Square Enix Requests Life is Strange Feedback Following Poor Sales

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, publisher Square Enix has launched a survey to gather feedback from fans of the series. The aim is to understand what contributed to the game's disappointing performance and use this information to shape future installments.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure, released in October 2024, marked the return of fan-favorite protagonist Max Caulfield. Despite this, the game received mixed reviews, scoring a 73 on Metacritic (critic score) and a 4.2 (user score) on its PS5 version. This lukewarm response is largely attributed to significant narrative choices within the game itself.

The situation worsened with Deck Nine Studios, the developer, announcing layoffs in December 2024. In response, Square Enix distributed a 15-minute questionnaire to Life is Strange fans, seeking their opinions on various aspects of Double Exposure. The survey covers key areas such as narrative quality, gameplay mechanics, technical performance, and even asks whether players felt the game was worth the purchase price and if their experience impacted their interest in future titles.

Analyzing the Fallout: Why Did Double Exposure Fall Short?

Square Enix clearly anticipated a more positive response to Double Exposure. The survey results will be crucial in determining where the game fell short. This contrasts sharply with the positive reception of Deck Nine's previous Life is Strange title, True Colors, which was lauded 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.

While Double Exposure hinted at potential storylines for future games, the community feedback gathered by Square Enix will likely significantly influence the direction of the series. The balance between incorporating fan preferences and maintaining creative integrity remains a challenge, and the extent to which future games will reflect this feedback remains to be seen.