A Max Between Worlds
HIGH Character animations and interactions.
LOW Some story resolutions and plot points.
WTF Cat DLC that adds barely two interactions.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure is the latest installment in the Life is Strange series, set once again in the shoes of Max Caulfield, the protagonist of the original Life is Strange.
Much like the rest, it’s a third-person adventure with a heavy focus on story. Taking place years after the events of the first entry, Max is now a photographer working as a guest lecturer at Caledon University, a fictional school in Vermont. Throughout the tale she wrestles with traumatic choices and experiences from her past while attempting to unravel mysteries that happen around her. She also quickly discovers new powers that let her shift between worlds and uses them to solve the murder of her friend. While not required, I would encourage readers to play the first Life is Strange before playing Double Exposure. Not only is it referenced throughout, but it remains an excellent title.
It didn’t take long for Double Exposure to pull me into its world and narrative. The first Life is Strange ended with a drastic choice resulting from a storm caused by Max’s powers. Near the beginning of Double Exposure I was asked what the resolution to that choice was — essentially, players who are new to the series can set the events of their past before beginning. Regardless of what the player decides, Max has been running from that trauma since then.
About these powers, Max has the ability to switch between ‘living’ and ‘dead’ worlds — without spoiling anything, a key character’s status is different in each one, and progress requires navigating between both timelines. This would involve talking to different versions of multiple characters, exploring the environments for clues, and solving simple puzzles. These puzzles often revolved around mechanics like switching worlds to get into locked rooms, or just playing the knowledge I gathered from one world against the other. They’re simple, yet most of the time cleverly done. For example, a teacher was frequently busy in their office, but I needed clues they had. A solution was to swap worlds to when they weren’t there to gather the info.
While the gameplay was solid, I was particularly impressed by the visuals in Double Exposure. I’ve played many story-based titles and RPGs, but the facial animation and character interactions in Double Exposure sucked me in like a movie. Even in projects that do their best to be ‘cinematic’ I often find myself skipping dialogue and simply reading the subtitles, but here I was drawn in by the animation and acting. I wanted to see their reactions and listen to what they said — not just read it and keep moving. It actually felt like an interactive movie in a way that’s rare for videogames.
These interactions were some of the highest points I had, especially when the characters began to open up about their pasts and had genuine interactions with me. I was surprised by how drawn in I was, and that these interactions could radically impact my perception of them. Finding out more about Vinh, seen as shallow and selfish, was one instance where more info shed light onto his inner feelings of loneliness.
While it’s a great experience overall, throughout Double Exposure there were major decision points that would impact the story. Unfortunately, there were a couple of glaring plot holes and loose ends that were either entirely dropped or not explained well enough. I can’t go into details here for fear of spoilers, but these inconsistencies were noticeable. The script also ends with a sense that not every character’s story is completed, and then offers a message that there will be a sequel. This is fine and the series seems to be going in interesting directions, but a bit more resolution and clarity would have have made the ending more satisfying.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure does a generally fantastic job of following up on Max’s story despite the plotholes and an ending that left me wanting. However, it still pulls off a (mostly) satisfying narrative while exploring trauma and interpersonal relationships via sci-fi elements. It’s a great continuation for existing fans, but I’ll say again that newcomers should definitely start with the original Life is Strange — still an excellent play!
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Disclosures: This game is developed by Deck Nine and published by Square Enix. It is currently available on XBX/S, PS5, Switch and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PS5. Approximately 10 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. There are no multiplayer modes.
Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated M and contains Mild Blood, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, and Violence. The official description reads: This is an adventure game in which players assume the role of a time-jumping photographer (Max Caufield) trying to prevent a murder. From a third-person perspective, players explore locations around a college campus while interacting with characters. As players progress through the storyline, they are presented with dialogue and action choices. Some choices cause characters to engage in acts of violence (e.g., a character shooting someone in the shoulder). Blood is depicted on one character’s clothes and on the ground after a shooting. The game contains some suggestive material: black-and-white photos of female characters (fully clothed) lying in vulnerable positions; two characters playing Smash or Pass; dialogue referencing sex (e.g., “a high ratio of f**kable faculty”; “Did you get laid even once?”). During the course of the game, some characters are seen smoking marijuana. The words “f**k,” “sh*t,” and “a*shole” appear in the game.
Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game offers subtitles. The subtitles can be altered and/ or resized. The game offers full subtitle support and all audio clues have a visual indicator as well. This game is fully accessible.
Remappable Controls: Yes, this game offers fully remappable controls.
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I only played the first one, and it was fine, but I really need to be in a patient mood for these kinds of games.