Life Is Strange: Double Exposure, a sequel in the narrative-driven game series, won the Social Impact award at the Game Developers Choice Awards amid significant layoffs at its developer, Deck Nine Games. The absence of a team member to accept the award highlighted the precarious state of the gaming industry, particularly for narrative-focused games. While the game received mixed feedback from critics and fans alike, particularly regarding character narrative choices, its recognition at the awards demonstrates a lingering appreciation for storytelling in gaming despite recent industry challenges.
It's fitting that nobody was there to accept the GDCA award that Double Exposure won, because we all got laid off lol, wrote former Deck Nine narrative designer Elizabeth Ballou on BlueSky.
Nearly every game that won had people coming through, beaming with their trophy in hand. It stood out that, for Life is Strange, which won the Social Impact award, there was no one.
...for fans and others in the industry it's a grimly ironic reminder of the current precarious state of the game industry, especially for story-driven adventure games.
While the game won praise from some critics, fans also balked at certain narrative choices made for long-established characters like protagonist Max Caulfield.
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