The 2010s saw a wave of interactive animated films in the world of video games, led by Telltale Games and their excellent adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s “The Walking Dead.” Telltale will release the game in chapters, almost like a limited series comic book on a monthly release schedule. And they’ll expand to “Wallace & Gromit,” “Back to the Future,” “Jurassic Park,” “Game of Thrones,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” and other notable franchises.
However, they were not alone. 2015 saw the release of one of the most popular interactive games of all time, “Until Dawn,” which was recently released in a PS5 remaster, and the same year saw the launch of Dontnode Entertainment and Square Enix’s “Life Is Strange.” Gaya, which is really excellent. Excerpt from the video game’s story about a young woman named Max who discovers she can turn back time, but discovers that fixing an error in the timeline does not necessarily lead to more errors. It was followed by a prequel titled “Before the Storm” and two sequels with new protagonists in 2018 (“Life is Strange 2”) and 2021 (“True Colors”). Nearly a decade after the original, the franchise returns to its first hero in “Life Is Strange: Double Exposure,” a game that reminds what worked well about the original as well as revives some unexpected shortcomings. Did.
It’s been several years since the activity we saw in the original in Arcadia Bay; As an adult. Max Caulfield (voiced by Hannah Telle, who is doing excellent work here) works as a photographer at Caledon University. sadly, and Controversial for some fans of the originalChloe, the love of Max’s life around whom the first game largely revolved, is easily rejected by the early game’s decision as to whether she is dead or they have broken up, leading to Max meeting new characters at school. Joins a group of.
After a prologue introducing players to Max’s close friends Safi and Moses, Max gets the Safi shot. When she attempts to turn back time to save him, Max is transported to an alternate timeline in which Safdie is still alive. Can she use her ability to jump between these two realities to find out who killed Safi? And can she stop it from happening?
Whereas “Until Dawn” and even some Telltale games feature action in which characters can die, “Life is Strange” is about dialogue decisions that affect storytelling and behavior more than the actual stakes. You can’t die here. There are no checkpoints. At worst, you get a little frustrated when you can’t find a character (probably just me) on the quad to advance the story or possibly within a puzzle (though most of those in this game are arguably very simple). Can.
It’s much like watching an interactive movie, in that you can make many small and some big decisions, usually in dialogue, that change the story. Most of these changes are incredibly minor, determining how some of Caledon’s characters feel about Max. Flirt with a character, and it may make it easier to get what you want from them later. Betray the other and may have to uncover a different path. And, of course, all of these dialogue choices affect the ending.
Sorta. Compared to the best games, it feels like the player has very little control over what unfolds in “Double Exposure.” Again, the puzzles are remarkably easy to solve, even without taking full advantage of Max’s timeline power that allows him to jump between the “living” and “dead” worlds. And dialogue choices play less of a writerly role than usual. It often feels like the story will remain the story, no matter what your Max says or does. The best of these games create a true sense of authorship, with players working closely with developers to tell a story. It feels more like watching it than playing it.
Having said that, it is a very compelling watch. Although it would have been nice to have a few more settings, Max Caulfield’s world – mostly consisting of the school buildings, his house, and a bar called the Snapping Turtle – is gorgeously presented. The characters are well designed and showcased, especially the vulnerable work done by Telly, who cleverly portrays a woman who has learned through the experience of the first game that, with great power also comes great responsibility. Is. The score is also excellent, as is the occasional use of original new music that could be described as Billie-Eilish-esque. It’s also interesting to see how the developers differentiate the timelines with color palettes – the world was much more drab in that timeline when Saffi was murdered – though they also went more with the emotional impact of grief on the world around Max. Could have done more.
While there’s a lot to like about the story of “Double Exposure,” I’d still like the game to take a turn that draws me in rather than forcing me to make dialogue choices over and over again or take snapshots every now and then. Have to rely on a casual observer. , The attempt to incorporate modern forms of communication like text messaging and social posting seems half-hearted, though I’m not sure there’s a perfect way to make a fake social post interesting to read. This may be indicative of my age, and there may be younger people who are looking for an “Instagram simulator.” After all, life is stranger than ever.
The publisher provided a review copy of this title. It is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and Windows.