If the ending of the original Life is Strange gave room for interpretation of what Max's future would've hold, then this game is worse than whatever scenario you could've thought of. Keep to your own interpretations and pretend as if this doesn't exist, as it'll ruin not only Max for you, but all you've ever gone through with her.

The game itself may not be terrible if it were a standalone, a new IP, but it's hard to justify it being a good sequel to a franchise that deserves better.

Think of an author who wrote a novel about the great wall of China. Great wall, great book – people like it. Later on the author announces a sequel to his book, and the readers are thrilled. Yet when released the sequel is about EVs in Shenzhen, okay EVs, okay book – but most people were still holding on to the beloved wall.

So instead of barely appreciating the past, those former events should've built the foundation of the sequel's presence. It is true that silencing a past, allows for a more rigid and easy development of a new story, hence requiring less work on alternate versions of which most players will only see one anyway, but there is a better approach: Let the player experience both versions, regardless of their decisions. Create one game where the player discoveres the consequences of either ending. Have her both with us, but also absent. Could've been great.

Also, you will have to get the Ultimate Edition just to get all achievements (cat content).