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 is actively seeking feedback from fans through a comprehensive survey. The survey delves into key aspects of the game, even gauging players' opinions on its value proposition. This feedback will likely play a significant role in shaping the direction of future Life is Strange installments.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure, released in October 2024, aimed to capitalize on the popularity of Max Caulfield, the beloved protagonist from the original 2015 game. Despite this, the game's launch was met with mixed reviews. A Metacritic score of 73 (critic) and 4.2 (user) for the PS5 version highlights the game's underwhelming performance. Many critics point to crucial narrative choices as a contributing factor to this lukewarm reception.
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 recently distributed a 15-minute questionnaire to Life is Strange fans. The survey explores various elements of Life is Strange: Double Exposure, including narrative, gameplay, and technical aspects. Crucially, it also asks players whether they felt the game was worth the purchase price and how their experience might impact their interest in future games in the series.
Analyzing Life is Strange: Double Exposure's Commercial Failure
Square Enix clearly anticipated a more positive response to Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Therefore, the insights gathered from this questionnaire are vital for the company to identify the game's weaknesses. This contrasts sharply with the overwhelmingly positive reception of Deck Nine's previous title, Life is Strange: True Colors, which was praised for its compelling narrative and emotional depth. Alex Chen, the protagonist of True Colors, also resonated more strongly with players than the characters in Double Exposure.
The future of the Life is Strange franchise remains uncertain. While Double Exposure hinted at potential storylines for future installments, Square Enix's community feedback initiative will significantly influence the development of upcoming games. The extent to which future games will incorporate fan suggestions remains to be seen, but it's clear that player input will be a key consideration.
