Life is Strange: Double Exposure

Life is Strange fans were both surprised and elated to find out that Max Caulfield is coming back in the upcoming title, Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Revealed during the recent Xbox Showcase, the fourth mainline game is centered around another murder and Max has to use her time-bending powers once again to solve it. However, Max in Life is Strange: Double Exposure is different from the Arcadia Bay teen that fans have known.

Max is the very first Life is Strange protagonist, who discovers that she has the ability to rewind time and uses this ability to prevent the death of her childhood friend, Chloe. Life is Strange has two endings that depend on whether players choose to save Chloe or let her die in the end. Although the sequels reference the events of the first game, it's still unclear which is the canon outcome in the franchise.

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Who is Max Caulfield in Life is Strange: Double Exposure?

A major detail that Life is Strange: Double Exposure's trailer confirms is that its events occur years after the first game. Max, who is believed to be in her late 20s, is now a photographer-in-residence at Caledon University, where she meets her new friend, Safi. Although it seems like she hasn't used her powers since high school, Max discovers that she now has the ability to traverse two timelines. This proves useful as she sets out to stop the murder of Safi, who she discovers dead in the woods.

The plot tells Life is Strange fans one thing: Max was able to pursue her studies and/or career in photography despite her terrifying past involving her criminal teacher, Mr. Jefferson. Still, there's no hint whether this version of Max saved Chloe or Arcadia Bay since neither was mentioned in the trailer nor the synopsis.

Both Life is Strange 2 and Life is Strange: True Colors' DLC Wavelengths reference Arcadia Bay being wiped out and Chloe being "off the radar" while traveling with Max. The latter can only be triggered in Wavelengths if the player sacrifices Arcadia Bay, which could also affect other dialogue in the DLC. On the other hand, it's also possible that Max sacrificed Chloe and moved on with her life:

Sacrifice Arcadia Bay	This Life is Strange choice saves Chloe, but ultimately leads to a giant tornado wiping out Arcadia Bay.
Sacrifice Chloe	This choice takes Max back to the moment when Chloe is killed in the school restroom, which will prevent the butterfly effect that leads to Arcadia Bay being destroyed.

It is theorized that either choice probably won't matter in Double Exposure because Max's ability to traverse multiple timelines could mean that both outcomes exist in the game's canon. The fact that Max is trying to stop Safi's murder in two timelines could already be a messy situation, but the possibility of also having Chloe exist in both timelines could bring more chaos to Double Exposure. How Max approaches the Safi case and her history with Chloe in the new game could set off a brand-new butterfly effect, for better or for worse.

Additionally, developer Deck Nine might be forced to choose a true canon ending for Life is Strange: Double Exposure. The franchise is known for its choice-based scenarios, and it's likely that Double Exposure might ask players to make tough choices again throughout the story. But the studio might need to put its foot down on the true ending for Double Exposure, instead of leaving another open-ended timeline for the next Life is Strange game to pick up on.

Unless, of course, the franchise is also taking the multiverse route, which could brew more good and bad chaos in the future. Either way, it's great to have Max back.

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