I started Life is Strange: Double Exposure having some of my favorite gaming experiences of 2024 and ended it with some of my worst. I’ve never seen a game do such a 180 in quality for its final 1-2 episodes. Because Double Exposure isn’t even out yet, these are my spoiler-free thoughts. Normally I abstain from quick, less detailed write-ups like this but I had such a strong, negative reaction to the final episode of Life is Strange: Double Exposure I needed to talk about it as quickly as the embargo allowed. 

The letdown is so colossal that I don’t recommend this game at all. The highs I experienced are completely marred by the final delivery. And to be clear, when I say ending I don’t mean any final choice or last cutscene (also bad!). I mean the ending (starting halfway into Chapter 4): the rising action, climax, and resolution that make up the game's final section.

Fall from Grace

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a case study in how even the best narrative games can fall from grace when it comes time to land the plane. I can’t emphasize enough how fantastic LiS: DE was in its initial three episodes. The plot was twisting. The choices were deliciously grey and I winced when I made my selections. I recoiled at the results when it didn’t go my way; I was hesitant to celebrate even when it did. And there were many times when, hours later, I found myself wishing I had made a different choice now that I had more information. But that’s life. More importantly, that’s Life is Strange baby. 

This title had all the makings of another banger from Deck Nine. The first two episodes, which were available two weeks early if you pre-purchased the Ultimate Edition, set up a wild plot. And when I returned to play the full game I was thrilled to see Deck Nine had even more exciting reveals up its sleeve. 

Bringing Max Back Isn’t What Ruined the Narrative…

The choice to bring Max back was controversial, but I’m not precious about adding to “finished stories,” and the development team seemed confident in their vision. Some would argue they could’ve done this same story with any new character and not lost much. But I felt their use of Max was as purposeful as it could be. I felt the weight of the trauma and grief. And having a known character let them build on her abilities and attitude. Early on, they leveraged Max well even though there will always be a sector of the audience who hated to see her leveraged at all. 

Double Exposure is not bad because Deck Nine “ruined” Max’s story. Double Exposure is bad because the story they’re telling is unsatisfying, sloppy, and uninteresting. I have a lot of questions and not because this was a compelling setup or a layered mystery but because a lot of threads are just left hanging. The ending felt rushed. I kept thinking when are we were going to get back to the story and when the game ended I realized we’re just not. 

Life is Strange: Double Exposure takes a hard pivot to nowhere. It turns out the biggest plot twist was Deck Nine failing to stick the landing. I was told I'd come out of LiS: DE saying "I needed that" but I came out of it saying no one needed that. I finished the game expecting a narrative sweater, something comforting and carefully woven, and what I got was nothing but fabric scraps.

But…

Without getting into spoilers Deck Nine does poke at the fabric of what a Life is Strange game is and what we can expect from the franchise going forward in a way that’s frustrating for fans who have gotten used to its structure. But its integration of the first game is far more reflection than revisionist history. 

I’m all for shaking the table. I’m all for studios giving fans what we don’t know we want. But switchups only work if you have the sauce to deliver. If you can quiet haters and concerned fans with actual quality.

Deck Nine didn’t.

So now that they’re, seemingly, doing something usual with the franchise itself I’m not down for it. Not because I need Life is Strange to always be what it has been but because I need Life is Strange to be a good video game. 

My Life is Strange Fandom Going Forward 

As gutted as I am for how bad Life is Strange: Double Exposure ended up being it’s important to remember that it takes more than one misstep to ruin a track record. Deck Nine could still have it. I just hope I don’t end up playing these games for years to come just to report on the ways they have disappointed me.