The characters of Max and Chloe in the first season of Life is Strange instantly struck a chord with fans. Players fell in love with them over the course of the season, and many were hoping that story would continue in a future sequel. While the sequel is on its way, it doesn't deal with the characters or events of the first season at all. Instead, it goes off in an entirely new direction. Earlier this month at PAX West I spoke with Peter Fury, the Square Enix Communications Manager for Life is Strange who told me that the team at Dontnod considered a lot of different ideas, including a direct sequel, before settling on the one that became the basis for Season 2. According to Fury...
By the time the fifth episode [of Season 1] came out it was clear that this was a massive success beyond anything that anyone actually expected at the time so everyone knew that we wanted to do more. What exactly that would be was quite a lengthy discussion between Dontnod and Square Enix. Whether we continue the story of Max and Chloe, whether we do something else, whether the prequel was going to happen. Ultimately what Dontnod felt was they wanted to do something entirely new.
The prequel to the first season, Life is Strange: Before the Storm did happen, though development on that was handled by a different studio. It seems Dontnod very early on was much more interested in taking the ideas that formed the basis of Life is Strange and doing something new with them. What has come out of that is the story of Sean and Daniel Diaz, two brothers who begin a hike south to Mexico from the Pacific Northwest. The characters and the story structure couldn't be more different from the story of Max and Chloe.
However, while Peter Fury told me that the story of the Diaz brothers wasn't the only new idea the team at Dontnod came up with, and while the other ideas may have been passed over for now, those ideas are still very much alive.
They have a lot of stories that they came up with and this was just the one that felt the most interesting to go with but there's been a lot characters, a lot of stories, that have been under consideration and exist in the back of everyone's minds.
If Life is Strange continues to be as successful in Season 2 as it was in Season 1, it's a safe bet we'll see some of those other ideas begin to take shape as the stories of the future. It's clear Dontnod is looking to create an entire Life is Strange universe and there will be many corners of that universe for us to explore.
