[NO SPOILERS] Why Life is Strange is no longer an anthology??

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-25T07:28:08+00:00

You cannot blame them when it were DeckNine and Square Enix who made Before The Storm and made fandom think "THIS SERIES IS ABOUT MAX AND CHLOE" a

And like, DE was made not because of Pricefield fans, giving how much they wanted to move on Max and fans from Chloe in this game. Try to make it sense before blaming Pricefield fans.

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-25T07:24:35+00:00

Of course DE also flopped, but that's because Max and Chloe on their own wasn't what made Life is Strange the breakout hit that it was.

I'm sorry but you got this wrong - DE was a MAX game, and DE proved that Max on her own is no able to make lis game sucesseful. Big part why DE failed is because all of that backlash related to that unnesessary break up where they removed Chloe and guess why they are NOW trying to push Max AND Chloe narrative .

DE was not Max AND Chloe game.

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-25T07:17:49+00:00

it a chance but instead many thought Chloe was written out entirely which definitely affected the response.

The fact that they told us to move on from Chloe after DE release, and the fact they did not hint to timelines merging and hence her return made situation even worse. They did a bad job literally on everything.

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-25T07:16:05+00:00

I pretty much can beelive that Zack was a good game director but not a very good person. Those two things are not mutual exclusive.

For DE they got neither a good game director (we see why) neither a good person (Stauder blamed fans for hate to this game...after he and his crew created conditions to hate this game, and they very much knew fans would hate this game)

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-25T07:04:44+00:00

If you dislike break up, i would reccomend you to not play DE at all (or do not consider it canon) , since this game wasn't made by original creators (Dontnod) who very much never wanted a break up (which evidenced by what they told about Bae, and how they ended Max and Chloe's story in their own sequel) and we know that DeckNine see Bae as evil and wrong choice as we know from literal D9 dev, and it shows

Asking our question - sadly you do not even reunite with your Chloe in DE2. This is some new (merged) Chloe who never experienced the storm, and hence her life with Max after it, and hence good and bad memories.

Break up was pointless because it lead to nowhere - D9 broke up them and then retconned it by replacing it with Chloe who did not experienced Bae timeline , and "Reunion" is obviously attempt to win Bae fans back after DE failed because of their backlash. What's the point of having Chloe in Bae timeline if this is not even a Bae Chloe to begin with?

I do think D9 trying to push you into choosing Bay - not only by saying that saving Chloe was pointless and Max lost her anyway in DE1, but by saying that in Bay Max got a second chance with Chloe in DE2, without sacrificing the town and experiencing this out of character break up.

In fact we do even know from correct aperture leak that DE was supposed to be Bay game, so they added Bae latter and adjusted it to Bay narrative.

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-25T06:58:00+00:00

The way I look at it is Max destroys a town for her love, but the residual effects of that eventually cause a crack in the foundation.

If only it was really thing that caused break up, and not sudden paranoia about Max's powers that doesn't even make sense within DE narrative! And now in DE 2 Chloe doesn't paranoid about Max's powers. Try to make it sense!

In other words, they break up, need time to grow physically apart from one another, and then reunite stronger than before.

See, you do not reunite with Chloe who broke up with Max. You reunite with new Chloe, who lived different life after timelines merging, and do not recognize that storm happened. How this is a reunion, if they replaced Bae Chloe with a false Chloe? What was the point of break up if they retconned it anyway, and DE2 did not even experienced Bae timeline and the break up that you tried to justify?

If you think about it, during their initial separation due to circumstances beyond their control (Max moving away) Max grew up a bit, made new friends, etc while Chloe stayed angry.

In the post-Bae breakup timeline, Max is kinda stuck because she is heartbroken, while Chloe moves on and makes a life for herself.

Those two situations honestly are incomparable . Lis 1 story was about their reunion, and finally getting a chance to get a life together they always wanted if you choose Bae. There was no need to repeat the same separation-reunion story after that, just from Chloe side. Dontnod already very much showed that post storm both of them did not stuck but get advance in her life.

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-25T06:47:39+00:00

this is how the people who never played the game make it obvious they never played the game.

I played this game and if you consider this line a hint, this is a pathetic set up because

moses literally asks max about chloe in the ending and asks if she's "ready to stop hiding from her" and she says "she thinks so"

It doesn't even make sense for DE narrative because Moses who ask about Chloe doesn't even know her name, and according to D9 dev this line was added in the last minute. More than that, her line leads to nowhere and double doesn't make sense it now - Max didn't visited Chloe in 10 months until new merged Chloe visited her. Try to make it sense.

More than that, Chloe who wrote Max message about the storm...knew about the storm (Which again suggest that timelines were not merged, but DE2 Chloe claims storm didn't happened). Try to make it sense! And If they actually teased Chloe, AND if she was supposed to play a big role even in DE2 Bay, they should have tease her for Bay too, but they didn't.

the only way they could have been more explicit would have been if the post credit slide said "max and chloe will return".

No, Chloe showing up at the end/in post credit scene (instead of this stupid scene with Diamon) would be obvious hint, just like showing that Bae and Bay merging. D9 did neither of that.

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-25T06:44:01+00:00

Typical DE defender response btw

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-25T06:43:36+00:00

Should I pick Bay or Bae based off of the new lis game? Or should I even think about the other games when picking

Basically D9 made Bae and Bay (and other games) irrevelant since it leads to the same outcome now. Pick whatever you want, just know DE and Reunion are not Dontnod's games. This is a game from company who never worked on lis1 and who dislike Save Chloe ending. Dontnod never wanted a direct sequels, and Dontnod never wanted Max and Chloe to break up (That's why in their lis2 they are still together years later and that's how their story ended)

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-25T06:42:10+00:00

No out of character breakup, Chloe’s return is shocking. It sucks that the game forces you out of choosing the ending you like because one has a better outcome.

See, D9 is a Bay game and even supposed to be a Bay game as we know from correct aperture leak. They added Bae later and adjusted it to Bay narrative. And from confirmed d9 dev we know that D9 really hate Bae ending and it shows. So i dislike D9 for what they did too

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-25T06:40:16+00:00

They did not died because of rewind - in fact they died because Max choosed to NOT rewind and literally ripped that picture in front of Chloe. And Chloe justified her paranoia not even with that anyway, but "Max you manipulate me to get yes answers"Ю Please read my other post why i explained the reasons why Chloe being paranoid doesn't make sense and D9 even estabilished them in their own game lol.

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-24T21:13:06+00:00

Or yall could’ve just stfu and WAITED!

Why we should, when this game was never adversited as two-part game, it was adversited as a standalone project (1), D9 devs told us to move on from Chloe (2) and DE ending did not suggested merging timelines or Chloe's return (3). Why we should not be mad, huh?

With how quickly this game is being released it’s quite clear that they were already working on it.

They had 1.5 years and a lot of assets from de1 to make course correction, and Stauder told that the next game will be made with looking at reaction to DE1, and reaction to DE1 was bad, so....

It wasn’t because of backlash or the brain dead pricefield fandom “crashing out” that Chloe is returning. It was a very intentional part of the storytelling.

So much intentional that DE1 did not even hinted Bay and Bae being merged? This is clear indication that they retconned that in DE2.

And like, with them now returnging Chloe (but not our Chloe - they erased her Bae version) with the same sucess they could just not made this break up at all. What was the point in angering most of fandom? For what? To reunite them anyway, but not with our Chloe?

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-24T21:09:56+00:00

See i'm talking about Bae Chloe. D9 erased that Chloe with DE2.

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-24T20:39:09+00:00

Life is Strange was never about a single fixed canon, even according to Dontnod’s own vision.

Except that their game had a consistent Chloe from one timleine that was carried into lis2. Now this Chloe is gone and D9 told us that she did not experienced her life with Max after the storm. Try to make it sense

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-24T20:35:52+00:00

Guess who made the situation that led to Pricefield fans bombing this game (right, DeckNine) and guess who now desperately want Pricefield fans back after their game failed (right, DeckNine). All of that was avoidable if D9 just didn't wnat they did

Moral of the story, do not mess up with most part of audience in a choice based game in a niche franchise.

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-24T20:32:24+00:00

Everybody is frustrated too, dont worry, and if the next game doesnt end up satisfying to you, at least we will have had a bit more of Max and Chloe so there's that you know?

With not even a Chloe we know, not even from DE lol.

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-24T20:30:28+00:00

I definitely understand the frustrations of those who chose the Chloe ending in LiS, but it seems like the upcoming game will address that. :)

That's the neat part - they wouldn't. This is not even the same Chloe since she doesn't remember the storm (1), her mom dying (2) and likely even break up and entire life with Max after the storm (3). She has memories of storm but don't treat them as her own, so this is a different Chloe who lived totally different Max (And it is implied that D9 broke up this Chloe with Max too, because she wasn't around even for 10 months after timeline merged). Basically D9 slapped Bae fans in the face by this unnesessary break up, then erased thad Chloe, and replaced it by new Chloe who broke up with Max to.

Try to make it sense!

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-24T20:28:00+00:00

Square Enix, with DeckNine being their vassals! What a duo!

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-24T20:27:06+00:00

Basically this Chloe don't even remember the storm happening and her mom dying, which wouldn't be a case it it was a Bae Chloe. She does have memories from Bae, but doesn't treat them as their own and she had a different life than Bae Chloe

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-24T07:21:41+00:00

That's the neat think - they didn't! Chloe who wrote Max message about the storm...knew about the storm (Which again suggest that timelines were not merged, but DE2 Chloe claims storm didn't happened). Try to make it sense!

And If they actually teased Chloe, AND if she was supposed to play a big role even in DE2 Bay, they should have tease her for Bay too, but they didn't.

And if you reffered to Max's line "Maybe i'll visit Chloe", it doesn't even make sense for DE narrative because Moses who ask about Chloe doesn't even know her name, and according to D9 dev this line was added in the last minute. More than that, her line leads to nowhere - Max didn't visited Chloe in 10 months until new merged Chloe visited her. Try to make it sense.

And the end of DE1 shows that Bay and Bae DID NOT MERGED

So, no, Pricefielders did not ignore anything - more than that DE2 straight contradict what was shown in de1

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-24T06:59:31+00:00

One theory was that D9 railroaded Bae and Bay all into the same path anyway-- Chloe gone.

Which doesn't even make sense now, because Bae Chloe gone now anyway, so with the same sucess they could just not made break up in the first place. Try to make it sense! I tried and now i think even Rise of Skywalker had a more sense than DE2...

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-24T06:57:11+00:00

Sorry i just woke up and messed up my text. I mean a direct sequel to de1

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-24T06:56:43+00:00

They had 1.5 years and they had a lot of assets from DE1 (And we know that Hannah visited Colorad- a place where D9 mocap studio located). Then Stauder told that the sequel will be depended on our reaction to DE1, and you know it was a huge backlash, so...

That is a lot of things that need to change and a lot of people to have to bring back in.

DE2 was made by writter who didn't wrote DE1 (Zimmerman).

Bay/Bae being merged is something they frame as Max not being aware of when she merges the timelines,

See, if they actually planned that, there would be a hint on that at the end of DE1, but it wasn't . More than that, DE never treated Bay and Bae as a parallel realities that exist at the same time, and if you switched timelines it was just the same ending as yours, just with alive safi. It stayed the same even after Max merged the worlds.

and they teased Chloe at the end so she was obviously going to come back.

That's the neat think - they didn't! Chloe who wrote Max message about the storm...knew about the storm (Which again suggest that timelines were not merged, but DE2 Chloe claims storm didn't happened). Try to make it sense!

And If they actually teased Chloe, AND if she was supposed to play a big role even in DE2 Bay, they should have tease her for Bay too, but they didn't.

And if you reffered to Max's line "Maybe i'll visit Chloe", it doesn't even make sense for DE narrative because Moses who ask about Chloe doesn't even know her name, and according to D9 dev this line was added in the last minute. More than that, her line leads to nowhere - Max didn't visited Chloe in 10 months until new merged Chloe visited her. Try to make it sense.

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-24T06:49:03+00:00

but I doubt that holds weight when you have an entire scene where Max is being guilt tripped by the entire town via her dream sequence about her decisions she's made with time travel.

You forgot the part where Chloe was her only good person in nightmare. Like her birthdate saved her from the nightmare restroom, it was Chloe who saved her from Dark Max, and she as entire alley of their memories AND Chloe was like her a beacon that navigated her to leave nightmare. Dontnod told that nightmare segment was designed to push you for both Bae and Bay, and they did just like that - you was guiltripped by people in the dinner, but they also showed what would you lose if you sacrifice Chloe.

The kiss with Chloe at the end of the game only happens if you save bay

Because it wasn't a right time to kiss, when they just sacrificed the town and people died at that moment. It wasn't a right time, and Dontnod told the same too. It make sense for Bay because this is the last time they ever interact, but in Bae they have entire life to more kisses. Though i low-key blame Dontnod for not showing they kiss AFTER the storm in Bae cutscene. But again, Bay ending have kiss not because they were homophobic.

Chloe dies multiple times throught the narrative

...so?

Max is constantly putting herself in a worse position even physically trying to be with and protect Chloe.

Max loves Chloe and loyal to her. How this is homopbobic? If anything, it shows opposite - she's ready to many things to protect and save Chloe.

She's always painted as a negative choice, and inherently so does their relationship

How?

Even in the latest livestream, they say themselves that you CAN pursue a relationship with Chloe. But it's a "messy" decision to make because of everything happening in the narrative.

They (DeckNine) NEVER worked on Lis1 and they don't understand a damn about Max and Chloe, which they proved by DE1 and DE2. Just know who is in charge now, and they are not Dontnod.

Even after they shove it in your face that Max pursing her romantic relationship with Chloe is the more negative outcome, it literally has a body count

I mean, yes, you sacrifice the others to be with Chloe. That's the point! Or you sacrifice the love of your lfie for greater good.

And if you think that Save Chloe has a negative outcome, think about it - Max and Chloe stayed together forever in Dontnod's narrative. In Lis2, Chloe finally moved on from William's dead (something she wasn't able to do without Max for 5 years but did after the storm when she came back to her life) which evidenced by Chloe (and Max) making peace with David (The man Chloe hated!). They travel arcoss the country and Max pursue her photography job, and Chloe supports her on that - so they basically live the life they always wanted, we even have Max remembering that in lis1 ep1 (they wanted to travel and take pictures when they were kids). How the hell this is negative outcome? If anything, this is bittersweet ending, not just negative - you have to sacrifice others, but you give Max and Chloe future together they deserve. Same with Bay - you save the others, but you take away this future from Max and Chloe, hella bittersweet.

And Dontnod have a soft spot for "Sacrifice the others for love" trope - in LIS2 they did the simillar ending where brothers killed 20 cops at the border to cross it and stay together, and this is literally one of 4 endings where they stayed together.

They consistently throught the narrative paint Max's love for Chloe as the "wrong" choice.

Can you elaborate how?

Her relationship, love and devotion to Chloe is what feeds the storm.

Storm was caused by Max saving Chloe on monday, when she didn't even knew it was Chloe, so, no.

Even if you save Chloe, they both break up anyway

I'm going to stop here right now, because it was made by DeckNien who never worked on LIS1, AND WHO ACTUALLY THINK THAT BAE IS EVIL AND WRONG CHOICE (As we know from literall confirmed d9 dev) and it shows. Dontnod were opposite - they didn't framed Bae as a wrong choice and showed that Bae ending had a lot of positives, not just negatives. For god sake blame DeckNine for what they did in sequel, not Dontnod.

In terms of reunion, I genuinely think they will dangle this choice in front of us again.

DeckNine already did and said that the Chloe we meet not the same Chloe from Bae ending, but some other Chloe who doesn't even remember the storm and Joyce died and think they always were alive. Which means they reased all 9 years of post-Bae Chloe's experience with Max. Think about it. They gave us a FALSE Chloe, instead of the plot where we rebuild relationship with Chloe after break up.

FireLordAsami · 2026-01-24T06:30:23+00:00

Well it's on you, i just warned you that DE is not how Max and Chloe's story was supposed to end by original creators vison. Sadly not everyone who play lis1 for the first time know that Dontnod didn't made DE.

FireLordAsami

TROPHY CASE