To me, Life Is Strange's spell hasn't been its gameplay. Interacting with objects in the various suburban towns the series has taken us to, engaging in conversations with a colorful cast of characters, and making ever-tough decisions is fun enough, but it's the hipster, edgy style the series radiates that helps it stand out in the genre. Penning this review three days after finishing the game, the soundtrack's still endlessly playing in my head as I recall epic moments and beautiful cinematic shots from those quiet moments Max soaks in throughout her tumultuous time at Caledon University. And yes, I'm still deliberating whether I made the right decision on about seven different occasions.
The Characters of Caledon
Double Exposure reunites players with the somewhat socially awkward Max Caulfield, the prodigal photographer from Arcadia Bay, a few years later on. Settling into her life as a photographer-in-residence at the prestigious Caledon University, she's trying — and failing — to put the events of her past behind her. She's made some new friends in the form of the spritely, ever-confident Safi — a writer with a ton of potential — and an insanely intelligent, heart-on-his-sleeve astrologer, Moses. The three are seemingly inseparable, get the best out of one another, joke around, and seemingly tell each other almost everything. Safi, supportive of Max's efforts to get some new shots for the next Caulfield Collection, accompanies her to an abandoned bowling alley in the opening scene of the game, teasing Max about her photography philosophy, and making quippy remarks about the entire excursion. Their relationship feels real, and also a little too familiar. The same kind of friendship Max and a certain blue-haired badass may have had back in Arcadia Bay.
After avoiding almost certain death, the two return to campus and meet up with Moses to watch a meteor shower, and that's when things start getting a little odd. Weird pains in the brain for Max, a mysterious owl, and oh, yeah, Safi dies, seemingly murdered under circumstances almost as mysterious as the aforementioned owl.
Distraught and refusing to let another person she cares deeply about meet an untimely demise, Max sets about trying to identify the culprit, only to eventually realize she's torn her way into a parallel timeline. A timeline where Safi is still alive. With this ability to shift between timelines, Max sets out to not only unravel the mystery of Safi's murder, but also prevent it from happening all over again.
Without diving into too many narrative spoilers — Double Exposure, like the rest of the series is best experienced as spoiler-free as possible — the latest chapter in the Max Caulfield epic continues to twist, turn, surprise, shock, and excite. Each conversation had me hooked, every choice pondering. Interacting with items wasn't a chore, it was an opportunity to learn more about the lore of the world. To immerse myself within the halls of Caledon itself.
That being said, I did get a sense of deja vu on a few occasions. Not necessarily like-for-like replications of past events from the series, but some that felt perhaps a little too familiar that it took away from Double Exposure's individuality. It was never enough to detract from my enjoyment of the game, and your issues with this will likely vary depending on how familiar you are with the rest of the series, but it definitely took me out of the experience once or twice.
There are also some love interests that you can pursue if you feel they're a good match for your version of Max. They help to coax Max further out of her awkward shell and provide some reprieve from the heavier source material in regular intervals throughout the narrative. These interactions also help to provide a suitable amount of teenage angst that the series has always used as a driving force in its narratives and interactions with the characters you meet along the way.
Other characters do pop up, and while some like Vinh or Professor Hunter will become immediate favorites with fans, others didn't feel like they were utilized or explored enough. Reggie, a student of Max's with crippling self-confidence issues, for example, is used as a prop to drive the story forward, but aside from a fleeting conversation towards the end of the game and the odd text message, his personal struggles are seldom explored in a way that would cause Reggie to leave as lasting an impression as other side characters from the series' past.
Decisions, Decisions
Speaking of familiar, this is still your typical Life Is Strange gameplay. You'll interact with objects, talk with the various professors and students at Caledon, make tough decisions that will determine the way future events in the narrative play out, and grab some form of collectible — this time in the form of Max taking her own photos, as well as picking up polaroids hidden throughout the world — along the way. What's new this time is the ability to use Max's supernatural powers.
Rather than simply rewinding time, Max can now shift between two timelines, allowing her to ask questions of a character in one world where they might be a little more cheery, or where an event that's led them to distrust those around them has yet to happen. She can also 'pulse' into the alternate reality, allowing her to listen to conversations happening in the other timeline without entirely shifting into it. It's the perfect power for a gumshoe detective and helps to keep things feeling fresh. Max can't just shift between timelines whenever she wants, though. She needs to find a sparkly spot somewhere in the nearby vicinity to jump over.
This, combined with moments where you have to shift back and forth multiple times in quick succession can make things feel a little tedious. You'll have a conversation with someone, spend 20-30 seconds running to the nearest shift point, and then return to the same character or area in the new timeline, before traipsing back and returning there again in the original timeline. It's a lot of back and forth that makes sense from a narrative perspective but adds a bit of bloat to the overall experience.
A Life Is Strange staple at this point is the decisions you'll be forced to make. Some are easy, some will have you sitting, staring at your screen, occasionally flicking from one choice to the other as you weigh up the pros and cons. Double Exposure continues to deliver here, with some of the toughest choices I've had to make in the series since that fateful first game. Unfortunately, some feel a little underbaked. While they can have an immediate impact in a following conversation, they didn't seem to influence other decisions with a certain character in later episodes. These are few and far between among a myriad of far more powerful, weighty decisions, and didn't come to mind as I was playing. It's only now as I reflect on my 10-hour experience more deeply that I can see some of the seams of such a complex, narrative experience.
Despite this, there are enough decisions that feel impactful enough that I'm already working my way through more playthroughs, mixing and matching those I've already done to explore every branch of the Caulfield timeline at Caledon. The final decision, in particular, feels just as consequential as those that have come before it, with a slight twist that I really appreciate but won't delve deeper into here.
Hella Stylish
One look (and listen) of Double Exposure and you'll know it's a Life Is Strange game. The visuals, while certainly the most impressive with realistic facial animations that accurately portray expressions and add more depth to the characters you meet, still have that playful look the series has always had. Intense scenes are often punctuated with an indie banger that'll immediately find its way onto your Spotify playlist, and the cinematic camera when Max indulges in a moment to take a breather goes hand-in-hand with them, too.
The style and presentation go beyond the art style, cinematography, and soundtrack though. Deck Nine has put time into the world around it, providing plenty of fun little tidbits and surprises to discover as you go. These encourage you to venture off the beaten path from one main objective to the next and soak up everything Caledon has to offer. This does require a longer playthrough time, and given the relatively slow pace of gameplay already, this approach isn't going to appeal to everyone. But for those who simply can't get enough, finding a Polaroid to further expand the story, or eavesdropping on conversations between students provides a perfect opportunity to eke out that little bit more time in the world.
Final Verdict
Double Exposure is just another dose of the stylish, edgy, narrative-driven goodness that fans have come to know and love from the Life Is Strange series. In past games in the series, I've played through once and had no burning desire to start another playthrough immediately after. To its credit, I've already started my second playthrough in Double Exposure. That should be a clear barometer of how much I enjoyed the game and how it compares to others in the series. That's thanks to a combination of a riveting storyline, likable characters, and head-spinning decisions. I wasn't ready for my time at Caledon to be over nor with the series. If there was any doubt about Deck Nine's capabilities to take the series forward, fear not. Life Is Strange is in supernaturally safe hands.
[Disclosure: A free copy of the game was provided to PGG by the publisher for review purposes.]
Published: Oct 28, 2024 09:00 am