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.
