Life Is Strange: Double Exposure Review

Life Is Strange: Double Exposure is the latest installment in the beloved narrative adventure series from Square Enix and Deck Nine. This new entry marks the return of Maxine Caulfield, the protagonist from the first game, known for her time-rewinding abilities. Following the events of the first title, Max has moved on from Arcadia Bay to become an artist-in-residence at the prestigious Caledon University in Vermont.

As Max settles into her new life with friends Safi and Moses, a sudden tragedy triggers the re-emergence of her powers, now in a new form. Instead of rewinding time, Max can now traverse parallel dimensions—one where the tragedy never occurred and her current reality.

This emotionally charged five-episode narrative adventure stays true to the essence of the Life Is Strange series. Will you uncover the layers of this intricate mystery? Grab your Polaroid camera and dive into Life Is Strange: Double Exposure!

Maxine Goes East!

Deck Nine has skillfully incorporated many successful elements from Life Is Strange: True Colors into their latest title, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure. The game features vibrant visuals and a soothing soundtrack, making it an accessible and visually appealing experience. The return of Max Caulfield adds a nostalgic touch, bringing fans back to the original game.

In Double Exposure, Max can no longer rewind time but instead traverses parallel realities. The color scheme from True Colors makes a comeback, with the world where the tragedy occurs depicted in cool, somber tones, and the world without the tragedy shown in bright, vivid colors.

Max’s new ability to peer into each world allows players to solve situational puzzles by comparing the differences marked by each dimension’s color. While this might seem to simplify the puzzles, they remain challenging, requiring Max to use all her skills to uncover the mysteries.

Many of the puzzles in Life Is Strange: Double Exposure can be solved through Max’s interactions with the game’s vibrant cast. While familiar faces from previous entries are absent, the new characters are equally charming and likable. Each character has a unique charm, and by delving into their personalities through Max’s inquisitive nature, players can uncover different facets of their characters.

Dialogue choices, though seemingly binary, are often complex and can elicit varied reactions, leading to unique consequences down the line. A character might owe you a favor, but “cashing in” immediately could have future repercussions, adding weight to your decisions.

Additionally, there are significant decisions with urgent prompts that shape future events. An immediate benefit might put you in a difficult situation later. These decisions contribute to engaging cliffhangers in the first three acts, connecting various plot elements from previous Life Is Strange titles and positioning Double Exposure as a pivotal point in an implied interconnected universe.

One of the standout features of Life Is Strange: Double Exposure is the integration of social media within the game menu. This allows players to see posts from other characters, providing hints for future interactions. Max can also take snapshots, which can be added to her journal or shared on social media, enhancing the immersive experience.

Similar to True Colors, Double Exposure encourages players to explore beyond the main storyline. You can join various clubs at Caledon University and engage in side quests that deepen your understanding of the game’s universe. At the end of each episode, you can review what you might have missed, adding to the game’s replayability.

With Great Power…

Life Is Strange: Double Exposure offers a gameplay experience that can range from 9 to 12 hours, depending on how thoroughly you explore each episode, uncover secrets, and interact with the diverse characters at Caledon University. However, the game feels somewhat lacking in story depth within its standard runtime.

While reuniting with Max after the first game is exciting, this excitement feels somewhat superficial. The evolution of her powers isn’t fully explored. Although traversing between dimensions to solve puzzles and access certain areas is intriguing, it remains a surface-level mechanic.

In the preview, we mentioned Max’s ability to switch the places of similar items between two universes. Unfortunately, this mechanic is only used once more to save Max from a predicament and is never revisited. It would have been interesting to see this feature more integrated into gameplay, but it feels like a missed opportunity, used only to advance the plot conveniently.

This issue extends to many of the narrative payoffs in Double Exposure, where the world’s rules are bent to resolve plot points when Max is in a bind. This can undermine the weight of player decisions, as problems are conveniently resolved by Max’s evolving powers.

At this stage in the series, it seems crucial for the writers to establish clear ground rules and robust world-building to ensure both players and characters understand the world’s power system. Previous entries have shown that Max isn’t the only special individual in this universe. There are others with powers, and it feels like a missed opportunity to not fully address this, potentially setting up for future sequels without a complete resolution.

Life Is Strange: Double Exposure shares a similar issue with True Colors in that its ending feels somewhat safe and predictable. While the resolution is satisfactory, it misses the opportunity to take risks that could have expanded the world and resolved several key plot points that were introduced but never fully addressed. In comparison, True Colors felt more complete in its storytelling, despite some convenient plot resolutions.

Moving away from the episodic release format of previous Life Is Strange games, Double Exposure could have benefited from a different structure. Expanding the five episodes to six or condensing them into three acts might have provided a more cohesive narrative. Episodes Four and Five, in particular, felt shorter and somewhat rushed compared to the first three episodes. It seems like an additional episode could have addressed many of the plot holes and missed elements, providing a more satisfying conclusion.

Verdict: Wait For It…

Life Is Strange: Double Exposure incorporates many elements that made the original Life Is Strange a modern classic. On paper, it promises a winning formula with the return of Max Caulfield, an interconnected universe, and engaging cliffhangers. However, the execution falls short of elevating the overall experience.

Like Life Is Strange: True Colors, I had high hopes for this game. The setup is excellent, featuring likable characters, an intriguing premise, and a fantastic soundtrack. The journey is quite enjoyable up to the midpoint, but it seems Deck Nine struggles to deliver a satisfying conclusion for Double Exposure, unlike True Colors.

I hope future sequels will build on the elements introduced in this title to offer a fresh perspective on the classic formula. However, it feels like a missed opportunity to leave many of the promising setups unresolved, preventing Double Exposure from standing out among its predecessors.

*Life Is Strange: Double Exposure was reviewed on a PS5 with a review code provided by the publisher.