Amazing Game
I have this weird thing where I don't play a Life is Strange game, until the next one was already announced.
For this one, I actually believe that it might have been better that way. I could have never connected with Alex as deeply as I did if I played this when it came out, since I probably never had to deal with some central emotions of this game by that time.
Alex is the first main character in the series, for which her power isn't something comparable to a god. Her power itself isn't even explained to it's fullest, contrary to the previous main characters where the exact moment they gained it was shown. Her power has caused her nothing but suffering for her entire life. You can clearly notice how emotionally disconnected she is most of the game compared to every one around her. Only sometimes her own emotions become too much for her and she completely bursts.
Seeing how everyone around you is affected by the things that are going on, while you for the first time try to use your power for good is a powerful way to show different peoples way of handling sensitive topics. The big reveal I not only predicted 2 chapters ahead of time AND I was spoiled about, but it ended up not even being the biggest reveal of the game.
Now, apart from the story, I consider the art to be the best it's ever been. Ray Tracing looks beautiful with these semi-realistic comic book / art graphics. The original Life is Strange had a very artistic approach, but especially the animations often had a very stiff impression. Life is Strange: Double Exposure almost looked too realistic for a Life is Strange game in the trailers. At least for my liking. But this game has a perfect blend between artistic graphics and realistic animations.
The music might my favorite so far in the series. They went all out on the licensing too. The fact that the album of this game costs 600$ on Discogs speaks for itself. I've listened to this games soundtrack all the time. It has a song for everything. At some points it even surprised me with a song because I never thought it would properly fit into a Life is Strange Game.
However, not it's time for some negatives too.
I feel like the choices never mattered less than here. Of course there are a lot of choices that have a long lasting effect and get back to you late in the game. But there are all the more of them that seem to not matter in the end at all. At many times, I had to realize that my choice might affect the dialogue, but the final outcome was always predetermined. This game had to chance to be so much more impactful if they allowed for some more bad things to happen.
As it is normal for these games, at many times I felt that none of the choices represent what I would do in such a situation. And sometimes the game failed to properly convey to me, if I can come back to a conversation and choose all possible option, or if I only get once chance, which led to quite the frustration when it ended up being a single choice conversation.
I don't want to spoil the ending. But I can tell here that it definitely fell apart while building up to it. In my opinion, it was somehow too rushed and too long at the same time. The wrong things went by too quick and the wrong things were stretched out too much. That's all I'll say here. But I nonetheless, still enjoyed the ending a ton.
My wavelengths review is on it's dedicated DLC page. My rating for it is also a 4/5.
As for my conclusion. This is definitely not the objectively best Life is Strange. When talking objectively, it's hard to compare to the First and Second game. But for me personally, this game connected with me more than those two have. I don't know if it's appropriate to call my favorite, simply because it's been too long since I played the previous games. But it has made me think and feel more than I remember the previous games.
For this one, I actually believe that it might have been better that way. I could have never connected with Alex as deeply as I did if I played this when it came out, since I probably never had to deal with some central emotions of this game by that time.
Alex is the first main character in the series, for which her power isn't something comparable to a god. Her power itself isn't even explained to it's fullest, contrary to the previous main characters where the exact moment they gained it was shown. Her power has caused her nothing but suffering for her entire life. You can clearly notice how emotionally disconnected she is most of the game compared to every one around her. Only sometimes her own emotions become too much for her and she completely bursts.
Seeing how everyone around you is affected by the things that are going on, while you for the first time try to use your power for good is a powerful way to show different peoples way of handling sensitive topics. The big reveal I not only predicted 2 chapters ahead of time AND I was spoiled about, but it ended up not even being the biggest reveal of the game.
Now, apart from the story, I consider the art to be the best it's ever been. Ray Tracing looks beautiful with these semi-realistic comic book / art graphics. The original Life is Strange had a very artistic approach, but especially the animations often had a very stiff impression. Life is Strange: Double Exposure almost looked too realistic for a Life is Strange game in the trailers. At least for my liking. But this game has a perfect blend between artistic graphics and realistic animations.
The music might my favorite so far in the series. They went all out on the licensing too. The fact that the album of this game costs 600$ on Discogs speaks for itself. I've listened to this games soundtrack all the time. It has a song for everything. At some points it even surprised me with a song because I never thought it would properly fit into a Life is Strange Game.
However, not it's time for some negatives too.
I feel like the choices never mattered less than here. Of course there are a lot of choices that have a long lasting effect and get back to you late in the game. But there are all the more of them that seem to not matter in the end at all. At many times, I had to realize that my choice might affect the dialogue, but the final outcome was always predetermined. This game had to chance to be so much more impactful if they allowed for some more bad things to happen.
As it is normal for these games, at many times I felt that none of the choices represent what I would do in such a situation. And sometimes the game failed to properly convey to me, if I can come back to a conversation and choose all possible option, or if I only get once chance, which led to quite the frustration when it ended up being a single choice conversation.
I don't want to spoil the ending. But I can tell here that it definitely fell apart while building up to it. In my opinion, it was somehow too rushed and too long at the same time. The wrong things went by too quick and the wrong things were stretched out too much. That's all I'll say here. But I nonetheless, still enjoyed the ending a ton.
My wavelengths review is on it's dedicated DLC page. My rating for it is also a 4/5.
As for my conclusion. This is definitely not the objectively best Life is Strange. When talking objectively, it's hard to compare to the First and Second game. But for me personally, this game connected with me more than those two have. I don't know if it's appropriate to call my favorite, simply because it's been too long since I played the previous games. But it has made me think and feel more than I remember the previous games.
This review contains spoilers
best game in the franchise and best setting đź‘Ť good plot twist too
My 2nd favourite main character of any LiS game (Behind Max of course) and is tied with the original game for its choices in music. It also contains my favourite "episode" out of all the games
What the fuck. How do you fumble a life is strange game so badly. So much to unpack here, but following Life is Strange 2 with THIS game, is crazy.
The main story of True Colours is so thin, that it could have been told under an hour, once you strip it away from meaningless character drama, that leads to nothing and serves nothing to the ending and main plot line.
Our main character Alex got the worst powers possible for a video game, she is an empath! Crazy I know. What crazy game mechanics deck nine invented for this? Well, nothing. Most of the game you will right-click on someone to hear their thoughts, but not always, only when the games need you to be able to do it. This only makes the ending twist in episode 4 so much worse, it breaks the game logic.
And on that episode 4 twist. A good twist is always measured by how you can look back at the story told and see the clues for yourself, but here, you can't! There is no build up, or subtext clues or anything, it comes out of nowhere and feels so cheap.
Remember life is strange 2 and how every episode had its own set of characters, locations, conflict and so on? Forget that! Welcome to haven springs! Meet 8 total characters throughout the whole game, and 5-6 locations and oh yeah, every episode you explore the same old house you live in, same bar, same everything. it feels like a sitcom set that run out of money.
The best thing throughout the game is the romance subplot, but it moves so slow, and gets so little time to shine, and it's clear the folks at deck nine didn't have enough time to expand on two whole romance options, despite it being clear that one (Steph) is far superior but i guess they had to have an option for the straight boring gamers.
So many characters that you make choices around are a no show around the end - Mac? Nowhere to be seen, his arc legit is concluded with a text message. Riley? oh, you didn't go to the bus station in episode 5? (60% of players didn't because it's not in the normal pathing of the game), too bad she is gone! Diane? A voice recording on a laptop. Its embarrassing.
You also have the ability to help people throughout town during the game, with little side missions. it's cute, but again, it never, ever comes up in the game, despite being marked as a choice. Most of it is as simple as hearing their thoughts and talking to them, revolutionary i know.
Deck nine, being the devs behind this and before the storm, the two worst LiS games in the series, makes me so worried about the upcoming double exposure. But I guess time will tell.
The main story of True Colours is so thin, that it could have been told under an hour, once you strip it away from meaningless character drama, that leads to nothing and serves nothing to the ending and main plot line.
Our main character Alex got the worst powers possible for a video game, she is an empath! Crazy I know. What crazy game mechanics deck nine invented for this? Well, nothing. Most of the game you will right-click on someone to hear their thoughts, but not always, only when the games need you to be able to do it. This only makes the ending twist in episode 4 so much worse, it breaks the game logic.
And on that episode 4 twist. A good twist is always measured by how you can look back at the story told and see the clues for yourself, but here, you can't! There is no build up, or subtext clues or anything, it comes out of nowhere and feels so cheap.
Remember life is strange 2 and how every episode had its own set of characters, locations, conflict and so on? Forget that! Welcome to haven springs! Meet 8 total characters throughout the whole game, and 5-6 locations and oh yeah, every episode you explore the same old house you live in, same bar, same everything. it feels like a sitcom set that run out of money.
The best thing throughout the game is the romance subplot, but it moves so slow, and gets so little time to shine, and it's clear the folks at deck nine didn't have enough time to expand on two whole romance options, despite it being clear that one (Steph) is far superior but i guess they had to have an option for the straight boring gamers.
So many characters that you make choices around are a no show around the end - Mac? Nowhere to be seen, his arc legit is concluded with a text message. Riley? oh, you didn't go to the bus station in episode 5? (60% of players didn't because it's not in the normal pathing of the game), too bad she is gone! Diane? A voice recording on a laptop. Its embarrassing.
You also have the ability to help people throughout town during the game, with little side missions. it's cute, but again, it never, ever comes up in the game, despite being marked as a choice. Most of it is as simple as hearing their thoughts and talking to them, revolutionary i know.
Deck nine, being the devs behind this and before the storm, the two worst LiS games in the series, makes me so worried about the upcoming double exposure. But I guess time will tell.
amor eterno por vcs irmĂŁos chen!
Crying so hard trying not to puke