As a long-time fan of Life is Strange, I couldn’t be more thrilled to see Hannah Telle reprising her role as Max. Her voice and portrayal of Max are integral to the character, and it’s a testament to the quality of the series that such a talented actor wanted to come back. It’s like having an old friend return for a heart-to-heart chat, only this time they’ve brought their A-game!
In Life is Strange: Double Exposure, players reprise their role as Max Caulfield, now an older and wiser woman, yet still retaining her unique traits. Since the initial game, Max has largely given up on her powers, coping with the aftermath of the conflicting endings in Life is Strange privately. However, when a dear friend named Safi meets an untimely end, Max feels compelled to intervene. Unlike her previous time-rewind abilities, Max’s new Shift powers enable her to manipulate two distinct realities: one in which Safi has perished and another where she lives on. The enigma surrounding Safi’s death is undoubtedly the primary focus of the game, but fans are eagerly awaiting its release in October to uncover more answers.
During Gamescom, Game Rant had a conversation with Jonathan Stauder, director of “Life is Strange: Double Exposure”, and Aysha Farah, the writer, to discuss the demo we experienced, the evolution of powers within the series, and most notably, the return of Max Caulfield. This dialogue has been revised for clarity and conciseness.
Question: In the Life is Strange series, this is the first true follow-up story. Can you explain your strategy for dealing with the challenges involved in creating it?
Stauder: When we design these games, we consider what abilities might create an engaging story for a character, what translates well into game mechanics, and what doesn’t. We focus on exploring the experiences of that character with that ability. We were particularly drawn to this novel power of moving between two time periods and observing their differences. This could serve as a means to examine Max’s life following the initial Life is Strange game, providing insight into the events that transpired.
1. In the initial contest, a crucial decision arises, and you have roughly 3-5 minutes to enact it. Without any time for contemplation, given your powers and Max, events unfold logically. There’s a lot of narrative still untold in that situation.
A: Has Max made a comeback, which is fantastic news for the series! What prompted your team to bring her back now? Was it simply her powerful presence that made this the right moment?
Stauder: Essentially, it seems that Max’s power was a perfect fit, as if it were destined to be that way. Reflecting on the original game’s choices, this concept has been developing over time.
Me, as a gamer: Absolutely! Back then, we followed the journey of Max, a character from the initial game who was still maturing at that point. This time jump allows us to reconnect with her as an adult, with a career and new friends, among other changes. Additionally, it seems that enough time has elapsed since the game’s release for the audience to have grown alongside Max. So, those who fell in love with the game during their teenage years are now experiencing similar life stages as Max herself.
A: In crafting the story, how did you ensure that the character was older yet retained a sense of being similar to Max?
Farah: Since it’s been a while since Max was first introduced, we’ve had plenty of time for everyone to get used to her and have her firmly planted in their minds. We were mindful to preserve the unique characteristics that make Max who she is, such as her distinctive quirks and corny humor, which we referred to as “Dad Jokes” in Double Exposure. Her knack for making puns and talking to inanimate objects, like addressing plants as “Hello, Mr. Plants,” are some of the small details we wanted to keep intact.
Now, we believe she has grown somewhat and become more sociable. I suspect she is becoming bolder when it comes to forming friendships and less shy or reserved compared to before. Instead of being a student, she is now an instructor. She holds some level of responsibility for those around her, which she hasn’t had in the past within a relationship dynamic.
Stauder: An essential aspect to ensure Max remains identifiable as Max is by re-inviting actress Hannah Telle. The voice of Max plays a crucial role in her character, and Hannah truly embodies the character effortlessly. We’re fortunate that she agreed to return and portray Max once more.
A: In our previous discussions, it was mentioned that neither ending is considered canonical, and the journal’s content allows players to determine their own outcome in-game. I was wondering if you could elaborate on how significantly this player-driven ending might influence the events of Double Exposure?
The choices players make in the game significantly impact the narrative. A key aspect is that no matter which ending is reached, Max carries a deep-seated trauma she must confront. The nature of this trauma depends on the choices made by the player, and it has a profound influence on Max’s character development and how the story unfolds for the player. This trauma shapes the way the story is experienced.
Farah: Absolutely! It’s crucial for us to maintain the narrative consistency with your choices from the initial game, as many players, including myself, have developed strong connections with how Max’s story unfolded. The relationships between Max and her past, as depicted in the game, resonate with people, and as you noted, the journal provides valuable insights into this central part of her life.
Is there any link between Max’s initial power regarding time and her recent ability shifts? Could they be related in some way, perhaps as an evolution or progression of her powers?
As a Gamer: I uncover my hidden abilities when I attempt to wield them, as they’ve been dormant for eons. This unexpected action results in me being catapulted into an alternate reality. It turns out I can traverse these two realities. As the game progresses, I grow more accustomed to these powers and start to grasp their origins within the narrative.
A: Is the power-shifting mechanism dynamic and set to expand across the entire game, rather than simply swapping components like in the demonstration as we only use the telescope?
Stauder: In essence, she encounters a third aspect of power that doesn’t allow her to simply move an object across time, yet she has the ability to Physically Shift it. This concept will resurface in future chapters, along with diverse applications of Shifting in various situations such as intense action sequences, chases, or detective-style scenes. In essence, you can expect a continuous stream of intriguing scenarios involving her Shift Powers, enabling insights into other timelines, listening to them, and so forth.
As an ardent admirer, I can’t help but wonder if there were any significant learnings from Life is Strane: True Colors that have influenced Double Exposure. While the connection to the first game might be more substantial, did the creators draw any major lessons or insights from True Colors that would shape the narrative or gameplay of Double Exposure?
Stauder: In True Colors, Deck Nine significantly advanced the series by focusing on performance acting. It was the first game in the franchise to use performance capture, and we aim to build upon that with Double Exposure. Our characters now exhibit more realistic expressions and reactions compared to True Colors, which is impressive already. This improvement allows us to tell our story more effectively as our characters can mirror the performances of our actors more accurately.
[END]
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2024-08-30 15:24