Life Is Strange: Double Exposure PS5 Review. It’s been just three years since Deck Nine‘s Life Is Strange: True Colors, the second and successive game to focus on a mostly different cast of characters. While Alex Chen was a very likable lead character, and Colorado made for a beautiful backdrop in the cosy adventure game franchise, there were still so many questions regarding the characters and events from the very first Life is Strange.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure certainly attempts to answer some of those questions nine years later by somewhat returning to its roots, but how exactly does it handle that?
Life Is Strange: Double Exposure Review (PS5) – A Near Perfect Composition
Hella Nostalgic
Notably, the latest entry in the Life is Strange franchise focuses on none other than Max Caufield, the protagonist from the very first Life is Strange, now older and wiser. I can’t speak for all fans, but I think many of us wanted the series to return to the charming, imperfect, dad-joke-telling, Max.
Despite (up until now) appearing in as many games as the other lead characters, she always felt like the series’ overarching main protagonist. More than that, it certainly seems like Deck Nine themselves share that sentiment.
Beyond that, Double Exposure brings the franchise back to the original in so many familiar ways, and while some might argue it could feel redundant, I think it’s genius.
All the pieces are there: the pretentious but beautiful art school, the equally pretentious but highly suspicious lecturer, a chaotic yet lovable best friend, with a mystery at the centre of it all that Max Caufield has to figure out, with the assistance of her supernatural gift, of course.
These similarities are so very apparent, and might feel nostalgically manipulative, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t work. Seeing Max aged up, yet still distinctly the character I remember was wonderfully executed and brought about an inexplicable sadness at the time, which I later come to the sobering realization was due to overt depiction of time passing.
Depth Of Field
Double Exposure takes a lot of the plot points from the original Life is Strange, and while that might feel like an easy route to take, I would argue the opposite. With such a significant time jump since we last saw Max, I don’t think there’s a better way to show her character progression.
This is a narrative about learning from grief, not allowing it to define the choices you make going forward. How it can be crippling, but also hardening, and thus defiant. I think some fans might be disappointed in how it handles some previous characters but I think it speaks to moving on, and handles it well if anything. It explores all these themes in its charming, young adult drama, but it does it better than the vast majority.
Treading that familiar ground is a bold narrative decision to make, but it very clearly fits in with its themes. Double Exposure being the process of repeatedly exposing a photo to light, to create ghost-like images overlaying the original photo, which perfectly sums up the narrative and thematic approach to this game.
Behind Max Caufield is a thoroughly inclusive, intriguing, often likeable supporting cast, that you won’t want to miss a single interaction with. Often this is the case with Life is Strange games, as they always do a great job with creating interesting characters, and that is no different here. The highlight is definitely Moses, because we all need a friend like Moses.
Its overarching mystery is a real page turner. Every time I finished an episode, I just had to start the next one immediately. The less I say about explicit plot details the better, as it took twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting, and I would hope everyone has that same experience.
Every character has depth, sometimes layered with mystery that will keep you questioning motivations. The voice work provided by the cast is fantastic. Of course, Hanna Telle as Max is ever excellent, but shoutout to Blu Allen as Moses, and especially Olivia AbiAssi who brought the charismatic Safi to life.
Two Shot
As it is known, Life is Strange is firmly a narrative experience, driven forward by choices and conversations, while you explore the environments, with some light puzzle solving along the way.
Max notes that she hasn’t used her powers since the events of the first game, and likens her inability to use them to an atrophied muscle that she can no longer flex. Fans of the series, who might have read the comics in between games will know that Max’s powers are different now.
Gone are the time rewinding abilities, that allowed you to undo decisions or conversation choices, meaning you will be stuck with the choices you’ve made this time around. Not to say Max doesn’t have powers at all, however.
Replacing time travel, is the ability to enter, see, and hear a parallel timeline. The prime timeline fractures early in the story, which allows Max to access these newfound abilities. These powers pose some very interesting gameplay and narrative implications.
An item you need might be found in timeline B to advance the narrative in timeline A, or blocked paths might be accessible in one or the other. Need to eavesdrop? Jump over to the other time and listen in. A broken friendship in A could be flourishing in B, but there is only one distinct difference in both timelines, which serves as the core mystery.
That core difference clearly depicts two very different tones across both universes. One is flourishing and happy, while the other is more solemn, and mournful, and that is shown not only in the characters, but the music choices, the lighting, and art direction. This visually captures the emotion of both timelines in masterful fashion.
Filling The Frame
Life is Strange wouldn’t be Life is Strange without a killer soundtrack, and I’m happy to report they’ve done it again. While not as strong as the original, there’s many great tracks to listen to, as you have Max take a moment on a bench, as shots of the gorgeous environments slowly cycle through. It’s an easy but extremely effective way to create an emotive response.
Double Exposure recognizes what fans of the series want goes a long way with locations and environment design. I praised True Colors for the same reasons in that having a few detailed locations, with returning characters that you get to know as the game progresses, is where the series really shines, and comparatively, why the road trip approach didn’t work in Life is Strange 2.
Visually, Double Exposure is vastly improved upon, especially with animations and capturing body language, while absolutely maintaining the Life is Strange art style. It was actually somewhat jarring how good this game looked at times.
Unfortunately, on two occasions I entirely lost voice over audio, which stole those clearly dramatic moments from me, but I’ve no doubt a patch will fix that issue promptly for the wider audience.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure absolutely understood the assignment. It focuses on everything that fans love about the series, and crafted a narrative that is truly resonant. Upon finishing this game, I realized how this has become a very important series to me, and one that I will always return to.
Double Exposure feels like a distinct entry in the Life is Strange franchise, a turning point perhaps, potentially universe expanding, presenting a future for the series, that will have fans theorizing until the next entry. Given the note that this game ends on, I’ll be one of them. The universe of Life is Strange just got hella interesting.
Life Is Strange: Double Exposure is available on PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X/S on October 29, 2024.
Review code kindly provided by publisher.