Life is Strange: Reunion

The primary draw of Reunion is seeing Max and Chloe reconnect and make up for lost time. The game delivers on that front; their heartfelt interactions sometimes made me forget the game’s other shortcomings. The manner in which Deck Nine sends these two off into the sunset – again, the version I unlocked – is truly wonderful. The rest of the package is overwhelmingly familiar to Double Exposure and takes a step backward in some cases. As much as I love Max and Chloe, everything around them seems to fall apart when they come together; Reunion is, sadly, no different.

Life is Strange: Reunion could have been a full Double Exposure sequel, and it could have been a full Max and Chloe entry. Instead, both narratives are squeezed into a bloated finale with dull pacing and a lacklustre resolution. There are sparks of brilliance in there and fantastic chemistry between its two leads, but it's never given the love and care to blossom into something beautiful.

A massive improvement over Double Exposure, and an excellent send off for the two characters that the Life is Strange fanbase are obviously hugely fond of. The core mystery kept me guessing throughout, the performances are excellent, and the investigative nature of the story encourages us to dig deep rather than just follow a checklist. It’s just all-round brilliant stuff.

Life is Strange: Reunion promises the return of Max Caulfield and Chloe Price, and it absolutely nails their relationship, building on their past and their choices to create a story that feels essential and worth the wait. As a standalone title, it might not entirely work, but as the closing chapters of a story over a decade in the making, it acts as a fantastic finale.

From the moment Life is Strange: Reunion begins to the very last choice, that answer is woven into every conversation, every contemplative moment, and every relationship. The answer lives in the same way Max Caulfield and Chloe Price navigate the weight of their pasts, the burdens of their present, and the uncertainty of their futures. And by the time the credits roll, it's clear the answer to my question was always meant to be felt, understood, and ultimately accepted, one way or another.