more emotionally charged than anything we’ve seen in a series that explores some pretty grim subjects.
That being said, it’s not all doom and gloom. The visuals are refined such that, to my eyes, a Life is Strange game has never looked better. The facial expressions and performances are excellent, the locations are full of clever environmental storytelling and charm, and every character is designed in a way that’s brimming with personality and uniqueness. In my demo I was able to explore Max’s house, the Snapping Turtle, and a new location that reminded me of some of the more grim environments from the original Life is Strange. Conversations with characters felt more real, and while some of the dialogue was cringeworthy, it never took me out of the story like past entries have, and I’m happy to report that in my time with it, nobody said “hella”.
Meanwhile, from some exceptional cues and nostalgic needle drops, the music, which is always a highpoint for the series, is definitely looking to be another highlight in Reunion. There was one needle drop in particular that tugged at my heart strings, and whether this was due to nostalgia or really good song placement (or both), it made me excited to hear what else Reunion has in store for Max and Chloe’s latest adventure. The music, visuals, and environmental storytelling suggest that this is Life is Strange firing on all cylinders so far, and the world of Reunion feels more alive than ever.
Of course, presentation isn’t everything in Life is Strange, and Reunion takes the series back to its roots with Max’s rewind abilities and Chloe’s backtalk choices. While I appreciated the newer dimension-hopping powers in Double Exposure, it was obvious from the get-go with Reunion that bringing back Max’s rewind power is the correct choice; it just felt right for the type of narrative-driven gameplay Life is Strange is known for. The few puzzles I was able to try felt natural and had more challenge than I was expecting. In one instance I had to defuse a room full of explosives before a short timer ran out. Admittedly, I died a few times while trying to find an optimal route between bombs, finding a pair of cutters, and avoiding falling objects. It was refreshing to have to solve a puzzle without it just being another standard find the thing and pick the correct dialogue event. That being said, there were still plenty of instances where I needed to talk to somebody, spectacularly embarrass myself, learn something about them, rewind, and try again.
Chloe’s gameplay, on the other hand, is less supernatural and more urgent. Unlike Max, she doesn’t have any special powers and instead has to rely on her wits and quick thinking. Paying attention to the surrounding environment and remembering details from Chloe’s observations and conversations is integral here. When Chloe’s backtalk was prompted, I had to quickly make a dialogue choice and earn points over whoever I was being confronted by. If I made the correct choice when confronted by a security guard then I would win the conversation, if I didn’t, then things wouldn’t go my way. Adding this additional layer to Reunion’s dialogue choices is a breath of fresh air, since playing as Max can sometimes be a little too forgiving. I hope that we see this mechanic used more throughout Reunion, because its potential to force the player to make difficult permanent decisions without the option to magically rewind time could lead to some pretty interesting character outcomes.
The series’ dialogue is still a high point here, and I was given the choice to play with a specific set of outcomes from the first Life is Strange. While there is no canon ending to the first game, being able to pick my outcome from 2015 was pretty cool and has me excited to see what other outcomes and consequences the characters will face from that single choice I made a decade ago.
While I only had about two hours with Life is Strange: Reunion, it was clear to me that developer Deck Nine is pulling out all the stops for the long-awaited finale of Max and Chloe’s story. The expanded gameplay, presentation, and overall vibe stands a good chance to become a series high point and hopefully lead to a fitting end to a story that’s sat with fans for over a decade.
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