Life is Strange: Double Exposure

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a mixed bag of emotions. Some of that plays into its strongsuits. Others leave you wondering why small changes weren't considered.

The game takes place a decade after the events of the first Life is Strange game. We're once again in the shoes of Max Caulfield, and once again, we're snooping around. The first game revolved around a mystery hidden in plain sight, hidden by issues of sexism, money, and power. At its core, the disappearance of a girl. I won't spoil Life is Strange 1 here, but it is the best in the series, and should be played before Double Exposure. Can you jump in without playing the first game? Yes. But it's not as fulfilling without experiencing the backstory firsthand.

We get to see just how far Max Caulfield has come. She's more expressive, more assure of herself than ever, and still a snoop. That comes in handy when her friend Safi is murdered. A case that grows stranger the longer Max looks at it, and her proximity to the case draws the unwanted attention of a detective.

More than even the first game, you'll do some more traditional detective work. Interviewing suspects and people close to the case, without letting them know you're on to them. Press too hard and you may lose a source, don't ask enough, and you may not get the full picture. I really like how this game felt more like a detective story than past mysteries in the series.

Max's new power presents some fun puzzles, but is largely underutilized. Even at times when jumping between realities could provide a challenging puzzle, we're practically handed the solution with hints from objectives and Max's inner monologue. This game could have used a difficulty slider, including an option that turns off all non-essential objectives and lets us fail a little more.

And perhaps that brings me to Double Exposure's greatest flaw: the developers just like us too much. It's clear they didn't want any emotional blow to land like a gut punch and instead feel like a glancing blow. Every chance they had to really deliver a strong, gut-wrenching emotional impact, they found a way to soften it. Whether it's panning away during intense moments, time skips, or only seeing people's first reactions through text messages.

The other drawback is an awkward eavesdropping feature. There are many interesting side stories in this game, from a student facing bias, an art student looking to upset the status quo, a student-ran game, and cryptid enthusiasts on the hunt. However, they're mostly told through standing still near a conversation to overhear it, including waiting multiple seconds between beats in the conversation. It's awkward, and would have been better handled with a few more direct interactions. It's clearly a cost-saving measure to keep mocap and development time down, but I feel like it hurt the exploratory angle when we only can talk to the core suspects and friend group of Max.

Overall, the story opens up more than it wraps up, still giving us both satisfying conclusions and a lot to look forward to in this series. The focus on Max's past, her grief and trauma over previous choices, and her attitude with dealing with these problems changing and growing is well-done and satisfying. Max's previous relationships and history aren't given the attention they deserve, for sure, but as a middle sequel, with Max finding her own footing, it works. Music is incredible and immersive, lending itself to each situation. The voice acting and motion capture brings these characters to life like never before. This is the best we've seen Max Caulfield, not only in her life, but in the performance as well. It's a must-play for fans of the series, and the kind of game that raises the bar for the rest of the industry. Games should have feeling, they should have impact, they should feature diverse voices. Life is Strange continues to push the industry towards better games with Double Exposure.

I never post reviews, but I felt compelled to write this one because I really want to offer genuine advice to the developers.

Deck Nine has repeated the same mistakes here that we saw in Life is Strange: True Colors, and that Don't Nod made in Lost Records previously.

What's going wrong with these games?

The game starts with a strong and promising setup.

The early plot builds intrigue and emotion.

But then it slows down: long, drawn-out dialogues, repetitive environments, and tedious investigations drag the momentum.

Choices feel meaningless, the branching paths hardly change the story.

A mid-story twist might raise hope, but what follows is a downward slide.

The narrative becomes predictable and emotionally flat.

Endings often feel rushed, underwhelming, and lack emotional payoff. You're left thinking: What was the point of all this?

Some serious advice:

Go back and revisit Life is Strange 1 and Life is Strange 2. Compare those with the newer titles, and you'll see the shift.

Give us choices that matter. Players want decisions that have real consequences.

Design more diverse, engaging environments, not ones that feel reused or repetitive.

Focus on deep, emotional storytelling, not investigative chores.

Music, art, and mini-games should enhance the narrative, not replace it. They should be the cherry on top instead of carrying the game.

Endings should leave us in tears, feeling fulfilled, or grappling with tough decisions, not feeling indifferent.

One frustrated point:

It genuinely feels like the second halves of these games are written by a completely different team. The narrative loses focus and emotional weight. I strongly recommend bringing in more writers who specialize in character-driven storytelling.

Fan Service:

Please remember that fans are the backbone of your success. Listening to your community and offering even a little fan service can go a long way. Many players were hoping to see familiar characters like Chloe, even a small glimpse would've meant a lot. Fan service, when done right, shows that you care about your long-time players.

On Representation:

I believe representation should feel organic and allow for choice. In recent titles, it feels like the relationship options are less about the player's freedom and more about checking boxes. I'd prefer if we were given more neutral ground to decide how our character connects with others, whether romantically or platonically, so everyone feels included and immersed. Forced diversity won't resonate with everyone.

Final Thought:

We're asking for the soul of Life is Strange to return, the raw emotional storytelling, the difficult choices, the relationships that stay with us long after the game ends, and the endings that hit hard. That's what made the original games unforgettable.

This is my honest take: What went wrong?

They tried to make a story full of plot twists but they failed miserably. They shocked me at first but the development of the ideas was awful. Good music and facial animations, but even if the game was not attached to the franchise, it would be a mediocre game. It felt silly at times, side conversations not funny, and all the action happens in like 3 places. Not many sets where the story happens. Voice acting is still in a high note though. I liked the new mechanics but after aome time it gets repetitive. After chapter 2 I just wanted to finish the game quickly. All I was asking was a well written story, but no, I didn't find it in this game.

This game was absolutely amazing and truly doesn't deserve the hate it's received. Deck Nine did an outstanding job, crafting the story in the best way possible given their creative choices. Many players seem upset that Chloe isn't in the game, but Deck Nine does a fantastic job of exploring Max's emotions about everything that happened. Max is in deep pain and feels stuck in her past, and the way Deck Nine portrays her struggles is beautiful and authentic. It's a genuine and emotional depiction of grief and loss. Don't listen to the negativity-try the game yourself and experience the story's depth and impact. This game has so much to offer if you approach it with an open mind and a willingness to connect with Max's journey.

I'm disappointed, but only slightly as I had a feeling this game wouldn't be good, I love the Life Is Strange franchise, I think all games are at least GOOD, but this one sorry to say, was terrible.

Not only does the story make little to no sense, they advertised this as Max's new adventure, well I have to say, it was poorly written, and a massive letdown.

Filled with horrible plot twists, this game includes a generic main plot that was executed horribly.

The only positive I can take from this game is that the graphics and the music.

This is a terrible sequel that does NOT do the original justice.

Ultimately, they should not have brought back Max, the only reason for it was money.

3/10, do better or stop ruining the franchise with this mediocre crap.