This Action Will Not Have Consequences - A Life is strange: Double exposure review.

I’m a really big fan of the Life Is Strange series. So, when I heard there was going to be a new game in the series starring Max Caufield, I was incredibly excited. However, I am afraid that my review is mixed at best. There are several categories that the game excels about, but the main plot of the game isn’t enough to entice new audiences to the series. This article contains spoilers of Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Double Exposure. 

Main story

The main reason why my review is so mixed is because of the story itself. The game seems as if it cannot decide on a main plotline, and changes so much that it feels jarring to play. The plot is very strong in the first chapter, with the main purpose of the game seeming to be finding the killer of Safiya, Max’s new best friend from the university she now works at. As far as the first two chapters go, this plot is incredibly captivating. The game has a lot of explorative parts that you can explore, some really great characters you can meet and some genuinely interesting parts to the murder you can find. The story completely changes at the end of chapter 2, when it is revealed that Max shot Safi herself. The story moves more in the direction of trying to figure out why Max would shoot Safi in the first place, rather than being a murder mystery. This is very interesting, but it doesn’t feel like it belongs in the middle of the game whatsoever. At the end of Chapter 3, we find out that Safi also has powers, and can shapeshift. Shapeshifting is a very cool addition to the game, and the reveal scene is incredible, but it once again changes the story’s direction completely. The complete changes in direction of the story so frequently comes across as jarring, with a lot of the questions from before going unanswered. Plus, the plot of chapter 4 is weak as a whole, with the plot focused on exposing a man for stealing work off of a dead student than trying to figure out the overall mystery. It starts to feel rushed, in a strange direction. 

Ending

Another main reason the game has such a mixed review is the ambiguity of the ending. The ending seems constructed to do two main things: nostalgia-bait long term fans of the series, and set up for a potential sequel. The ending features a lot of content that you can only understand upon playing the original Life is Strange, which is disappointing for a game marketed to be a stand-alone sequel. It also mirrors the ending from the first game, featuring a long nightmare sequence that never gets explained. So many plot points within the game are thrown away or not explained at all, in hopes of convincing the players to play the teased sequel. The game just feels unfinished, and incomplete. We are left with so many questions, such as wondering what happened to Alderman, or what powers Diamond has. Safi’s motivation as an antagonist also doesn’t have enough stakes in it for you to really care at all. Sure, the scene with the gun is cool, but you barely spend any time with either characters. It feels incredibly forced. However, the scene where Safi changes into different characters is incredible, mirroring Rachel’s meltdown in Before the Storm in a way. 

Choices

The choice options might be the biggest let down of the game. Every choice you make feels insignificant, with practically no consequences being given regardless. The first choice is a harsh reminder to long term fans that the company does not respect both endings, with even the ending of choosing Bae over Bay is disrespected. For her importance in being the first choice, Chloe barely gets a mention in the game either way. The Loretta choice in the first chapter also seems to only have a  singular short term impact either way, and neither actually feels like a good option. The choices including Lucas all feel very black and white, with one option usually making him dislike you and the other doing the opposite. The choices in the first half of the game appear to have no direct consequences beyond the character's emotions. The Alderman choice simply doesn’t have many consequences because he disappears very quickly afterwards, and he never returns. When he disappears, the outcome is the same regardless of the choice. No choices made in chapter 3 or 4 seem to have any consequence at all for anybody except Vinh. There is only one choice in chapter 5, and once again, it has no consequence. You simply are either friendly with Safi, or not. The choices in the game are practically just options for additional dialogue, with no real impact on the story that you can create. The whole motto for Life Is Strange is ‘This action will have consequences’, so to have a  whole game without consequence is frankly disappointing. 

Characters

As much as I dislike the story of the game, most characters have a good level of depth and likeability to them. I found myself particularly enjoying the characters of Amanda, Moses and Diamond throughout. Every character feels very human, with their own mannerisms, personality and feelings toward the situation that they are in. Even the more dislikable characters, Vinh and Lucas, feel very human. The characters are mostly enjoyable to talk to, and it feels as if you actually have a connection with them. They feel like characters that I could actually be friends with. 

Romance

Deck Nine only truly manages to create one good romance option within Double Exposure. Amanda’s romance route is brilliantly thought out: It’s sweet, and Amanda is truly a character that you would want to romance. The date scene is incredibly cute, with a lovely imaginary scene that has more options than half the chapters in the game. Although she decides that she wants to be friends by the end, you aren’t left irritated by the decision, just hopeful that she will return. However, the decision you can make as Max to romance her in a different timeline if she rejects you is incredibly creepy, and is brought up by Amanda later. Overall though, she was an amazing addition to the series’ list of romance options. Vinh, on the other hand, is strange throughout the game. He makes a lot of creepy, unwanted comments towards Max and plays on a lot of the stereotypes men have. His date scene is also significantly worse than Amanda’s, with them playing a game and kissing as a result of that. The entire scene is creepy, and it doesn’t feel satisfying in any way. It is obvious who the game thinks is the better option for Max. 

Visuals and sound

As much as I dislike some of the other elements of the game, the visuals and sound are the best in any game yet. The designs are stunning, and the game feels smoother and sleeker than ever before. Almost every scene feels perfect for the conversations and characters, it truly gives the game such a feeling of life. You can’t help yourself leaving to explore the stunning atmosphere that the game presents to you. The characters in particular look amazing, with each character having their own mannerisms, particular ways of moving, tics, and other incredibly human characteristics. The sound element is also incredible, using songs such as ‘September’ by Chloe Moriondo to enhance the incredible nature of the game. The menu song (‘Someone was listening’ by Dodie) sets the atmosphere before you’ve even played the game. Every song choice feels perfectly curated by Deck Nine to enhance the game, and it is truly incredible what it does to the feel of it. The voices are also another outstanding feature of the game, with every voice fitting the character perfectly. Hannah Telle especially delivers another immaculate performance as Max, revising her role in the most perfect of ways. 

Place as a sequel

The game cannot decide whether or not it wants to be a sequel. The story is marketed as a stand alone game, with new characters and a completely new setting. However, the old characters are brought up so frequently that it is impossible to truly establish this game as a stand alone. The nightmare sequence is full of references that you cannot possibly understand if you haven’t played the first game, potentially confusing all new players to the series. The story also makes strange choices about old characters, especially Chloe Price. If you keep her alive, Chloe breaks up with Max because she is ‘stuck in the past, and Chloe is a free spirit’. The break up overall is understandable, but it is given such a strange reason that contradicts directly with Chloe’s personality. They also choose to have Chloe befriend Victoria Chase, which feels incredibly out of character for a girl that is known for her ability to hold a grudge. However, the ending hints at her possibly coming in the new sequel. 

Overall, I would rate the game a 6.5/10. While the game is visually and audibly stunning, the story of the game is something I cannot look past, especially as a blog that talks especially about that element of gaming. While the characters are amazing, the choices are weak. For every positive I find about the game I unfortunately find a stronger negative. However, the game is still enjoyable, just maybe not all it was advertised to be. All opinions stated are subjective.