Support NeoGAF

[Vampire On Titus]

NOTE: BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHER MEMBERS! MAKE SURE TO TAG ALL SPOILERS!
Life Is Strange OT / Life Is Strange: Before The Storm OT

Title: Life Is Strange: True Colors
Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Square Enix
Platforms: Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC, Stadia, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Graphic Adventure
Release Date: September 9th, Wavelengths DLC: September 30th
Distribution: Digital & Physical (Standard Edition Only)

Pricing:
Standard Edition - 60 Dollars
Deluxe Edition - 70 Dollars (Includes Outfit Pack & Wavelengths DLC)
Ultimate Edition - 80 Dollars (Includes Outfit Pack, Wavelengths DLC, Life is Strange Remastered & Life is Strage: Before The Storm Remastered)

PC Requirements:
Minimum Requirements:

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 965, 3.40 GHz / Intel Core i5-2300, 2.80 GHz
• Memory: 6 GB RAM
• Graphics: Radeon HD 7790, 2 GB / GeForce GTX 750Ti, 2 GB
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 30 GB available space

Recommended Requirements:

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Processor: AMD FX-8350, 4.00 GHz / Intel Core i5-3470, 3.20 GHz
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: Radeon RX 590, 8 GB / GeForce GTX 1060, 6 GB
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 30 GB available space

Alex Chen is a young women who grew up in foster care separated from her older brother Gabe for many years. She's ashamed of, and hides, her "curse" -- a supernatural ability to absorb and manipulate the strong emotions of others. Gabe convinces her to move back to Haven Springs, a picturesque mountain town in Colorado. Settling into her new life, it's not long before tragedy strikes as her brother dies in a mysterious incident. To uncover the truth of Gabe's death Alex must dig deep at the secrets of Haven Springs, its inhabitants, and embrace the powers she's tried so hard to push down.

During the course of the game you will control Alex and explore the town. Haven Springs is a larger, more open, area than has been featured in previous Life is Strange titles. Making choices that effect the narrative's outcome is a core component of the game. These choices will also impact how you approach the romance options with either Ryan or Steph. In addition, you must use Alex's empath abilities to gather information regarding your brothers death. When Alex encounters a particularly strong emotion it can create a "nova" that changes the world around Alex to reflect those strong feelings. There's also light puzzle solving in the form of environmental interaction, using objects, or situational tasks -- such as memorizing orders to help a bartender or using a drawing to navigate through mines.

Life is Strange: True Colors is the first in the series to implement a crowd choice extension for Twitch. Streamers can choose between "Full Democracy" where the consensus of the viewers directly effects the gameplay, or "Suggestion" where the streamer can gauge the reaction of their audience before making a choice themselves.

Alex Chen - The player character. Due to her powers she's somewhat of an introvert, but also highly observant and attentive to emotions of others.
Gabe Chen - Alex's estranged older brother. Gabe tries to get Alex settled into her new life in Haven Springs before he's killed under mysterious circumstances.
Steph Gingrich - First introduced in Life is Strange: Before The Storm, Steph is a music enthusiast and roleplaying nerd. She's one of Alex's romancable options in True Colors.
Ryan Lucan - Gabe's loyal best friend and nature enthusiast. He's a Haven springs native and park ranger, Ryan is the other romancable option in True Colors.

Charlotte Harmon - Gabe's girlfriend of three years. Evidentially she's the frequent recipient of "make up" flowers from Gabe. Charlotte is also Ethan's mother.
Ethan Lambert - An artistic 10 year old child, He bonds with Alex over a mutual love of comic books. His mother is Charolette Harmon and his father is unknown.
Eleanor Lethe - Eleanor runs Lethe Flowers with her daughter, Riley. Early in True Colors she enthusiastically greets Alex with a big hug. Eleanor has deep concerns about her fading memory.
Riley Lethe - Riley assists her mother, Eleanor, at Lethe Flowers. She often seeks Gabe's advice on troubles with her boyfriend, Mac Loudon.

Screenshots:

Trailers & Video:

IGN 9/10:

Life is Strange: True Colors has kept me more emotionally invested than any Life is Strange story since I played the original back in 2015. While every game in this adventure series is good in its own way, this one (from developer Deck Nine as opposed to the series’ creators at Dontnod) addresses many consistent issues that have plagued the last three games. It proves to be the best in the series thanks to consistent writing for both main and side characters, a compelling mystery story with good pacing, useful supernatural abilities, and perhaps most importantly, dialogue choices that offer more depth and complexity with big and most small decisions that actually impact the story in meaningful ways throughout the course of five chapters.

Game Informer 8.5/10

True Colors’ writing is so strong that it didn’t need a supernatural ability to tell this story. I laughed, I cried, and the things that stick with me are the moments where Alex is tested and comes into her own. 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.

Hardcore Gamer 8/10:

Life is Strange: True Colors may sadly dim towards the end, but it’s worth checking out alone just to experience Haven Springs, with its gorgeous scenery, terrific cast of characters both major and minor, and an intriguing mystery that requires quite a bit of fun gameplay.

EGM 6/10:

Life is Strange: True Colors has a lot of the ingredients that make the series so beloved, most notably in its compelling protagonist. Technical advancements for the series bring its story to life with fantastic performances and a keen eye for detail. Unfortunately, the story it brings to life is full of stutters and stops, and takes far too long to develop. Where Life is Strange games are full of movement, True Colors feels painfully stagnant for too long.

PC Gamer 8.6/10:

Although True Colors has its pitfalls, I have never had this much fun with a Life is Strange game. Previous games in the series have dealt with some incredibly heavy topics, like convincing a friend not to jump off the roof of a building or experiencing horrendous racism, so even when there are happy moments, they often come across as bitter sweet, a fleeting moment in an unfair world. True Colors has its fair share of drama, but it also has moments of incredible joy.

God Is A Geek 9/10:

Life is Strange: True Colors is both harrowing and wonderful. It’ll make you cry and laugh, but regardless of how you’ll feel, the story and decisions you make are what makes Alex’s story the best so far. It felt good to be back in love with Life is Strange, and I believe that has a lot to do with my love of Alex. I just wanted her to be OK, and to find some kind of closure after her brother dies. Throughout the entire game, I enjoyed where the story went. Deck Nine has made great use of the Empathy ability, and managed to write a powerful story around it.

Shacknews 8/10:

Outside of a few flaws, True Colors is the peak of the Life is Strange series to date. The characters are wonderful, the soundtrack is a strong collection of indie rock, the dialogue choices are meaningful and actually matter, the humor is on point, it makes you work for the romance options (should you choose to take one), and there are even a few arcade games to play around with on the side. Beyond that, the themes of empathy, mental health, and essentially starting a new life from scratch resonated heavily with me. Deck Nine incorporated Alex's supernatural power brilliantly and it made True Colors stand out above its predecessors in a big way.

Slant Magazine 4/10:

True Colors doesn’t show the world in a new light so much as it slaps an Instagram filter over it.

Noisy Pixel 8/10:

Across the 6 chapters, there’s surprisingly a lot to do. From mini-games to additional memory puzzles, don’t expect to be in conversations all of the time. Still, the dialogue is amazing, and the voice talent for the character did a great job. This game covers a range of emotions, so this is a crucial feature. I also enjoyed the character facial animations. Seeing the sadness and uneasiness in Alex’s eyes change throughout the game depending on how I shaped her was amazing. The team did a great job of portraying a person who is at a real crossroads in life.

Well Played 10/10:

The best Life is Strange game yet. Through the concept of empathy, True Colors manages to drive video game storytelling to new heights. An expanded scope, hugely impressive production values and new, bingeable format make this a must-play for fans of narrative adventures.

WccfTech 9.5/10:

True Colors is nothing short of a masterpiece. Its characters are some of the most well-developed of any video game and half the television shows released this year. Its story is perfectly paced with plenty of exploration and meandering for the player to take their time with. The acting is incredible, with each character showing a huge range. The soundtrack, if it needs to be said, is perfect, as always. And the new power adds layers to a game series already so focused on emotions.

Push Square 6/10:

Life Is Strange: True Colors had every chance of becoming the series' best game to date, but it's been let down by arguably its most important element: the story. Wonderful character work can only go so far carrying a narrative that just isn't particularly exciting. And while Alex's power crafts one interesting scenario after another, it too isn't enough to offset those dull plot points. With an awful framerate to boot, Life Is Strange: True Colors falls short despite everything it has going for it.

Attack Of The Fanboy 4/5:

With all that said, Life is Strange: True Colors had me hooked from beginning to end. I didn’t want it to end, and I actually want to replay it to experience other choices. It can feel rushed at times, especially during a select few chapters, but True Colors is a step in the right direction for the series. Having the whole story available at launch is appreciated, even if it does mess with the pacing a bit. If you missed the small-town teen drama vibes from the original Life is Strange and Before the Storm, then True Colors will be right up your alley. True Colors is a big step up for the series and shows that Life is Strange is in good hands with Deck Nine.

NME 8/10:

Going into True Colors I was curious to see how this concept would translate to gameplay, and it succeeded in some of the most nuanced and interactive methods possible. We’ve seen what the power of time travel and telekinesis is capable of doing in the most unusual circumstances, but Alex’s power of enhanced empathy makes for a much more appealing narrative.

Guardian 3/5:

If this were a Netflix drama I probably wouldn’t watch it, but because it’s a game, because it invited me to make decisions about these people and this place, I felt a growing connection with it that had me invested by the end. 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.

Gaming Age B+

Life is Strange: True Colors is a unique game, unlike anything I have played before. It is a departure from the other titles in the series, while also retaining the soul of what made people enjoy those games so much. With a stronger focus on interpersonal relationships and genuinely empathizing with those around you (both friend and foe), it feels like the series is finding its footing and pushing forward to bigger and better things. The decision to switch from the episodic format to a full upfront release pays off and I think Life is Strange: True Colors is much better for it. Once I got invested in the story, I did not want to stop playing, and I think a lot of the decisions and connections you make would start to lose their meaning if there were an extended break in between chapters.

Eurogamer Recommended:

Critically, True Colors' story is well-rounded, with a satisfying and definitive ending for both its central mystery and for Alex's personal journey (and as all good thrillers should offer, there is a resolution you can deduce for yourself if you are paying enough attention). It's not a failing to me that True Colors tells a lean story which prioritises quality over quantity, feelings over finer details, and a sense the series, like Alex, has come back to its roots after a period of absence and change.

GameRant 4.5/5

The writers from Deck Nine and DONTNOD have demonstrated that their gift is not unlike Alex's. They have an empathy and understanding of the struggles that humans face. Life is Strange: True Colors builds on what the first installment did well, and does it even better. No game in the series so far has reached this height of catharsis, and by the end of it, players will be heartbroken to leave the imperfectly perfect town of Haven Springs.

Destructoid 9/10:

Moment to moment, it felt like they were constantly changing it up — and I have to admit that it really worked for me. It’s hard to believe, but this game is technically still a part of the point-and-click genre; with all of the little surprises the developers included, it’s amazing to see just how far that genre has come. I was constantly surprised, not only by the larger plot points, but by the little gameplay moments too, and that’s a huge part of what made it a joy to play.

(PS5, PC, Series X)

 

[Kuranghi]

Great looking OT man, excellent effort.

 

[SF Kosmo]

While I don't think I am quite hyped for this game, I am certainly down. Series hasn't disappointed me yet.

 

[Toots]

.

Nice OT ! Everything one needs to know is here.
I don’t know about this game, let’s hope it leans toward the first one and not the second, quality wise.
Anyway wtf are those stubbly beards?
Are they supposed to be 14?
When the only beard you can grow looks like this you should shave, no excuses :/

 

[Rayderism]

Pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition to get the enhanced versions of the previous LiS games. I'm finding that I rather like these choose-your-own-adventure style games, even if the choices are more of an illusion of choice.

 

[digoutyoursoul]

I was a little disappointed in 2. Before the Storm is the best one yet imo particularly the soundtrack.

 

[J3nga]

First one was okay although I do not share the hype that many do, second one...did not finish first episode, I think i'll skip this one

 

[Bankai]

I loved Life is Strange and Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, awesome stories, story-progression and character-development.

The only thing that held it back IMO, were the flat, wonky graphics. The artstyle just didn't work with the emotional journey the protagonists were going through. Hope they can improve on that!

 

[balls of snow]

Replaying Before the Storm rn, they did a really good job with Rachel. Please dont be to woke.

 

[Certinty]

Before the Storm was way better than the second game so I'm optimistic they can deliver again.

 

[Vampire On Titus]

I was a little disappointed in 2. Before the Storm is the best one yet imo particularly the soundtrack.

Well you're in luck since this game is being developed by Deck Nine (who previously made Before The Storm) instead of DontNod (who made LiS1,LiS2 and Captain Spirit). Personally, the first game is my favorite. But I like the look of what Deck Nine's doing with their first stab at a fully original story & cast of characters (save for Steph).

 

[Cyborg]

Great OT, nice!

Cant wait for the game always in for some quality story telling

 

[The Cockatrice]

Before the Storm was shit. Had the worst voice acting ever and pretty much soured all my experience. Doubt I'll get this at full price.

 

[jshackles]

Awesome OP Vampire On Titus

I'm waiting to see if this game is super-woke like LiS2 before buying.

 

[M1chl]

This shit still rocks

 

[Vampire On Titus]

This shit still rocks

Yeah, that menu theme is fire. The menu theme from Kathy Rain kinda gives me similar vibes.

 

[MasterDerico]

As this thread is really well made, i'll not make any jokes.
Congrats OP!

 

[reksveks]

Reviews are dropping Vampire On Titus

 

[Vampire On Titus]

Yeah, just updated the review section. Consensus is looking good so far. Still early going so the overall score is still subject to change, but I imagine it'll stay around the mid to low 80s. Have just been skimming the actual content of the reviews to update the thread quickly, gonna actually read some now.

 

[Putonahappyface]

Is the deluxe edition only digital? As I can't find a ps5 physical copy anywhere. Or can I buy the Wavelengths dlc separately?

 

[Vampire On Titus]

Is the deluxe edition only digital? As I can't find a ps5 physical copy anywhere. Or can 8 buy the Wavelengths dlc separately?

Yes, there's only physical versions of the standard edition.

 

[Putonahappyface]

Yes, there's only physical versions of the standard edition.

Well that's a shitty thing to do to the customer. Can you buy the dlc separately?

 

[Mossybrew]

Overall pretty good reviews. I may have to check this one out, would make for a nice change of pace. Only played the first game in this series, and was surprised how much I ended up enjoying it, just never got around to the other games since then.

 

[Vampire On Titus]

Well that's a shitty thing to do to the customer. Can you buy the dlc separately?

Yeah, you can:

Edit: I'm assuming these options will be on the PS Store as well but I couldn't find them easily on search.

 

[Putonahappyface]

Nice one cheers. I'm a sucker for these games and loved every one so far even the small spin off The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit.

 

[Perfo]

It looks like Deck Nine surpassed the original authors, which is something to be expected considering how good was BtS. That said this is the first LiS were the tech aspect is finally quite well done and their style found a place. Curious to play it!

 

[M1chl]

Any reviews?

 

[Vampire On Titus]

Any reviews?

Yup I've added a bunch to the reception section & the aggregate scores. Good overall, so far.

 

[Alter_Fridge]

I understood that reference

 

[Big Baller]

So how woke is this shit

 

[Putonahappyface]

So how woke is this shit

Well the lead protagonist Alex Chen has a big arse and BPD if that counts.

 

[thatJohann]

I read there is insane loading times (even on PS5) - apparently taking upwards of 10 seconds every time you open a door / enter a new area. and lots of frame rate drops. I'm assuming a day 1 patch solved this? haven't seen it commented on the reviews.

 

[Vampire On Titus]

I read there is insane loading times (even on PS5) - apparently taking upwards of 10 seconds every time you open a door / enter a new area. and lots of frame rate drops. I'm assuming a day 1 patch solved this? haven't seen it commented on the reviews.

I've seen some reviews mention the loading times, most haven't emphasized it much. There is a day one patch that's supposed to fix known bugs and performance, but obviously we won't know how much it impacts the game until launch.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

I forgot all about this game. It looks interesting.

 

[jshackles]

These reviews got me like

"Best game in the series" seems to come up a lot. That's high praise.

 

[IbizaPocholo]

Life is Strange: True Colors reviewed on PlayStation 5 by Taylor Lyles. Also available on PC, PS4, Xbox, Stadia, and coming to Switch later this year.

Life is Strange: True Colors is a fantastic game that offers a great story with solid pacing, and unlike previous games in the series, it left me with the feeling that every choice I made mattered. In picking up where Dontnod left off, Deck Nine has gone above and beyond to create the best game in the series to date, and I am excited to see what the studio does with it next.

 

[Vampire On Titus]

It's out now! Can't wait to start this up later today and find out how it turns out. A lot of the reviews were saying it's a return to form for the series, many others saying its the best LiS yet, and I'm here for that.

Unfortunately for Switch players that version of the game has been delayed till later this year.

 

[M1chl]

I am ready

 

[Bragr]

Life is Strange 2 was aimed towards teenagers so hard it was difficult to get into, the characters and writing only felt relatable to people under 20. I am extremely skeptical about this one because of that.

 

[M1chl]

Life is Strange 2 was aimed towards teenagers so hard it was difficult to get into, the characters and writing only felt relatable to people under 20. I am extremely skeptical about this one because of that.

It's different dev and so far it's far better than the fucking crying idiots of the second one. That was abomination from start, this is different. At least like an hour in.

 

[Wizz-Art]

Will definately play if they offered it on Game Pass, otherwise will wait for a sale at about $20 or so.

 

[Vampire On Titus]

Started playing it and I'm enjoying it a lot so far. Digging the slow build and getting a good feel for the characters. Even the interactions on the face social media app (MyBlock) are a lot more charming than I would have imagined. I went through all of them in a straight shot. The game is doing a great job of making Gabe exceptionally likable before they inevitably pull the rug out from under me by killing him lol. The part where he basically gives Alex her own place to stay just so she can have a good start at Haven was genuinely heartwarming. That's how you write likable siblings rather than the trash dynamic of LiS 2.

I just got up to the part where Mac storms in accusing Gabe of sleeping with his girlfriend and Alex goes bezerk on him! That shit was intense and really well set up so there's already a good bit of drama I'm eager to see resolve itself. Have to stop now to grab a bite to eat, but yeah, early impressions of it are very good for me.

 

[thatJohann]

I’m so confused. I read on another thread here that the game performs terribly and has atrocious load times on both PS5 and Series X even on the latest patch.
Can someone confirm?

 

[Vampire On Titus]

I’m so confused. I read on another thread here that the game performs terribly and has atrocious load times on both PS5 and Series X even on the latest patch.
Can someone confirm?

Unfortunately I can't speak to that. On PC its running great, load times have been minimal and I'm not even using an SSD. For whatever that's worth.

But hey, why not just look up a bit of a long play or LP of the console version and see if it's really an issue?

 

[Arsic]

So i haven't touched any of these games.

Should I start with this or play the remastered collection first ?

 

[thatJohann]

Just finished the first chapter on PS5 and all I gotta say is … wow.

The acting and writing are masterful. I can’t remember last time a movie made me cry but this game did.

On the technical side, the loading times are surprisingly lengthy for a native PS5 game. About 12 seconds anytime the scene changes. Framerate is rough outdoors like it’s struggling to stay at 30fps. There’s a ray tracing setting but it does nothing when enabled? Maybe a bug?

 

[Vampire On Titus]

So i haven't touched any of these games.

Should I start with this or play the remastered collection first ?

The stories are standalone so I'd say it's probably fine to play either this or LiS 1 first. You just wouldn't want to play Before The Storm before you play LiS 1 because it's a prequel that trades off the significance of the first games events. You wouldn't want to play LiS 2 ever .

That being said I'm not super sold on the new graphics in the remastered collection, myself. IDK they kinda bug the eyes out on the expressions sometimes, in the trailers they showed:

 

[Freeman76]

No idea why they couldnt hit 60fps on XSX, it doesnt even look as good as ACV and thats a huge open world that runs at 60. Really hard to enjoy this because the performance is jarring

 

[Some1ToldMeImCute]

Chapter One was an amazing start. Definitely has me excited to play more tomorrow

 

[Vampire On Titus]

Just finished Chapter 3 and man this game has been fantastic so far. I think it has the most fully realized the secondary cast that's ever been in a Life is Strange game, so despite some critics accusing the game of "moving slowly" (and in a sense it does), I'm grateful that Deck Nine had the confidence to really dig into the character writing and bring the townsfolk of Haven Springs to life. My only significant complaint is that, despite the empath powers giving an interesting dimension to the choice & consequence gameplay, it doesn't factor into the puzzles or mystery solving as much as I would have hoped. Compared to LiS1, which was already an easy game, True Colors even easier and I'd like the series to return to the level where I do have to think a bit more sometimes.

Aside from that I love everything about the game. The animation & subtle facial expressions are leagues beyond anything we've seen in the series, there's actual nail-biting choices again, Deck Nine has found clever ways to turn slice of life interactions into varied/interesting gameplay and it's a return to the mystery vibe of the first game rather than the political screed road trip of LiS2.

(Chapter 3 Spoilers)
I just got up to the part where you go through Charlotte's nova and make the choice to either absorb her emotions or let her feel them. It was really intense when she was angry chiseling that sculpture and blaming Ethan for Gabe's death, I'm glad they didn't shy away from taking it that far. This is the first choice I kind of genuinely regret. I chose to absorb her emotions, mostly because I was curious to see the new aspect of Alex's power in action. But I'm already not liking the aftermath when Alex smashes the foosball trophy. Wondering if she'll have more uncontrolled outbursts now, because of that.

Also the whole LARP sequence was awesome, it could have easily been way too corny but they actually pulled it off.