Double Exposure is receiving mixed reviews on Steam

Key conclusions

Life is Strange: Double Exposure hasn't had the warmest reception since launch, with fans generally feeling mixed.
This is reflected in the current Steam score, which at the time of writing is at Mixed.
Ignoring Episode 4 of Life is Strange 2, this is the only game in the series to have this rating.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is the first game in the series to receive “mixed” reviews on Steam, with fans citing an “underwhelming” ending, performance issues, and a lack of key options as reasons.

From the moment it was first announced that Life is Strange: Double Exposure was bringing back the first game's protagonist Max Cofield, there were some massive shoes to fill. The original Life is Strange hasn't aged very gracefully, but it's widely regarded as a cult classic of the choice-based genre and was a big enough success to spawn an entire series.

Lucas looks evil on stage in Life is Strange Double Exposure

Relatives

I'm not sure I buy Lukas Kollmener's story in Life Is Strange: Double Exposure

The chronology doesn't exactly match.

It's fair to say that Double Exposure didn't quite stick as some had hoped, with fans having a lot of issues with its approach to Chloe and Max, as well as what the ending of the game sets up for Life is Strange as a whole. While early previews and reviews of Double Exposure have been mostly positive, it seems that players are not as positive about the game as a whole.

Double Exposure is the lowest rated Life Is Strange game on Steam

Life is Strange: Double Exposure came out a little over a week ago, and it seems like most players have started to get to the end of Max's latest story and leave their thoughts on Steam. As noted by Redditor SympathyAgile in the Life is Strange subreddit, Double Exposure's reviews on Steam are currently at “Mixed”, which is rare for the series.

The full version of Life is Strange has “Mostly Positive” on Steam, while Life is Strange 2 is at “Mostly Positive”. Deck Nine's first proper game in the series, True Colors, also has “Very Positive” reviews on Steam, making Double Exposure's reception a bit exceptional for Life is Strange as a whole.

The only other game in the series that has “mixed” reviews is the fourth episode of Life is Strange 2, but since it's only part of the whole game, it doesn't count. Reviews of Double Exposure note a number of issues with the game, from the lack of choice and performance on PC to the controversial ending and treatment of Chloe.

Of course, some of the negative reception to the game is likely due to how it treats Chloe and what that means for the series as a whole, but it's still fair to say that it's been a mixed bag for fans of the series. . Hopefully this will improve a bit as more players get closer to completing the game.