Life is strange, and I have a short history of our own. When I was a teenager, I loved the original game and was happy to find a game that allowed you to play as bisexual with male and female love interests. There were many issues with the first game with strangely cheesy language and questionable narrative choices (one of which taught me what the Bury Your Gays cliche was), and I was prepared to quit Life was strange in 2015. However, while True Colors is a solo game, it would be difficult to separate it from Life is the history of Strange, which I kept in mind when playing.
The New Protagonist, Alex Chen:
The new protagonist in Life is Strange, Alex Chen, is well known. She’s a twenty-one-year-old who wants to sing Radiohead alone in her room rather than weep. But in addition to being a melancholy indie girl, she is also the first Asian-American player in the series. Alex comes in quest of a place to belong to Haven Springs, a tiny mining city in Colorado, but her ambitions have been disrupted by her brother Gabe’s unexplained death. Alex must use her magical skills to traverse the community of sorrow and discover the truth about Gabe’s death.
The superpower of Alex is the capacity to perceive intense emotions in individuals as colourful auras to allow them to control and absorb sentiments. I was dubious about the entire idea, myself. It seems like a significant drop to the superpower of empathy from being able to turn back time. But gradually, Life is Strange: True Colors succeeded in wearing down my cynicism.
The Life is Strange game finds moments, quiet and noisy, amusing and moving, especially with the depiction of Haven Springs- a lovely mountain town- right out of a tourist brochure that the city people and Alex’s interactions with them have brought to Life skilfully. The game’s main emphasis is also on music and the atmosphere, so you may take time to listen to the songs and appreciate your surroundings. Whatever else, True Colors nailed its own distinct atmosphere.
The ability of Alex enables you to read your mind efficiently, either to make others feel better or emotionally manipulate them for your own reasons (the distinction between the two can feel very blurred). It is really extremely useful as a technique for narrative. The aim is to build empathy, and it works. The sequences in which you “read” individuals allow you to immerse yourself rapidly in the tales and problems of the people.
Romance of Heavens:
Life is Strange characters are heavenly romantic. The interests of love, Steph and Ryan, are both very attentive. The game enables you to romance or not, and it even offers you the agency to play within your own limits by providing the choice of kissing or hugging your chosen love in romantic situations.
Sadly, it seems as if True Colors did not break many boundaries since the love interests were a cool, white, old girl and a nice, goofy and white guy, particularly if you consider them to be the same archetypes as love interests from the first Life are strange. Nevertheless, True Colors’ romance was done extremely effectively. I even received a few butterflies from the whole romantic city, and I had a bisexual dilemma between the two (well played, game, well played).
At its core, Life is Strange: True Color is a communal tale about what it means to not be alone. Although Alex’s Life has been very tough, she discovers what she needs not just of others but also herself to begin healing.
I’m not permitted to speak about True Colors spoilers, so I’ll offer a Strange Life spoiler instead. The only moment that made me weep was after the suicide attempt by Kate’s hospital scene. I didn’t weep, but when I saw her recover and read the letters, her peers attempted to encourage her and remind her that she was not alone. It’s what got me. It kind of caught me in the right location at the right moment as a teenager with untreated depression.
Life is Actually True Colours:
Life is strange: Alex is accustomed to being alone, true colours. Watching her learn to belong and feel genuine and important, that’s something many people may need right now. I was much more sceptical and cynical than when I was fifteen, but Life is strange and always finds me at the right time and place. That’s corny now.
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