Review: Life is Strange: Double Exposure

I really liked the first one Life is strange game. Sure, I found Max a bit uninteresting as a character, but it was still a gripping story that I wasn’t used to at the time. Now that Max has returned in a direct sequel, I was intrigued to see what had changed.

Now that I’ve vented my curiosity and spent about ten hours browsing through the latest entry, let’s quickly talk about Life is Strange: Double Exposure.

Before I dive into this, I need to bring up the original Life is strange Again. Although I won’t give any spoilers Double exposure in this case, the game expects you’ve played the prequel and references many of the main plot points. I won’t reveal them either, but with that in mind, I will do a direct comparison of both games.

I was already confident about Double exposure after playing the first game. Although I didn’t manage to play other entries in the series, z True colors sitting comfortably in my Steam library to play later, I was still excited about this game. Life is strange It’s never been a perfect ten for me, but so far it’s a game that’s all about choices.

When I first heard about this sequel, I was a little skeptical as to how it could take the similar murder mystery concept of the first game and change it in a way that would make it unique. At the beginning we meet Max, her best friend Safi, and another crucial character, Moses. The entire premise centers on Safi’s death, echoing Rachel Amber’s story from the first game, and Max discovering that she still has her mysterious powers. They may now take a different form, but they still have the unintended consequences of the butterfly effect they had the first time.

If you’ve already completed the first game, you’ll know exactly how much things escalate early on, adding seemingly random twists for shock value. Double exposure it draws more than a few bits of inspiration from its prequel, but I like the way it brings everything together. As before, everything has a purpose and grave consequences. Well, apart from the dialogue.

No wonder Double exposure is based on a very similar premise and plot structure. The plot twists are a mix of surprises and those that made me go, “Oh, I figured that out two hours ago.” It almost felt like a nostalgia trip to the first game, especially as I progressed through the second half of the story. While it wasn’t particularly impressive anymore, it was a familiar setup that helped me understand what was going on without feeling lost.

And yet, despite this, I was still hooked throughout. During my original Life is strange While playing, I was pleasantly surprised by how easily I got into the story, even though some of the characters were a bit one-dimensional. Double exposure also captured this feeling. The only difference is that this time Max was one of the most engaging characters to learn about, and her growth in this time skip is evident. Age has done a lot to her, and while she’s still a bit of a nerd, she’s also much more confident and adventurous. What can I say? She’s a nice girl.

Speaking of time jumps, setting this event so far in the future was a solid move on Deck Nine Games’ part. Although I certainly identified with some of the characters from the original Life is strangemany issues Double exposure the faces cast were much closer to home, making their circumstances and the dialogue choices associated with them feel that much more meaningful.

Life is strange the characters were definitely a highlight for me so far and Double exposure is no exception. There are far fewer memorable characters this time around than in the prequel, but they are truly fascinating and fun to talk to. It was especially nice to explore the romantic options, even if I would have liked more depth in relationship building. The game’s reasoning for not doing this made sense, but it left me wanting more.

This is my general attitude Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Everything moves so quickly and I certainly think there was room to get to know the cast better, including how Max has been doing since we last saw her. You can get to know people if you snoop around enough, but there was some room for further growth, even if it slightly increased the runtime. Despite this, I was still ecstatic to meet recent people LiS people and you experienced references to others from the first game.

There are a few specific characters from the previous ones Life is strange games that make strange comebacks. A particular individual that sticks out in my mind shows up in the second half of the game, but I’ll let you discover who he is and what weird antics involve him. Let’s just say I found myself giggling unexpectedly between Max’s grave and stressful circumstances. Many of the conversations in this game made me laugh out thunderous, something I didn’t expect when looking back at the somewhat lackluster dialogue from the prequel.

One thing I was hesitant about at first, but ended up liking, was Max being reintroduced to her powers. While I won’t dwell on them too much to prevent spoilers, I really liked the changes Double exposure makes, even if most of them seemed like convenient plot devices. In terms of gameplay itself, I had a lot of fun experimenting with the whole timeline-shifting thing, especially as I saw how different events affected the world. Seeing beyond the overarching plot and conflict, noticing the little details in people’s behavior, environmental changes, and even different music depending on the timeline you’re in, helps elevate the already impressive aspects of storytelling Life is strange is known.

Generally, Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a satisfying sequel that ties in well with the events of the prequel. It remembers and stays true to the original story without straying too far from its core. Although it depends a bit too much on whether or not you’ve played the first game Life is strangeit continues the adventure well and balances a sense of familiarity while still keeping things fresh. If you liked the first game, you’re in for a real treat with this one.