Sunday at PAX, I had the chance to attend the Life is Strange: Double Exposure panel featuring Felice Kuan, Narrative Director, and Jonathan Stauder, Game Director. Andrea Rene, host of What’s Good Games, did an exceptional job moderating the panel and asking insightful questions about the newest Life is Strange. I’m sure you’re just as excited as I am, so let's dig into some of the burning questions and get a glimpse of what the gameplay will be like for the next Max Caulfield story.
If you remember in Life is Strange 1, we help Max make important choices as she discovers her new power of being able to manipulate time. Double Exposure features an older and wiser version of Max. I was delighted to see that Max’s vibrant personality still shines through as she pursues a residency in photography. The directors also hinted that she’s already made quite a name for herself in photography as well. Throughout the demo preview, I was able to see that her photography skills are highly focused on with the ability to post to Max’s social media as well as using it as a tool to uncover puzzles.
College could be a place where someone reinvents and surrounds themselves with a brand new set of friends. It’s easy to see that Max, while silly at times with her dad jokes, has clearly matured and bonded with new friends, Safi and Moses. Armed with her newfound ability to shift between two parallel realities, Max embarks on a quest to solve the mysterious murder of her friend, Safi.
The scene I witnessed took place shortly after Safi’s murder. Moses, acting suspiciously, had hidden the keys to his office to prevent a detective from conducting a search. Max quickly realized that Moses wasn’t trying to be evasive, but that he was protecting crucial evidence: Safi’s camera. Moses, overwhelmed by grief, didn’t want the police or anyone else to have Safi’s personal photos. He later regretted taking the camera and hid it in his office, but didn’t have enough time to make a decision if he should turn it in, prior to the detective arriving. It’s our job to guide Max as she thinks on her feet to help clear Moses’s name and prevent him from becoming the prime suspect in the case.
What I enjoyed about this scene is it highlights the versatility of Max's newfound power. Instead of rewinding or fast-forwarding time, she can now shift sideways into a parallel reality. Max is limited to designated ‘shift spots’ for traveling between realities, which are clearly marked for the player. Additionally, she can also temporarily pulse her powers to be able to see and hear the difference between the two timelines. Max can pulse anywhere which is extremely useful for gathering information about the other timeline. Later in the demo, I saw how pulsing could be invaluable for stealthily shifting back into a specific reality without being detected. Another interesting feature with her abilities is that the visual effects for shifting and pulsing resemble photography techniques, reflecting Max’s passion for photography.
To avoid spoilers, I won’t delve too deeply into how the scene plays out. However, I can reveal that objects can be transported between timelines which might be a crucial clue related to Safi’s camera. It’s also important to be cautious when doing so, as it may lead to confusion among the characters.
In the final minutes of the panel, they allowed the audience to ask their burning questions. While the directors were able to address some of the questions, others were too close to spoilers. I’d like to highlight a few of the questions that I’m sure are on everyone’s minds.
“Is Chloe still alive?”
Jonathan explains that the player’s choices in the first Life is Strange game will influence certain aspects of Double Exposure. While playing the previous games isn’t necessary, it’s strongly recommended to play 1 & 2 as those choices can provide valuable context for the events in Double Exposure.
“Are there more than two endings?”
I wish I had an answer to this. However, the directors decided this question was a spoiler!
“Is this the last Life is Strange game?”
There is no confirmation that this is the last game or the end of Max’s saga. While they hope this is not the last Life is Strange game, they hope that if it ends up being the end of Max’s story that it feels like a satisfying conclusion to the player.
“Why did you choose Max to be featured in this game?”
Felice emphasized that the conclusion of the first game is just the beginning for Max. Arcadia Bay has remained a significant presence in the minds of the developers, both in Before the Storm and Wavelength. They’ve carefully considered Max’s growth and evolution since the events of the first game. Given the lingering impact of Arcadia Bay, the team felt compelled to bring Max back into the spotlight, allowing players to guide her through the next chapter of her life.
“Are there plans to bring characters from other LIS games all together?”
Jonathan states that there are no Avengers level plans to bring everyone together. He was able to confirm that all the games do take place in the same universe.
I hope that you are just as excited as I am for the release of Life is Strange: Double Exposure. The game will be available on all platforms on October 29th, 2024. However, you can pre-order the Ultimate Edition and enjoy two episodes two weeks early, starting on October 15th, 2024. This edition also includes five additional outfit packs, including a Final Fantasy VII outfit complete with a Moogle hat. You’ll find me immersing myself in Max’s world and enjoying the peaceful ‘Zen moments’ when the game launches!
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