Life Is Strange Talks Back Sharply in Reunion

Life Is Strange may be inconsistent, but it’s never not interesting. Even Reunion, an entry that by all means had little wiggle room, manages to surprise with not just a character but a mechanical cameo too. Backtalk was introduced in the franchise’s strongest Before the Storm, and now Deck Nine recalls it to add a bit more tension to dialogues that have a lot of flavor options and, though never flavorless, tend to run not consequential enough at times.

Previously, Backtalk was a way to talk yourself out of situations and character archetypes to streamline the story. In Reunion, Backtalk is more of a story comprehension test. Did I talk to everybody? Did I see everything? Did I really think about it instead of just mindlessly following the script? What prejudices do I have? It all comes together, and because the challenges are more sporadic and not too fail-safe this time, they finally come into their own. Adventure games often lack push-and-pull by nature, but it’s always great to see it applied properly.