Life is Strange: Double Exposure continues the story of Max Caulfield, the first game's protagonist. But do you need a save file of the original game to have the choices you made there carry over to the new game?
Life is Strange: Double Exposure is playable now for those of us who pre-ordered the game, at least the first two chapters of Max's new adventure. Of course, this is especially exciting for long-time fans who have also played the very first game of the series that introduced us to Max (and, of course, Chloe) back in 2015.
As Life is Strange is a franchise that builds upon decisions players make, there's one big question that needs answers before diving into Double Exposure: Will the new game "remember" decisions you made in previous games?
Spoiler warning: if you haven't played the original Life is Strange, go ahead and do so now – we'll talk about the ending of the game here, and I don't want to ruin your fun. No need to worry about spoilers for Double Exposure, though!
The very last decision you make in the original Life is Strange is a heartbreaking one either way: Do you sacrifice Chloe after everything you've been through to prevent the devastating storm you created by saving her life over and over again? Or do you save her one last time, at the cost of Arcadia Bay and countless innocent lives? Bae or Bay?
Whatever you chose back then, the ending pulls at the heartstrings. And, of course, the decision shapes Max's life in a major way, so Life is Strange: Double Exposure needs to take that into consideration – but how does it do that? Don't worry, it's not by reading an old save file of the original game and pulling your decisions from there. They instead found a more natural way to incorporate Max's past.
How Life is Strange: Double Exposure acknowledges your choices from the original game
Before you go and replay the original to have your choices matter in the new game, rest assured there's no need to invest all those hours again. Deck Nine found a simple, yet completely natural way to see where you stand, even giving you the opportunity to rethink your decisions from nearly ten years ago.
In the first chapter of Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Max sits down with her new friend Safi who asks her about the blue-haired girl she saw a picture of. With two really simple questions, players can shape Max's past: first off, you can decide whether you were just friends or actual sweethearts (let's be honest here – who didn't kiss Chloe when they had the chance?).
After that, you can decide what happened to the Bay by telling Safi if Chloe died or lived through the whole ordeal. And while Life is Strange is all about your own choices, let me just say one thing: there is a right decision here. Bae over Bay – I'm a simple girl.
With Deck Nine's solution and those two simple questions, Life is Strange: Double Exposure respects both endings of the original game, having two completely different traumas for Max to go through as an adult. Oh, joy!
Still, Deck Nine already made it clear that Chloe won't be a part of the new game – kind of understandably. There are some small Chloe crumbs to find for nostalgic fans, though, and some of them hit right where it hurts, so fair warning there.
The full Life is Strange: Double Exposure releases on October 29, but for everyone who can't wait that long, the first two chapters of the game are available for everyone who pre-orders the game.