Summary
Plot holes are always a risk in narrative games, andLife Is Strange: Double Exposureis no exception to this common issue. The game, in which Max Caulfield returns, is set in two separate worlds; one is called the Living World, and the other is the Dead World.
Though the two separate universes may offer some explanation for the mistakes and confusion, other times, there are plot points that are simply abandoned or just don’t logically add up. Some of these issues conflict with the circumstances of the other games, while others reflect nonsensical circumstances in reality. These are nine things that don’t make sense in Life Is Strange: Double Exposure.
9No One Checks Safi’s Pulse
When Max originally finds Safi, she sees her from behind, touches her, and she immediately falls over. Sure, she’s not responsive, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s dead, or that she can’t be revived. Still, Max immediately accepts that Safi is dead.
She doesn’t bother to check her pulse or attempt CPR; Max simply cries and grieves for her friend. This moment is obviously traumatizing for Max, especially when you consider her past experiences, so she’s likely in shock. But it’s strange that no one, including Moses, tries to do anything when they find Safi.
8The Police Haven’t Ruled Out Suicide
In any investigation, it’s crucial to deduce how the person died, who killed them, and why. Though it’s still early in the investigation, Yasmin mentions that the police still haven’t ruled out suicide. This theory could make sense if they found the gun near her body. If it were self-inflicted, it would be at the crime scene. However, you’re able to see that the only object near Safi is her camera.
It’s true that, in reality, sometimes obvious homicides are deemed suicide by the police, whether it’s to protect the actual assailant or for other ulterior motives. It doesn’t make sense in real life and certainly doesn’t make any more sense in Life Is Strange: Double Exposure.
7Gwen Taking The Blame For Safi’s Book
It’s made clear early on that Gwen was the one who got Safi’s book deal cancelled. In Dead World, Max finds the email on Gwen’s computer, and when confronted, Gwen admits to doing it. Both universes are supposed to be the same despite Safi being dead in one and alive in the other.
When Safi confronts her mother, Yasmin, at the end of Chapter 4, it’s revealed that Yasmin is responsible for the book being cancelled. So, either Gwen took the fall for Yasmin in the Living World, or she wasn’t actually involved in that universe. Regardless, the plot point doesn’t align with the story and the rules that have been set for the two universes.
6Max Doesn’t Hide The Photo, And Alderman Sees It
In Chapter 3, Detective Alderman enters Max’s home to ask her questions. When he knocks on her door, Max is looking at the last photo taken on Safi’s camera: a photo of Max pointing a gun at her. Max tries to conceal the photo during her conversation with Alderman by placing her hands over it, but she never once removes the photo from the counter to place it in her pocket or anywhere else.
There are plenty of moments where Alderman turns his back to her, giving her ample time to hide the photo, but she still chooses not to. If she could vandalize a cardboard cutout of Lucas behind his back without drawing any attention to herself, she definitely could’ve hidden the photo. To make things stranger, Alderman actually sees the photo, smiles, and exits the building instead of interrogating Max further.
5There’s Only One Max
There are doubles of everyone in Life Is Strange: Double Exposure. Each character exists both in the Dead and Living World, and we interact with these doubles throughout the game. So where’s Max’s double?
It all seems to make sense whenwe finally see Other Maxin the dark room in the Living World. It also appears to tie into Safi’s murder, being that another version of Max could’ve committed the crime. However, we quickly learn that this Other Max is Safi, who is revealed to have shape-shifting abilities. If everyone has a doppelgänger, Max should have one as well.
4Diamond’s Nose Bleed
At the end of Chapter 5, Safi finds Diamond sitting on a bench with a nosebleed. She claims she’s “seen nosebleeds like that before” and urges Diamond to come with her if she wants answers.
Not only is it normal for people to get nosebleeds without having superpowers, but this isn’t something Daniel or Alex experience with their powers inLife Is Strange 2andLife Is Strange: True Colors. It’s strange that Safi assumes Diamond has powers when she’s only seen one person with this symptom.
For the story’s sake, Diamond probably does have powers, but it doesn’t make sense for Safi to make this assumption based on so little evidence.
3An Unclear Antagonist
Throughout the game, the story shuffles through a few different antagonists. Detective Alderman seems to be the first obvious antagonist. He’s racist, aggressive, and doesn’t seem to know how to do his job correctly. You’d think he’d have a much larger role in the story, buthe’s cut out early when he encounters his double, and is barely mentioned after his death.
The plot also focuses on Professor Lucas Colmenero, who, like Alderman, seems to play a much more significant role as the story’s antagonist. But this plotline, in which he plagiarizes Maya and the school covers for him,barely makes sense at face value. If anyone is aprime antagonist in this story, it’s Safiand Yasmin, but neither, with the exception of Yasmin, faces proper accountability for their actions.
2Max Barely Used The Swap Ability
In Chapter 2, Max will gain the ability to swap out objects in the Dead World with ones from the Living World, and vice versa. She first does this towards the end of Chapter 2 while trying to find Safi’s camera in Moses’ office, swapping out the disassembled telescope with the assembled one.
Max uses this ability again in Chapter 3 when she replaces the broken ice in the Living World with the solid ice in the Dead World. Though it’s a cool ability, she barely uses it. Including the ability feels a bit pointless, especially when you’re already spending time traveling between worlds to find objects.
1Exclusive Cat Content
Is it pointless or non-sensical? From a story standpoint,the cat DLC adds virtually nothing to the plot. If anything, they could’ve included the cat in the game’s original version, and made it something to interact with while you explore Max’s apartment. However, the DLC is part of the Ultimate Edition version of the game.
Because it doesn’t add much to the story, the content feels like it doesn’t belong, especially considering the DLCs for the other games. The same issue applies to the additional content for Max’s hair, makeup, and outfits. This combination of extras doesn’t seem like enough to qualify for the Ultimate Edition.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure
WHERE TO PLAY
Max Caulfield, photographer-in-residence at the prestigious Caledon University, discovers her closest new friend, Safi, dead in the snow.Murdered.To save her, Max tries to Rewind time – a power she’s not used in years… instead, Max opens the way to a parallel timeline where Safi is still alive, and still in danger!Max realizes the killer will soon strike again – in both versions of reality.With her new power to Shift between two timelines – can Max solve and prevent the same murder?ORDINARY GIRL, EXTRAORDINARY POWERMax is thrust into a thrilling supernatural murder mystery – more dangerous than ever before!TRAVERSE TWO TIMELINESForge allies and pursue suspects across two versions of reality, shaping both timelines through unforgettable choices.RACE AGAINST TIMEA relentless detective has Max in his sights, and Safi’s killer grows closer with every clue uncovered. Can Max survive long enough – to do the impossible?DECIDE THE FATE OF CALEDONExplore two versions of a vivid winter campus, each packed with clues, secrets, and tough decisions.
