There are certain expectations of every Life is Strange game. Real-world issues, agonizing choices, and charming places are all commonplace, but the protagonist always seems to change. From Max Caulfield to Sean Diaz, and even Chloe Price in Before the Storm, they each have a different perspective on events that usually get out of hand quickly. Alex Chen is the most recent example, and her experience in Life is Strange: True Colors is masterfully crafted, leaning on the familiar elements of past games while also developing the protagonist in compelling new ways.
While the original 2015 game remains a fantastic story-driven experience, 2021's Life is Strange: True Colors is a high point in the series. It tells the tale of Alex Chen, a troubled but friendly twenty-something who reacquaints herself with her older brother in the fictional town of Haven Springs, Colorado. The player meets her at a significant turning point in her life as she starts again, away from the foster care system. She's learning about her new surroundings at the same rate as players, making her the perfect eyes and ears to carry them through the surprising story. Her conclusion is fitting, but only a glimpse of her life is explored in Life is Strange: True Colors, and more can be done with the character.
Alex's Flaws are True Colors' Highlights
Right off the bat in Life is Strange: True Colors, players are introduced to a timid and awkward protagonist. Alex arrives in Haven Springs in the game's early stages, and as she gets to know the small-town inhabitants she starts to come out of her shell until eventually heading up the investigation into Typhon that pushes then game's mystery angle forward. It's a pleasure to see, especially given her character development.
Seeing her personal journey is far more important to the story than the mystery that Alex and her new friends deal with. Gabe was the person in Haven Springs that she could attach herself to, so when he departs the narrative, it's as though the training wheels are off, and she has to make a home for herself alone. Now that Alex Chen has been subjected to that development she has far more of an identity than just the fish out of water she was initially presented as in True Colors. While her flaws are a defining factor, there's still potential for her story to continue in some way, be it the focal point of a future Life is Strange game or a fleeting cameo.
Life is Strange Struggles with Consistency
One of the best parts of Life is Strange: True Colors is the role that Steph plays. Longtime fans of the series will remember her from Before the Storm, as she makes an appearance as one of Chloe's friends at Blackwell Academy. Her inclusion is great, not just because she was a fan-favorite who had more potential, but also because it was a familiar face in an otherwise new journey. It provided consistency, something the series hadn't really had up to that point, save for the Captain Spirit spin-off in the second game. Having Alex Chen play a role in future projects would do the same thing, resisting the feeling of uprooting players from the story and characters that they grow to love.
That lack of consistency in Life is Strange settings, characters, and stories is a strength in many ways, allowing the DON'T NOD and Deck Nine IP to tackle current issues without altering the fabric of a character to do so. However, each game feels so disconnected that it becomes difficult to get excited about each new game, as it is completely different in narrative to what came before. Alex Chen is one of the best characters in the series to date, and having her either front and center or in the background for a new sequel or prequel could make the series feel like a loosely connected but still anthological adventure.
Life is Strange: True Colors is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.