icantsl33p

Nostalgia, intrigue, mystery, and, surprisingly, some tense horror lend together in a coming of age story with horrible repercussions. It lands so well. A bit of a slow build up pays off through the richness and depth of these characters. And the branches the story can take! Small choices end up having consequences down the line that are completely unexpected. On replays, I saw dialog options I never had on the first try, even with the same choices made previously. The game has depth, and has set the bar incredibly high for story-driven games. Don't Nod's Life is Strange may have been a crowning achievement of 2015, but if tape 2 is as good as this first one, there will be a new game every narrative-driven game gets compared to. Only Don't Nod could strike gold like this twice. Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is an experience, and if you've got any interest in games with heart, story, and a bit of psychological horror tossed in, you've got to check it out.

In Double Exposure, we get reintroduced to Max, a decade after the events of the first game. We find she has not been able to move on. The trauma of her choice, the loss she suffered in that first game, it has shaped every moment of her life. From her art to her relationships. She projects the guilt and blame she has for her choice on everyone else, tearing her relationships with people she knew and loved apart. It's in this state that we find her trying to set up roots at a university, as an artist in residence, teaching workshops and providing the college with art and direction. We find a Max on the cusp of healing, almost ready to push through that door with help from fantastic new characters like Safi and Moses. But when tragedy strikes, Max finds she has to use her powers again to solve a murder that has happened already, and prevent one that hasn't happened yet. It's exciting. The game starts off strong with good relationships between characters, and a strong friendship, that quickly gets torn away. The mystery element unfolds and has so many threads and chasing them down is fun and exciting. Some of the puzzles with the new timeline hopping mechanic are a bit on the tedious side, but still fun. I wish we got more of that. In fact, I wish we got a lot more. The worst part of the game is that it feels too short in parts. We could have done with more mystery. It's always the fault of any piece of media in the mystery genre, the second act turn always feels too soon, but here it definitely feels as though it could have lead to more threads. Perhaps it will, as this game (no spoilers) will end open-ended. While many of the main threads will reach their conclusion, others have been left for future games to resolve. Some of those will be exciting, like Max re-forging lost relationships due to her trauma. Others will be perilous. The game's setting doesn't get explored enough, but it's truly beautiful. This is as lovely a game as any Life is Strange installment, perhaps more than some of the earlier ones. And the music! After a few replays, you'll feel a pit in your gut from some songs and comfort in others. There's a variety here, and it all compliments the setting and theme so well. Double Exposure isn't perfect. It doesn't do justice to previous choices or characters like Chloe. Future games would have to rectify that to be worth your investment and time. Those relationships are important to the fandom and, really, to marginalized groups that rely on that minimal representation. Decknine should feel ashamed for putting them in jeopardy. But, moving past that, the game is engaging, fun, and exciting. This is a life is strange game, where choices matter, people feel real, and more than ever, it feels like it nails that. The motion capture and facial animations are next-level, and the voice acting talent has been phenomenal. They cannot be praised enough for bringing these characters to life in a way that makes it easy to forget your behind a screen, controller in hand. A must-play for Life is Strange fans and mystery lovers alike. I just hope in the future, they bring back characters beloved by the fandom and, this time, give them the justice they deserve. Otherwise, I don't think the game could have a future, and after playing Double Exposure, my anticipation for the next game is higher than ever. Just, make it count.