It’s fair to say that for many, the first Life is Strange is a cult classic storytelling game of the 2010s that enthralled the hearts of many with its memorable characters and branching storytelling mechanics.
From the time I first discovered it in my teenage years to now, the whole series holds a very special place in my heart.
And it’s a good time to be a fan; with the latest release of Life is Strange: Double Exposure, we (finally) see the return of the first game’s protagonist, Maxine Caulfield, now a professional photographer-in-residence at Caledon University.
With her time-manipulation powers slowly reawakening, it’s up to her to solve the dark mystery plaguing Caledon University before it causes a disastrous catastrophe.
I’m sure you have burning questions, and thankfully, with our Life is Strange: Double Exposure review, I aim to answer all that from the perspective of a fan and, moreover, give you my take on how this game felt like an ideal homecoming for Max.
Note: We’ll refrain from mentioning or showcasing major bits of the story to ensure a spoiler-free experience.
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Double Exposure’s first two chapters are enough of an indication that this is easily the most twisted Life is Strange game that Deck Nine has created thus far.
Although it’s designed to be a soft reboot, you’ll find a sense of familiarity and nostalgia playing as Max again if you’re a fan of the original game, and it’s a welcome feeling for returning fans.
However, this pleasant vibe is mostly short-lived, as the game throws you down a rabbit hole of mystery in the initial two chapters, never pulling any emotional and dramatic punches as it goes.
It instantly feels like you’re in a whodunit situation from the Danganronpa series as Max tries to track down the murder of one of her closest friends, a slow-burn case that really reaches a boiling point with the ending of chapter 2.
Caledon University feels like a refreshing new setting after the small-town coziness of New Haven in Life is Strange: True Colors, instantly making impressions with its complex cast of characters, some of whom are close to Max.
That complexity truly hits you when you must make critical choices regarding the fate of these characters and their motives.
Although it’s designed to be a soft reboot, if you’re a fan of the original game, you’ll easily find a sense of familiarity and nostalgia playing as Max again.
Depending on how those scenarios play out, these choices can drastically alter the course of events in the story. Which feels like the unbearable weight that it should be.
Thankfully, there are moments of respite here and there as usual with these games, with Max chatting up with Amanda at the Snapping Turtle bar or her inner monologuing about her recent happenings at Reflection spots.
The weight of each pivotal decision can feel like a lot if there isn’t something motivating you to push on, and in Double Exposure, it’s absolutely the strength of the cast that keeps you pushing on.
Admittedly, there’s a mixed bag of likable and insufferable characters (looking at you, Loretta). But the good far outweighs the bad in most cases.
In one instance, you’ll share a heartfelt moment with Moses as he and Max cope with grief, and in another, you’ll be on the edge of your seat during a heated exchange as Detective Alderman aggressively accuses Max of her involvement in the murder case.
In short, you have characters you can relate to, standout moments to punctuate the story, and deep subject matter that offers constant food for thought. All the staples of a good narrative-driven epic.
Caledon University feels like a refreshing new setting after the small-town coziness of New Haven in Life is Strange: True Colors, instantly making impressions with its complex cast of characters, some of whom are close to Max.
However, while we’re on the subject of characters, I wasn’t too pleased with how convoluted the game presented Max and Chloe’s relationship after all these years.
The reason stems from how Chloe’s character seems completely retconned here from the one we knew from LiS 1 and Before the Storm.
Most importantly, we don’t even get to see how the actual conflict or events between the two unfolded prior to their fallout, aside from Max’s journal entries about her and some minor text flashbacks.
Still, given how you can choose a canon of the first Life is Strange relating to whether Max chose to sacrifice Arcadia Bay or save Chloe (if you don’t have a save file), there are some rather interesting callbacks and references that you can explore in Double Exposure.
These choice effects occur in certain interactions, such as with Max remembering Chloe or the residents of Arcadia Bay, but it truly hits you in the second half of the game when they bite her back like fading scars.
It’s still a powerful and poignant gesture for those who played the first game and want the world state and events of the original Life is Strange to influence certain parts of this sequel.
They add an extra layer to Max’s internal conflict with her past and characterization in this game, showing how it can still haunt her.
This is an aspect that I appreciated the most during the last two chapters.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Throughout the Life is Strange series, the narrative, and its characters are the backbone, but each protagonist’s supernatural abilities primarily substitute for its ingenuity factor.
Whether it’s Alex Chen being able to manipulate emotions or Chloe’s backtalk allowing her to brute force a spiraling conversation into her favor, they largely take up the gameplay portion of the series with the usual point-and-click aspect.
In the first game, Max could rewind time, which, don’t get me wrong, was great to experience at the time of release, but Deck Nine has truly created something special in Life is Strange: Double Exposure.
Max can now wield a power that allows her to travel between two different timelines, one of the original and an alternate one in which her friend survives her fate.
Its usage is split between two types of mechanics: Shift and Pulse.
Shift allows her to interact with Shift Points in the vicinity and travel to and from her friends’ living and dead timelines.
Meanwhile, Pulse is similar to Shift in that it allows you to scan the environment and track things in the opposing timeline with the current one.
This ability can be interesting to use because of its multifaceted functions, such as eavesdropping on NPCs from the other timeline, accessing blocked pathways, and knowing what changes are in the area between both timelines.
Max can now wield a power that allows her to travel between two different timelines, one of the original and an alternate one in which her friend survives.
With both Pulse and Shift at your side, Double Exposure’s puzzles have much more going on, requiring you to juggle between both powers to complete objectives or progress past certain encounters.
It adds depth to an otherwise narrative-focused game and requires you to actively use your problem-solving skills to overcome a dire situation, something I commonly experienced in the Ace Attorney games or RGG’s Judgment.
It further correlates to another point of mine in how, in previous games, I found the puzzle sections serviceable at best or non-existent to continue the story without any speed bumps.
If you do find them annoying, there are a plethora of fantastic accessibility options provided here to help you skip past them, alongside other options for those with slight visual impairments or slow reaction times.
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The Melancholy Of Maxine Caulfield
Having Max as the protagonist again isn’t a lazy writing decision, nor is it a case of nostalgia goggles; she is STILL a slightly flawed character that many can relate to, an adult now but just as sassy and quirky on the inside as when she was a teenager.
Despite moments where the game feels melodramatic, I’m glad you can contrast that with Max’s non-serious nature during random interactions with the environment.
Her constant dilemma and self-doubt still leave a lingering feeling that, despite how much trauma you face, confronting it head-on is the only way to outrun it completely.
The situation is similar for all the characters in Double Exposure.
Each has strong traits and morals that can clash with Max’s timid nature, making their on-screen moments worth paying full attention to.
To be precise, Deck Nine has done a marvelous job of giving the characters three-dimensional personalities, almost making their readability or actions seem unpredictable when you least expect them.
Furthermore, no matter how likable or insufferable a character is, the developers have ensured they get the correct representation, even if the diversity element is slightly lacking here due to their limited variety and spotlight in the story events.
Characters like Gwen Hunter amazed me with their imposing demeanor and revelation moments, even if I wished they had more involvement in the narrative to develop further.
That’s one of my few gripes about this entry, because I really loved the characters in True Colors and even Life is Strange 2 because of their variety and how fleshed out they became at the end.
Except for characters like Safi, Moses, and Gwen, I was hardly ever invested in the rest, and part of me thinks that’s probably because most of the story is focused on solving the murder mystery during the initial chapters.
As I already mentioned, there’s not a wide range of characters here, and even with the ones here, a few of them deserve more screen time or features, something that I hope they touch on for the next installment.
It also left me worried about whether we’d get surprise cameos from Max’s past or other entries in the series, but I’ll leave that as a bucket list wish for the sequel if it’s possible.
A Stepping Stone Towards Something Bigger
Although the Life is Strange series is adored for its overarching storytelling and excellent use of moral ethics in decision-making moments, I hate to admit that Double Exposure felt like a setup for something bigger, a part two of sorts.
While I won’t disclose the full details of how and why it sets that up instead of being a one-and-done title, it’s definitely a creative decision that may divide fans, and that’s fine, honestly.
You can either have complete faith that Deck Nine will have a coherent closure on Max’s new adventure with an established cast of characters or just watch the ship sink, something I hardly believe will happen, knowing the fandom’s adoration for Max.
Regardless of how the ending seems like a punch in the gut because of the years of anticipation, that slight disappointment of the cliffhanger ending gets somewhat outweighed by other highly appreciative aspects.
The first is, of course, Max retaining some relatable qualities to her character from her teenage years while, at the same time, maturing past her impostor syndrome-plagued traits.
Secondly, unlike most games where choices matter, Dual Exposure has morally gray decisions to offer throughout your playthrough, making for a playthrough where there’s really no right or wrong answer to look up.
Also, deciding which consequential choice to make based on intuition and sixth sense alone reminded me of when my moral compass went haywire in deciding the ending in Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty DLC.
Lastly, the game’s jump to an upgraded version of the Unreal Engine has done more favors than one.
Not only is it the prettiest-looking game in the series now, but with this level of fidelity and other graphical improvements from Deck Nine, the characters have extremely detailed facial expressions, gestures, and body movements.
A part of me misses having the Dont Nod comic-book-style animation, but that’s just a personal nitpick, since this game is a visual spectacle to behold in all parameters, even with the rare graphical bugs I encountered.
Despite its shortcomings, Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a promising gift for fans. Its dark mystery narrative requires you to keep track of two separate timelines at most intervals. But there’s enough breathing room to enjoy the usual heartfelt moments of the series. Although the final chapter parallels the first game’s events in a way, it sets up an unexpected follow-up sequel, leaving much to be desired from its characters. On the plus side, the series’ staple elements, from the soundtrack to the puzzle-solving sections, are executed perfectly. Deck Nine could’ve handled the Max and Chloe dynamic more appropriately, but there’s still enough fan service that most Life is Strange fans will adore this game.