Life is Strange: Double Exposure Receives M18 Rating for Mature Themes and Story Elements

Life is Strange: Double Exposure has received an M18 rating from IMDA Singapore due to its mature content and themes. The game’s narrative revolves around the character Max Caulfield, a photographer at Caledon University, and delves into the complexities of time travel, murder, and personal relationships.

In Double Exposure, Max Caulfield sets out on a mission to save her friend Safi, who was brutally murdered. Through her ability to manipulate time, Max unintentionally creates an alternate timeline where Safi is alive but pursued by her killer. Players are required to navigate between these timelines, uncover the mystery behind the murder, and ultimately rescue Safi.

The M18 rating is attributed to the game’s inclusion of mature themes, coarse language, and drug use. Players experience the game from a third-person perspective, exploring indoor and outdoor environments while interacting with objects and completing objectives. The choices made during dialogue and action sequences significantly impact character reactions and overall narrative progression.

Notably, the game includes representation of LGBTQ+ themes. Players have the option to engage in a romantic scene between Max and another woman, which features a cutscene of the pair kissing. Additionally, the game features a transgender woman character who discusses experiences with discrimination, alongside other sexual references and innuendos. These elements are presented with discretion and relevance to the narrative and are appropriate within the context of the M18 rating.

The language in Double Exposure includes strong expletives such as “motherf**ker” and “f**k,” along with crude language like “shit,” “damn,” and “asshole.” The M18 classification permits frequent use of strong coarse language, in line with the game’s mature themes.

Drug use also plays a role in the game, with a scene where the protagonist has the option to smoke a joint, and other scenes include drug-related references. The M18 Classification Guidelines allow for the realistic depiction of drug or psychoactive substance abuse, provided it does not glamorize or promote such behavior.

Violence is present but depicted with moderate detail. Some scenes include a character being shot in the shoulder, resulting in visible bloodstains, another character reliving trauma while being forcibly restrained, and a disturbing stylized graphic of a headless man holding a bucket with a decapitated head.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is set to be released on October 29, 2024 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch.