^{Image: Square Enix}

The original Life is Strange protagonist returns to solve a murder in this sequel.

Square Enix dropped by this week’s Xbox Games Showcase with an unexpected reveal: a new Life is Strange game is coming out later this year, bringing back a much older Max Caulfield for another supernatural murder mystery. This direct sequel to Life is Strange (2015) is titled Life is Strange: Double Exposure, and it launches on October 29, 2024.

Watch the reveal trailer below:

Life is Strange: Double Exposure brings Max Caulfield back, but where's Chloe Price?

Developer Deck Nine Games (Life is Strange: True Colors) is making a direct sequel to Dontnod Entertainment’s original Life is Strange game, and it’s called Life is Strange: Double Exposure. The sequel brings an older Max Caulfield (Hannah Telle) back to investigate the murder of her friend Safi, only to realise that Safi is still alive in an alternate timeline. While hopping between two parallel timelines, she endeavours to find Sophie’s killer and stop her from dying again.

It looks like this game follows the ‘Save Arcadia Bay’ ending of the first Life is Strange, which has Max sacrifice her closest friend (and girlfriend, depending on your choices) Chloe Price to save the town of Arcadia Bay from destruction. In this timeline, Max has stopped using her powers and become a photographer-in-residence at a university. That is until her friend’s death forces her to try rewinding time again.

Here’s Square Enix’s description of the game:

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. Only Max can Shift between the two parallel timelines to solve and prevent the same murder.

We’ll learn more about Life is Strange: Double Exposure during a reveal livestream held on July 13 at 9am PT, where Square Enix plans to show off behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive gameplay for the sequel. The game will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on October 29, 2024, and the Nintendo Switch at a later date. Check out more announcements and trailers from Xbox Games Showcase 2024 here.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure brings Max Caulfield back in murder mystery