Life is Strange: True Colors Review – Now With More Feeling

In the latest entry of the Life is Strange franchise, harness the power of empathy to help the residents of Haven Springs Springs, Colorado, cope with the death of a beloved member of the community and expose the True Colors of those responsible. See what I did there?

Developers: Deck Nine
Publishers: Square Enix
Release Date: September 9th, 2021
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Stadia, Switch, Xbox

Our Story Begins in Haven Springs
In Life is Strange: True Colors, you take on the role of Alex Chen. After being separated from her brother, Gabe, by the foster care system, the two reconnect at the town of Haven Springs Springs. The two attempt to start a new life together but tragedy strikes, and Gabe is killed by a landslide. Using her abilities to attune with other people’s emotions, Alex begins to investigate the events that led to Gabe’s demise and find the truth about what led to the accident.

Now, I’m a big fan of Life is Strange and the Interactive Adventure genre. I’ve played almost all of them, and I can say with utmost certainty that True Colors is easily my favorite entry in the franchise. Deck Nine truly delivers a beautiful and emotional tale that is determined to tug at your heartstrings with everything it has got. Alex is a likable protagonist with fun powers, and the supporting cast of characters spread throughout Haven Springs makes you want to move there.

What I like most about True Colors is that the ending has a phenomenal final confrontation, which is something I think Life is Strange has always lacked. That’s not saying there isn’t some large, climactic event, like deciding Chloe’s fate in the first game or how to handle Daniel in the sequel. The way it’s dealt with in True Colors just feels so incredibly unique. Alex has this one-on-one moment with the people who are to blame for the events that happen throughout the game, and it’s just done so well.

The game’s improved facial animations only strengthen this confrontation. It’s one of my favorite improvements made to the franchise. The stories told in Life is Strange have always been emotional tales, but True Colors ups the ante with this one slight improvement. Facial animations have so much more nuance to them, and in a game about tragedies, those subtle details make everything so much more impactful.

Emotions Can Be a Powerful Tool
The concept of using empathy as a super might sound strange and foreign to some players, but it is a cool power. Alex has the ability to resonate with those who feel strong emotions and, at times, maybe even take those emotions away from, drawing them into herself. Doing so comes with consequences, however. It takes a heavy emotional toll on Alex and might not provide the outcome you expect with the person whose emotional state you’ve changed. Who knows what taking away someone’s rage could do to someone or the effect it’ll have on Alex and those around her?

If you’ve played any Life is Strange games, then you’ll know what to expect as the gameplay is mostly the same. You’ll walk around Haven Springs and its surrounding areas, talking with the locals and investigating various points of interest. Side content comes in the form of subtle little hints you’ll pick up, like a lost dog or coming across a bird watcher in the park. The game also has unique little moments, some of which are brought on by Alex’s abilities. There’s one excellent bit that involves a little bit of Live Action Role Play as well that I won’t spoil, but it’s great stuff.

Performance-wise, True Colors runs wonderfully. I played the game on both my PC and Xbox Series X and ran into minimal issues on either machine. The game looks great, and the art style has clearly received a much-needed upgrade. Haven Springs is a charming town, and the move to a more realistic style helps the experience. Also, I’m not sure who is in charge of picking out the soundtrack for these games, but I hope whoever it is, they’re getting paid good money. The music selected for Life is Strange is top tier, and True Colors shows no signs of slowing down.

All in All, It’s a Great Game
I only have minor complaints about the game, if I’m being honest. My first would be that the NPCs that move around town have some weird and very robotic movements. Secondly, I wish Life is Strange would implement a better save system. The game autosaves at specific points, but otherwise, that’s all. Having to sit through conversations you can’t skip multiple times isn’t exactly fun. Finally, there are many points of interest that are just easily missable. I’d be pretty frustrated at the end of a chapter when I saw that I missed certain moments.

Those minor issues aside, True Colors is my favorite entry. Deck Nine has crafted an exceptional experience that flat-out trumps its predecessors. Maybe it’s because I’ve experienced a loss in my family within this past year, but it really resonated with me. I can only hope that whatever is next for Life is Strange; the developers can keep this sort of momentum going. It isn’t a game to be missed.

Review Disclosure Statement: Life is Strange: True Colors was provided to us by Square Enix for review purposes. For more information on how we conduct and handle reviews here, please visit our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy for more info. Thank you.