Life is Strange: Double Exposure Reviews
Life is Strange: Double Exposure may not be the continuation of Max’s story we imagined after finishing the first title in the series, but it is certainly a return as unexpected as it is welcome. Deck Nine and Square Enix have managed to bring to life a story with darker, more mature tones.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Reconciling with the past while reaching those same highs, Life is Strange: Double Exposure achieves telling an irresistible page-turner of a mystery that does not let up. Structuring a big reveal at the end of each chapter is not an easy task, yet it is done here masterfully. This thrilling whodunit is wrapped in thoughtful conversations, silly puns, and one of the best gaming soundtracks in recent years, making it a delight to play from beginning to end.
Despite its incredibly beautiful characters, the unique puzzles, and weaving the tale of a truly engaging murder mystery, Double Exposure severely misses the landing and falls completely flat in its final act.
Review in Unknown | Read full review
On one side, we visit a campus that is in a pessimistic mood due to the murder, while on the other side, a colorful campus and energetic people preparing for New Year's events await us.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Life is Strange: Double Exposure brings back Max Caulfield as an adult who faces both personal and supernatural challenges. Although her new powers hold promise, the gameplay tends to feel overly linear, and the pacing is inconsistent. Overall, Double Exposure is an engaging yet flawed continuation of Max’s journey, but it falls short of the series' best moments.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure, took us back to the origins of the Life is Strange franchise. Our iconic protagonist, Max, returns more mature, even as she continues to have overtones of what happened in Arcadia Bay, but definitely more aware of herself and what she needs to do. Her powers have evolved and allow her to live with them and examine the ripple effects that ensue while the new cast of characters, along with the outstanding soundtrack, support a narrative plot rather well, certainly not perfect but one that manages to convince by dealing with important themes even if less impactful than the original. In our opinion, Double Exposure is a compelling adventure that represents something of a potential turning point for further expansion of the LIS universe, and we look forward to its continuation.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a good story, full of interesting characters and nostalgic callbacks to the game that started the franchise. While this continuation of Max Caulfield’s story doesn’t hit quite the same way as the original, it’s still worth experiencing and should satisfy fans.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a wonderful return to Max Caulfield’s story, balancing suspense, nostalgia, and emotional depth with some clever dual-timeline puzzling. The game explores Max’s new chapter in life whilst still honouring her emotional turmoil in the past, giving players a gripping mystery to solve that’ll have them fully invested right until the very end. It’s all complemented by the creative dual-timeline elements of the game, which make for some genuinely clever scenarios that’ll have players feeling like they’re doing some real detective work. I’d be lying if I said certain story elements didn’t feel a bit too exaggerated for my liking, but with the game’s engaging storytelling, creative puzzling, and wonderfully crafted world, it’s easy to find yourself wholly invested in this brilliant new chapter in the Life is Strange universe.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure is the sequel that nobody expected or really wanted, and yet it is exactly what the fans of the franchise deserved.
This installment impresses with a compelling narrative and engaging characters, though some awkward dialogue detracts from the experience. It's a worthy continuation for both fans and newcomers.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure brings Max back with a mystery full of twists and new superpowers that add a new layer to investigation but lacks the emotional punch the franchise is known for.
Life Is Strange: Double Exposure incorporates many elements that made the original Life Is Strange a modern classic. On paper, it promises a winning formula with the return of Max Caulfield, an interconnected universe, and engaging cliffhangers. However, the execution falls short of elevating the overall experience. Like Life Is Strange: True Colors, I had high hopes for this game. The setup is excellent, featuring likable characters, an intriguing premise, and a fantastic soundtrack. The journey is quite enjoyable up to the midpoint, but it seems Deck Nine struggles to deliver a satisfying conclusion for Double Exposure, unlike True Colors.
‘Life is Strange: Double Exposure’ is a direct sequel to the first game that continues Max’s personal growth while providing a solid cast of new characters. However, the pacing feels rushed towards the latter half of the game and gameplay mechanics aren’t as interesting as previous entries.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure is definitely a worthy sequel to Max Caulfield's first adventure. Returning to impersonate the protagonist of the first chapter conveys a decidedly successful nostalgia effect, thanks to the many references present. The new narrative plot is very well told and allows you to immerse yourself in the emotions and feelings of an adult Max. Nevertheless, Deck Nine Games' product is only half successful. This is because the choices given to the player lead to limited changes, without effectively affecting the game's ending. In other words, the sense of freedom is only apparent and replayability suffers greatly. The same goes for the gameplay. The inclusion of alternative dimensions could have opened up a range of options that are almost always reduced to having to enter one reality to pick up an item to use in the other. In short, it seems that Deck Nine Games wanted to do the bare minimum by creating a game that is certainly enjoyable but gets lost in a glass of water. Who knows what would have happened if the American team had had the courage to dare more. Perhaps, there is an alternative world in which this happened.
Review in Italian | Read full review
This is a solid creation from a dedicated team, backed by a brilliant cast and a stellar engine that makes the game look unbelievably good at times. Max Caulfield is back and she's better than ever, and that's all the average fan should need to know to pick up their copy.
The decision to bring Max back was always going to create a tall order for Deck Nine. Despite some familiarity and a few choices not feeling impactful enough, they overall did a good job and have shown they can do the character justice. While their ending payoffs aren’t quite as good as Don’t Nod I’ve still enjoyed how they’ve handled the franchise overall and hopefully they do reign it in a bit in relying on the supernatural aspects in the future.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure is yet another addition to the series that never quite hit the same highs after its initial success with the original. This title feels like the series at its lowest. Not even the return of the beloved main character of the first game was enough to save just how shallow the writing of the game feels after episode 2.
The pace of this game is different from your usual all-in gaming fare. There’s a lot of build up, a lot of character development over hours of gameplay, and actually - not as much gameplay as you’d expect.
Life is Strange Double Exposure is worth your time as it'll stir up some deep emotions (especially if you've played the original). Some bugs detract from the overall enjoyment of the adventure as the story is really fun to play through.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
A compelling return for Max Caulfield with a gripping story and emotional depth, held back by technical issues and repetitive environments.
Review in German | Read full review