I loved Life is Strange: Double Exposure, but I’m worried about what’s next

I loved Life is Strange: Double Exposure. I recovered it to beryllium a relatable communicative escapade that resonated pinch maine connected a heavy level. But I can’t opportunity I’m excessively excited astir what’s adjacent for nan series.

Most of Double Exposure is simply a contained and individual escapade astir Max Caulfield learning to process her trauma, go a amended person, and yet thief others. It reminded maine of what makes this bid truthful great: it’s intimate, emotional, character-focused, and doesn’t autumn into communal superhero communicative clichés. Life is Strange games whitethorn travel group pinch superpowers, but these characters aren’t Spider-Man aliases Batman.

They’re teenagers aliases young adults who summation powers astatine captious moments successful their lives and usage them to flooded individual conflicts that besides impact those astir them. But pinch really Double Exposure ends, it seems for illustration Deck Nine is mounting nan shape for an Avengers-style team-up of superpowered characters. As a longtime instrumentality of nan bid who has enjoyed some Don’t Nod and Deck Nine’s titles, I don’t want that to happen.

Spoilers to travel for Life is Strange: Double Exposure.

Life is Strange protagonists, assemble!

The large twist astir halfway done Double Exposure is that Max’s friend, Safi, besides has powers. Safi tin shape-shift into group she knows and uses that to get revenge connected nan group who wronged 1 of her friends. This yet results successful different large wind for illustration nan 1 astatine nan extremity of nan first Life is Strange, but Max fights to free Safi from this soul turmoil while preventing her death. In that process, Safi learns Max besides has powers and is amazed by it.

Square Enix

At nan extremity of nan adventure, Safi decides to time off Caledon, mentioning that she wants to hunt for different group pinch powers now that she knows she’s not unsocial successful having them. A post-credits segment shows her recruiting Diamond, a student astatine Caledon, aft she gets a epistaxis indicating that she has powers. Finally, astatine nan extremity of nan credits, a connection triumphantly announces that “Max Caulfield will return.”

That each seems to propose that there’s different Life is Strange crippled connected nan measurement and that it will prima aggregate superpowered characters beyond Max and Safi. It’s not difficult to ideate Deck Nine going for an Avengers-style team-up, bringing backmost characters for illustration Daniel from Life is Strange 2 and Alex from Life is Strange: True Colors. Developer comments besides caput successful that direction.

Speaking to Inverse, crippled head Jonathan Stauder said “never opportunity never” successful regards to bringing backmost older characters and admitted that “there’s a batch of elasticity and state location to research different stories, bringing backmost past characters and integrating them pinch caller ones.” That each is excessively adjacent to really nan Marvel Cinematic Universe handles its business for my liking.

No request for a connected universe

If you’re looking astatine Life is Strange arsenic a franchise astir superpowered characters, it initially makes consciousness why Deck Nine aliases Square Enix whitethorn want to emulate nan MCU formula. I deliberation doing truthful is simply a fool’s errand. I’m a immense instrumentality of superheroes and kinder to nan MCU than most, but that’s conscionable not Life is Strange.

Square Enix

Life is Strange is endearing because it is an anthology franchise. It’s a bid of timeless coming-of-age tales encouraging self-reflection and telling grounded stories pinch a fantastical twist. They are stories wherever characters’ powers are conscionable arsenic thematically important arsenic they are to nan gameplay aliases action.

With what Double Exposure’s ending teases, I’m worried that Life is Strange 5 will beryllium immoderate benignant of “superheroes versus nan storm” premise that glorifies nan superpowers its protagonists wield. I americium good pinch Max and Safi’s return and could besides spot a sequel pinch aggregate superpowered characters moving retired OK, but I’m incredibly worried that a Life is Strange crippled focused connected teaming superpowered characters up will hide what makes this bid truthful typical successful nan first place.

Superhero teams for illustration The Avengers are a nosy concept, but they do not supply a look that would activity good successful nan Life is Strange universe. I can’t ideate really diluting what makes Life is Strange typical truthful it’s much akin to different superhero media would speak to nan series’ strengths. I conscionable dream that Deck Nine is cautious arsenic it creates a follow-up to Double Exposure.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is disposable now for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. It’s besides successful improvement for Nintendo Switch.