Square Enix Seeks Fan Input After Life is Strange: Double Exposure's Underwhelming Reception

Following the less-than-stellar reception of Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Square Enix has launched a comprehensive survey targeting fans of the series. The survey delves into key aspects of the game, even directly asking players if they felt the purchase was worthwhile. The feedback gathered will likely play a significant role in shaping the direction of future Life is Strange titles.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure, released in October 2024, had high expectations riding on the return of Max Caulfield, a beloved protagonist from the original 2015 game. Despite this, the game received mixed reviews upon launch, currently holding a 73 critic score and a 4.2 user score on Metacritic for its PS5 version. This lukewarm reception is largely attributed to significant narrative choices within the game itself.

The situation worsened with Deck Nine Studios, the game's developer, announcing layoffs in December 2024. In an effort to understand the game's shortcomings, Square Enix distributed a 15-minute questionnaire to Life is Strange fans. This survey probes various elements of Double Exposure, including narrative, gameplay, and technical performance. Crucially, it also asks players about their perceived value of the game and how their experience might impact their interest in future installments.

Analyzing the Fallout of Life is Strange: Double Exposure

Square Enix clearly anticipated a more positive response to Double Exposure, making the survey results highly significant in determining the game's weaknesses. This contrasts sharply with the overwhelmingly positive reception of Deck Nine's previous work, Life is Strange: True Colors, which was praised for its compelling narrative and emotional resonance. True Colors' protagonist, Alex Chen, also resonated more strongly with players than Double Exposure's characters.

The future of the Life is Strange franchise remains uncertain. While Double Exposure introduced potential plot threads for future games, the feedback collected by Square Enix will undoubtedly influence the development of upcoming titles. The extent to which future games will incorporate fan feedback, however, remains to be seen.