Summary
There seems to be no stopping Square Enix’sLife is Strangefranchise as the fourth major installment has just been revealed.Life is Strange: Double Exposurewill once again put players in the shoes of Max Caulfield for a wild supernatural adventure that will see them make tough decisions, interact with a wide assortment of characters, and experience a world that is truly strange. But while that sounds very promising, it also seems to be following that firstLife is Strangepremise once more.
The very firstLife is Strangesold itself as a supernatural mystery that saw Max investigate a disappearance while also growing close to her childhood best friend. Based on the reviews, that concept worked incredibly well and is still often considered one of the best stories in gaming. So, naturally, the studio would expand it further with multiple sequels. And although all the sequels have been pretty fun, it feels like the studio has not been able to break away from that initial story, yet it really should.
The Life is Strange Series Needs to Make One Major Change
Life is Strange Has Stuck With the Same Plot Since The Start
Life is Strangefollows Max Caulfield as she grapples with her newly discovered rewind time ability. As she does, she becomes embroiled in a massive murder mystery that ultimately puts the entire town of Arcadia Bay in the crosshair. WhileBefore the Stormended up moving away from thatin favor of telling a shorter prequel story, the next three installments have all seemingly followed in that original game’s footsteps, for better or worse.
Life is Strange 2takes the focus away from Max and insteadputs players in control of Sean Diaz, who is on the run with his younger brother Daniel. Just like with the first game, Daniel is grappling with newfound powers in the form of telekinesis, and the two of them have become embroiled in a murder mystery. However, instead of trying to catch the killer, they are believed to be said killer. So, the entire story focuses on them fleeing from their hometown as authorities close in on them.
Life is Strange: True Colorsbrought the series backto its roots by once again following the brand-new Alex Chen as she grapples with powers and attempts to solve a murder. Now,Life is Strange: Double Exposureseems to be doing that all over again with the grand return of Max Caulfield. That makes four entries in this series telling a similar story, with only the spin-offs tackling different tales.
It’s Time for Life is Strange to Tell a Different Kind of Story
This model has worked forLife is Strangeso far, yet there comes a time in most franchises where it needs to shift direction a bit to inject new life into it. Even if the stories are top-notch, telling the same ones over and over again could get stale after a while. Additionally, titles likeBefore the StormandThe Awesome Adventures of Captain Spiritshowed that the franchise can really shine outside this template. So, although it may be too late forDouble Exposureto do things differently, the next chapter really should.
It actually feels like it may bea great time forLife is Strangeto move onfrom this series' template. After almost a decade of stories, the original protagonist is set to return withLife is Strange: Double Exposure. This makes it the first actual direct sequel, which also makes it feel like the series is coming full circle. And even though not much is known about the actual plot yet, it could also be a conclusion of sorts to this era of the series. Then, the fifth game can kick off a whole new era with a new type of adventure.
Of course, time will tell what Square Enix and Don’t Nod have planned for the series. This could be a great conclusion, it could simply be just another murder mystery in a long line of mysteries, or it could be the start of more direct sequels. But hopefully, whateverDouble Exposureends up being, there are at least some plans for something wholly unique and different down the line.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure
WHERE TO PLAY
Max Caulfield, photographer-in-residence at the prestigious Caledon University, discovers her closest new friend, Safi, dead in the snow.Murdered.To save her, Max tries to Rewind time – a power she’s not used in years… instead, Max opens the way to a parallel timeline where Safi is still alive, and still in danger!Max realizes the killer will soon strike again – in both versions of reality.With her new power to Shift between two timelines – can Max solve and prevent the same murder?ORDINARY GIRL, EXTRAORDINARY POWERMax is thrust into a thrilling supernatural murder mystery – more dangerous than ever before!TRAVERSE TWO TIMELINESForge allies and pursue suspects across two versions of reality, shaping both timelines through unforgettable choices.RACE AGAINST TIMEA relentless detective has Max in his sights, and Safi’s killer grows closer with every clue uncovered. Can Max survive long enough – to do the impossible?DECIDE THE FATE OF CALEDONExplore two versions of a vivid winter campus, each packed with clues, secrets, and tough decisions.
