Life is Strange: True Colors (2021): The Review

Overview

Life Is Strange: True Colors is a deeply emotional and character-driven narrative adventure that succeeds through its intimate atmosphere, strong performances, and emotionally grounded storytelling. While the central mystery lacks some tension and the narrative occasionally plays things too safely, the game’s warmth, music, world-building, and focus on empathy make it one of the series’ most heartfelt entries. Rather than relying on constant twists, it finds its strength in quieter emotional moments that linger long after the story ends.

Score: 8 out of 10

The Positives ✅

Life Is Strange: True Colors feels smaller and quieter than previous Life is Strange games, but honestly, that intimacy ended up being one of its greatest strengths. Instead of constantly chasing shocking twists or giant supernatural mysteries, the game focuses heavily on emotional vulnerability, personal trauma, and the feeling of trying to find a place where you finally belong. And because of that, the story often feels more grounded and emotionally sincere than some earlier entries in the series.

What immediately pulled me in was Haven Springs itself. The town feels warm in a way few narrative games manage. It’s colorful, cozy, and strangely comforting, almost like a place you wish actually existed. Sitting on rooftops listening to music, walking through the record store, talking to residents during festivals, or simply wandering around while the soundtrack plays quietly in the background creates this deeply relaxing atmosphere that becomes the emotional core of the experience. The game understands that emotional attachment to a setting matters just as much as plot progression.

Alex Chen is also one of the strongest protagonists the series has had. Alex Chen feels incredibly human because so much of her story revolves around emotional suppression, loneliness, and fear of connection. Her empathy powers aren’t treated like flashy superhero abilities, they’re tied directly to emotional intimacy and psychological pain. Seeing emotions physically manifest around people allows the game to explore grief, anger, depression, and fear in ways that feel surprisingly personal.

The performances carry a huge amount of emotional weight too. The facial animation and motion capture are significantly improved compared to earlier Life is Strange games, which makes conversations feel more natural and emotionally believable. Small expressions, pauses, and body language add a lot to scenes that could’ve easily felt melodramatic in a lesser game.

And honestly, the soundtrack is phenomenal. Like the best games in the series, True Colors constantly knows exactly when to slow down and let music carry emotion. Some of the quieter moments hit harder than the dramatic scenes because the game gives players time to simply exist in the atmosphere instead of constantly pushing forward.

The Negatives ⚠️

The biggest issue with Life Is Strange: True Colors is that its central mystery never feels as compelling as the emotional character work surrounding it. The investigation into Gabe’s death starts strong, but the actual conspiracy becomes increasingly predictable the further the story progresses. By the final chapters, I felt more emotionally invested in Alex’s relationships and personal growth than the mystery itself, which honestly says a lot about where the game’s priorities truly are.

Pacing is also uneven at times. Because the game focuses so heavily on atmosphere and emotional interactions, there are stretches where very little actually happens narratively. For some players, those quieter moments will feel immersive and emotionally rich. For others, they may feel slow or lacking momentum. The game definitely prioritizes emotional tone over plot urgency.

Another criticism is that player choice occasionally feels more limited than the game wants you to believe. Like previous entries in the series, many major story beats still funnel toward similar outcomes regardless of decisions. While character interactions feel personal in the moment, the overall structure can sometimes reveal the illusion behind the branching narrative design.

I also think the game plays things slightly too safe compared to earlier Life is Strange titles. Previous games often embraced messy emotional chaos and morally uncomfortable situations, while True Colors feels more polished and restrained. That makes it emotionally accessible, but it also means it sometimes lacks the raw unpredictability that made the original Life is Strange so memorable.

And while Haven Springs is beautiful, the smaller scope of the game can occasionally make the experience feel less ambitious than earlier entries in the series.

The Experience 🎮

Playing Life Is Strange: True Colors honestly felt comforting in a way I didn’t expect. From the moment I arrived in Haven Springs, the game created this atmosphere that felt emotionally safe and melancholic at the same time. Instead of constantly stressing me out with nonstop tension, it encouraged me to slow down, explore, listen to conversations, and emotionally connect with the people around me. There were moments where I completely forgot about the main story because I was so invested in simply existing inside that world.

What affected me most was Alex herself. Her struggle with emotional isolation felt incredibly real, especially because the game constantly shows how exhausting empathy can become when you absorb everyone else’s pain around you. Some scenes hit surprisingly hard because they captured that feeling of wanting connection while simultaneously being terrified of vulnerability. I ended up caring about her far more than I expected to early on.

The quieter scenes became the moments I remembered most. Sitting on the dock while music played. Exploring the record store. Watching characters slowly open up emotionally over time. The game constantly finds little emotional pauses that make the world feel intimate and human. It reminded me that narrative games don’t always need massive plot twists to feel impactful.

That said, I definitely felt the mystery lose momentum toward the end. Once the story fully shifted into exposing the conspiracy, parts of the writing started feeling more conventional and less emotionally nuanced. I could also feel the game steering certain choices toward predetermined outcomes more than I wanted.

But even with those frustrations, I walked away feeling genuinely attached to the experience. True Colors may not hit the same emotional chaos or cultural impact as the original Life is Strange, but it delivers something more mature and emotionally grounded. It’s less about shocking the player and more about quietly connecting with them, and honestly, I think that worked for me far more than I expected.