Image via Square Enix
Ever since my first demo playthrough of Life is Strange: Double Exposure at PAX West 2024, I knew this was going to be a special game. Following the preview of the first two chapters, I now know it will be earth-shattering.
Double Exposure doesn’t just put players back in the shoes of Max Caulfield, it instantly spins a heart-pounding new narrative driven by Square Enix’s signature graphics, powerful musical composition, and captivating environments.
This game takes all the wonder of a thriller novel and puts players in the driver’s seat, allowing you to explore high-stakes moments in real-time with your heart in your throat.
Graphics so Real You’ll Have Goosebumps
When first starting out in Life is Strange: Double Exposure, players find themselves taking on the role of Max, as she and her friend Safi explore an abandoned bowling alley for one of Max’s newest projects.
Things have changed for Max since her last appearance. She is a grad student at Caledon University and is no longer with Chloe. Max has grown into herself but lacks confidence in her own desires and actions – Something Safi has no problem trying to fix.
In the first few minutes of the game, players will see that Double Exposure is a visual masterpiece. In this run-down building with a crumpled roof and broken furniture, light from outside sifts through the rafters. Dust particles flicker in the air. Safi and Max’s expressions are emotive and open.
This game is beautiful. I was captivated by the amount of emotion the developers were able to convey through the characters. One of the biggest struggles with narrative-driven video games are stiff, unrelateable models that fail to meet the intensity of situations. However, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure creates an experience akin to watching a movie, where you are in charge of the storyline.
Look At Everything In Every Space
Life is Strange: Double Exposure doesn’t feed players the plot as the move from one location to another. Instead, it is made clear that exploration is the key to success in this story.
In order for Max to get the full picture of what is happening at any given moment, players must interact with objects around the room. Some of these items will invoke a one-liner of dialogue for Max or her friends, while others will be important clues needed to advance the story.
For example, after leaving the bowling alley in the first chapter, Max and Safi head for the campus bar. Here, Max has the opportunity to engage multiple characters in conversation. Her exploration of the bar will help determine the success of these interactions, making every point of investigation critical.
Conversations Matter
Before Max discovers her new powers, the primary way players interact with the story is through character conversations. While some of these quick responses don’t seem to have major impacts, like Max telling Safi to look pretty, others have major impacts and can completely alter how the story unfolds.
Additionally, asking characters specific questions, reacting to situations in specific ways, or learning important information will give a notification that the choice made will be remembered or come back around in an important way later in the story.
I felt the heat of these choices right from the start of the game. There is no quick load for save as of the preview build of the game, encouraging players to commit to their choices, rather than load a safety save to manifest a desirable outcome.
If you don’t get it right the first time, you have to go through a lot of effort to reset that answer. Additionally, some outcomes may have effects much later in the game, meaning that players will need to completely replay the chapter(s) if a situation backfires on them.
High-Stakes In Every Setting
Life is Strange: Double Exposure does an amazing job of luring players into a false sense of security with its beautiful music and crisp environments. However, by paying attention to the details of the settings where scenes take place, you can predict when something big is about to happen.
As I mentioned in our PAX preview, Double Exposure uses color and lighting to its advantage. When things are going okay, or the situation isn’t dire, warmer tones and brighter lighting make up the scenes. When things are about to get intense, cold color tones and darker lighting set the stage.
Because of this, players will want to pay attention to how spaces appear, and make note of every setting they spend time in. While this game isn’t a horror title, the thiller elements are key to setting the tone for bigger plot points.
In short, the first two chapters of Life is Strange: Double Exposure have made me even more obsessed with this game. I’ve been unable to pry the tantalizing pieces of gameplay from my PAX preview from my mind for months, and this next taste has cemented what I already suspected: This is going to be an amazing game.
Mystery, intrigue, and excellent story-telling have me wrapped around Max’s plight, despite the fact that games with a murder subplot usually send me running for the hills. I just need to know what is going to happen.
I hope you are as excited as I am for Life is Strange: Double Exposure, because I can promise this isn’t a game to miss.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure will be released on October 29, 2024 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox X|S. It can be preordered on the official website.
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