I loved Life is Strange: Double Exposure. I found it to be a relatable narrative adventure that resonated with me on a deep level. But I can’t say I’m too excited about what’s next for the series.
Most of Double Exposure is a contained and personal adventure about Max Caulfield learning to process her trauma, become a better person, and ultimately help others. It reminded me of what makes this series so great: it’s intimate, emotional, character-focused, and doesn’t fall into common superhero story clichés. Life is Strange games may follow people with superpowers, but these characters aren’t Spider-Man or Batman.
They’re teenagers or young adults who gain powers at critical moments in their lives and use them to overcome personal conflicts that also affect those around them. But with how Double Exposure ends, it seems like Deck Nine is setting the stage for an Avengers-style team-up of superpowered characters. As a longtime fan of the series who has enjoyed both Don’t Nod and Deck Nine’s titles, I don’t want that to happen.
Spoilers to follow for Life is Strange: Double Exposure.
Life is Strange protagonists, assemble!
The big twist about halfway through Double Exposure is that Max’s friend, Safi, also has powers. Safi can shape-shift into people she knows and uses that to get revenge on the people who wronged one of her friends. This ultimately results in another storm like the one at the end of the first Life is Strange, but Max fights to free Safi from this inner turmoil while preventing her death. In that process, Safi learns Max also has powers and is amazed by it.
At the end of the adventure, Safi decides to leave Caledon, mentioning that she wants to search for other people with powers now that she knows she’s not alone in having them. A post-credits scene shows her recruiting Diamond, a student at Caledon, after she gets a nosebleed indicating that she has powers. Finally, at the end of the credits, a message triumphantly announces that “Max Caulfield will return.”
That all seems to suggest that there’s another Life is Strange game on the way and that it will star multiple superpowered characters beyond Max and Safi. It’s not hard to imagine Deck Nine going for an Avengers-style team-up, bringing back characters like Daniel from Life is Strange 2 and Alex from Life is Strange: True Colors. Developer comments also head in that direction.
Speaking to Inverse, game director Jonathan Stauder said “never say never” in regards to bringing back older characters and admitted that “there’s a lot of flexibility and freedom there to explore different stories, bringing back past characters and integrating them with new ones.” That all is too close to how the Marvel Cinematic Universe handles its business for my liking.
No need for a connected universe
If you’re looking at Life is Strange as a franchise about superpowered characters, it initially makes sense why Deck Nine or Square Enix may want to emulate the MCU formula. I think doing so is a fool’s errand. I’m a huge fan of superheroes and kinder to the MCU than most, but that’s just not Life is Strange.
Life is Strange is endearing because it is an anthology franchise. It’s a series of timeless coming-of-age tales encouraging self-reflection and telling grounded stories with a fantastical twist. They are stories where characters’ powers are just as thematically important as they are to the gameplay or action.
With what Double Exposure’s ending teases, I’m worried that Life is Strange 5 will be some sort of “superheroes versus the storm” premise that glorifies the superpowers its protagonists wield. I am fine with Max and Safi’s return and could also see a sequel with multiple superpowered characters working out OK, but I’m incredibly worried that a Life is Strange game focused on teaming superpowered characters up will forget what makes this series so special in the first place.
Superhero teams like The Avengers are a fun concept, but they do not provide a formula that would work well in the Life is Strange universe. I can’t imagine how diluting what makes Life is Strange special so it’s more similar to other superhero media would speak to the series’ strengths. I just hope that Deck Nine is cautious as it creates a follow-up to Double Exposure.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure is available now for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. It’s also in development for Nintendo Switch.