Life is Strange: Double Exposure

Deck Nine’s return to original Life Is Strange protagonist Max Caufield has been controversial in the eyes of long-time fans. It breaks up the community’s One True Pairing without much ceremony (which I can live with), and also seems to be making a play at turning the whole thing into a capital-F Franchise, full of crossovers and superhero team-ups (which I’m less thrilled about).

But before it starts to get too big for its britches, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure is filled with as much melodramatic heart as any of the other games in the supernatural young-adult drama. I was skeptical about returning to Max, as I’ve often viewed the series as beautiful vignettes exploring different lived experiences through the lens of supernatural, emotionally explosive moments. But I was enthralled by seeing her story move forward, finding out the woman she would grow to be, and seeing how so many of the quirks I remember weren’t wiped away with age. I don’t know what the future holds, and Double Exposure sets up something that sounds like the opposite of what I want, but I still found a lot to love in checking in on Max. — Kenneth Shepard