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With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

After finishing a game from publisher Square Enix that involved multiple timelines, I thought the next game I ought to play should be more the same. Cue Life is Strange: Double Exposure, the latest title wherein seemingly normal people in smalltown America discover they secretly have super powers. Yet instead of featuring a new protagonist with an original story, Double Exposure sees the return of one Maxine Caulfield following the events in Arcadia Bay. Except, instead of being able to rewound time, her powers have since changed to dimensional hopping a la Sliding Doors (not that I know much of it since I never did watch the film and am basing this comparison on a rudimentary understanding from reading the plot on Wikipedia).

The Life is Strange games hold a special place in my heart. While many fans adored best friend deuteragonist Chloe Price, I never quite took a shine to her. To me, she was rude and belittling. Blaming every bad decision she made on someone else.

Yes, she was troubled. Yes, she was still dealing with the trauma of losing her father.

But these are not excuses.

During my playthrough of Life is Strange, my sympathies was always with the other residents of Arcadia Bay. Be it Joyce Price, the Chloe from the past (or from when you time travelled and managed to change the present - albeit with Chloe the car crash victim) or Kate Marsh (honestly, that scene up on the roof was the most terrifying I've ever experienced. Thankfully, I managed to save Kate. A fact I can proudly pat myself on the back for).

In the end, the choice was no choice at all. Bay over bae. Every single time.

As I played Life is Strange 2 and Life is Strange: True Colours, bay over bae was my consistent choice. And in Double Exposure, I told Safi in confidence about losing my good friend Chloe while we ate at the Snapping Turtle after our excursion to an abandoned bowling alley. This choice flavoured Max's journal entries, how she viewed the world, and the decisions she would choose to make throughout the rest of the game.

While I can't say what the writers intended, Chloe's death felt very real in its consequences as to why Max never again used her powers and why she moved from town to town, never settling down to put down roots. The death of her childhood friend, one she got to learn more about before having to undo everything to save Arcadia Bay, was a poignant moment. As was the trauma Max endured at the hands of Mr Jefferson when the two partners-in-crime were trying to uncover the truth behind Rachel Amber's disappearance.

This and more were handled quite tactfully during a sequence in the last chapter of Double Exposure. It helped provide some insight into Max's thoughts, and helped solidify the decisions I made at the end (even though I feel like the consequences were minimal).

Unfortunately, there were many elements of Double Exposure that fell short. Especially in terms of the characterisation for Yasmin and new best friend: Safiya Llewellyn-Fayyad. In fact, one of my biggest gripes was how Double Exposure ended with little to no resolution. Safiya's big 180 degree turn to becoming the the Big Bad Evil Gal did not feel properly earned. Especially when the chapter beforehand saw her and Max publicly tear down Lucas Colmenero for stealing the works of one Maya Okuda and causing her subsequent suicide.

Yes, I know she was feeling betrayed by learning of her mother's complicity in the death of her friend but she had also sought the revenge she wanted. And, in my playthrough, used her own voice to hit the final nail in Lucas Colmenero's literary career coffin.

Then, of course, there's the big question looming over the end of the story. What happened to the Safiya from the Dead World timeline? If the ending to Double Exposure made anything clear, it was that in a desperate bid to save her friend, Max travelled back in time with Safiya after her mental breakdown following the latter shooting her mother. Wanting to rid herself of her pain, Safiya asked her friend to kill her.

In the timeline of the Dead World, alternate Max goes through with it. Setting in motion the events of the game. Our Max, however, does not.

So, it begs the question. When Max travelled back in time with Safiya in tow, did the old Safiya from Dead World go somewhere else? Or, did the Living World Safiya take over the body of her Dead World counterpart? None of this was properly explained and it left me scratching my head.

Not to mention, of course, the time aberrations at the overlook with Detective Alderman and Reggie's past ghost.

Then there's the fact the whole doppelganger plot beat was only ever in the Living World timeline. And while, yes, it is implied Safiya from the Dead World timeline was also a shapeshifter, the motivation to kill the dean's daughter was never quite as evident.

You can't tell me, Deck Nine, that Safiya only decided to pose as Gwen or Lucas in the two days after her supposed death following the Geminid meteor shower. Like, we know Safiya is a spiteful person. She would have been laying those crumbs a lot earlier. So, even in Dead World, Gwen should have had a hearing for selling drugs to students and Lucas ought to still have a fraught relationship with his son.

These elements and more would have made Safiya's characterisation feel more consistent across the timelines. As it was, all the relevations Max had, related only to Living World Safi.

And what a character she was.

In many ways, she reminded me of the Rachel Amber we got in Before the Storm. Just like Rachel, Safi is enraged when she finds out their parent is keeping a secret from them. Both are rebellious and sarcastic. But whereas Rachel did not have powers, Safi's allow her to become anyone she wants by manipulating the perceptions of those around her.

In the end, I feel like Double Exposure would have benefitted from having a little extra time when it came to its development. A little more care in characterisation, letting certain moments breathe, and addressing some of the dangling story threads would have let Max's latest adventure shine. Instead, the ending felt like a muddled mess, leaving a sour taste in many a player's mouth as it teased a sequel that would go in a direction many feel would detract from the franchise.

That's not to say Double Exposure doesn't have good moments. Because it does! I very much liked how colour and tone shaped the two timelines. Even if it was a little on the nose. Especially with the pirate mural at the Snapping Turtle changing from a happy to sad expression.

Then, of course, there was the opening to Chapter 4 where Max and Safi interrogated each other about the powers they wielded, as well as their intentions. It was tense and showed where each character stood. I was on the edge of my seat wondering where the story would lead.

It was during this fraught conversation that I felt somewhat sympathetic to Safi. Who hasn't wanted to be someone else when real life and the expectations placed on us becomes too overwhelming? Growing up in an ethnic household, there were moments I wished I had a white family.

Even now, I often feel more connected to the video game characters or the heroes from my fantasy novels, wishing I could take on their life instead of my own. And when Log Horizon came out, I did wonder which MMORPG I would have liked being trapped in for all time. The first answer which came to mind? Final Fantasy XIV.

From a character standpoint, I very much liked Moses, Gwen and Amanda. Moses for being a stalwart ally, and the first person Max was able to talk to about her powers. Gwen for being a headstrong woman who didn't take shit from anyone. And Amanda, for being a real friend (and possible love interest).

Was it bad I continued to pursue the romance in an alternate timeline? Maybe. But in Max's defence, I don't think she ever thought the timelines would ever merge. Is it really manipulation when it's technically two different people though they share the same memories up to a certain point?

Amanda certainly felt like a better option than Vinh. Who, while he did exude a certainly sexy bad boy appeal, never really felt like a romantic option because of his possible ties the overall mystery (whereas Ryan in True Colours, though he also had an overall connection to Haven Springs, was also a friend who was involved in dumb silly shenanigans to find out the truth behind Gabe's death) with most of his and Max's scenes involving her trying to get more information out from him and him being a terrible flirt.

From a gameplay point of view, Double Exposure keeps it simple. There's not much in terms of puzzles - with many solutions being quite obvious after a thorough examination of one's environment. Although, I have to admit, the key to Colmenero's secret safe was a bit of a challenge to find. Had I not looked something up on a walkthrough, I would probably still be scratching my head on how to resolve that chapter.

Overall, I felt like Double Exposure had a decent set-up for what could have been an excellent story. Yet, the ending - especially when it came to Safi's villain monologue - was badly fumbled. Perhaps if the game was longer and we saw more of how Safi saw those without powers, it would have made more sense.

While I know Deck Nine was strapped for cash during Double Exposure's development cycle, I would have also liked a few more locations around Caledon campus to help build out the world. Instead, it felt cramped and almost claustrophobic with the limitations of the game world.

But also, maybe, I don't know, it might have been better if the stakes in Double Exposure were higher. As it is, I never felt like Max was ever in danger. Nor any of the other characters. At least, in any proper capacity.

So, here's hoping that if Deck Nine do end up making another sequel starring Max, we can see a proper resolution to this controversial entry that seems to have pushed away many a Life is Strange fan.

Meanwhile, I'll be here enjoying Lost Records: Bloom & Rage from Don't Nod.

On a completely unrelated note, Life is Strange: Double Exposure did inspire me to write a poem. And I'm not usually a poet. So, um, maybe one of these days I'll share it. For now, it remains between me and the Notes app on my phone.

#video games #life is strange #life is strange: double exposure #bay vs bae #chloe price #safi #moses #amanda #vinh #I picked Amanda because I didn't pick Steph last time in Life is Strange: True Colours #why is almost everyone bisexual in this game?

bweird's OC-Tober, day 31 - Costume! HALLOWEEEEEN BAYBIEEEE

Bonus: Tsillah. Iykyk

#bweirdoctober #adventures in demonology #quinn #jasmine #vinh #elsie

.:Originally made June 16th, 2022:.

Trần Vinh! A naturally charismatic tanuki who likes relaxing on the beach.

[character uses they/them pronouns]

#Artists on Tumblr #anthro #furry #kemono #original character #oc #Tanuki #Vinh #flat color

This isn't just sharing a body anymore. It's sharing a life - or at least whatever's left of Johnny's. The hot date with Rogue and setting up the Samurai reunion sure means a lot to the guy. Sometimes these little gestures of friendship make you forget the inevitable... but as long as it all works out, only you'll be left standing at the end.

johnny silverhand and my v (vinh), cyberpunk 2077

#cyberpunk 2077 #johnny silverhand #v cyberpunk #female v #vinh #nikos photo mode

(SO IT HAS OCCURRED TO ME THERE ARE TECHNICALLY SPOILERS HERE IM SO SORRY, so here's the disclaimer,,,)

Okay HERES THE THING I WANTED TO POST cuz I really like it, just moments with the soggy man and how he’s doing so far in @bodycountgame which I will summarize below

So far he drinks in social situations to help with nerves but this definitely bites him in the ass laterHas tiny little doodle tats on his left hand that he did himself, including the mushroom fly one on his inner wrist which u could see better in his concept art post, Now has pierced ears with one hello kitty earring because THIS LOSER LOVES SANRIO on an artistic level at least

His impressions on people are as follows: Florrie is super cool and he likes her a lot (also low key cute)

Charlie is also really cool and the messiah

Adegoke is nice and he likes hanging with him he just hasn’t figured him out yet,

Vinh seems cool and he understands why the need to be alone so he hopes to maybe get to know them better later,

and Griff managed to fucking get through at least half of his mental walls and trust issues in under 12 hours due to the sheer genuine want to be his friend and it hit Dakota HARD man, idk about romance yet but he definitely entered into a Bromance with Griff

Also he’s Demi so that’s poggers

#art #myart #fanart #digital art #oc #interactive novel #body count #Charlie #griff #vinh #Florrie #adegoke