Life is Strange: True Colors

The disconnect between that vibe and the turmoil that brought Alex here to begin with is tangible, and the game would achieve brilliance if those two concerns could connect. Dropping by Haven Springs is still time well-spent--but it's simply a pleasant visit, rather than a powerful, emotionally resonant one.

For six years, the Life Is Strange series has consistently told stories about the ties that bind us, between friends, families, and communities. The latest entry, True Colors, represents the first time subtext becomes not just text, but the game's core...

As its story began to wrap up, I was left feeling a pang of sadness that my time with True Colors' characters was coming to an end. After four years of waiting to see what Deck Nine did next, gorging this beautiful game in two five-hour sittings felt almost wasteful, and it's here I felt both the upsides and downsides to the series' switch from an episodic release schedule.

Sure, parts of Life is Strange: True Colors are really bleak, but ultimately it’s an uplifting, heartfelt story about what it means to find your own version of home. It tells that story in a way that feels perfectly sincere, which is something that is hard to come by in games nowadays. True Colors has officially redeemed the Life is Strange series in my eyes.

Life Is Strange: True Colors represents the best the franchise has ever been, and provides a perfect jumping-on point for newcomers.

Visually gorgeous and emotionally raw, True Colors is an incredible continuation of the Life is Strange series.

And there’s something special in how True Colors gives you the power to decide her future and what her life needs, making for a memorable ending with a highlight reel of what you envision for the character. Due to all branching choice variations, you can probably get in a few different playthroughs, but the overall message never changes: Don’t give up. It may be a well-worn saying, but it means a lot in Alex Chen’s pained life.

It’s corny and sometimes just adorably uncool – one chapter has everybody in the town participating in a fantasy live-action role-playing game based on a local kid’s homemade comic books - but Life Is Strange: True Colours is so earnest that it got an emotional rise out of me anyway.