Life is Strange: Double Exposure, the latest game in the long-running franchise, tells a brand-new story with a beloved returning character. Everything fans have come to love about the series returns in full, bringing together an emotional story and compelling powers-based gameplay to create something unique and engaging. Let’s take a look at any burning questions you may have about this fresh entry in the world of Life is Strange.
Is Life is Strange: Double Exposure a direct sequel?
The original Life is Strange remains a favorite among series fans, so it makes sense that developer Deck Nine would want to revisit the game’s characters at some point. Though a prequel titled Life is Strange: Before the Storm examined Chloe’s life leading up to her meeting Life is Strange’s protagonist Max, there had yet to be a sequel looking into what happened in the years after the events in Arcadia Bay.
That’s where Life is Strange: Double Exposure comes in. Yes, it’s a full-blown sequel to the first game, which picks up a full ten years after the events that transpired in that initial entry. While the story of the first game still has an effect on Max and the lives of those around her (more on that below), this new adventure is also a fine jumping-in point for new players—meaning you don’t necessarily have to have played the original to get a complete, cohesive tale from this one.
Max has left Arcadia Bay and is now a photographer at a prestigious university—but we all know that things won’t go too smoothly for our heroine. Instead, Max soon finds her friend Safi dead, prompting a series of events that leads to her learning she has the power to switch between multiple timelines—one in which Safi is dead and another where she’s somehow still alive. This ultimately allows you to weave in and out the two timelines, as Max inches closer to learning who killed Safi, and finding out whether she can stop them.
How does Life is Strange: Double Exposure handle Life is Strange’s multiple endings?
SPOILER FOR LIFE IS STRANGE!
At the end of the original Life is Strange, Max is faced with one of the hardest decisions anyone could ever imagine: save her friend’s life or save the entirety of Arcadia Bay. Both of these decisions obviously resulted in unique, bittersweet endings, begging players to replay the game and see how things would’ve turned out had they made a different decision.
With this in mind, you may be wondering how Life is Strange: Double Exposure handles this canonically. Well, good news: It doesn’t really matter which ending you chose originally, as a moment early in the game grants you the choice to pick which ending you’d prefer as canon.
Your journal, texts, and even character interactions differ based on which choice you make, yet again giving you plenty of reasons to pick the opposite option at the beginning of a second playthrough to see how those older events shaped the world for Max and those around her.
How many chapters are in Life is Strange: Double Exposure?
Unlike previous games in the franchise, Life is Strange: Double Exposure is not an episodic title. However, it is still split up in a way that feels similar to the episodic nature of older games in the series. It contains five chapters, with each leading up to an important moment in the story that will shape what’s to come.
Each chapter can take you between two to four hours to finish, depending on whether you push through the main narrative beats or take your time exploring, checking out the sights, and engaging in optional collectible hunting. As such, you can expect to spend somewhere between 10 to 15 hours completing the full game based on your playstyle.
What platforms is Life is Strange: Double Exposure released on?
Life is Strange: Double Exposure is available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. If you’re using older platforms like PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, you won’t be able to purchase or play this entry in the series, unfortunately.
Can my PC run Life is Strange: Double Exposure?
If you opt to play Life is Strange: Double Exposure on PC, you may be curious whether your rig is up to the task. Luckily, the game isn’t as demanding as more graphically intense titles, but you’ll still need a computer with reasonably modern hardware to keep up.
Here are the minimum and recommended specs for the game.
Minimum Specs:
- Windows 10
- Intel Core i5-2400 / AMD FX-6300
- 12GB RAM
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960, 4 GB / AMD Radeon RX 470, 4GB / Intel Arc A380, 6GB
- DirectX 12
Recommended Specs:
- Windows 10
- Intel Core i7-7700K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600
- 12GB RAM
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super, 8GB / AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, 12GB
- DirectX 12
Does Life is Strange: Double Exposure have accessibility settings?
Life is Strange: Double Exposure features a solid suite of accessibility settings you can access via Settings > Accessibility. Here’s what you can change in this menu:
- Longer Choice Times – Increased time to make decisions.
- Camera Assist – Automatically controls the camera, removing the need for manual adjustment.
- Camera Shake – Turns off camera shaking and rumbling.
- Simple Power Effects – Reduces the brightness of Max’s shift power.
- Major Choice Confirmation – Prompts you to confirm any major choices before continuing.
- Skip Gameplay – Lets you skip gameplay segments that prove too difficult for some players.
- Hotspot Pinging – Reveals all of the interaction points in an area after pressing the key you’ve selected for this feature.
- Hotspot Sound In Range – Plays a sound when you can interact with a nearby hotspot.
- Alternate Power Controls – Lets you press a single key for using powers rather than multiple/holding keys.
- Power UI Indicator – Adds a UI element for all Shift spots.
- Display Timelines – Adjusts if and when the current timeline is displayed.
- Focal Circle – Enables a focal circle.
- Content Warning Pause – Warns you of content that may be triggering or offensive.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure is available now for all platforms, so get out there and start, uh, double exposing!
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