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Time-Bending Triumph
I fell in love a long time ago with the unique charm of Life is Strange. Each game has had a profound effect on me with their characters, setting and coming of age tales. Now Double Exposure continues its brilliance. Returning from the original is protagonist Max Caufield, a fan favourite character whom I have longed to be back in the series. She is such a fantastic lead character with her inner monologues, opinions on life and her deliberate resistance to conforming to societal norms. Coming ten years after the events of the first game, Max has left Arcadia Bay and moved to Lakeport Vermont where she is working as a photography teacher in residence at Caledon University. From the very start of the story it’s clear Max is still dealing with the effects of the first game through grief, guilt and PTSD symptoms from her encounters with Mr Jefferson. She swore never to use her time-bending abilities again and ten years on, she has kept that promise. That is until the events of the first night of the game where Max’s close friend Safi is murdered. This prompts Max to discover a new ability- the power to shift into multiple timelines and pulse in one timeline to see what is happening in the parallel universe. I think it’s important to mention that playing through the original game will give some vital context for players and enrich the story deeper as there are many throw-backs to the original. The emphasis on Max’s relationship with Chloe from the first game is important, as early on you are given a choice to shape what happened with Chloe and this will have ripple effects for the rest of the story.
As per a usual rule of mine, I don’t want to get into spoiler territory but, as I’ve previously said, it’s advisable to go into the game knowing the first story’s plot. But man what a story this is! It’s a murder mystery and a supernatural drama that is just so engrossing from minute one that I cannot recommend it enough. The cast of characters is absolutely superb, from Max’s friends Moses and Safi, to love interests Vinh and Amanda, to minor villains like Lucas or Yasmin. Each character is so interesting and I just adored being able to peel back a layer for each of them and find out more about them. It’s a mature tale dealing with many topics that young adults encounter in today’s world and like the other games in the franchise, it has this loveable coming of age story that never comes across as pretentious or tacky. Each game portrays a character dealing with the emergence of powers and Double Exposure has done wonderfully well in making Max feel like a novice in her abilities.
Over the roughly ten hour story, I laughed and cried in this powerful tale of friendship and what lengths you would go to for a friend. Max, for me, is an all time great protagonist, in the way she conveys her thoughts and emotions. The choices you make truly feel important, no matter what you choose. Adding the romantic subplots and the other contextual conversations made me feel that this is a new benchmark for the series. Whilst I wish it was just a little bit longer, the ending certainly sets up a sequel for Max and her friends and I just cannot wait! The story feels raw and real with the dealing of vast topics but the emphasis on grief and guilt really struck a cord with me. With the story being so impactful, its important gameplay holds its own and the new additions to the series help propel it to new heights.
Evolution and Innovation
Expectations are important in a game like Life is Strange. This is a narrative adventure game so gameplay will never truly be the emphasis as the story is always in the driving seat. Nevertheless, developers Deck Nine have attempted to give more life to the gameplay, with superb results. Like every LiS game, it’s controlled from a third-person perspective with a focus on exploration, but this time they have really interwoven the main ability into gameplay itself. Max has the ability to cross timelines into either Safi being alive or the timeline where she died. This creates puzzles, as in one timeline, areas may be blocked, but by switching, you can manipulate the environment. This mechanic is fantastic and really makes you feel like you are actually using the power this time, which in previous games felt mainly confined to cutscenes. I loved going back and forth between worlds to see what had changed but it’s the pulse ability that truly blew me away.
The pulse ability works as an area of effect scan but for the opposing world. By pulsing, you can stay in one timeline but see the events of the other, which is just fantastic. Seeing and hearing what is going on in the other timeline adds so much context to the characters and plot; I often used the ability whilst wandering around to see what I could discover. Along with this ability, returning mechanics from the previous games take the forefront in gameplay. The ability to interact with items in the environment is as important as ever as it allows Max to comment on them and this adds great moments you otherwise would miss. Text messages and the social media platforms return, which again add to the plot, as I sat scrolling through the feed, reading the characters’ thoughts and feelings at each major plot point, hoping to see their reactions to my choices. As mentioned, choices are still prominent and create replay ability for players, as I now want to go back into this fantastic world and do the opposite to what I did to see the ripple effects. Another returning element is the ability to sit in areas and reflect, which allows Max to monologue the events that have recently occurred. This really made me think that every choice I made could have a profound effect on Max. Taking photos feels as great as ever with the added ability to create double exposures on photos which is a beautiful addition. Great returning elements and wonderful new innovations in the gameplay loop make this game the most interactive and engaging Life is Strange yet.
Presentational Tour-De-Force
Graphically speaking, this game is absolutely breath-taking. This is a small scale story focusing on one area, Caledon University, but every inch of the campus is dripping in detail. Each area looks beautiful, from the campus to the art building to the local bar that Max frequents. Every room is detailed, vibrant and colourful, making each location stand out from the next which is important as this is a relatively small scale story in terms of location. I loved wandering into every room I could enter to see what I could find next. The journal showing Max’s doodles and thoughts throughout the game is also superb. Deck Nine have without a doubt crafted the best looking game in the franchise. Moreover, it’s the animations that truly blew me away. Simply put, facial animations in this game are some of the best in video games. Period. Watching Max or the cast convey their emotions so expressively is so realistic you have to do a double take sometimes. This truly makes the emotional and climatic parts of the story feel so real when the characters are conveying their feelings in such a lifelike manner; it’s truly magnificent. It will take something special for a game to beat these animations and I cannot wait for Deck Nine to craft more games using this superb animation system.
Along with some of the best graphics of the year, I can safely say Double Exposure has the best soundtrack of the year- and nothing compares! Each song on the official soundtrack for the game is so emotionally connected to a specific scene that it truly resonated with me and made me want to listen to them over and over. It’s a track listing full of original songs from artists such as Dodie and Matilda Mann that make the game so special. During moments of reflection where Max verbalises her thoughts, a song will play which makes those moments so special. During the climatic moments of the game the song selection is just pure perfection and heightened my emotions in every single scene. This is a stunning achievement and a soundtrack I will be listening to for years to come.
Along with the soundtrack is a near perfect performance from the voice cast, in particular Hannah Telle as Max and Olivia AbiAssi. This cast is superb in displaying the emotions and raising stakes of the characters as the story unfolds and had me in tears at times. Each character is voiced so wonderfully and memorably; it’s such a masterclass in voice acting. However, sound design is the one problem I have with the entire game. It’s not that the design is poor as everything sounds great, but it’s the actual mixing of the sound itself. At times, the sound would randomly distort which would make one sound or piece of dialogue boom loudly, drowning out the voice. This did remove some of the enjoyment or emotion from dramatic moments. But truly, only the one down side to the game.
Verdict
Life is Strange: Double Exposure truly is a new benchmark for a franchise that is close to my heart. A superb thought-provoking tale spearheaded by the exquisitely voiced Max, make this game stay in the mind and heart for years to come. A diverse and well rounded cast help propel the story to new heights whilst new gameplay mechanics make this the most interactive and immersive game in the series. Industry leading graphics and the best soundtrack of the year make this a strong contender for end of year awards. Only minor sound issues and overall story length hinder this spell binding tale. I laughed, I cried and now I long for more.
