It’s been a very long time since I’ve performed a sport that caught with me in the best way that 2015’s Life is Unusual has. Its potential to inform a novel coming-of-age story a few rebellious however usually shy teen with out coming off preachy or overstaying its welcome was refreshing and had me occupied with it lengthy after I found every part I might inside the confines of Arcadia Bay. Whereas the sequence has had a number of sequels, prequels, and facet tales since, none of them appeared to recapture the magic of these first 5 episodes for me – till now. Life is Unusual: Double Exposure not solely lives as much as the sky-high commonplace set by the unique but in addition manages to take it in a recent new path and enhance on practically each facet from the earlier video games.
It was nice to revisit Max Caulfield 10 years after the occasions of Life is Unusual. Despite the fact that Max is nicely into her 20s now, she’s nonetheless very a lot the identical character she was the final time we noticed her: She’ll overanalyze her environment, make awkward jokes to herself, and, most significantly, take means too many footage. However along with her transition to maturity comes a complete new set of points she must cope with. As a substitute of worrying about becoming in and making an attempt to impress everybody she met in Blackwell Academy, she’s now a grad pupil and has to behave as an authority determine herself.
There are moments the place she’s clearly coming to phrases with the truth that she’s now not younger, akin to when she questions a few of the cringeworthy issues she stated within the unique sport or reminisces about when she was an undergrad and needed to cram in as a lot finding out and caffeine as potential earlier than finals. It was the little moments like this that caught with me and actually helped make this new chapter in Max’s story much more relatable.
Writing on The Partitions
As you’d count on in a Life is Unusual sport, you may must make some powerful selections. Despite the fact that there are solely a handful of main selections in every of the 5 chapters and never all of them will dramatically have an effect on the general final result, they do all have penalties as a result of characters will keep in mind the way you deal with them and act accordingly – to a level that earlier video games by no means managed to nail down. This time, conversations felt like I used to be speaking to an precise individual as a substitute of enjoying a sport of guessing the right reply.
For instance, within the first chapter, you’ll be able to ask Amanda, the bartender of a neighborhood joint known as The Snapping Turtle, out on a date for those who play your playing cards proper. On my first playthrough, I did every part I would want to with a view to kickstart a romantic relationship along with her by studying a handful of terrible pick-up traces from different bar patrons. However on my second run, I opted to not ask her out and as a substitute simply turned buddies. Whereas this did not essentially change something main with the story shifting ahead, I appreciated that there was a stark distinction in how Amanda handled Max in the event that they have been relationship or have been simply buddies. Along with romancing individuals, you will be imply, flirty, and even flat-out ignore somebody if you wish to. With out diving too closely into spoiler territory, this is one of many few choose-your-own-adventure-style video games I’ve performed the place I did not stress about making the “improper determination” as a result of each final result felt pure and price exploring quite than some being a comfort prize.
Double Exposure’s chapters every take round two or three hours to finish, which makes them shorter than these in a few of the different Life is Unusual video games. This is really a very good factor, although, as a result of I by no means felt like I used to be losing my time coping with a filler act or meandering round a celebration simply to pad out the runtime. Whereas there are a number of plot factors that do not actually appear to go wherever except you dig by means of Max’s cellphone, I by no means felt like I used to be lacking out on something too vital to the general story simply because I uncared for to maintain up with my backlog of textual content messages and social media posts. I like a very good epic-scale RPG, too, however the truth that Double Exposure revered my time and advised a narrative that’s tight and concise was refreshing.
That story offers with various significantly heavy subjects. All the pieces from divorce to nervousness to the other ways we grieve over the lack of a cherished one is coated right here in a means that is so expertly written I by no means felt like several of those topics have been diminished or sensationalized – they only felt actual. It might have been simple for Double Exposure to the touch on a delicate subject after which resolve it with a “factor dangerous” or “factor good” determination on the finish, however as a substitute the writing provides nuanced and applicable approaches to its conditions, lots of which I’ve needed to cope with in my very own life. Seeing a online game character battle to deal with one thing just like the anger and frustration one would possibly really feel after somebody near them takes their very own life was an surprising and particularly well-executed little bit of writing.
It really works so nicely partially as a result of each character in Double Exposure has their very own backstory and is written to really feel like an precise human being, faults and all. For instance, Reggie, a pupil on the faculty the place Max teaches, will overshare at instances as a result of he sees Max as an authority determine, whereas Gwen, one other trainer at Caledon Univeristy, retains non-public particulars to herself as a result of, like in actual life, not everybody instantly tells all people they meet every part about themselves.
What actually sells Double Exposure’s writing and story is its completely unimaginable performances and character animations. Whereas this has all the time been a spotlight of the sequence, this sport has extra moments the place characters would inform me every part they wanted to say with out talking a phrase due to their refined facial expressions. Say one thing imply and a personality might take a look at you with disgust for a second earlier than responding. Pull any person away from a bunch and you will see different characters briefly look disillusioned that you simply interrupted them. Whereas this is not something new in video games, the best way by which Double Exposure emphasizes these little touches made me really care about my actions and the way I handled individuals. Because of this consideration to element and directing, Double Exposure’s character interactions are simply essentially the most plausible and well-executed I’ve seen in a Life is Unusual sport.
Reinventing Your Exit
With out getting too heavy into spoiler territory right here, Double Exposure’s thriller is one stuffed with twists and turns that undoubtedly stored me guessing till I reached the finale.
The choice to present Max completely different powers was the right alternative as a result of her unique time manipulation skills simply would not have labored inside the story being advised right here. If she might rewind time with the flip of her palm then your complete thriller might have been solved in a number of moments, and that is simply no enjoyable. As a substitute, these powers have been changed by a set of interdimensional journey skills that match this new story completely. As its title suggests, Max is capable of view and journey between two separate realities: one which’s vibrant, heat, and energetic, full with Christmas decorations and a extra upbeat soundtrack, and one other that is depressing, chilly, and marked by loss of life. These realities exist in tandem with one another and are, in some ways, polar opposites. All the pieces from flyers on the partitions of the varsity halls to the music and even how individuals work together with Max will be wildly completely different between the lifeless and residing worlds.
Puzzles this time round significantly profit from Max’s skills, too. I by no means discovered myself getting pissed off or misplaced, and I’m glad to say there have been by no means any sections the place I needed to dodge a prepare or carry out any form of irritating fast time occasions. Her new skills as a substitute permit for a slower-pace the place I wanted to make use of deductive reasoning and discover each realities with a view to discover a clue or spy on any person. Want to search out one thing for somebody within the residing world? It is most likely close by within the lifeless world. Must sneak round an energetic homicide investigation within the lifeless world? Simply jump over to the residing world and stroll previous the place the guards are standing, then hop again. It’s not wildly complicated stuff, however the best way Double Exposure makes use of Max’s powers not solely that will help you discover clues and discover but in addition to indicate how the world round you evolves in two separate paths on the similar time makes this one of many extra fascinating makes use of of a multiverse in gaming.
Double Exposure’s sensible use of actuality hopping additionally helps with the story in ways in which no different energy in Life is Unusual has earlier than. For instance, somebody could possibly be coping with some bother in a single world that informs the way you work together with them within the different. In the meantime, The Snapping Turtle within the residing world is heat, persons are conversing with one another, and the music is upbeat and welcoming, however its lifeless world model has aggressive music, there are fewer individuals round, and the lighting is chilly and uninviting. As a result of I used to be capable of discover freely and immediately see the variations between each realities, I discovered myself studying in regards to the worlds, their characters, and the outcomes of my actions in a extra significant means quite than simply trying to find exposition dumps and ready for textual content messages.
Caledon College itself is an idealistic-looking Northeastern faculty campus. The buildings are previous and coated in a layer of snow and pupil artwork, and the cinematography if you take a second to replicate on a park bench or overlook reveals off how stunning this location is. Sadly, it is also a bit smaller than the areas from the opposite Life is Unusual Video games, and whereas it could have been good to discover a bigger world outdoors of the few accessible places on campus, Max’s home, and The Snapping Turtle, each space in Double Exposure is fairly densely full of issues to work together with and discover.
They’re additionally bolstered by composer Tessa Rose Jackson with a few of the greatest unique music I’ve heard in a online game all 12 months. The soundtrack not solely completely captures the feelings of every scene but in addition helps to amplify the tone of the world, making it really feel much more alive or lifeless, relying on which actuality you are in. The identical will be stated in regards to the colour grading and cinematography. The sequence is recognized for its cinematic look, and Double Exposure is no exception due to its wealthy colour palette and sensible digicam work. Vista photographs, snap zooms, and following concentrate on characters are all artfully executed in a means that may really feel at residence in a function movie.