It was cozy, if nothing else.
The pacing was weird and each chapter could be summarized in a single sentence. A lot of stuff was optional, which would have been fine if the main story had more meat. For a mystery there are only really 3 steps to uncovering the truth.
What stood out was how Alex's empathy superpower is so underbaked. She can only sense four emotions, and the game never puts her in a position where she needed to have literal superpowers instead of regular human empathy. One scene really stood out to me where Steph looks at a bottle labelled "Foosball Champion" and becomes visibly upset. Alex uses her superpower to investigate, then asks Steph for a match of foosball to cheer her up. Steph asks "How'd you know I liked foosball?" What do you mean "How'd you know I liked foosball?" That kind of thing happens every single time. Maybe I'm just gifted in emotional intelligence and empathy, but it never felt like superpowers were at all necessary and were only added because that's the Life is Strange gimmick.
I had fun, I'm glad I played it, and it was a nice change of pace. But it didn't leave a strong impression and I probably won't think about it a week from now. It's just... okay.
The pacing was weird and each chapter could be summarized in a single sentence. A lot of stuff was optional, which would have been fine if the main story had more meat. For a mystery there are only really 3 steps to uncovering the truth.
What stood out was how Alex's empathy superpower is so underbaked. She can only sense four emotions, and the game never puts her in a position where she needed to have literal superpowers instead of regular human empathy. One scene really stood out to me where Steph looks at a bottle labelled "Foosball Champion" and becomes visibly upset. Alex uses her superpower to investigate, then asks Steph for a match of foosball to cheer her up. Steph asks "How'd you know I liked foosball?" What do you mean "How'd you know I liked foosball?" That kind of thing happens every single time. Maybe I'm just gifted in emotional intelligence and empathy, but it never felt like superpowers were at all necessary and were only added because that's the Life is Strange gimmick.
I had fun, I'm glad I played it, and it was a nice change of pace. But it didn't leave a strong impression and I probably won't think about it a week from now. It's just... okay.
Alex ♡
I finished all the memories and romanced Steph, she is a sweetheart. I need to try her story! <3
só de me lembrar desse jogo eu fico PUTA
fico puta pq eu tava muito hypada e comprei na pré venda (!!!) achando que iria ser foda. no lis 2 eles evoluíram pra caralho a questão das escolhas realmente mudarem o jogo e vários finais diferentes, então o certo seria lis true colors superar o 2 nessa questão... né? SÓ QUE NÃO MUDA eh literalmente igual o primeiro que não importa suas decisões, só tem dois finais (sacrificar chloe/arcadia - ficar em haven/sair)
só que diferentemente do primeiro que -apesar dos pesares- é PERFEITO, esse é uma bosta
fico puta pq eu tava muito hypada e comprei na pré venda (!!!) achando que iria ser foda. no lis 2 eles evoluíram pra caralho a questão das escolhas realmente mudarem o jogo e vários finais diferentes, então o certo seria lis true colors superar o 2 nessa questão... né? SÓ QUE NÃO MUDA eh literalmente igual o primeiro que não importa suas decisões, só tem dois finais (sacrificar chloe/arcadia - ficar em haven/sair)
só que diferentemente do primeiro que -apesar dos pesares- é PERFEITO, esse é uma bosta
I think this is the strongest entry in the life is strange series, although the first game is still my favorite. good story, cool ability, and, as always, immaculate vibes.
The game itself is bad but then you learn all the stuff that happened on the development and it's a new low.
https://www.ign.com/articles/how-hidden-nazi-symbols-were-the-tip-of-a-toxic-iceberg-at-life-is-strange-developer-deck-nine
Thanks Deck Nine for destroying one of the best game franchises.
https://www.ign.com/articles/how-hidden-nazi-symbols-were-the-tip-of-a-toxic-iceberg-at-life-is-strange-developer-deck-nine
Thanks Deck Nine for destroying one of the best game franchises.
Life is Strange: True Colors feels like a return to form for the series in many ways and an evolution in some aspects but it’s bogged down by its mediocre narrative and questionable direction.
True Colors has a lot of the ingredients that made the first Life is Strange special, most notably on the amount of focus on the environmental storytelling to make the central location feel lived in. Life is Strange truly shines when it gets a central location that evolves with each chapter and is sprinkled with characters that progressively develop and react to what’s happening in the story. Every chapter in True Colors, minus the final one, opens the town of Haven Springs up for the player to free-roam through. Giving the player the chance to explore, find interesting information about the town and its inhabitants, and helping out said inhabitants through whatever they’re going through during that chapter. True Colors’ Haven Springs feels like the best evolution of what the team learned from the previous game to deliver a gripping setting.
An underrated aspect of Life is Strange that has always made the series stand out to me is that these games really make you live in the moment. They’re not trying to fill the playtime with plot progression, actually, most of the playtime is spent with the player just taking it all in whether it’s to appreciate beautiful scenery or to ponder over what’s happening in the main story. This has made way for the “Moment of Calm” spread across the games to become series staples and True Colors does them fantastically. Life is Strange uses music in very special ways and in True Colors, it seems like they’ve made the conscious decision to use save licensed music to be played during those Moment of Calm sections. Giving each Moment of Calm its own vibe based on how the characters are feeling and the type of monologue they’re giving. I especially love that they added Moments of Calm to be shared with other characters, giving you the choice to linger on whatever you’re doing with a character to make it more of an intimate moment. True Colors provides the set-piece and the player gets to choose if they want to extend their time in it or if they want to get to the next one faster, it provides a fantastic way for players to pace themselves.
Alex is up there with my favorite protagonists in the series, it feels like they took the best parts that made Max and Chloe work as characters and ended up creating a complex and dynamic main character that I wanted to see the story through with. Another return to form that hasn’t been present in the series since the very first Life is Strange is getting a protagonist that has superpowers again! This time, Alex has the power to visually see people’s emotions and if the emotion is particularly strong, she starts feeling it too. Much like Max’s rewind powers in the first Life is Strange, Alex’s set of abilities changes how you explore the world and how you interact with its characters. Emotions are visually represented as auras surrounding characters in a color that represents the emotion. Most NPCs have these auras which allows you to tap into their thoughts and help them out if they need to or just peek into what gossip or recent story development has been on their mind. This mechanic is used as a powerful tool for the environmental storytelling in True Colors.
When these emotions get too strong, they can completely shift a character’s view of what’s around them, giving Alex the ability to tap deep into their psyche to unravel what they’re going through. These moments are the highlight of True Colors for me, with some of them becoming some of my favorite moments in the series, especially a touching and heartbreaking one that happens in the second chapter that will live in my mind as a standout moment. What makes Alex such a fun protagonist to play as is that she eliminates the chance of the protagonist not understanding where a character is coming from and misjudging them. Alex can immediately put herself in other peoples’ shoes and understand them more deeply through their colorful auras. Stuff like this shape Alex’s abilities into becoming a very unique visual and literary tool.
My biggest gripe has to be with the story of the game though. I won’t be able to say much without getting into spoilers but what I can say is that the story keeps building the anticipation of the player through the return of having a mystery drive the narrative. However, the aftermath of that mystery ends up not being worth the anticipation, making True Colors have the most unsatisfying conclusion in the series for me. I spent most of the final chapter clicking my tongue and shaking my head in disappointment. I genuinely hated the conclusion to the story. However I don’t want to let that ruin the great time I had with the first three quarters of True Colors.
Life is Strange: True Colors does so much right that I can’t help but root for it. I had a really special time in Haven Springs and even though I didn’t leave it in the best note, I’m holding on to everything I liked from it. Fantastic setting, dynamic characters, indie music, and a questionable narrative? All the ingredients to a quintessential Life is Strange experience.
True Colors has a lot of the ingredients that made the first Life is Strange special, most notably on the amount of focus on the environmental storytelling to make the central location feel lived in. Life is Strange truly shines when it gets a central location that evolves with each chapter and is sprinkled with characters that progressively develop and react to what’s happening in the story. Every chapter in True Colors, minus the final one, opens the town of Haven Springs up for the player to free-roam through. Giving the player the chance to explore, find interesting information about the town and its inhabitants, and helping out said inhabitants through whatever they’re going through during that chapter. True Colors’ Haven Springs feels like the best evolution of what the team learned from the previous game to deliver a gripping setting.
An underrated aspect of Life is Strange that has always made the series stand out to me is that these games really make you live in the moment. They’re not trying to fill the playtime with plot progression, actually, most of the playtime is spent with the player just taking it all in whether it’s to appreciate beautiful scenery or to ponder over what’s happening in the main story. This has made way for the “Moment of Calm” spread across the games to become series staples and True Colors does them fantastically. Life is Strange uses music in very special ways and in True Colors, it seems like they’ve made the conscious decision to use save licensed music to be played during those Moment of Calm sections. Giving each Moment of Calm its own vibe based on how the characters are feeling and the type of monologue they’re giving. I especially love that they added Moments of Calm to be shared with other characters, giving you the choice to linger on whatever you’re doing with a character to make it more of an intimate moment. True Colors provides the set-piece and the player gets to choose if they want to extend their time in it or if they want to get to the next one faster, it provides a fantastic way for players to pace themselves.
Alex is up there with my favorite protagonists in the series, it feels like they took the best parts that made Max and Chloe work as characters and ended up creating a complex and dynamic main character that I wanted to see the story through with. Another return to form that hasn’t been present in the series since the very first Life is Strange is getting a protagonist that has superpowers again! This time, Alex has the power to visually see people’s emotions and if the emotion is particularly strong, she starts feeling it too. Much like Max’s rewind powers in the first Life is Strange, Alex’s set of abilities changes how you explore the world and how you interact with its characters. Emotions are visually represented as auras surrounding characters in a color that represents the emotion. Most NPCs have these auras which allows you to tap into their thoughts and help them out if they need to or just peek into what gossip or recent story development has been on their mind. This mechanic is used as a powerful tool for the environmental storytelling in True Colors.
When these emotions get too strong, they can completely shift a character’s view of what’s around them, giving Alex the ability to tap deep into their psyche to unravel what they’re going through. These moments are the highlight of True Colors for me, with some of them becoming some of my favorite moments in the series, especially a touching and heartbreaking one that happens in the second chapter that will live in my mind as a standout moment. What makes Alex such a fun protagonist to play as is that she eliminates the chance of the protagonist not understanding where a character is coming from and misjudging them. Alex can immediately put herself in other peoples’ shoes and understand them more deeply through their colorful auras. Stuff like this shape Alex’s abilities into becoming a very unique visual and literary tool.
My biggest gripe has to be with the story of the game though. I won’t be able to say much without getting into spoilers but what I can say is that the story keeps building the anticipation of the player through the return of having a mystery drive the narrative. However, the aftermath of that mystery ends up not being worth the anticipation, making True Colors have the most unsatisfying conclusion in the series for me. I spent most of the final chapter clicking my tongue and shaking my head in disappointment. I genuinely hated the conclusion to the story. However I don’t want to let that ruin the great time I had with the first three quarters of True Colors.
Life is Strange: True Colors does so much right that I can’t help but root for it. I had a really special time in Haven Springs and even though I didn’t leave it in the best note, I’m holding on to everything I liked from it. Fantastic setting, dynamic characters, indie music, and a questionable narrative? All the ingredients to a quintessential Life is Strange experience.
Chapter 5: Side B
This chapter, it ties up every loose end while still being as heart felt as chapters one through three. Chapter four was a low point but this chapter quickly fixed that. I loved this chapter.
This chapter, it ties up every loose end while still being as heart felt as chapters one through three. Chapter four was a low point but this chapter quickly fixed that. I loved this chapter.
Fiquei muito surpreso que este jogo se baseou muito no primeiro e foi super pé no chão com os objetivos, e na medida achei bem direto, o poder também é mais realista que o seu antecessor.
No geral True Colors vai muito bem, e considero o melhor depois da expansão do primeiro
No geral True Colors vai muito bem, e considero o melhor depois da expansão do primeiro
This review contains spoilers
As seems to be the trend with Life is Strange games, this had compelling characters, an engaging plot, and a bomb-ass soundtrack that all built up to a less-than-satisfying climax.
With all the build-up to this secret Typhon is hiding, I have to admit, I was expecting way bigger than "so it turns out this one guy didn't actually save all those miners years ago." The only thing that saved that reveal from being a total fucking letdown was the personal connection to Alex- that her dad was one of the miners who died. Despite that, I really enjoyed the character development in this game. Unlike the first Life is Strange, which seemed to focus more on Chloe as a possible love interest while Warren is effectively sidelined, both love interests felt like realistic, fleshed-out characters, and both of them genuinely felt like good choices for Alex. Sure, Ryan could've used a little more development, but maybe I just missed all the scenes that give him more depth by not romancing him. That seems like a backwards way of doing things, but whatever. One thing I'm not happy with the way Ryan is characterized, though, is that he won't believe Alex when she reveals Jed's secret. It's understandable that he'd be shocked to hear someone accuse his dad of that, but what I don't like about the game's handling of this is the fact that, in the very end, if you check your phone, you'll see that Ryan texted Alex an apology, and Alex didn't respond. Seems kinda fucked up to give the player the option to forgive Jed for trying to kill her, but not Ryan for taking a few days to come around to the fact that his father is a murderer. For all its faults, though, overall, I really liked this game.
With all the build-up to this secret Typhon is hiding, I have to admit, I was expecting way bigger than "so it turns out this one guy didn't actually save all those miners years ago." The only thing that saved that reveal from being a total fucking letdown was the personal connection to Alex- that her dad was one of the miners who died. Despite that, I really enjoyed the character development in this game. Unlike the first Life is Strange, which seemed to focus more on Chloe as a possible love interest while Warren is effectively sidelined, both love interests felt like realistic, fleshed-out characters, and both of them genuinely felt like good choices for Alex. Sure, Ryan could've used a little more development, but maybe I just missed all the scenes that give him more depth by not romancing him. That seems like a backwards way of doing things, but whatever. One thing I'm not happy with the way Ryan is characterized, though, is that he won't believe Alex when she reveals Jed's secret. It's understandable that he'd be shocked to hear someone accuse his dad of that, but what I don't like about the game's handling of this is the fact that, in the very end, if you check your phone, you'll see that Ryan texted Alex an apology, and Alex didn't respond. Seems kinda fucked up to give the player the option to forgive Jed for trying to kill her, but not Ryan for taking a few days to come around to the fact that his father is a murderer. For all its faults, though, overall, I really liked this game.
o jogo tem uma atmosfera legal, ost e visuais incriveis mas sinceramente sofre do mesmo problema do Before the Storm, personagens interessantes mas uma historia no geral muito fraca, todo o misterio que envolve o jogo é muito desinteressante. minha impressão é que desde que essa Empresa Decknine passou a fazer os jogos de life is strange a franquia nunca mais foi a mesma, o ultimo jogo legal de LiS que fizeram foi o BTS que ainda assim tem muitos problemas, esses caras simplesmente não sabem fazer life is strange kkkkkkkk
LIFE IS STRANGE: TRUE COLORS IS A "MINER" (GET IT?) COURSE CORRECTION
I'm finally caught up on all of the Life is Strange games. I was not feeling burnt out in the least when playing this title directly after all of the others, so there is still a lot of clarity in my analysis of this game.
Deck Nine definitely gets what a "franchise" of Life is Strange "should be" more than Don't Nod at this point. The problem is that they still have difficulty reaching the depth and mechanical novelty of the first.
Characters: Alex Chen is a great protagonist. She has a backstory that is cathartic for people who have slipped through the cracks in society due to the catastrophic failure that is the American foster care system. But she has a couple issues: 1) She has a lot of inconsistencies in how she reacts to situations. There is a particular inciting incident that she just kind of did not have much of an emotional reaction to in proportion to...how devastating it was. Just as well...she oscillates between being a quippy trickster to a meek loner often. She is definitely more compelling when being the former. I realize it can be obviously stated that, "Dude. That's called character depth". Well, the problem is that it's a binary for her. She is EITHER one or the other in most scenes, which can make role-playing as her slightly unsatisfying . By comparison, Steph, Gabe, and Ryan have much more truly dynamic interactions. Just as well, Erika Mori (her VA) has the same inconsistency in her performance. Sometimes she's fuckin' killing it, and others there is a lot to be desired.
Otherwise, I really liked the cast. Ryan is a really good boy going through an existential crisis. Steph is Steph, she has always ruled. Gabe is endearing and layered. And the rest of the peoples of Haven Springs are equally charming (love Charlotte and Eleanor).
Gameplay: While Alex's powers are an excellent idea that create really memorable visual and emotional moments, they aren't mechanically engaging (outside of a couple specific interactions). It is "press button near person to feel their feelings". The times when it shines most are when you're navigating dialogue options to get people to overcome the hardships they're going through. But at that point, it's basically just "can you talk to a person good". It doesn't have the same puzzle-solving potential as, say...time reversal...
Story: All over the place. The setting is great. Haven Springs and the art direction are gorgeous. But, unlike Life is Strange 2, the game is way too damn short to tell the story it wants to tell. But it does do a decent amount even within this hastened plot.
The real problems are the themes and pacing. It takes an entire episode to get to the inciting incident. And the investigation in general needed a lot more micro conflicts. There's more fucking around and talking to people than there is uncovering secrets and intrigue. The absolute most MAJORLY missed opportunity was not giving the Scooby gang of Alex, Ryan, and Steph more "big time missions" together.
I am still trying to wrap my head around what the game was trying to convey in terms of its main themes. We've got Persona 5-esque "making bad people realize their horrific mistakes and getting them to be better". We've got Persona 4-esque "finding the truth is the only way to get justice". We've got...empathizing with people is good. We've got "you have to be strong in order to overcome your past". We've got familial trauma. And then we have the pain of being a foster kid stuff. Ultimately, while it was good representation, the foster care/family themes came to a conclusion that I thought was a massive cop-out. It basically boiled down to "hey, you just gotta be strong". That's some Kingdom Hearts shit man. What a huge missed opportunity to critique the system and how our country defaults to tearing families apart rather than assisting them.
The above elements ended up creating a Life is Strange game that felt a little plastic, rushed, and confused about its identity.
Also worth noting: Deck Nine has some major issues with several technical things. The audio compression on the voiced lines is unfathomably bad. I'm not sure I've EVER heard characters sound more like they were doing a horribly mixed podcast. When the characters "smile", it looks more like a grimace and is visually upsetting. And Deck Nine STILL (since Before the Storm) have not figured out how to make a natural-looking walking cycle for the protagonist. Alex and Steph have a lock in their shoulder joints that disallow them from swinging their arms further back than their waist. Their torsos protrude too far forward while their heads tilt slightly behind the nape of the neck...it just doesn't feel or look good to walk as these characters, which is a fairly big flaw in a game where you are primarily walking around.
I know I've had a lot of criticisms of the game so I'll finish up by saying this: Life is Strange True Colors is still a fun and worthwhile experience. The story and characters are compelling. The "majority of the episode segment" in chapter 3 is one of the best chapters of any Life is Strange game. And the finale, while a watered down version of The Wolf Among Us' finale, is definitely the most satisfying in the series (the final confrontation is genuinely beautiful and made me cry).
But actually as my final words: Both of Deck Nine's "side story DLC's" are stronger than the base game. The Farewell in Before the Storm is tight and even more emotional than Before the Storm itself. And this might be an unpopular opinion, but I think the same of Wavelengths.
I think the writers on this team really bring it home when they have severe limitations. Wavelengths is very efficient with its storytelling. Steph is a consistent but still complex character (thus making roleplaying as her more engaging). The themes are rock solid--loneliness and new beginnings: full stop. And the final thing I'd like to mention: SPOILERS FOR LIFE IS STRANGE 1 AND 2
Deck Nine wants to address the consequences of the "save Chloe" ending in Life is Strange 1 in a way that makes it a more meaningful and satisfying choice. In Life is Strange 2, David is basically like "Yeah everyone except me died and I hated that Max and Chloe drove off. But I have a decent relationship with her now." True Colors by default goes against this by showing that Steph and Mikey survived (oh thank fucking god). Not only this, but Wavelengths addresses this ending on multiple occasions. There's memory dialogue Steph has of making pride buttons with Chloe post-storm. There's her relived trauma from her Mom dying in the storm (and Mikey's brother). It's heartbreaking, but it at least gives us SOME goddamn context and divulgence for a half-baked cop-out of an ending to the first game.
Anyway, I appreciate Deck Nine actively rebelling against Don't Nod's reluctance to respect their most acclaimed and popular franchise. And as developers, Deck Nine just gets better with each release. I'm very interested to see what they do next with The Expanse.
I'm finally caught up on all of the Life is Strange games. I was not feeling burnt out in the least when playing this title directly after all of the others, so there is still a lot of clarity in my analysis of this game.
Deck Nine definitely gets what a "franchise" of Life is Strange "should be" more than Don't Nod at this point. The problem is that they still have difficulty reaching the depth and mechanical novelty of the first.
Characters: Alex Chen is a great protagonist. She has a backstory that is cathartic for people who have slipped through the cracks in society due to the catastrophic failure that is the American foster care system. But she has a couple issues: 1) She has a lot of inconsistencies in how she reacts to situations. There is a particular inciting incident that she just kind of did not have much of an emotional reaction to in proportion to...how devastating it was. Just as well...she oscillates between being a quippy trickster to a meek loner often. She is definitely more compelling when being the former. I realize it can be obviously stated that, "Dude. That's called character depth". Well, the problem is that it's a binary for her. She is EITHER one or the other in most scenes, which can make role-playing as her slightly unsatisfying . By comparison, Steph, Gabe, and Ryan have much more truly dynamic interactions. Just as well, Erika Mori (her VA) has the same inconsistency in her performance. Sometimes she's fuckin' killing it, and others there is a lot to be desired.
Otherwise, I really liked the cast. Ryan is a really good boy going through an existential crisis. Steph is Steph, she has always ruled. Gabe is endearing and layered. And the rest of the peoples of Haven Springs are equally charming (love Charlotte and Eleanor).
Gameplay: While Alex's powers are an excellent idea that create really memorable visual and emotional moments, they aren't mechanically engaging (outside of a couple specific interactions). It is "press button near person to feel their feelings". The times when it shines most are when you're navigating dialogue options to get people to overcome the hardships they're going through. But at that point, it's basically just "can you talk to a person good". It doesn't have the same puzzle-solving potential as, say...time reversal...
Story: All over the place. The setting is great. Haven Springs and the art direction are gorgeous. But, unlike Life is Strange 2, the game is way too damn short to tell the story it wants to tell. But it does do a decent amount even within this hastened plot.
The real problems are the themes and pacing. It takes an entire episode to get to the inciting incident. And the investigation in general needed a lot more micro conflicts. There's more fucking around and talking to people than there is uncovering secrets and intrigue. The absolute most MAJORLY missed opportunity was not giving the Scooby gang of Alex, Ryan, and Steph more "big time missions" together.
I am still trying to wrap my head around what the game was trying to convey in terms of its main themes. We've got Persona 5-esque "making bad people realize their horrific mistakes and getting them to be better". We've got Persona 4-esque "finding the truth is the only way to get justice". We've got...empathizing with people is good. We've got "you have to be strong in order to overcome your past". We've got familial trauma. And then we have the pain of being a foster kid stuff. Ultimately, while it was good representation, the foster care/family themes came to a conclusion that I thought was a massive cop-out. It basically boiled down to "hey, you just gotta be strong". That's some Kingdom Hearts shit man. What a huge missed opportunity to critique the system and how our country defaults to tearing families apart rather than assisting them.
The above elements ended up creating a Life is Strange game that felt a little plastic, rushed, and confused about its identity.
Also worth noting: Deck Nine has some major issues with several technical things. The audio compression on the voiced lines is unfathomably bad. I'm not sure I've EVER heard characters sound more like they were doing a horribly mixed podcast. When the characters "smile", it looks more like a grimace and is visually upsetting. And Deck Nine STILL (since Before the Storm) have not figured out how to make a natural-looking walking cycle for the protagonist. Alex and Steph have a lock in their shoulder joints that disallow them from swinging their arms further back than their waist. Their torsos protrude too far forward while their heads tilt slightly behind the nape of the neck...it just doesn't feel or look good to walk as these characters, which is a fairly big flaw in a game where you are primarily walking around.
I know I've had a lot of criticisms of the game so I'll finish up by saying this: Life is Strange True Colors is still a fun and worthwhile experience. The story and characters are compelling. The "majority of the episode segment" in chapter 3 is one of the best chapters of any Life is Strange game. And the finale, while a watered down version of The Wolf Among Us' finale, is definitely the most satisfying in the series (the final confrontation is genuinely beautiful and made me cry).
But actually as my final words: Both of Deck Nine's "side story DLC's" are stronger than the base game. The Farewell in Before the Storm is tight and even more emotional than Before the Storm itself. And this might be an unpopular opinion, but I think the same of Wavelengths.
I think the writers on this team really bring it home when they have severe limitations. Wavelengths is very efficient with its storytelling. Steph is a consistent but still complex character (thus making roleplaying as her more engaging). The themes are rock solid--loneliness and new beginnings: full stop. And the final thing I'd like to mention: SPOILERS FOR LIFE IS STRANGE 1 AND 2
Deck Nine wants to address the consequences of the "save Chloe" ending in Life is Strange 1 in a way that makes it a more meaningful and satisfying choice. In Life is Strange 2, David is basically like "Yeah everyone except me died and I hated that Max and Chloe drove off. But I have a decent relationship with her now." True Colors by default goes against this by showing that Steph and Mikey survived (oh thank fucking god). Not only this, but Wavelengths addresses this ending on multiple occasions. There's memory dialogue Steph has of making pride buttons with Chloe post-storm. There's her relived trauma from her Mom dying in the storm (and Mikey's brother). It's heartbreaking, but it at least gives us SOME goddamn context and divulgence for a half-baked cop-out of an ending to the first game.
Anyway, I appreciate Deck Nine actively rebelling against Don't Nod's reluctance to respect their most acclaimed and popular franchise. And as developers, Deck Nine just gets better with each release. I'm very interested to see what they do next with The Expanse.
The infamous larp scene, how could anyone possibly forget?
LiS: True Colors was a controversial title even before release, not because LiS 2 was a flop and already tanked audience expectations, but because of Alex Chen. One visit to the official content posted on YouTube is enough to summarize the public perception of this character, her powers of "empathy" in reality are powers of telepathy, you'd somewhat understand this from the trailer but the fact that it is not framed as such doesn't help the case for this game.
LiS: True Colors loves to play safe, all the characters are different shades of nice, for a murder mystery the game is too relaxed and never do the stakes feel like they are weighing down on Alex. The town seems to be healing her slowly and you can't help but root for her a little, Alex feels like a complete character even when she seems to have a bit of a savior complex as she's going from person to person fixing their issues. I like this aspect of storytelling, but it's unsophisticated nature begs for more exploration, these depictions of LOUD emotions that can manifest for Alex as she is slowly consumed by these powerful emotive forces are accompanied by simple but effective imagery and changes in the environment, and all these segments are fun. You're in for a treat as you see these wonderful fluid animations, Deck Nine gives a gentle wave of goodbye to the long gone days of characters with stilted fish eyed faces with quivering lips as they talked.
Besides an offputting internal conflict and resolution for Alex in a neat 20-30 minutes in the end (which has been the main point of contention for mostly any sane person who played this game), Deck Nine made me feel thirsty, thirsty for more plot developments, thirsty for more character interactions, thirsty for more conflict, safe doesn't mean bad and it was necessary to give confidence back to the franchise and this title does exactly that.
True Colors puts LiS back on the map, a hope that seemed stifled after LiS 2. But it's fate lies in the hands of the game that proceeds it.
LiS: True Colors was a controversial title even before release, not because LiS 2 was a flop and already tanked audience expectations, but because of Alex Chen. One visit to the official content posted on YouTube is enough to summarize the public perception of this character, her powers of "empathy" in reality are powers of telepathy, you'd somewhat understand this from the trailer but the fact that it is not framed as such doesn't help the case for this game.
LiS: True Colors loves to play safe, all the characters are different shades of nice, for a murder mystery the game is too relaxed and never do the stakes feel like they are weighing down on Alex. The town seems to be healing her slowly and you can't help but root for her a little, Alex feels like a complete character even when she seems to have a bit of a savior complex as she's going from person to person fixing their issues. I like this aspect of storytelling, but it's unsophisticated nature begs for more exploration, these depictions of LOUD emotions that can manifest for Alex as she is slowly consumed by these powerful emotive forces are accompanied by simple but effective imagery and changes in the environment, and all these segments are fun. You're in for a treat as you see these wonderful fluid animations, Deck Nine gives a gentle wave of goodbye to the long gone days of characters with stilted fish eyed faces with quivering lips as they talked.
Besides an offputting internal conflict and resolution for Alex in a neat 20-30 minutes in the end (which has been the main point of contention for mostly any sane person who played this game), Deck Nine made me feel thirsty, thirsty for more plot developments, thirsty for more character interactions, thirsty for more conflict, safe doesn't mean bad and it was necessary to give confidence back to the franchise and this title does exactly that.
True Colors puts LiS back on the map, a hope that seemed stifled after LiS 2. But it's fate lies in the hands of the game that proceeds it.
Life is strange True Colours seems to have found its way back to its roots. The story is touching and heartfelt, with likeable characters with hidden complexities due to the new mechanic allowing you to read deep emotions. The setting is beautiful and really helps portray the story. It’s slow but in the best way possible, like a warm evening coffee. When finished I couldn’t help but smile with the happy ending I was able to orchestrate.
I played True Colours before, during and after going through a love drama, and it really helped distract me from everything going on in my life at the time. Having a LiS protagonist in their 20s feels like something they should have done ages ago, and it really feels refreshing. Just like literally every LiS game, the last episode's sped up and dramatic pacing is thrilling to go through and comprehend, but I do think the first few episodes felt like a bit of a drag.
"Игра" понятного жанра и значение имеет только сюжет. Сюжет никакой. Тут история о принятии потери близкого человека и... всё. Основная линия вызывает смех. Даже завязка не интригует. Не могу сказать, что у игры хотя бы был потенциал. Ни цепляющих персонажей, ни прикольных ходов, ничего. Разве что атмосфера у местного захолустья есть, но зачем проходить - непонятно.
alex's power is really fun to use, arguably my favorite in the series
the main setting of the game is absolutely gorgeous and leads to some really fun and memorable events around the town
overall story I feel is one of the weakest in the series, the characters and fun side story stuff carries hard for me
the main setting of the game is absolutely gorgeous and leads to some really fun and memorable events around the town
overall story I feel is one of the weakest in the series, the characters and fun side story stuff carries hard for me
This to me is a weaker Life is Strange game in my opinion, but it's definitely not the weakest. While I think Alex is an alright protagonist for this series' standards, I do think that her powers are fairly stupid. I get what they were going for but the emotional beats just didn't really connect with me and it made it harder to get through the game seriously.
I loved the initial tagline of "ordinary people doing extraordinary things", but Alex isn't capable of doing anything extraordinary. I went into it assuming it would be a very similar mystery to the first game, but the mystery in this game is basically spoon-fed to you as soon as Episode 1 ends and the rest is just going backwards from that point. Having played the other games, the plot in this one is very predictable, but it's still a decent ride to get through.
The other characters are just kind of there, aside from the two romance options. But, I hate feeling like I have to romance someone just to learn more about them, instead of just.. getting to know more about them regardless. The other character gets shafted because of it and turns them into a nothing burger.
I wish the consequences in the end mattered a bit more, but your powers only do so much in the first place so it was never going to end with a bang anyways. It's just fine.
I will however shake my fist at the developers, please for the love of God stop using licensed music in your games, or at the very least, use an original score for your Streamer Mode. It is honestly pathetic that the norm is to just simply remove ALL music instead of just hiring a composer. It really made me realize how much of the emotional weight in these games are attached to the music and maybe that's why it didn't connect with me as much.
I loved the initial tagline of "ordinary people doing extraordinary things", but Alex isn't capable of doing anything extraordinary. I went into it assuming it would be a very similar mystery to the first game, but the mystery in this game is basically spoon-fed to you as soon as Episode 1 ends and the rest is just going backwards from that point. Having played the other games, the plot in this one is very predictable, but it's still a decent ride to get through.
The other characters are just kind of there, aside from the two romance options. But, I hate feeling like I have to romance someone just to learn more about them, instead of just.. getting to know more about them regardless. The other character gets shafted because of it and turns them into a nothing burger.
I wish the consequences in the end mattered a bit more, but your powers only do so much in the first place so it was never going to end with a bang anyways. It's just fine.
I will however shake my fist at the developers, please for the love of God stop using licensed music in your games, or at the very least, use an original score for your Streamer Mode. It is honestly pathetic that the norm is to just simply remove ALL music instead of just hiring a composer. It really made me realize how much of the emotional weight in these games are attached to the music and maybe that's why it didn't connect with me as much.
Well I've played all of the Life is Strange games now and I still think this series peaked with the first entry. I get why people don't like these games. The writing can be cringey sounding like out of touch older millenials or gen x people thinking they know what kids today sound like. The gameplay is shallow where you just walk around and press a button to make decisions in conversations and MAYBE solve a very simple puzzle. I can't really explain it well myself, but I kind of enjoy these aspects of the games. I'd probably rank this between 1 and Before the Storm (I didn't really care for 2 all that much and Captain Spirit barely counts). It addresses several of my problems with 2 and gets about as close to 1's quality as any game after has gotten.
One of my biggest problems with 2 was that you felt like the sidekick to the main character of the story. It made things less fun when you weren't playing as the person with the power. While Alex's power doesn't do as much as psychic abilities or allow you as much freedom as rewinding time, I liked it. Really it's just used for the story and the only gameplay use is to find collectibles. However I always took every chance to read every optional emotion that doesn't have anything to do with completion. It gave lots of insight to the people of Haven and helped flesh the world out a bit.
The variety of characters was nice. I did feel that Ryan didn't get much use with Steph taking up most of the screentime between the two, but that could also be because of the choices I made (yes I went with the lesbian route cause Life is Strange is a gay series where everyone in these games are super gay and I love it). Duckie is probably my favorite charcter since he's just this random old guy who likes to make people smile with his stories and believes in the best of everyone. Made me so happy when I could take the time to help him with a problem later in the game.
The music, as expected, is really nice. I'm typing this while having the credits play in the background and I just love the soundtrack to these games. It's usually from bands I've never heard of, but I was surprised to actually recognize some songs in this one. This kind of goes with the whole series as I basically have all of their soundtracks on my Spotify playlist and get a joy out of listening to them. I liked having moments where I could just relax for a moment to listen to the music.
The Life is Strange games are 200% not for everyone and I'd really struggle to recommend them to people. I'm never going to say they're high art or amazing at storytelling cause they're not. They're just games I like playing and I hope to see another entry someday unless the devs want to do something else.
One of my biggest problems with 2 was that you felt like the sidekick to the main character of the story. It made things less fun when you weren't playing as the person with the power. While Alex's power doesn't do as much as psychic abilities or allow you as much freedom as rewinding time, I liked it. Really it's just used for the story and the only gameplay use is to find collectibles. However I always took every chance to read every optional emotion that doesn't have anything to do with completion. It gave lots of insight to the people of Haven and helped flesh the world out a bit.
The variety of characters was nice. I did feel that Ryan didn't get much use with Steph taking up most of the screentime between the two, but that could also be because of the choices I made (yes I went with the lesbian route cause Life is Strange is a gay series where everyone in these games are super gay and I love it). Duckie is probably my favorite charcter since he's just this random old guy who likes to make people smile with his stories and believes in the best of everyone. Made me so happy when I could take the time to help him with a problem later in the game.
The music, as expected, is really nice. I'm typing this while having the credits play in the background and I just love the soundtrack to these games. It's usually from bands I've never heard of, but I was surprised to actually recognize some songs in this one. This kind of goes with the whole series as I basically have all of their soundtracks on my Spotify playlist and get a joy out of listening to them. I liked having moments where I could just relax for a moment to listen to the music.
The Life is Strange games are 200% not for everyone and I'd really struggle to recommend them to people. I'm never going to say they're high art or amazing at storytelling cause they're not. They're just games I like playing and I hope to see another entry someday unless the devs want to do something else.
Where it Shines:
Protagonist - 10/10
Steph - 10/10
Writing - 10/10
The Good:
Life all LIS games, there's so many wonderful things about this game. It plays like a little indie slice of life television show as usual. The music is awesome, the graphics are great. But where other games in the series often bludgeon you with "LOOK INDIE GAME TRAUMA TRAUMA TRAUMA", LIS:TC really handles it much more maturely, in a less triggering way while still preserving the seriousness of what the characters go through.
A large part of this is due to the excellent writing of the character. Alex, Gabe, Steph, and all the people in the town for the most part, all help Alex to explore emotions and things come together in the end in such a great way. Instead of being "Choices matter, here's a binary ending" it was "Choices matter, here's how your choices affect your relationships". A simple change, yet so powerful.
The Bad:
Honestly, I'm not sure. The DLC kinda blows. Ryan's character is very poorly written and he needed to be fleshed out more.
Summary:
I see people hating on this game. I know people love the original LIS with Chloe and Max. Hell, I'm one of them. But I don't get all the hate for this game. It's better paced, better written, a better length, handles sensitive subject matter more maturely, the NPC's all serve more of a purpose and you care about what happens to them...I could go on and on. To me, this is the best game in the series, hands down. And that's saying a lot.
Alex Chen by far is my favourite protagonist in any video game, and in a world where there aren't that many well written BIPOC stories, this game manages to tell one excellently, without making it specifically about racism, race, or for white folx.
TL;DR - Steph is the only logical choice
****note on my ratings:
half ⭐: hot trash garbage
⭐: below average, needs work
⭐⭐: average
⭐⭐⭐: pretty good
⭐⭐⭐⭐: excellent
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: all time favourite
half star ratings between those mean it's slightly better or worse than stated in this list.
*
Protagonist - 10/10
Steph - 10/10
Writing - 10/10
The Good:
Life all LIS games, there's so many wonderful things about this game. It plays like a little indie slice of life television show as usual. The music is awesome, the graphics are great. But where other games in the series often bludgeon you with "LOOK INDIE GAME TRAUMA TRAUMA TRAUMA", LIS:TC really handles it much more maturely, in a less triggering way while still preserving the seriousness of what the characters go through.
A large part of this is due to the excellent writing of the character. Alex, Gabe, Steph, and all the people in the town for the most part, all help Alex to explore emotions and things come together in the end in such a great way. Instead of being "Choices matter, here's a binary ending" it was "Choices matter, here's how your choices affect your relationships". A simple change, yet so powerful.
The Bad:
Honestly, I'm not sure. The DLC kinda blows. Ryan's character is very poorly written and he needed to be fleshed out more.
Summary:
I see people hating on this game. I know people love the original LIS with Chloe and Max. Hell, I'm one of them. But I don't get all the hate for this game. It's better paced, better written, a better length, handles sensitive subject matter more maturely, the NPC's all serve more of a purpose and you care about what happens to them...I could go on and on. To me, this is the best game in the series, hands down. And that's saying a lot.
Alex Chen by far is my favourite protagonist in any video game, and in a world where there aren't that many well written BIPOC stories, this game manages to tell one excellently, without making it specifically about racism, race, or for white folx.
TL;DR - Steph is the only logical choice
****note on my ratings:
half ⭐: hot trash garbage
⭐: below average, needs work
⭐⭐: average
⭐⭐⭐: pretty good
⭐⭐⭐⭐: excellent
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: all time favourite
half star ratings between those mean it's slightly better or worse than stated in this list.
*
I've been thinking of the LIS games more in terms of the locations than the characters. Obviously the characters are the focus and are almost universally compelling but the towns they exist in are the critical backdrop that make them pop. Max and Chloe need Arcadia Bay for their story to work. Sean and Daniel are sculpted by every place they pass through on their journey.
Haven Springs doesn't exist. Yeah, I've seen photos of the place it's based on, it's kinda similar, but visual similarity only goes so far. It's a town "where everyone knows your name" to such an extreme that it has a dedicated social media app. Leisure activities include city-wide LARPs and going to the record store. It's a fantasy, I suspect a particularly generational fantasy, and it's taken for granted that you will love this place, because you, dear Life is Strange player, fall over for mountain aesthetics and alternative music, we know this. And, look, they're right. I'm not immune. I want to live here.
Also taken for granted: Typhon's motivations. We understand they are evil with little more setup than the words "corporation" and "mining." I finished episode 5 still trying to puzzle out if the grand conspiracy was actually worthwhile to any party involved, and at that point the game had long left me behind.
Those complaints aside, what kept me invested was the same thing that's kept me invested for the other 3 or 4 games. I liked spending time with Alex. And Duckie. And Steph and Ryan and the ice cream shop owners and that guy who lost his cat. Disappointing as the plot may be, the crew that guides you through it almost make it work. If anything I'm bummed we didn't get more time with the supporting cast. (The game runs short compared to the previous entries.) Charlotte seems like she has a lot going on, should I do another playthrough and see what happens if I choose other options for her?
I probably won't, because I'm too satisfied with the route and ending I got. I thought a lot of the decisions were fairly obvious, but the end-of-chapter stats screens tell me the masses were surprisingly split.
Part of me is worried what I'm actually describing is growing up. The other part of me is booking a flight to Colorado.
Haven Springs doesn't exist. Yeah, I've seen photos of the place it's based on, it's kinda similar, but visual similarity only goes so far. It's a town "where everyone knows your name" to such an extreme that it has a dedicated social media app. Leisure activities include city-wide LARPs and going to the record store. It's a fantasy, I suspect a particularly generational fantasy, and it's taken for granted that you will love this place, because you, dear Life is Strange player, fall over for mountain aesthetics and alternative music, we know this. And, look, they're right. I'm not immune. I want to live here.
Also taken for granted: Typhon's motivations. We understand they are evil with little more setup than the words "corporation" and "mining." I finished episode 5 still trying to puzzle out if the grand conspiracy was actually worthwhile to any party involved, and at that point the game had long left me behind.
Those complaints aside, what kept me invested was the same thing that's kept me invested for the other 3 or 4 games. I liked spending time with Alex. And Duckie. And Steph and Ryan and the ice cream shop owners and that guy who lost his cat. Disappointing as the plot may be, the crew that guides you through it almost make it work. If anything I'm bummed we didn't get more time with the supporting cast. (The game runs short compared to the previous entries.) Charlotte seems like she has a lot going on, should I do another playthrough and see what happens if I choose other options for her?
I probably won't, because I'm too satisfied with the route and ending I got. I thought a lot of the decisions were fairly obvious, but the end-of-chapter stats screens tell me the masses were surprisingly split.
Part of me is worried what I'm actually describing is growing up. The other part of me is booking a flight to Colorado.
masterpisse
Overall thoughts:
Holy fuck this game was amazing. The story, the art direction, the music, the acting, the characters, it was all phenomenal. Tomorrow I’ll play wavelengths which from the description on the PlayStation store feels like it was made specifically for me. I can officially confirm that Steph was a far better best friend than Chloe, however I did go down the romance arc with Steph. Everyone has their flaws but apart from the truly awful people everyone still feels like they are a good person at heart. Overall this game has easily taken the crown from God of War Ragnarök as my favorite game of all time.
Holy fuck this game was amazing. The story, the art direction, the music, the acting, the characters, it was all phenomenal. Tomorrow I’ll play wavelengths which from the description on the PlayStation store feels like it was made specifically for me. I can officially confirm that Steph was a far better best friend than Chloe, however I did go down the romance arc with Steph. Everyone has their flaws but apart from the truly awful people everyone still feels like they are a good person at heart. Overall this game has easily taken the crown from God of War Ragnarök as my favorite game of all time.
Sendo bem sincero... esse jogo não me prendeu em momento algum. O poder de enxergar as emoções achei bem meeh, personagens bem esquecíveis (tirando a Steph) juntamente da protagonista, trama entediante a ponto de eu só querer terminar logo e... olha, acredito que mais nenhum superará o 1º LiS.
Menção honrosa para a parte de RPG na qual pensei que seria algo bom, mas acabei me decepcionando com o resultado.
Menção honrosa para a parte de RPG na qual pensei que seria algo bom, mas acabei me decepcionando com o resultado.
A bold departure for the Life is Strange series, as True Colors aims to not be a contender for worst game of all time. It thankfully sticks true to the series’s roots by still being full of shallow characters, cringe worthy dialogue, and hipster humor that surely won’t get old fast.
Anyways, it sucks. It may be the best Life is Strange game, but that’s not a particularly high bar. It’s highly hypocritical in its storytelling and equally as boring and predictable as its predecessors. Haven is definitely the best thing in this whole mess; it’s a decently nice town, but I wish the game actually pulled off a comfy, personal aesthetic instead of unraveling into a nonsensical conspiracy storyline that gets dumber as the game goes on.
I will never understand how these games are as popular and seemingly beloved as they are, and at this point I don’t think I ever will. I’m still playing the next one though, I can’t hate properly without at least trying them first.
Anyways, it sucks. It may be the best Life is Strange game, but that’s not a particularly high bar. It’s highly hypocritical in its storytelling and equally as boring and predictable as its predecessors. Haven is definitely the best thing in this whole mess; it’s a decently nice town, but I wish the game actually pulled off a comfy, personal aesthetic instead of unraveling into a nonsensical conspiracy storyline that gets dumber as the game goes on.
I will never understand how these games are as popular and seemingly beloved as they are, and at this point I don’t think I ever will. I’m still playing the next one though, I can’t hate properly without at least trying them first.
o jogo é perfeito do começo até o... meio
CAGARAM no ultimo capitulo, demitiram o roteirista ou ele olhou e pensou ''ah.. foda-se''
CAGARAM no ultimo capitulo, demitiram o roteirista ou ele olhou e pensou ''ah.. foda-se''
An excellent return to form for the series after the disappointment of Life is Strange 2. Alex Chen is an endearing protagonist through and through, and the intimate small town setting is exactly where this series thrives. While Life is Strange 1 and Before the Storm focus more on interpersonal relationships, True Colors focuses more on how said interpersonal relationships can manifest in a location - it explores what it means to have a home. Even in its shorter runtime - which in many ways is to its benefit - it feels large in emotional scale. With a typical standout soundtrack to back its emotional highs, this is an entry worthy of the series title. A few elements of the story can get tossed to the wayside depending on the route you choose, and some sloppy pacing now and again can feel jarring, but overall it is an excellent experience where my only major complain was, "I want more."
Now, this game is short. very short, in fact. But I don't consider it a problem. It doesn't overstay it's welcome, and isn't too short that it's unsatisfying. It's more grounded than the first life is strange entry, and it's characters are way more likeable. Although the game HAS two romance options i feel one is downright better and more developed than the other (Steph). The game handles a lot of themes around emotional stress, loss, trauma, anxiety, feeling out of place, etc. and it does so quite well. If you're looking for a short break from action games, this right here is PERFECT.
the story is very sad, but overall it’s one of the best games i’ve played last year. I’ll definitely revisit and beat again.
Je pense que c'est le meilleur Life is Strange selon moi, j'ai beaucoup aimer le développement des personnages, que l'on puisse s'y attacher facilement comme les détester. Bref, un jeu que je risque de refaire un jour