I’m trying to keep my excitement about Life is Strange: Double Exposure in check fearing total disappointment. (More on that later.) The direct sequel to Life is Strange – remember, Life is Strange 2 is a completely different story – was announced at June’s Xbox Games Showcase. A reveal livestream soon after showcased some gameplay mechanics plus interviews with two of the game’s developers and the actress who voices Max. With gamecom currently running, Square Enix has taken the opportunity to show off Max’s new power of Pulse and Shift ability in a “Powers Unveiled” trailer.
I’m not going to lie, a lot of the news about Life is Strange: Double Exposure makes me nervous. I was originally ecstatic because I adore Max, but then the red flags started. First, it isn’t developed by series creator Don’t Nod; Square Enix has given it to Deck Nine (Life is Strange: Before the Storm, Life is Strange: True Colours) who I feel did okay with those two titles, but something was always a little… different. I can’t pinpoint it. But then Square Enix began to announce the in-game collaborations – with Final Fantasy VII, Dr. Martens, and Polaroid – and I started feeling queasy. We’re already talking about paid cosmetic DLC for another Square Enix franchise, and product placements for classic Dr. Martens 1460 Smooth leather cherry red boots and the Polaroid Now Generation-2 iType camera. I believe the product placements cheapen the experience and exploits players’ desire to follow Max’s journey.
Onto the game itself rather than my ramblings. Set years after the original story, Max is working at a college on the east coast. During winter break, with few students around, she finds her friend Safi dead. More specifically, Safi was murdered in cold blood in mere seconds between the time Max last saw her alive and found her lifeless body. There are no footprints, weapons, or other forms of evidence in sight. Max discovers her evolved supernatural abilities allow her to jump between her universe/timeline and one where Safi is still alive… and still in danger.
Today’s trailer explores Max’s power to Shift between timelines and her new Pulse ability. Pulse allows Max to quickly glance at the other timeline before fully jumping to it. Remember: danger is everywhere! Pulse lets Max hear conversations from the other side, perfect for sneakily learning information. Both Shift and Pulse will be critical in solving Safi’s murder. The two timelines become increasingly different. You will use Max’s evolved supernatural abilities to complete puzzles, navigate complex social dynamics, and explore all the mysteries found at Caledon University.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure will be available in three editions. The standard edition is the base game and is available physically and digitally. The two other editions are digital-only. The Deluxe Edition includes the base game, the Spooky Outfit Pack, and the Decades Outfit Pack. The Ultimate Edition includes everything from the Deluxe Edition, plus two weeks of early access to the first two chapters, the Final Fantasy VII Outfit Pack, the Fan Favorite Outfit Pack, the Paw Prints Outfit Pack, and “exclusive cat content.” A collector’s box without the game will be sold separately (an emerging trend I dislike but to each their own). The paid early access for a game that relies so heavily on narrative started ringing alarm bells in my head. Spoilers will be unavoidable for those two weeks, punishing anyone who won’t dole out a bunch of extra cash. We’ll see, but after all this product placement stuff, I’m becoming my normal pessimistic self. (I’m mostly trying to lower my expectations.)
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.
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