Almost a decade after the launch of the original Life is Strange, we’re finally following up on the story of the series’ first protagonist, Max Caulfield. Life is Strange: Double Exposure is Deck Nine’s fourth take on the reality-bending franchise, assuming mainline entry duties from its original creators, Dontnod after the launch of 2021’s Life is Strange: True Colors. With the events of Arcadia Bay firmly in the rearview mirror, we reconvene with an older and wiser Max, who now works as a university photographer, having sworn off using her powers. Yet, as is the tide of fate, the tragic murder of a close friend convinces Max to revisit her ‘butterfly effect’ abilities in an effort to save Safi.
However, things don’t go quite as planned, and instead of hitting the rewind button, they tear holes in time and space, landing in an alternate timeline where their friend is still alive. Soon after, Max discovers that the murderer intends to strike in both of these parallel realities, and her mission transforms into a timely investigation to unravel the plot of a supernatural serial killer.
Investigation, investigation, investigation
My time with Life is Strange: Double Exposure at Gamescom 2024 starts amid the murder investigation at Caulfield’s workplace, Caledon University. Max is joined by her friend Moses during a grilling by a Vermont State detective. During the altercation, Moses quietly reveals that some incriminating evidence is stashed in the nearby science lab, which will surely get them in trouble if it isn’t confiscated. Jumping between the two timelines, Max seeks to retrieve the item and maintain their friend's pending innocence.
Golden particle effects denote doorways between the sombrely-named ‘Dead’ and ‘Alive’ timelines, and I was impressed by the consistently smooth transition between them. The basic framework of Double Exposure’s puzzle box gameplay will be familiar to series fans, as it involves picking through the set dressing and quizzing non-player characters (NPCs) for plot-forwarding hints. However, there’s a deeper focus on investigation this time, making for more engaging moment-to-moment gameplay. My first major challenge involved helping build a telescope and pickpocketing a key, leveraging that an area was abandoned in one timeline but busy in another. Moonlighting as a gumshoe was a fantastic vehicle for my curiosity about the stylized world surrounding Caulfield in this mysterious adventure.
A distinctly soft but solemn atmosphere permeates the halls of Caledon University, with the timeline tone shifting between cold to warm color palettes, grounding the grief-centered story with heavy visual accompaniment. In the ‘Living’ world, a sparkling Christmas tree and whirring 3D printer breathe life into the space, starkly contrasting the ‘Dead’ environments, which feature canceled party notices and icy window panes. As with other entries in the series, Life is Strange: Double Exposure’s environments are littered with plenty of thoughtful bric-a-brac that nosey players like myself can take the time to pilfer through. This would often illuminate Max’s mindset through the vein of a soft-spoken monologue - which is delivered by Caulfield's original voice actor, Hannah Telle. Voice acting has always been vital to the series' emotive storytelling, and I was glad to see the sharp attention to detail in worldbuilding extending to the charged vocal delivery.
A game of two worlds
Just as I was about to grab the evidence, the detective, who was previously questioning Moses, burst into the room, trapping me in place. However, instead of being forced into a needless stealth situation, I could flex Max’s warping powers and dip into the alternate timeline to plot my getaway instead. At the culmination of my journey between worlds, with the cop only meters away, Max’s powers flared again. But instead of creating a portal, they could now swap items wholesale between the ‘Alive’ and ‘Dead’ worlds - what was once a box became a telescope I’d been tinkering with. Max quickly grabbed the evidence and ran, reassuring Moses of her successful heist. While I didn’t get to experiment much with Double Exposure's expanded suite of skills, it’s clear that Max’s powers have developed in their dormancy.
Given that Double Exposure is toying with heady themes, I was pleased to see an ample accessibility menu, which featured a plethora of content warning toggles for themes such as abuse, suicide, and violence, amongst others. While the snapshot I played wasn’t too intense, I’m grateful that Deck Nine is making a considered effort to assist players with varied preferences.
After saving Moses, the demo ends with a choice between working with the police or staying quiet. Unenthused with the detective’s brash treatment of my friend, I declined the offer, leading to a ‘your choice has affected the story’ icon popping on the screen, tilting the ending in a direction I’ll have to wait for the launch to fully understand.
While Life is Strange: Double Exposure indeed summons a similar ambiance to its predecessors, folding in more puzzles felt like a welcome addition to the series that kept me on my toes. I’m keen to see how Max’s new powers add more complexity when Life is Strange: Double Exposure launches later this year on October 15, 2024, coming out on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
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