I really enjoyed the first Life is Strange game. Sure, I found Max a little bland as a character, but it was still a captivating story I wasn’t used to exploring at the time. Now, with Max returning in this direct sequel, I was intrigued to see what’s changed.
Now that I’ve given in to my curiosity and spent around ten hours flying through this latest entry, let’s have a quick chat about Life is Strange: Double Exposure.
Before diving into this, I need to bring up the original Life is Strange again. Although I won’t be spoiling Double Exposure here, the game does expect you to have played the prequel and references multiple major plot points from it. I’ll avoid spoiling these, too, but I will make direct comparisons to both games with this in mind.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure (PC [Reviewed], Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5)
Developer: Deck Nine Games
Publisher: Square Enix
Released: October 29, 2024
MSRP: $49.99
I was already optimistic about Double Exposure after playing the first game. Although I haven’t gotten around to playing the other entries in the series, with True Colors sitting comfortably in my Steam Library to play later, I was still excited about this one. Life is Strange was never a perfect ten for me, but it’s the closest a choices matter game has gotten so far.
When I first heard about this sequel, I was a little skeptical about how it would take a similar murder mystery concept from the first game and change it in a way that makes it unique. At first, we’re introduced to Max, her best friend Safi, and another important character, Moses. The entire premise focuses on Safi’s death, mimicking the Rachel Amber story from the first game, with Max discovering she still has her mysterious powers. They may take a different form now, but they still have the unintentional butterfly effect consequences they had the first time around.
If you’ve already finished the first game, you know exactly how much things escalate early on, with some seemingly random plot twists added for shock value. Double Exposure takes more than a few bits of inspiration from its prequel, but I like how it ties everything together. Like before, everything has a purpose and severe consequences. Well, outside of the dialogue.
Unsurprisingly, Double Exposure follows a very similar premise and plot structure. The twists are a mix of surprises and ones that elicited “Oh, I guessed that two hours ago” reactions from me. It almost felt like a nostalgia trip to the first game, especially as I got through the story’s second half. Although not particularly impressive anymore, it was a familiar setup that helped me understand what was going on without feeling lost.
And yet, even with that said, I was still hooked the entire way through. During my original Life is Strange playthrough, I was pleasantly surprised by how easily I got immersed into its story despite some of the characters being a tad one-dimensional. Double Exposure also captured this feeling. The only difference is that this time, Max was easily one of the most interesting characters to learn about, and her growth in this time skip is apparent. Age has done a lot to her, and although she’s still a bit nerdy, she’s also a lot more confident and bold. What can I say? She’s a cool gal.
Speaking of the time skip, having this take place this far into the future was a solid move on Deck Nine Games’ end. Although I certainly related to a few characters in the original Life is Strange, many of the issues Double Exposure’s cast faces hit much closer to home, making their circumstances and dialogue choices relating to them feel that much more significant.
Life is Strange’s characters have definitely been the highlight for me so far, and Double Exposure is no exception. There are far fewer memorable characters this time than in the prequel, but they’re genuinely fascinating and enjoyable to talk to. The romance options were especially fun to get to know, even if I would’ve liked more depth to the relationship-building. The game’s justification for not doing so made sense but left me wanting more.
That’s my overall feeling towards Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Everything happens so quickly, and I certainly think there was room to get to know the cast a little more, including how Max has been doing since we last saw her. You can get to know people if you snoop around the environment enough, but there was some room to expand further, even if it slightly padded the runtime. Even with that said, I was still happy to meet some new LiS folks and experience some references to others from the first game.
There are a few specific characters from previous Life is Strange games that make a comeback in some peculiar ways. A particular one that stuck in my mind appears in the second half of the game, but I’ll let you discover who that is and some of the bizarre antics that arise from it. Let’s just say I got an unexpected chuckle in between Max’s serious and stressful circumstances. I even got surprise laughs from plenty of conversations in this game, which I wasn’t expecting when looking back at the somewhat bland dialogue from the prequel.
One point I was initially conflicted about but ended up liking is Max’s reintroduction to her powers. While I won’t go into them much to prevent spoilers, I enjoyed the changes Double Exposure makes, even if most of it felt like convenient plot devices. When it came to actual gameplay, I had a lot of fun experimenting with the whole timeline-shifting change, especially when seeing how various events impacted the world. Looking past the overarching plot and conflict, seeing the little details in people’s behavior, environmental changes, and even different music depending on which timeline you’re in all help elevate the already impressive story-telling aspects Life is Strange is known for.
Overall, Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a satisfying sequel that ties in the events of its prequel well. It remembers and stays true to the original story without straying too far from its core. Although it relies a little too much on your having played the first Life is Strange, it continues the adventure well and balances the feeling of familiarity while still keeping things refreshing. If you enjoyed the first game, you’re in for a treat with this one.
[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]
