Get a closer look at Life is Strange: Double Exposure
The Reveal Livestream gave you a close-up look at Max’s new adventure. Watch it here and read some highlights.We know a lot of you wanted to see more of Life is Strange: Double Exposure, following its big announce a few days ago. And today’s Reveal Livestream did just that.
Game Director Jonathan Stauder and Narrative Director Felice Kuan from developer Deck Nine Games were joined by Max Caulfield actor Hannah Telle and host Elyse Willems to talk about the game and offer up an extended look at gameplay.
You can view the full presentation below and we recommend you do. It’s full of information and it’s a lot of fun to watch:
Here are just some of the things we revealed.
It acknowledges both endings of Life is Strange
If you played the original Life is Strange, you’ll remember that the game could end in two wildly different ways depending on your choices… and we’ll say no more on that to avoid spoilers.
So, which ending does this new game follow on from? The answer is either of them.
Felice Kuan, Narrative Director, explains: “We knew that this had to be something special. We also knew we had to respect the two unforgettable endings to the first chapter of Max’s story, while also crafting something new.”
You’ll see how the endings connect when you play the full game but rest assured that the events you experienced in the original adventure will remain ‘canon’ to you.
And if you never played the original game, don’t worry because…
It’s a fresh start for Max - and players!
Max is now photographer-in-residence at Caledon University and provides guidance and mentorship to the young artists studying there. This is a new beginning for Max - an attempt to move on from her past and start fresh somewhere else. She’s made new friends, a new home, and a new life. That means you can dive in without any pre-existing knowledge of previous games - something that was important to the creative team.
According to Kuan, the team wanted to create “something fresh, that echoed and acknowledged Max’s past challenges, even as it moved her personal story forward. Welcoming in new players from the very beginning, while giving fans the story they didn’t know they wanted.”
Jonathan Stauder also added: “It was very important for us that for folks entirely brand new to the franchise, and brand new to Max Caulfield as a character, that everything they need to know about her is right there in Life is Strange: Double Exposure.”
In other words, it’s a perfect starting point for new players!
Max has new friends
We mentioned new friends - Max has built a network of interesting characters, and each one is a complex and fascinating personality in their own right.
We meet two of her closest in the gameplay shown in the stream: Safi and Moses. Moses is an astrophysicist and Safi’s best friend. Because of his science background, he’s someone Max is able to lean on during the investigation - if she’s willing to open up to him about her powers, at least.
Safi is Max’s closest friend at Caledon. She’s outgoing, positive, and deeply curious - a stark contrast to Max’s more withdrawn nature at the start of the game. Unfortunately for Safi, she’s also the victim of an impossible murder…
The game is a murder mystery…
Safi’s death is the inciting incident for what soon becomes a gripping murder mystery story. Her death seems truly impossible - there are no footprints in the snow, no witnesses, no obvious reason.
Unravelling the mystery behind her tragic demise is no easy task - Max will have follow clues, identify suspects, and pick apart the many threads of this complex case.
But, you may be wondering, why is Max the only one who can solve this crime? It’s not just because her closeness to Safi gives her the edge in understanding her, it’s also because…
Max has amazing powers
In the original Life is Strange, Max had the ability to rewind time. It’s been many years since she used that power, and when she tries to tap into it to solve Safi’s murder, she realizes that it’s not the same as it was.
Max’s actor Hannah Telle explains it best: “As Max has evolved, her powers have evolved too. She didn't use that power for a really long time because it creates so much devastation. So, it adapted into something different. She now has this supernatural ability to move between two timelines, giving her a unique position to figure out what's really going on with Safi’s murder.”
In this second timeline, Safi is still alive… but Max quickly realizes that the murderer is still out there. It’s a race against the clock to solve the mystery of the murder in one timeline and prevent it from happening in the other.
Max’s powers are key to solving the crime
Once she’s got to grips with her new abilities, Max is able to use them to investigate the crime in some pretty clever ways.
One of her most useful powers is Pulse. This lets her extend her supernatural sense to grab a glimpse of people and objects in the other timeline, while remaining in her current one. This allows her to eavesdrop on conversations, follow suspects and more - all without them knowing.
She can also Shift physically into the other timeline at Shift Spots. Once she’s found one, she can instantly transport herself to the other environment, allowing her to talk to suspects who won’t open up in the other timeline, get through previously locked doors and much more.
The timelines are distinctly different
The host of the stream - Elyse Willems - asked a good question: with two timelines, how do you avoid being confused as to which one you’re in?
Firstly, as the creators are keen to stress, it is pretty confusing for Max! But the two timelines feel distinct, despite being the same location. Areas will look different due to the events of the story, weather patterns are different and other changes besides.
It means that each timeline has its own distinct feel, which helps keep things clear - and fun to explore!
Life is Strange: Double Exposure releases October 29, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PC via Windows Store and Steam, and is available to preorder now on these platforms.
Three Editions are available, Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate, with some awesome bonuses, including additional Outfit Packs for Max (including some based on FINAL FANTASY VII!). Best of all, by pre-ordering the Ultimate Edition, you can get advanced access to Chapters 1 and 2 - two weeks ahead of the release of the full game!
There’s also a SE Store-exclusive Collector’s Box, that can be purchased separately, or alongside whichever Edition you prefer. With a limited edition 12” vinyl soundtrack from the game at its core, it’s the perfect bonus for any fan.
Here’s what’s available:
Life is Strange: Double Exposure (standard edition)
Available digitally and physically, this edition includes:
The full game
It’s available to preorder now:
Life is Strange: Double Exposure Deluxe Edition
Available digitally, this edition gives you two extra Outfit Packs for Max, with 10 exclusive designs. It includes:
The full game
Spooky Outfit Pack - Just Haunt It! coat and indoor outfits Maxidermy, Ragdoll Max, Max Ghoulfield, and Max O’Lantern.
Decades Outfit Pack - 90s Grunge coat and indoor outfits 50s Rockabilly, 70s Flower Power, 80s Mallrat, 60s Psychedelia.
It's available to preorder now:
Life is Strange: Double Exposure Ultimate Edition
Available digitally, this edition includes five outfit packs for Max and exclusive cat content! Yes, that’s as adorably awesome as it sounds.
It also gives advanced access to Chapters 1 and 2, two weeks ahead of the release of the full game. Here’s what’s included:
The full game
Spooky Outfit Pack - Just Haunt It! coat and indoor outfits Maxidermy, Ragdoll Max, Max Ghoulfield, and Max O’Lantern.
Decades Outfit Pack - 90s Grunge coat and indoor outfits 50s Rockabilly, 70s Flower Power, 80s Mallrat, 60s Psychedelia.
FINAL FANTASY VII Outfit Pack - Moogle coat and indoor outfits Chocobo, Cactuar, Bomb, and Tonberry.
Fan Favorite Outfit Pack - Hawt Dawg Man coat and indoor outfits Free Bird, Classic Doe, Wolf Squad, and Misfit Skull.
Paw Prints Cat Outfit Pack - Leopard Print Camo coat and indoor outfits Awesome Pawsome, Peek Purple, Feline Fine, and Hang In There.
Exclusive Cat Content - When Max discovers a lost cat, she knows she must reunite it with its owner! This adorable task runs throughout the game, adding tons of feline fun to the mystery.
It's available to preorder now:
Life is Strange: Double Exposure Collector’s Box (SE Store Exclusive)
Available exclusively from the Square Enix Store, the Collector’s Box is full of awesome Life is Strange goodies - your perfect accompaniment to your journey through Caledon University.
This does not contain the game, so purchase it alongside a digital or boxed version of the game.
- Collector’s Box
- 12” Vinyl Soundtrack with 13 songs from the game
- 32pp Mini Hardcover Artbook with exclusive concept art
- 4 Double-Sided 12” Artcards
- Max’s Owl Pin Replica
It's available to preorder now:
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