In the eyes of many, 2015’s Life is Strange was an absolute sleeper hit. Releasing episodically across five chapters, the narrative adventure game was similar in vein to games from the now defunct game developer, Telltale, and blew players away with a gripping storyline, relatable characters and relationships, along with a unique time-rewind system that allowed for experimentation when making decisions.
French company Dontnod Entertainment (known as Don’t Nod since 2022) developed both the first game and its 2018 sequel, Life is Strange 2, though rights holder Square Enix handed the reins over to American developer Deck Nine to develop 2017’s prequel game Life is Strange: Before the Storm, as well as the subsequent follow-up Life is Strange: True Colors in 2021. Three years later, Deck Nine returns for the series’ latest installment, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, and invited Geek Culture to a preview event preceding Tokyo Game Show 2024, where we had the chance to spend 2 hours hands-on with the title, getting a sneak peek at what’s to come.
Maxine “Max” Caufield, the protagonist of the original Life is Strange returns, and she has certainly received a glow-up. Set 10 years after the original, the then-withdrawn Max has grown to be a confident and beautiful woman, although she is still haunted by the events of the first game. As the direct sequel to the original, which allowed players to make choices in the game that drew different endings based on the paths taken, this follow-up will respect the choice made by players at the end of the first title, and adapt to each ending.
The leap from the Unreal Engine 3 then to 5 now has certainly done wonders in boosting the graphical fidelity of the title, with the new game featuring much more realistic-looking characters (as opposed to the original’s comic book art style). Some may feel that switching to a more generic realism-focused look may dampen the charm of earlier entries in the series. Still, the more true-to-life character models do help to present more intricate emotions, which is especially important for a storyline-focus title like this.
Similarly, the game’s environmental detail has also received an upgrade, with the winter backdrop of the first chapter featuring stunning snow and wind effects. To help players further admire the new graphical boost, the game also features interactive objects littered around the environment that can be picked up and viewed from a 360-degree angle. This not only serves to add an additional layer of immersion but also gives players more context into the game’s lore.
Music has always been a highlight of the Life is Strange series, and here it is no different. Although only one audio track was featured in the preview, it succeeded in giving the scene a sense of eeriness and foreboding. No doubt the title will continue the series’ trend of masterfully using indie soundtracks to enhance scenes of both tranquility and tension.
Unlike the original which was a slow burn, Life is Strange: Double Exposure immediately presents a mystery for Max to solve. Swearing to never use her powers to rewind time again after the events of the first game, Max moves away from Arcadia Bay but she can’t seem to run away from her abilities however, as when her friend Safi is murdered and left in the snow, Max attempts to use her powers once again, but ends up tearing open a way to a parallel timeline, one where Safi is alive, but still in danger.
With her newly acquired powers, Max is now able to shift between the two timelines, interacting with different versions of the same characters from either timeline to keep Safi safe in both, while also solving the overarching whodunit mystery. Unlike the first two games in the series, Life is Strange: Double Exposure will do away with the episodic release style and instead present players with the complete package from the get-go, meaning players don’t have to wait to experience Max’s full adventure.
As with her age, Max will discover an evolution of her abilities and receive several different powers this time around. Shift allows Max to transition seamlessly into either timeline, each identified by a coloured icon, with orange for the timeline where Safi is murdered, and blue for the one where she is still alive. By shifting between the timelines at predetermined locations, Max is not only able to interact with the different characters in each but can also bring items across timelines, which is the foundation of puzzle-solving and progressing the story.
Additionally, shifting also reveals extra little details in the environment, with objects being placed in differing locations or even being in different states. In an example from the preview, a telescope owned by another friend of Max, Moses, is seen in different conditions between the timelines. In the one where Safi dies, it remains unbuilt, collecting dust in his office while he mourns, whereas in the other it is currently in the final stages of construction.
Identifying differences in objects around the game world is also an important part of solving puzzles, with players needing to manage both timelines and their associated objects to progress. To assist with this, Max also possesses the Pulse ability and can see pieces of both timelines with a button press. This handy ability not only lets players see which objects are present in one timeline but not another, but also the positions and movements of characters in both timelines. Using this ability was crucial to avoid detection in a stealth sequence during the preview.
Lastly, Max can swap places of objects between timelines. In the preview chapter, swapping the aforementioned telescope with its timeline counterpart served as a way to distract a detective, who was understandably perplexed at the sight of a telescope appearing right before his eyes. It would be interesting to see how this mechanic plays out, as swapping occurs in real-time and possibly in front of bystanders. Also, it is unclear if there will be any consequences of allowing too many characters to witness objects being swapped, and if it can lead to them being aware of the fact that something is not quite right.
New powers also mean that Max has seemingly lost her previous ability to rewind time (or rather, she has fully suppressed it). Although this is not confirmed due to the current lack of information, it would be a huge shame not to include the return of the iconic power. Rewinding time was much more than just a gimmick as it allowed players new to this type of choice-driven narrative adventure more flexibility, as they could backtrack on their decisions to see how all choices played out. Without something equivalent, the title would undoubtedly lose some of the charm that made the original so beloved.
Narrative-wise, the short duration of the preview event meant there was unfortunately not enough time to fully grasp the game’s plot (intentionally done, of course, to avoid too many spoilers), but it did feature a fair chunk of dialogue, and what was shown was largely positive. Interactions between Max and her companions feel natural, with Moses being a standout, effectively portraying the socially awkward astronomy nerd, who honestly ends up being rather adorable.
Actress Hannah Telle returns to voice Max, and she does an impressive job, portraying the older character with a more confident and outspoken touch. There are a few misses here, however, especially during a conversation with Max and a police detective. There are dialogue choices here for witty jabs by Max, but the results feel unnatural, with the entire conversation ending up becoming rather laughable which spoils the tone it was going for.
Despite this, the preview still did an excellent job of providing an introduction to the game’s new mechanics, all while showing just enough of the story to keep interest and garner anticipation. Players won’t have to wait too long either to continue Max’s journey for themselves, as Life is Strange: Double Exposure is set to launch on 29 October 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PC via Steam, with a Nintendo Switch version being released at a later date.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Si Jia
