Celebrates in 2025 the first part of Life is Strange its tenth anniversary. The coming-of-age adventure developed by the French indie studio Dontnod Entertainment not only impressed with a great story and lovable characters. The atmospheric overall concept of dreamy teen adventure and decision-making options, like those from back then, for example Telltale's The Walking Dead knew, cast a deep spell on the players.
The direct successor will finally follow on October 29, 2024 – but from the pen of Deck Nine Games, which already Life is Strange: Before the Storm (2017) and Life is Strange: True Colors (2021). In the story, too, there are around ten years between events. Protagonist Max Caulfield is now a young adult. She suffers another serious loss and this time wanders between timelines.
Death changes everything
Life is Strange: Double Exposure (buy now €59.99 ) takes you to Caledon University. As an ambitious photographer, Max has finally found a home here. Her friends play a special role – especially her best friend Safi, the dean's daughter. But fate strikes again when Safi is mysteriously murdered. Sorry, but this spoiler was necessary because this twist turns Max's world upside down.
Source: Square Enix
The special relationship between Max and Safi is skilfully showcased in Life is Strange: Double Exposure. For example, during the subtly chaotic and wild photo shoot at a rancid bowling alley at the start of the game or during a quick visit to the local bar Snapping Turtle.
The owner Amanda flirts more or less inconspicuously with Max, but she doesn't notice. Safi brings this to Max's attention and encourages her to take the next step. But the decision as to whether she does so is still up to us. Amanda acts as a love interest here, but without being as central to it as Chloe was in the first part.
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Max appears to have visibly matured and become more confident in Life is Strange: Double Exposure, although Chloe still plays a role in her life. However, little has changed in her endearing perkiness and playful nerd humor.
The casting of the supporting roles in the game is also interesting: for example, there is the introverted Moses, who is hit particularly hard by Safi's death, or Vinh, the university's gossip addicted to making a name for himself. The constellation of characters is complex and offers a lot of potential for conflict thanks to the different motives and entanglements.
Compared to previous parts of the series, the new part of Life is Strange makes a significant leap forward technically. The facial animations in particular are much more detailed than in its predecessors, so that we can see details such as a small smile much better. Also included again is Max's diary, which changes dynamically with events.