It's been a busy old time as of late with new game releases dropping left, right and centre - which means we haven't got around to taking on a review for Life is Strange: Double Exposure here at Pure Xbox. However, the game itself launches tomorrow and some early reviews are starting to go live - so we thought we'd round up a bunch of early impressions for the new Life is Strange title.
Without further ado, here's what folks are saying about Life is Strange: Double Exposure:
The Nerd Stash (10/10)
"If all you want is a cool supernatural mystery, it offers that. If you want more, it offers that, too. It’s not flawless, but it’s so good the flaws don’t matter, at least to me. If you’re a human being and a fan of the genre, I couldn’t recommend Double Exposure more enthusiastically."
IGN (9/10)
"After several attempts to recapture what made the original Life is Strange so enduring, developer Deck Nine Games really knocked it out of the park with Life is Strange: Double Exposure. This is a worthy sequel to a game that captured the hearts and minds of millions of people way back in 2015, myself included. The writing is great, the music is excellent, the cinematography and acting are top-notch, and Max’s new powers are a fun and intuitive fit for its murder mystery structure."
COGConnected (8/10)
"Life is Strange: Double Exposure tackles the difficult task of continuing the story of a beloved character and successfully executes it in a way that respects the series’ legacy while pushing the franchise forward. With strong writing and a cast of compelling characters, this science-fiction murder mystery will keep you engaged with every twist and turn. While closely connected to its predecessors and a finale that may be divisive, this extension of Max’s story showcases Deck Nine’s expertise as one of the industry’s leaders in narrative-driven games"
Digital Spy (4/5)
"Double Exposure may fall a little short when compared to some of the previous games in the series, but Max Caulfield's return is still a riveting (and wild) ride. Max is as caring and likeable as ever. We loved spending time with her again – from her adorably awkward attempts at flirting at the start through to the dramatic if slightly uneven climax – and would more than welcome further stories with her."
GamesRadar (7/10)
"It's exploration of powers left me wanting more. Fans of Life is Strange will likely get more out of the experience than those going in cold turkey, but Double Exposure is worth checking out if you're looking to get stuck into a twisty mystery - though I'd still say it's worth trying the original first."
Push Square (6/10)
"If it seems like we’re dogging on this latest outing for the series, it’s only because we know just how unique and entertaining it can be. Double Exposure isn’t a bad game, it’s just not the series at its best. It loses some of that inviting atmosphere with Caledon paling in comparison to Haven Springs or Arcadia Bay, and its narrative suffers from an overreliance on the supernatural. But we’d be lying if we said it wasn’t great to see Max Caulfield return and we still think it's worth checking out if you’re a fan of the series."
Eurogamer (3/5)
"Despite Double Exposure's finer moments and startling vision to move the series forward, what's here now doesn't feel as assured a step as I'd have liked. While visually polished, there's one too many narrative rough edges and not enough resolution when all is said and done."
Dexerto (4/10)
"Life is Strange: Double Exposure struggles to deliver its narrative and direction. It feels more like a side story than a worthy sequel for Max Caulfield’s second outing. However, the visual and audio improvements coupled with a unique core gameplay mechanic provide hope that the franchise can steer itself back on track and once again reach the game glory as True Colors, so long as the next entry reclaims what made Life is Strange so special in the first place."
At the time of posting, Life is Strange: Double Exposure has a Metacritic rating of 75 and a score of 72 on Open Critic, so yeah - while this latest Life is Strange could be worth it for diehard fans, it might be worth waiting on if you only have a passing interest in this new entry.
Were you hoping for more from Double Exposure? Tell us what you make of these reviews down below.
Comments 11
A bit of a mixed bag but overall more positive than I was expecting so that’s a pleasant surprise. I didn’t have high hopes for this one honestly, so it’s good to see it exceeded my worst fears and some reviewers were able to really enjoy it. I guess it’s always going to be highly subjective with these narrative-heavy gameplay-light experiences. Sounds like it’s not a technical, buggy mess so that’s good. I really enjoyed the original so I’ll definitely give this one a shot sooner rather than later - I have some rewards points to burn so maybe will use those.
I visit Push Square a lot too, I don't really have a horse in in console war race, so I play on every machine.
Said that. Man, Push Square reviews have some of the worst takes I've seen published. Last week's review of Mechwarrior 5 Clans was awful.
That game is not perfect, but they missed the point of it completely. This game getting this amount of praise and seeing their review just exemplifies the issues with their reviews a lot more.
It wouldn’t be a Life is Strange game if the reviews weren’t literally all over the place. I remember avoiding LiS2 because of the reviews a couple years ago, but, man, what a mistake! I loved the game more than the first one.
Also, can’t wait for Lost Records too. If this one doesn’t hit, at least Don’t Nod is going back to the LiS formula too early next year.
@OskarRex different people have different opinions.
It’s not like they scored it at such a big difference from other reviews.
They tend to review more ‘middling’, I suppose for some reviewers they are more story than game, but I’ve enjoyed all of them so far (even LiS2 which doesn’t get much love), so I’m in.
So so so excited to play this. Especially since I love Max as the main character, and while I like some of the other main characters, Max feels like the heart of the series.
I never take Pushsquare too seriously, so their score doesn't bother me at all.
@Utena-mobile I agree I really loved the original game but didn’t enjoy Before The Storm as much because it didn’t feature Max, though it was still decent as a prequel story for Chloe. And so I skipped the other ‘sequels’ because they left Max and almost all the original cast of characters behind to focus on new ones that didn’t seem as compelling to me. With this one featuring Max again it feels like the first ‘true’ sequel so I’ll definitely be trying it out soon. I’ll probably need to get it soon to guarantee avoiding ending spoilers!
@Cakefish haha, yeah, I completely agree too. Chloe can be a total bee-hootch but Before the Storm gave some great context for her behavior. Not as good as the first, but definitely worth playing. Max is my favorite though and I've missed her so much that without even playing, it already feels bittersweet and like coming home.
Btw, small confession, I also skipped Life is Strange 2 but it's because I had to play a boy. lol.
Almost as polarizing as dragon age. It’s weird how more and more games end up that way when it comes to reviews. There used to usually be a consensus. Maybe this is how it should be.
It’ll be good to see ‘Max, never Maxine’ again (did anyone notice that Stranger Things used the exact same line with their own Max?) but I wouldn’t have minded another game with Alex and/or Steph.
@Utena-mobile nothing wrong with that! I usually prefer playing games with woman protagonists even though I’m a man. I think that’s because I play games largely for escapism these days and so for me roleplaying as the opposite sex is the ultimate escape from reality. That’s also why I usually gravitate towards games with strong narratives and/or background lore. I don’t want to be reminded about sad little self and my sad little life, I want to be fully absorbed into the world of the game and forget my earthly problems. Uhhh sorry maybe this is a bit too philosophical for an Xbox comment thread haha!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy playing this! I think I’ve talked myself into buying it this weekend with my spare Microsoft Rewards points. It’s time to be reacquainted with Max again and go on another adventure!
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