Life is Strange True Colors Review
It’s been years since I played the first Life is Strange game, but I’ve never forgotten it. I still think about the darker story beats, the fantastic soundtrack, and that opening scene staring out at a dark vortex… Dang, that was a fun game.
So I had high hopes for Life is Strange True Colors, which comes from a different studio but was released by Square Enix, just like the original. The moment-to-moment writing and stray thoughts from the protagonist are just as strong as the first game (which was pretty darn strong in my opinion). On the other hand, this game does not start with the same bang as the original, which threw you quickly into a story of time travel powers and murder. No, True Colors starts pretty muted: Alex Chen is joining her Gabe in Haven Springs, CO after a long separation at the hands of the foster system. She begins as an outsider warmly welcomed into the town her brother has made home. The game really eases you into the setting before kicking up the stakes.
Alex’s super powers are likewise more subtle than the original: she’s has mild telepathy and strong empathic psychic mumbo jumbo. She can identify strong feelings in auras, and she feels the strongest emotions of those around her whether she wants to or not. These abilities were honestly so mild to start that I thought they might be a simple hallucination, but understated powers work well for the story being told. There’s a strong focus on building a life and uncovering the heartaches and aspirations of the people around you in this game. As the title suggests, Alex is uniquely skilled in seeing a person’s true colors, no matter how well-hidden they may be (though if you know the genre, you might see through characters earlier than the game might hope.)
This game feels more limited than the original in a few key ways: emotions don’t lend themselves to puzzles in the same way time travel does, for example. For another, the small town feels extra small when you don’t have more spaces to explore. And, no joke, I could have used a few more colors!
But in terms of story and presentation, I thoroughly enjoyed this game, and I think it will stick with me in much the same way the original did. 4 LARPs out of 5.