Life is Strange: True Colors

Life is Strange: True Colors is a great return to the franchises roots. It perfectly nails what made the first game so special with its small town mystery and great relatable characters. Over the course of the game you get more and more attached to the town of Haven Springs and the moments where you can explore the town were some of my favorites in the game. Alex power of Empathy was extremely well done with being able to read and even absorb people's emotions was very unique for the franchise. It even rivals Max's powers of Time Travel from the original. All around Life is Strange: True Colors perfectly nails what makes Life is Strange Life is Strange.

I could'nt stop playing. Just finished it. I like how it looks, and the story doesn't feel rushed. AMAZING music and graphics. I played it on Series x. It looks stunning and it is breathtaking.

Life is Strange: True Colors Image The story is engaging, if a bit basic, but the characters and their interactions with the protagonist, Alex, keep True Colors interesting from start to finish.

The game always tackles its themes of emotional trauma and healing tastefully, without beating the player over the head with them.

Its characters are well written and likeable, the soundtrack is good, the voice acting is consistently on point and it is genuinely beautiful to look at.

Deck Nine picked the best elements from the series's previous instalments and used them to create one of the most interesting and refined adventure games on the market. It's a game that knows what it wants to be, knows what it wants to say, and does so exquisitely.

Life Is Strange: True Colors is the fifth entry in the series and the third main instalment. This graphic adventure game is based upon decisions made by the players that will have significant impacts later on in the game, leading to a multitude of possible different endings and offering much replay value. The game consists of five episodes of roughly four hours of length which makes for about twenty hours of entertainment in total with all the side quests. If you play the game without the side quests, you could perhaps even finish it in roughly twelve to fifteen hours.

The story of the game revolves around twenty-one-year-old Alexandra Chen who leaves her foster home and psychologist behind to start a new life with her older brother in rural Haven Springs in Colorado. The siblings were separated after the tragic death of their mother shattered their lives and the father's failure to adapt to the new situation tore them apart. Alexandra Chen had several negative experiences in foster families and homes while her brother Gabriel spent some time in prison. Arriving in Haven Springs feels like paradise to the initially shy Alexandra Chen. Her brother is caring, dynamic and welcoming to her and she soon spends time with friendly new acquaintances such as park ranger Ryan Lucan and record store owner Stephanie. She even gets the opportunity to stay at her brother's beautiful apartment since he spends much time with his girlfriend and artist Charlotte and her quirky son Ethan who have their own apartment. When Alexandra gets offered the opportunity to help out at local bar Black Lantern by friendly owner Jed, everything seems to be going fine. However, appearances are deceiving as Alexandra struggles to understand the supernatural power that allows her to detect and sense other persons' emotions. Things take a more complicated turn when tragedy strikes on her first night in town. Alexandra Chen has to dig deep into her own past and discover the dark sides of this seemingly idyllic place to come to terms with the dramatic series of events unfolding around her.

This game convinces on numerous levels. First of all, the location of Haven Springs is gorgeous with a wonderful bridge, an old school record store, a cozy tavern, a luminous rooftop garden and a park right next to a lake with snowy mountains in the background. The graphic design for this game is absolutely outstanding and anyone considering her-, him- or themselves an artist should purchase this wonderful game for that reason already.

Another particular strength are the diversified characters who all have to deal with their inner demons but also show moments of hope, joy and love - even the villains. Some of these great characters are resilient brother Gabriel Chen who has been looking for his sister for many years, poetic taxidermist Reginald McCalister III and empathic flower shop owner Eleanor Lethe. Stephanie Gingrich, from the previous instalment Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, makes an impressive appearance as energetic radio show host and record store owner. The most interesting character however remains protagonist Alexandra Chen, a tender, shy and insecure youngster who has suffered much in her past but gradually becomes a resilient, hopeful and helpful young woman you could easily imagine as your friend.

The story is also above average as the numerous side quests offer interesting details about the charming characters. The final episode that puts the different pieces together might offer a few minor twists as well. The ending sequences are very entertaining as usual and make you want to discover the numerous different outcomes.

The only element one could criticize the game for is that it keeps things very safe and is exactly in the key of its four predecessors. Due to its wonderful characters and graphic excellence, it easily triumphs over its three immediate predecessors while the first original video game still remains the greatest in the series because of its absolutely astonishing story line.

Fans of the franchise can't go wrong here as this release can be celebrated as a triumphant return to form. This game would also serve as a decent introduction to the franchise. If intriguing characters, colourful graphics and twisted stories with depth are your thing, then you can't get around this game. It's also possible to purchase additional mini-game Wavelengths that further explores Stephanie Gingrich's story between the events shown in Life Is Strange: Before the Storm and Life Is Strange: True Colors. Said mini-game is roughly four hours long if you really take your time but can also be completed in half the time if you want to.

To keep it short, Life Is Strange: True Colors is one of last year's better games and makes us look forward to experiencing the future of this vibrant franchise on the pulse of time that invites us to dream ourselves far away.

I am a massive fan of the first "Life is Strange," as well as its prequel spinoff game, "Before the Storm." In fact, those games had such an impact on me that I single handedly credit them for sparking my gender dysphoria, as well as the second wave of my depression; both games are unspeakably beautiful, but also crushingly sad - both games made me weep harder than I cried at my own grandpa's funeral. And upon completion of both games, I found myself depressed for months, only wanting to immerse myself back into the world and its characters. To put it simply, the "Life is Strange" video game series has had a very big impact on me, with the two games mentioned above standing tall as my top two favorite video games of all time.

"Life is Strange 2" is a different story entirely. With its overt political commentary and heavy handed writing, it felt short as to what made the first game great. However, despite its shortcomings, it still managed to have enough thrilling and shocking moments to keep me engaged until the end. Enter "True Colors," the latest entry in the "Life is Strange" series. Is it a return to form, or does it follow the same traps as its predecessor?

From the endearing setting to the charming cast of characters, in many ways, "True Colors" follows the footsteps of the first "Life is Strange." At first glance, there's a lot to like - we once again play as a female protagonist, and unlike in "Life is Strange 2," this time we play as someone who has supernatural abilities that they can use to their advantage. Our main character, Alex, voiced beautifully and tenderly by Erika Mori, is a somewhat lost soul - she seems to want to belong somewhere, but she's having a hard time finding her fitting, especially with her special power that allows her to see people's auras when they are experiencing strong emotions; so, when someone is very mad, Alex will see them glow red - when someone is sad, she will see them glow blue - you get the point.

It's an intriguing power, and one you'll most likely want to experience. Truth be told, its hard to imagine a better power than what we get to play in the first game in the series, but "True Colors" comes close in offering a relatable, emotional ability that serves primarily in more closely engaging the player with the characters that inhabit the world. With that said, it's perhaps most surprising that "True Colors" starts to fall short because of the fact that it lacks a relatable emotional hook.

Without spoiling anything, this game offers up a story that, I believe, few will be able to relate to in a meaningful way. While small in scope, the game's central conflict was simply too large in scale for me to connect with. And perhaps this wouldn't have been a big deal if "True Colors" spent a lot of time building up its world and its characters, but it doesn't. Every one of the five chapters in this game are ridiculously, unforgivably short. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if each chapter could be completed in about 30 minutes if you decided to forgo all side missions and optional discussions. Because of the rapid pace and short length of each chapter, the game feels half baked and rushed, never allowing enough time for players to feel adequately and emotionally connected. Hell, even the romance in this game, if the player chooses to pursue one, isn't fleshed out until the later few episodes.

However, despite this game's shortcoming, there is a certain charm to it that remains infectious. Even though I didn't get much time in the world or with the characters, I find myself loving both and wanting to dive back in. There are many individual moments of beauty in this game, and many sequences that I have looked back on fondly and want to experience again. At its best, this game echoes the perfection of the first "Life is Strange" - I only wish "True Colors" was given more breathing room to fully flesh out its world and the people in it.