Don’t Nod has been adamant that Max Caulfield’s story end when Life is Strange ends, but Max Caulfield is no longer in Don’t Nod’s hands. That was clear with the Life is Strange comic series, which was supposed to start as a four-part limited miniseries but soon ballooned to 23 issues compiled into six volumes. (I’m not going to lie though, the comics are worth the read.) So when that was finally done, I again believed that I’d seen the last of Max. And again, I was wrong. Direct sequel Life is Strange: Double Exposure was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 streamed earlier this week. Today, a reveal livestream featured an extended look at gameplay, an interview with the game’s narrative director and narrative director, and separate interview with the voice behind Max (Hannah Telle).
Life is Strange: Double Exposure returns to Max, this time all grown up. She’s a successful photographer working a residency at a Vermont college. During the middle of winter, she finds her best friend Safi dead in the snow. There is no evidence in sight: no footprints, no weapon, nothing. Max will have to use her rediscovered, evolved supernatural ability to jump between this universe and another parallel one where Safi is still alive (but so is the danger). She will try to use this unique tool at her disposal to solve her best friend’s murder.
Some (probably most) of the developers at Deck Nine seem to put a lot of heart into the Life is Strange series, and Life is Strange: Double Exposure is no different. For the stream, Elyse Willems interviewed two of the developers: Jonathan Stauder (Game Director) and Felice Kuan (Narrative Director). They discuss bringing Max back to life, how the game is made to reflect either ending from the original without a save file required, and how the game is playable by fans and newcomers alike. An important tidbit from this interview: even Max has a hard time telling the timelines apart. She can stick her foot in her mouth if you’re not careful.
During her interview, Hannah Telle explains that Max was traumatized by what happened when she used her powers back during high school. This is what allowed it to “adapt” (or in my phrasing, evolve) from time rewind to the ability to move between two parallel universes. The reasoning doesn’t make a ton of sense to me, but that’s what it is.
The extended gameplay look is a good glimpse at what is to come, at least at the beginning of the game. It picks up during the beginning of the first chapter. Max and her friends, Safi and Moses, are at the college’s observatory watching a meteor shower. It’s lighthearted and fun, as perfect as a cold night with friends can be… until Safi receives a phone call. She walks away from Max and Moses, who continue to talk and stargaze.
When Max takes a photo of the moon, she kind of “pulses” in a blurry glow briefly before returning to her senses, unsure of what’s happened. She finds an excuse to leave and begins to walk home alone. Along the sidewalk, there’s evidence that Safi’s cigarette obsession is alive and well. Max sees an owl staring at her from atop a statue (owl is the new deer) and goes to take a photo of it. When she does, the pulse thing happens again. It seems stronger, with Max hearing voices including an emergency alert and someone shouting her name.
When Max regains her senses, her nose and bleeding and she knows that something is wrong. She races to follow Safi, seeing her friend talking on her phone at the top of a hill. Max decides to check on Safi anyway, just in case. So up the path she goes. While on her way, a gunshot’s crack reverberates through the air and Max panics, running forward. But Safi is safe. She’s just ahead, walking behind a curve in the path. And then… she’s not. Well, she is, but she’s no longer close to alive. She didn’t just drop dead. Somehow, she was murdered in the span of about five seconds.
Watch the directors’ interview:
Watch Hannah’s interview:
Watch the extended gameplay:
Developed by Deck Nine and published by Square Enix, Life is Strange: Double Exposure will be released for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series on October 29; it will launch later for Nintendo Switch. It will be available in multiple editions, both physically and digitally. A collector’s box without the game will be sold separately (don’t even get me started).
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