Life is Strange: Reunion marks the upcoming finale of Max and Chloe’s story. We’ll tell you whether you need to play the previous games beforehand.
With Life is Strange: Reunion, Max Caulfield and Chloe Price return. But before you jump in, you might wonder whether you need to know the earlier entries. The short answer is no. It’s not strictly necessary. Still, there are a few games you should be familiar with if you want to fully understand everything.
Can You Play Reunion Without Prior Knowledge?
Yes, absolutely. Reunion is designed so that newcomers can jump in right away. At the beginning, you’ll get a recap of the most important events to bring you up to speed.
On top of that, you can define key starting points and relationship statuses yourself. Save files from previous entries are not required. If you’re simply looking for a narrative adventure and like the characters, you can jump in right away.
Why the First Life is Strange Is Still Worth Playing
The original Life is Strange builds the emotional foundation of the series. This is where you meet Max and Chloe, experience their shared past, and make decisions that shape their relationship.
Reunion directly builds on that. Many themes and conflicts hit much harder if you’ve experienced their origins yourself. Dialogues and flashbacks also carry more weight if you haven’t just heard about the story but actually played it.
Before the Storm Adds More Context for Chloe
Before the Storm is the prequel to the first game and puts Chloe more in the spotlight. You’ll learn what she went through before Max returned and which events shaped her.
It’s not required for Reunion, but it helps you better understand Chloe’s behavior and character development.
Double Exposure Is the Direct Bridge to Reunion
Double Exposure continues Max’s story and sets up many elements that are picked up again in Reunion. If you want to play one game in advance that is especially relevant, this is the one. It introduces key themes that are further explored in Reunion.
Not Required, But Recommended
You don’t need to have played the previous Life is Strange games to understand Reunion. The game stands on its own and provides enough context. However, if you want to catch all connections, references, and emotional nuances, playing at least the first Life is Strange is worth it. Ideally, you can complement it with Before the Storm and Double Exposure.
