Life is Strange: Reunion is Fine and All, But Let’s Not Pretend Chloe and Max’s Story Was Ever a “Saga”

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The popular game Life Is Strange is getting a new installment called Life is Strange: Reunion, continuing the story of Max Caulfield. Fans will be happy to see Chloe, a central character from the original game and the star of Life is Strange: Before the Storm, returning. While exciting, this decision feels a bit strange and potentially exploitative, though it can be seen differently depending on your perspective.

Life is Strange: Reunion will be the seventh installment in the Life is Strange series, but its connection to Life is Strange: Double Exposure indicates the games are becoming more centered around a specific storyline. While Before the Storm explored the early relationship between Chloe and Max, the series has generally featured characters other than this pair. Therefore, making Max and Chloe the main focus with Double Exposure and its sequel feels like an unexpected direction for the franchise.

Spoilers ahead for Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Double Exposure.

Why is Chloe Returning in Life is Strange: Reunion?

Chloe and Max’s Story So Far

As a huge fan of Life is Strange, what really stuck with me was the relationship between Chloe and Max. Sure, the game is packed with mystery, a seriously creepy villain, and Max’s time-bending powers, but at its heart, it’s about their friendship – and maybe something more. The ending absolutely wrecked me. Max has to make this impossible choice: save Chloe, who means everything to her, or save the whole town of Arcadia Bay from a devastating storm. It’s heartbreaking because saving one means destroying the other.

In the original Life is Strange, if Max chose to save Chloe, they were expected to leave Arcadia Bay and live happily together. However, the game Double Exposure changed this by allowing players to decide the definitive ending. If a player confirms the ‘Save Chloe’ ending, Double Exposure implies that Chloe and Max eventually broke up, though the reasons aren’t clearly explained. Overall, Double Exposure largely overlooks Max and Chloe’s story, which makes it unclear what direction Deck Nine intends to take with the Reunion game.

Chloe’s Return to Life is Strange Feels Forced

Max Caulfield is returning as the main character in the Life is Strange series, which is a notable development. After the original Life is Strange, the developers, Don’t Nod, continued with Life is Strange 2, featuring a new story and characters, though it included some connections to the first game. Before that, they released The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, a shorter game with characters linked to Life is Strange 2. Later, Deck Nine developed Life is Strange: True Colors, which, again, introduced a completely new group of characters.

The Life is Strange series has been developed by two studios. Don’t Nod created the first Life is Strange, Life is Strange 2, and The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit. Deck Nine developed Life is Strange: Before the Storm, Life is Strange: True Colors, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, and the forthcoming Life is Strange: Reunion.

Throughout the Life is Strange series, each game has largely featured its own separate story and characters. While Before the Storm focused on Chloe, the main games haven’t consistently followed a single protagonist. The decision to bring Max back as the lead in Double Exposure, especially with a new setting and power, felt forced to some, who believed the developers were relying on fans’ fondness for the original game. Now, with Chloe appearing in the Life is Strange: Reunion trailer as a surprise addition, those concerns seem even more valid – it feels like a move designed to appeal to nostalgia rather than a natural continuation of the story.

Chloe’s return in Life is Strange, now attending college with Max, feels more like an attempt to manipulate fans’ feelings than a natural part of the story. This is especially noticeable because the developers previously seemed to move Chloe’s story in a different direction in Double Exposure. It’s possible that, after Double Exposure didn’t perform as well as hoped, the creators are now heavily focusing on bringing Max and Chloe back together, regardless of whether it’s the best choice for the narrative.

The Bright Side: How Life is Strange: Reunion Could Stick the Landing

Even though the reasons for bringing Chloe back in Life is Strange: Reunion are debatable, Deck Nine still has opportunities to create a compelling story for Max, the well-known blue-haired protagonist. Their previous game, Double Exposure, successfully used the idea of multiple timelines with Max as the focus, and they could build on that by tackling complex or self-aware themes. A key issue is that Max consistently overcomes challenges without lasting consequences, while other characters are left to deal with the fallout.

There’s a lot of potential for a compelling story here, particularly if the developers really lean into the time-bending ideas presented in Life is Strange: Reunion. However, to truly succeed, Max and Chloe’s journey needs to move beyond simply revisiting the past. The story should build on what came before, offering fresh surprises and a new understanding of the series’ established lore, rather than just relying on fans’ fond memories.

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2026-01-27 19:04