• News

Life is Strange: Double Exposure 'will respect both endings' to original game

'There's no canon ending in our book to the first game,' says Life is Strange: Double Exposure's game director.

Ozzie Mejia

June 14, 2024 9:30 AM

Square Enix

2

The next game in the Life is Strange series will check back in on the series' original main character. Max Caulfield is all grown up now, having built a new life as a photographer in Vermont. But what about her old life? Those who remember the original Life is Strange almost ten years ago will recall that Max's story had two very different endings. Which of those endings will Double Exposure developer Deck Nine run with as the "official" one? The answer is that Deck Nine will officially acknowledge both endings as part of the greater Double Exposure story. Game Director Jonathan Stauder spoke on the subject during this week's Life is Strange: Double Exposure reveal livestream.

"Returning players from Max's first adventure will remember that there's a massive decision to make at the end of that game that results in two very different endings," said Stauder. "It was really important at Deck Nine, if we were going to make another Max adventure that the game would have to respect both those endings. Life is Strange: Double Exposure does that very thing. There's no canon ending in our book to the first game. Double Exposure will respect both endings in Max's thoughts, her journal, her SMS, her interactions with other characters, what she opts to reveal about her past to her new friends. It's all reflective of that final choice."

Narrative Director Felice Kuan adds that the subject of Arcadia Bay will come up in an early conversation with Max and new character Safi. This is where players will get to decide all over again what Arcadia Bay's ultimate fate is and take the story from there. This is a decision that Deck Nine hopes will satisfy those who played the original Life is Strange while also removing any barriers for newcomers. After all, the original Life is Strange is nearly a full decade old, so it's totally possible that there will be a section of players who have never experienced that original story.

Square Enix's Life is Strange: Double Exposure reveal livestream was full of interesting information, including why Max can no longer tap into her old powers while also unlocking an entirely new ability. Max Caulfield's second story looks to be as enticing as her first and we're excited to see it. Life is Strange: Double Exposure will come to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on October 29. Those interested in learning more about the making of Max's first story are welcome to check out the Shacknews-exclusive feature From Chaos: The Aspirational Storytelling of Life is Strange.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?