>>500034678I think even a newcomer will be wildy confused about the story, because is clear as hell it's not as totally standalone as the marketing claimed it to be.
If this was a game like True Colors, the problem wouldn't persist since it's all new cast, but to understand Max they'll definitely need to know about the first game - and if they do, some of them (those who ends up loving Max and Chloe story) might ask what was the point of this sequel in the first place, and will start noticing the obvious dip in writing quality/retcons/inconsistencies.
In the long run, DE has basically fucked the franchise on all front, regardless if it is successful or not