If you’ve ever played a Life is Strange game, you should know the drill. Ordinary, relatable characters find themselves caught up in larger drama (that is still grounded in our reality) while supernatural forces can be harnessed to impact events. The formula is no different with Life is Strange: True Colors, the latest in Square Enix’s beloved narrative adventure series.
From developers Deck Nine, who previously made Life is Strange: Before the Storm, the prequel to Dontnod’s pioneering Life is Strange, True Colors centres on a new cast of characters – minus a returning Steph from Before the Storm – and a new “strange” ability.
The power of feelings
Alex Chen, performed by Erika Mori, is a 21 year old who emerges from eight years in the bruising foster care system, and heads off to idyllic Haven Springs, Colorado. Alex has been invited to live with her big brother Gabe, who escaped his own troubled past and put down roots in the peaceful mountain town.
When the Chen siblings’ reunion ends in tragedy, Alex refuses to accept the official verdict of “an accident.” Helping her uncover the truth are her new friends, roleplaying-obsessed DJ Steph and good guy ranger Ryan – plus Alex’s own secret ability. She’s an empath, who can read people’s strong emotions as coloured auras, absorb their feelings and even manipulate them on occasion. While Alex’s gift lets her help people, it also pierces through the Haven Springs idyll. Turns out, this tiny, close-knit community is harbouring all kinds of secrets.
Things are still Strange
There’s no question that True Colors is a Life is Strange game. All the expected elements are present. Front and centre are continual, frequently tough, dialogue and behaviour choices that will have repercussions later, and lead to one of the game’s six endings. There are also romance options to pursue (or not), and a fleshed-out cast of supporting characters.
Once again appearing too are feather-light puzzles that require exploring your environments; an “inventory” of text messages and a heavily doodled journal that serve as a story recap; zen moments of nothing but music listening; plus a chance to compare your choices with those of other players at the end of every game chapter.
Next-gen LiS
True Colors ticks all the Life is Strange franchise boxes, but it’s also an evolution of its predecessors. For one thing, the scope of the game is bigger. In-between her to-do list of interactions to advance the plot, Alex can roam Haven Springs, looking for collectible memories that deepen the player’s understanding of characters.
You can also choose to engage with minor, unnamed residents. For example, you might help a runner feel more confident about her progress, or guide best friends to admit their romantic feelings for one another. There’s even the chance to play a few in-game arcade games, or fiddle with the bar jukebox.
True Colors feels like a big step up graphically. Haven Springs is so stunning, and clearly designed with love, that it’ll likely be a struggle to find any players who don’t want to pack in their lives and move to the millennial hipster sanctuary.
The same attention to detail extends beyond the inviting environments. True Colors is the first Life is Strange game to use a full performance capture system, extending beyond traditional motion and voice capture, to record tiny nuances of facial expression at the same time. In a character-driven game about reading and harnessing emotion, that capability pays dividends, breathing so much more credible life into animations.
Characters carry the game
And, in True Colors, convincing characterisation has especial significance. You could go so far as to say that the cast is really what carries the game; what makes it worth experiencing.
Firstly, Alex is an incredibly likeable lead. Regardless of how you guide her, her age and experiences give her a pragmatism, insight and maturity missing from previous series protagonists. She has her insecurities, but she’s a survivor who keeps going, and hasn’t sacrificed her wry sense of humour.
That said, every character – even those apparently positioned closer to good and evil extremes – is far more complex than they first appear. As Alex discovers, each is carrying around their own emotional trauma. One character, and the depiction of their internalised terror about a medical condition, is especially hard-hitting.
Alex’s delving into what makes the locals of Haven Springs tick keeps players invested in the game because the overarching mystery isn’t that engaging. Although Alex’s quest for answers does drive the plot, the mystery-solving never has any sense of urgency. There’s no race against the clock, as whole chapters of True Colors are devoted to goings-on in Haven Springs, like the Spring Festival and a town-wide LARP.
At times, players may be frustrated that the main narrative thrust is so de-powered. You soon realise, though, like Alex, that you should just go with the small town flow and embrace the game’s leisurely pace. Day-to-day life in Haven Springs is generally more compelling anyway, with the LARP segment a highlight. It’s incredibly well researched and believable in its staging. With its simultaneous embrace of fantasy, and insistence on showing the improvised reality behind the illusion, it’s an experience never captured in a game before.
When True Colors’ central mystery does eventually get its time in the spotlight, largely crammed into the final two episodes, it comes with Dickensian plot twists and coincidences that feel unnecessary. It caps everything off, but it really isn’t as satisfying as the game’s characters and slice-of-life content. Although, fans will be playing mostly for the latter two aspects anyway.
For the record, a single playthrough of True Colors is a 10 – 12 hour experience, consisting of five chapters. Unlike previous entries in the series, it’s been released in its entirety instead of individual spaced-out episodes. This means you can essentially binge the game in a few sessions – if your emotions are up for it.
Life is Strange: True Colors is out now for Playstation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, PC, GeForce Now and Google Stadia. The game is also coming to Nintendo Switch later this year.
One final note is that owners of the game’s Deluxe or Ultimate Editions will be able to play the Wavelengths DLC, a prequel that focuses on Steph. Wavelengths releases on September 30, and you can watch the trailer here.
| Life is Strange: True Colors review | |
Life is Strange: True Colors is a worthy new addition to the Life is Strange series. It doesn’t pack quite the cry-in-bed-for-a-week emotional wallop as the original game, and the main narrative stumbles along, but the choices are frequently tough, the characters are credibly multi-shaded and compelling, and the setting really couldn’t be more beautiful. Franchise fans should be happy. |
8.5 |
| Life is Strange: True Colors was reviewed on PC | |