Spoiler Warning: While this review tries to avoid spoilers for Double Exposure, there are some minor spoilers for the first episode, but major spoilers for the original Life is Strange One of the games that has had the greatest impact on me is Life is Strange. I have played the original who knows how many times, played the other games at least twice each, and read the comics and books that go alongside the game. Overall, this franchise is very important to me, and my favorite character in the series has always been Max Caulfield. Earlier this year, the next installment in the Life is Strange series was announced, continuing with the choice-based gameplay that is essential to the series, and following Max again as the protagonist. After the game’s release, it received very mixed reviews, with many players hating the game, and personally, I do not believe it deserves that hate. The main issue I think people have been the lack of connection to the original Life is Strange, especially the fact that Chloe, Max’s best friend and, depending on how you
play, a possible love interest. The most crucial part of the original game was the choice between using her time travel powers to save Chloe or save the town of Arcadia Bay. Although in Double Exposure, if Chloe died in the first game, she and Max broke up prior to the game’s start. For those who chose to save Chloe, her lack of appearance in Double Exposure is understandably frustrating and it can feel like the choice did not matter. Although, Max references this in Double Exposure when talking to another character with powers, trying to explain that her powers could not make everything perfect, they cannot make reality whatever you want, and in the end, it was her powers that drove her and Chloe apart. As someone who chose to save Chloe, it was sad to not see one of my favorite characters returns, however I know there were circumstances in production that led to that situation, and they did the creators did their best to find a solution, though it was disappointing. I understand how some people were driven away from the game because of this, but there is still
so much to appreciate in Double Exposure that makes it great. The game mostly focuses on Max’s new power to travel between two timelines, one where her friend is dead and one where she is alive, trying to solve the mystery of her friend’s death. The detail in the differences between the two timelines is fantastic, and scrolling though Max’s social media feed, texts, and exploring the area gives different experiences and stories depending on the timeline. As you explore the school, you can listen in on conversations and follow the stories throughout the game. A major draw for me was the characters, and the new main character introduced were well developed and thought through. My favorite new character is Amanda, and I really want to see her and Max happy together. Moses is so sweet, and I could never do anything to hurt him, Vinh grew on me from Episode 1 on, and while Safi was not always my favorite, she was still a fantastic character. And of course, Max has always been my favorite character and seeing her living out my dream
teaching about what she loves was great. Her character was a bit different from the first game, but it is a character changed by her experiences during the first game and in between. Overall though, this game made me happy. It is a great part of a series I love, and it gives Max and story that is set apart from her previous one, where she has found a home and friends following the tragedy she faced. I would absolutely recommend playing the game, and while I do not know if my one helpful review can cancel out the unwarranted hate, I hope if you read this you give this game a shot. Hopefully, you will see it in the same light I do.
