Life is Strange: Reunion is the direct follow-up to Double Exposure, and it does something no entry in the series has done before: you play as both Max Caulfield and Chloe Price. Developed by Deck Nine Games (the studio behind Before the Storm and True Colors), the game picks up after the devastating events of Double Exposure and puts the fate of Caledon University squarely in your hands. If you've been waiting for the Max and Chloe story to reach a proper conclusion, this is it.
What is Life is Strange: Reunion?
Reunion continues Max's story after her time as photographer-in-residence at Caledon University. She begins experiencing premonitions of a new catastrophe bearing down on her life, and the investigation that follows pulls Chloe back into the picture. The official description frames the stakes clearly: "No one is safe from the coming blaze — identify the culprits before your friends at Caledon meet their fiery demise."
Deck Nine has described this as an "epic climax" to the saga, and based on early previews, the narrative carries real weight. Some critics have raised questions about whether the script fully commits to its characters — streamer Game Launch Central, writing to their 13,400 followers, noted that "a reunion 11 years later could see a script forget to be honest with its characters." That's worth keeping in mind going in, though the dual-protagonist structure alone makes this the most mechanically ambitious entry Deck Nine has attempted.
How does the dual-protagonist system work?
For the first time in the series, you switch between controlling two characters with distinct abilities:
- Max Caulfield continues to navigate different timelines using her rewind powers, letting you revisit moments and alter outcomes.
- Chloe Price approaches problems differently, solving challenges by drawing on and physically manipulating her surroundings.
The two playstyles are designed to complement each other across the story. Max's timeline traversal handles the "when" of a situation, while Chloe's environmental manipulation handles the "how." Expect puzzles and story beats that require you to think about both characters' strengths before committing to a path.
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Pay attention to which character you're controlling before making major dialogue choices. Max and Chloe have different relationships with the supporting cast at Caledon, and their responses carry different weight depending on who's speaking.
How do choices carry over from previous games?
This is one of the most common questions for returning players, and the answer is a bit different from what you might expect. You cannot directly import a save file from the original Life is Strange into Reunion. Instead, the game handles your history through a conversation between Max and Safi that occurs early in Double Exposure.
For a detailed breakdown of exactly how that conversation works and which choices you can feed into the timeline, the carry-over guide on Game Rant covers the Double Exposure import process step by step. VG247 also has a thorough walkthrough of how to import your choices into Double Exposure if you want to make sure your original game decisions are reflected before starting Reunion.
The short version: get your Double Exposure choices locked in before you start Reunion, because that's the foundation the new game builds on.
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If you haven't played Double Exposure, you'll be offered default choices during setup. These reflect a "neutral" playthrough and won't match your personal history with the characters.What's different about Reunion compared to earlier entries?
The shift to two playable characters is the biggest mechanical change the series has seen. Before the Storm gave Chloe her own game, but Reunion is the first time both characters share a single story with alternating control.
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Deck Nine developed both Before the Storm and True Colors, so they have more history with Chloe as a playable character than Dontnod ever did. That experience should show in how her mechanics feel.Should you play Double Exposure before Reunion?
Yes, and not just for the choice carry-over. Reunion is a direct continuation of Double Exposure's story, and the emotional stakes of what happens at Caledon won't land the same way without that context. The narrative assumes you know who the supporting cast are and what Max has been through since Arcadia Bay.
If you're coming in fresh from the original game and skipped Double Exposure, at minimum read a story summary before starting Reunion. The game may catch you up on surface-level plot points, but the character relationships are harder to shortcut.
Tips for getting the most out of Reunion
- Explore thoroughly as both characters. Chloe and Max notice different details in the same environments. An area that seems exhausted as Max may have new interactions when you return as Chloe.
- Don't rush dialogue. The series has always rewarded players who take time with conversations. Reunion continues that tradition, and throwaway lines often foreshadow later choices.
- Treat each character's abilities as puzzle tools, not just story devices. Max's timeline powers and Chloe's environmental manipulation are both meant to be used actively. If you're stuck, you're probably not using both toolkits.
- Save before major decisions. Even if you're committed to a particular outcome, having a save point before a big choice lets you see what the alternatives look like without replaying large sections.
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Some choices in Reunion are described as permanent within a single playthrough. Unlike Max's rewind ability in the original game, not every decision can be walked back in the narrative.What did early previews say?
Advance coverage has been cautiously positive on the gameplay side, with the dual-protagonist structure getting particular attention. The narrative has drawn more mixed reactions. The concern raised by early reviewers centers on whether a story returning to these characters after more than a decade can be honest about where they are now, rather than simply delivering what fans have wanted to hear for years.
That's a real tension in any long-delayed reunion story, and it's worth going in with measured expectations rather than assuming the game will hit every emotional note perfectly. The mechanics and setting are strong foundations. Whether the writing fully delivers is something each player will have to judge for themselves.
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