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 goal is to understand the game's shortcomings and inform the development of future Life is Strange titles.

The survey delves into various aspects of Double Exposure, including narrative, gameplay, technical performance, and even whether players felt the game was worth the purchase price. This comprehensive approach suggests Square Enix is committed to learning from the experience.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure, released in October 2024, marked the return of Max Caulfield, a beloved character from the original Life is Strange. Despite this, the game received mixed reviews, scoring a 73 on Metacritic (critic score) and a 4.2 (user score) on the PS5 version. This underwhelming response, often attributed to key narrative choices, led to disappointing sales and, subsequently, layoffs at developer Deck Nine Studios in December 2024.

Square Enix's recent survey, distributed via email, includes a 15-minute questionnaire designed to pinpoint the areas where Double Exposure fell short. The collected data will be crucial in determining where the game stumbled. 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 emotionally resonant characters.

The future of the Life is Strange franchise remains uncertain. While Double Exposure hinted at potential storylines for future installments, the outcome of Square Enix's community feedback initiative will likely play a significant role in shaping the direction of the series. The balance between incorporating fan preferences and maintaining creative vision will be a key challenge for the developers moving forward.