You’re eventually given a slight free roam of the major streets of Haven Springs, and it’s here that True Colors deviates most from previous games in the series. However, when you’re not playing through the main story, things are a little less linear. I cared, which was something I rarely discover in games recently. I’ve never stopped to think about the consequence of my choice as much as I have during True Colors – and this is a testament to the strength of the writing. So many of the choices that I’d be faced with while playing True Colors were (ironically) firmly in the grey area. There are still heaps of choices to be made throughout the story of True Colors, and so many of them have real consequences later on. That’s not to say that this is a linear game by any means. The relative linearity means that the writing and story are more honed than in previous games. While I thought this was a significant step back at first, I’ve come to appreciate that this is perhaps why I like True Colors so much over previous Life Is Strange games. True Colors central conceit feels more passive than previous games – expanding dialogue options but still resulting in what feels like an ultimately more linear experience. Still, it ultimately boils down to nice-looking mind reading. And I can appreciate how the knowledge you’d garner from these interactions could influence the dialogue as you played. It’s without a doubt the most interesting power that a Life Is Strange character has been given. So what can Alex do? She is more or less an empath – she can visualise strong feelings of anger, fear, sadness, and joy as colours and engage with them to solve problems or learn information for her use. Max could rewind and pause time, and Daniel could move things with his mind. That being said, the main story does have one or two surprises in later chapters but otherwise feels like it’s been done-to-death in terms of the overarching structure. So much of Haven and its character is built by the game’s optional content exploring the side characters, and I’d argue they’re perhaps the highlight here. I was disappointed to see things unfold in a direction that I’d surmised the story would take early on, but the strength of the characters and their subplots works wonders in keeping things interesting regardless. The plot itself is slightly predictable but still engaging. Given that so much of True Colors and, well, most Life Is Strange games hinge on their characters, it’s a relief to find Alex to be so likeable. With other characters in the series having a penchant for devolving into annoying caricatures, Alex felt like a real person from beginning to end in True Colors. Even though she has her fair share of issues and pathos, there was nary a time where I didn’t want to stick it out with her to the very end. From the get-go, I found Alex to be a remarkably likeable protagonist. Keeping spoilers to an absolute minimum (as perhaps surmised by my vague story summary), True Colors is one of the stronger Life Is Strange tales. The kicker? Alex has a bizarre ability to not only visualise other peoples’ strong emotions but take them on and live in them to help determine their root cause. Once Alex arrives in Haven Springs, she discovers there’s more to the idyllic little town than meets the eye and must investigate a suspicious death in the process too. After spending some time together, she’s invited to the idyllic mountain town of Haven Springs in Colorado by her brother Gabe. She’s been in and out of foster homes and had a troubled childhood all her life. Life Is Strange: True Colors has you playing as Alex Chen. Now, after giving Life Is Strange: True Colors the attention it deserves, I’m pretty happy to boldly proclaim it’s one of the best, if not the best in the series. So when I heard that the developers of the prequel, Before The Storm, were taking the lead on the next true Life Is Strange game, I was apprehensive and almost disappointed. I struggled to connect with Life Is Strange 2. My experience with Life Is Strange is tumultuous at best.
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