The reveal trailer for Life is Strange Double Exposure was livestreamed on June 13, offering fans an exciting one-hour deep dive into gameplay, behind-the-scenes insights, and an overview of what to expect from the game. Here’s everything you need to know from the reveal. Spoilers ahead, of course.
Max’s power and age in Life is Strange Double Exposure
At the start of the reveal trailer, we catch a glimpse of Max Caulfield as she mentions her vow to never use her powers again. It appears that over a decade has passed since the events of the original game, making Max now 30 years old and a student at Caledon University.
In an interview shown in the livestream, game director Jonathan Sout and narrative director Feliz Quan discussed Max’s evolution. Quan likened Max’s loss of her rewind power to losing fluency in a language: Since she hasn’t used it in a long while, she simply can’t anymore.
The catalyst for Max’s new power is the tragic murder of her friend Safi. Just moments after hanging out with Safi and another friend, Max begins to hear unexplained voices, leading to a surge of power that allows her to shift timelines. Jonathan and Feliz explained that Max will struggle with her new power, often finding it difficult to distinguish between timelines. Quan emphasized that this new ability is an evolution of her powers rather than a replacement.
Which ending is Canon in Life is Strange Double Exposure?
Jonathan and Feliz confirmed that they respect both choices from the devastating final decision in the original game. This likely means that players will face a similar prompt to the one in Life is Strange 2, where you choose whether you saved or destroyed Arcadia Bay. This decision will influence the narrative in Life is Strange Double Exposure, maintaining the series’ tradition of player choice.
Where is Chloe Price?
Chloe Price makes a brief appearance in a Polaroid picture that Max carries in her wallet. The developers mention that early in the game, Max has a heartfelt conversation with her new close friend, Safi, at a diner reminiscent of the first game’s setting. During this chat, Safi asks Max about the blue-haired girl in the photo.
Players can choose to respond with “We were just friends” or “We were high school sweethearts.” The use of “were” suggests that regardless of whether you saved Chloe or not, she is not a significant part of Max’s current life.
What Max did after the storm
In the reveal trailer, Max mentions to Safi that she is grateful for Safi’s mother, who threw her a “lifeline” while she was in “freelance hell” for a long time. This gives players some context about Max’s life over the past decade, regardless of whether Chloe was part of it or not.
Life is Strange Double Exposure is available for preorder now and is set to release on Oct. 29, 2024.
