JoeyMag Life is Strange: Double Exposure Review

As a fan of the series, I find it really hard to express my feelings about this game. I was excited yet also nervous about Deck Nine handling a new game centered around Max Caulfield, as I really didn't care for Before the Storm and I found True Colors to be alright, if on the forgettable side. Let's start with what I enjoyed: I really liked Max's return - Hannah Telle's warm, somewhat gravelly delivery brings me back to the same character who I found weirdly relatable almost a decade ago. Max is still awkward, goofy, and soft-spoken, but she also has years of experience and a thriving photography career that informs a new, solid sense of confidence. As for other additions, I found the soundtrack really solid with some songs underlining their scenes beautifully. The visuals are also a welcome change, for the most part. Max's design has been adapted to the more "realistic" look of Life Is Strange in Deck Nine's hands, making her transition to young adulthood more visible. The facial motion capture is especially nice compared to the first game's weirdly static expressions. There are some issues with the depth of field blurring, especially around characters' hair, but generally speaking the visuals are nice. There's also something to be said about the gameplay, which I was pleasantly surprised by. There's a bigger focus on puzzle-oriented gameplay, which I found intriguing even if it sometimes wasn't communicated in the best way. Now for the bad parts: everything else. I mean it. Max's new powers? Rife with inconsistencies. The story? The sloppiest writing in the series so far. The plot holes? Abundant. The new characters? Flat (and sometimes, relentlessly "down bad" for Max). The romance options? Contrived and unappealing. The handling of Chloe and Arcadia Bay? Heavy-handed and uneven, depending on your personal outcome. The DLC? Overpriced and sub-par quality. The ENDING? Abrupt and wholly underwhelming, accompanied by one of the easiest "final choices" I've ever made in these games. Deck Nine had some good ideas for this game, but unfortunately they fumbled the execution on nearly every front. Their inability to wrangle diverging storylines effectively is especially evident here, and it makes me dread whatever they're planning to put Max through next. Despite having a whole five-chapter arc like the original game, a lot of plot elements are rushed and unresolved by the end. Above all, it's a baffling narrative filled with a cast of (mostly) unlikable characters that fails to really grip you like the game DONTNOD so carefully crafted. If you really want to accompany Max on another adventure, I can't blame you. However, I would advise you at least wait for it to go on sale and have some patches under its belt first.