After the 2021 release of Life is Strange: True Colors, which saw the debut of a new protagonist in Alex Chen, the beloved series returns as Max Caufield stars once again in Life is Strange: Double Exposure.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is the latest entry in the critically acclaimed narrative adventure franchise featuring an all-new supernatural murder mystery where Max discovers her closest new friend, Safi, is murdered in the snow.

Just in time for the launch of the game, we got the chance to ask Game Director Jonathan Stauder and Staff Writer Aysha Farah a few questions about the game, further elaborating on the return of Max, her powers, and a possible return of some old friends.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure Interview

Returning to Max Caufield was interesting, considering we have not seen her for quite a while now. She’s a fan favorite for sure, and while we’re glad she’s back, we had to ask when and why the team decided that Max would return.

“Development of Double Exposure began during the later phase of production on True Colors. These games start with a bit of a “chicken-or-egg” situation in which we explore various supernatural powers and various character arcs for the protagonist. Neither the power or the character necessarily come first, but do eventually combine to form the start of our development process.”

“In this case, we realized that the power to shift between two timelines and allow a player to spend quite a bit of time examining the two different outcomes of a difficult choice. We then realized that provided a wonderful gameplay hook to explore what happened to Max in the years since the first game.”

Max’s new time powers are quite interesting, and in our preview from a while back, we saw that she can take items to a new world and even switch items between worlds. Life is Strange is a generally straightforward game where the protagonist’s powers are usually just used to overcome puzzles, but will Max have other subtle ways of using her powers not just with regard to the plot but for other gameplay purposes?

“Max’s new power allows her to shift between two timelines. She can also extend her supernatural senses by sending out a pulse that will reveal a faint window into what is happening in the other timeline without having to shift over.”

“You highlight some of the overt ways the player can use her new powers, but just as often the powers will help Max in smaller ways. When using pulse, Max can hear what other characters are saying so she can listen in on conversations she might not have access to.”

“There are plenty of characters living their own stories all around the Caledon campus, and I encourage you to snoop and listen for as many as you can find. You might find some smaller side stories to investigate happening on the periphery of the central mystery.”

As mentioned, Max making a comeback is such a welcome treat for fans of the series. Being a beloved character, it would be nice to see a new story from her, and maybe even see some of her friends and acquaintances make a return.

Given we are going back to Max’s story, can we also expect some characters from previous titles to return in this game?

“Life is Strange: Double Exposure begins with Max settling in to her new life as part of the Caledon University community. That said, like many of us that have grown up and moved away from our hometowns, Max still keeps in touch with old friends and family through text messages and social media.”

“Max will also discuss her old friends while getting to know her new ones and, depending on certain choices the player makes, will change what Max reveals about those older characters.”

Special thanks to Jonathan Stauder, Aysha Farah, and Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia for this special opportunity!

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is now available for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.