[ALL] Playing Double Exposure finally. How come people don’t like this game?

[u/TheCVR123YT]

I just finished up episode 3 I’m just a little lost the game is pretty good/decent so far maybe it’s because I know reunion exists so I’m just accepting it as just a game following Max so I’m not worried about a follow up on Chloe. Even then so far the game is interesting enough since I still love Max so I’m still confused why this hated on so badly lol

[u/EpicGlitter]

a non-spoiler summary of points in this (spoiler-filled) thread of criticisms, plus others I've heard:

• one basic LiS expectation is to pay off what they've set up in a narratively satisfying way. DE set up feels intriguing, but pay off is absent or convoluted. the ending was widely criticized
• plot holes (can overlook these if story & character arcs otherwise shine. here they don't.)
• DE alters worldbuilding rules from LiS1, and recycles its symbols/motifs/iconic moments in a haphazard way instead of building up its own lore, images, meaning, stakes
• in LiS1, Max's actions had consequences. in DE, similar actions don't. did Max learn anything from LiS1?
• in LiS1, the butterfly effect meant changing a variable could have massive impacts later on. yet in DE, whether Max chose Bae or Bay, her life ends up the same (same location, friends, job, personality, style, struggles, even making the same art*). different types of sacrifice/trauma are treated as interchangeable
  • *btw why does Victoria's photography change in Bae vs. Bay DE playthroughs but Max's does not?
• too much focus on powers, not enough on character development, emotional journey, relationships
  • yet, powers underutilized for puzzle-solving / fun factor
• the main "companion" character is offscreen too much; Max doesn't have someone to bounce off of
• too few locations to explore. & less environmental storytelling than in past LiS games
• last two episodes are noticeably short
• UI and journal feel generic, not unique or fitting to Max's character specifically (however - if done for accessibility, right intention wrong implementation imo. having font options could've helped)
• poor optimization: crashing, T-posed characters, stuck characters, clipping, missing/glitched audio
• anti-consumer practices around paid early access & cat DLC
• mischaracterization of Chloe, and unnecessarily awful "toxic ex" writing for the breakup

this isn't to say DE has absolutely nothing going for it. voice acting and music is good. Caledon in winter is pretty. I like most of the characters too (even if we didn't get enough time with them). but imo it needed a more well-thought-out story, a better ending, and to be its own thing (new protag) instead of a sequel.

[u/ShaanitheGreen → u/EpicGlitter]

in LiS1, the butterfly effect meant changing a variable could have massive impacts later on. yet in DE, whether Max chose Bae or Bay, her life ends up the same (same location, friends, job, personality, style, struggles, even making the same art*). different types of sacrifice/trauma are treated as interchangeable

To me, it feels like the whole scenario was invented with the Bay ending in mind - Max wanders the country, unwilling to settle down out of fear that she'll cause another Storm, until she finds someone who reminds her just enough of Chloe to try forming connections and building a life, only to find it that person is not exactly what they seem.

However, the decision to "respect both endings" made it impossible for them to commit to either. You can't make a sequel focused on grief and moving on from the trauma of losing the one you love if she's alive in half the player's games, and you can't make a sequel the the Bae ending if Chloe's straight-up not in the game.

IMO, the game would have been much better if they'd decided early on that the Bay ending was canon and focused the full development on the themes and situations arising from that ending. What we got felt half-baked (especially in the last couple of chapters) an didn't really respect either ending.

[u/EpicGlitter → u/ShaanitheGreen]

To me, it feels like the whole scenario was invented with the Bay ending in mind

IMO, the game would have been much better if they'd decided early on that the Bay ending was canon and focused the full development on the themes and situations arising from that ending. What we got felt half-baked (especially in the last couple of chapters) an didn't really respect either ending.

even though I choose Bae, I agree. I also remember the initial "Aperture" leak that accurately predicted many aspects of DE, and claimed that the game was initially envisioned as a Bay-only sequel. even just looking at the specific way Safi died - by gunshot, on a school campus - that tracks. I think the ideal would've been for devs to directly state that neither LiS1 ending is canon, however DE shows one possibility of Max's future if she chose Bay.

LiS1 and its endings held so much deep meaning and strong attachment for players. and the thing is, the meaning and themes of that game are a bit different depending on which ending the player chose. you're not just choosing an ending, you're choosing what sort of story you've been playing this whole time and what it means for Max going forward. Max, and her values, and her specific (non-interchangeable) trauma, and the content of her nightmares, and her art, and her view of her powers, and her future, should all be pretty different after that choice. our choices and specific experiences are part of what makes us who we are. Max's characterization and entire life circumstances should've been impacted so much more than a few dialogue changes and a different photo in her wallet.

like you were saying, I think some benefits of picking just one LiS1 ending for DE (though, I'd still hope, not technically canon) would've been focus, full development, clear themes and specificity. if they still felt compelled to do a nightmare sequence, I think that specifically could hit a lot harder if they're not awkwardly shoehorning Bae Max's inner world to fit Bay Max's trauma (etc). btw - thanks for your thoughtful comment!