The Resurgence of Interactive Animated Films in the Video Game World

In the 2010s, a remarkable wave of interactive animated films emerged in the video game realm. Led by Telltale Games with their exceptional adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s “The Walking Dead,” these games were released in chapters, akin to a limited series comic book on a monthly schedule. Telltale expanded its reach to notable franchises such as “Wallace & Gromit,” “Back to the Future,” “Jurassic Park,” “Game of Thrones,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and more.

Notable Interactive Games in the 2010s

In 2015, one of the most popular interactive games of all time, “Until Dawn,” was released and recently remastered for the PS5. That same year saw the launch of Dontnod Entertainment and Square Enix’s “Life is Strange,” a remarkable piece of video game storytelling centered around a young woman named Max. She discovers she can rewind time but learns that fixing one error in a timeline doesn't always lead to better outcomes. This was followed by a prequel, “Before the Storm,” and two sequels in 2018 (“Life is Strange 2”) and 2021 (“True Colors”). Almost a decade after the original, the franchise returned to its first protagonist in “Life is Strange: Double Exposure,” which both reminds us of what worked in the original and resurrects some unexpected drawbacks.After the original activity in Arcadia Bay, as an adult, Max Caulfield (voiced by Hannah Telle, who does an excellent job) works as a photographer at Caledon University. Sadly, for some fans of the original, Chloe, the love of Max's life around which the first game revolved, is easily dismissed with an early game decision about her fate, leaving Max to be joined by a group of new characters at the school.After a prologue introduces players to Max's close friends Safi and Moses, Max finds Safi shot. When she attempts to rewind time to save her, Max ends up in an alternate timeline where Safi is still alive. Now, the question arises: can she use her ability to jump between these two realities to figure out who killed Safi? And can she prevent it from ever happening?

The Nature of “Life is Strange” vs. “Until Dawn”

While “Until Dawn” features action where characters can die, “Life is Strange” is more about dialogue decisions that impact storytelling and behavior rather than actual stakes. You can't die here, and there are no checkpoints. At worst, you might get frustrated when you can't find a character on the Quad (maybe just me) to move the story forward or within a puzzle (although most of them in this game are arguably too simple).It is truly like watching an interactive film where you can make many mostly minor and a few major decisions, usually in dialogue, that shift the narrative. Most of these shifts are incredibly slight, shaping how certain characters at Caledon feel about Max. Flirting with one character might make getting what you need from them later easier. Betraying another might lead to a different route. And, of course, all these dialogue choices impact the ending.

The Control and Authorship in “Double Exposure”

In “Double Exposure,” it feels like the player has very little control over what unfolds compared to the best of the games. The puzzle solving is remarkably easy and barely takes full advantage of Max's timeline power that allows her to jump between “Living” and “Dead” worlds. The dialogue choices also make for less authorship than normal. It often feels like the story is going to play out regardless of what your Max says or does. The best games create a true sense of authorship where the player works in conjunction with the developers to tell a story. This one often feels more like watching than playing.

The Visuals and Sound of “Double Exposure”

Despite this, it is a pretty compelling watch. The world of Max Caulfield, mostly in school buildings, her house, and a bar called the Snapping Turtle, is gorgeously rendered. The characters are well-designed and performed, especially the vulnerable work by Telle, who deftly conveys a woman who has learned through the experience of the first game that with great power comes great responsibility. The score is also excellent, and the occasional use of original new music that has a Billie-Eilish-esque feel adds to the atmosphere. It is interesting to note how the developers distinguish the timelines with color palettes - the world is much drabber in the timeline when Safi has been murdered - although they could have done even more with the emotional impact of grief on the world around Max.While there is much to like about the storytelling of “Double Exposure,” I still wished for the game to take a turn and pull me in more instead of relegating me too often to being a casual observer making a dialogue choice or taking a snapshot every now and then. An attempt to incorporate modern forms of communication like text messaging and social posting feels half-hearted, although I'm not sure there's a whole-hearted way to make reading fake social posts interesting. That might be a sign of my age, and there may be young people looking for an “Instagram Simulator.” After all, life is stranger than ever.The publisher provided a review copy of this title. It is now available on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and Windows.