At its first-ever digital direct event, Square Enix officially unveiled the next entry in the Life is Strange series, Life is Strange: True Colors. Like Life is Strange 2, Life is Strange: True Colors will also feature a brand new protagonist with a unique supernatural ability. This time around, players get to play as Alex Chen, a young Asian American Woman who can read minds and feel the emotions of the people around her.
Life is Strange: True Colors seems to be a cultivation of everything that makes Life is Strange beautiful. And while it looks to be continuing the series tradition of portraying a heart-warming story, it won't likely be answering one persistently asked question from the fans.
Bay or Bae
Life is Strange fans haven't really gotten over the two endings of the first Life is Strange game. The option to either save Arcadia Bay and sacrifice the series' most lovable character Chloe Price, or save Chloe and sacrifice the entirety of Arcadia Bay, is one of the most daunting decisions players have to make. Interestingly, neither of the two endings is canon, according to the game's developer, Dontnod Entertainment. Discussions on which ending is more prominent among fans have often led to heated arguments over various social media platforms and persist even to this date.
At the beginning of Life is Strange 2, players get the option to choose between the two endings that would shape up their experience later on in the game. Life is Strange: True Colors will probably take a similar approach with its narrative, likely to avoid disappointing or agonizing a part of the Life is Strange community.
While Life is Strange games have shied away from canonizing either of the endings, the official ongoing Life is Strange comic has not. The events that unfold in the comics take place after Max decides to sacrifice Arcadia Bay for Chloe's sake. Indirectly, this does canonize the "Bae ending." However, a comic isn't an interactive medium like video games, and it had to go with the ending that pushed forward the narrative in the most conceivable way.
The Possibilities
Interestingly, Life is Strange: True Colors features a returning Steph Gingrich from Life is Strange: Before the Storm. Steph will likely be one of the, if not the only, connection to the events of the first game. Unfortunately, even though she had ties with Chloe and Rachel, she isn't present in the first Life is Strange game and only makes an appearance in the prequel. Developer Deck Nine could explain her absence in a multitude of ways, and it could have nothing to do with either of the game's two endings. However, there's quite the possibility that Steph's backstory in Life is Strange: True Colors differs depending on the first game's ending, just like David's in Life is Strange 2.
Fans hoping for Square Enix to choose a canon ending for the first game and possibly expand on that story shouldn't lose hope. The Resetera leak that revealed info on Life is Strange: True Colors also suggested that a fourth Life is Strange game is currently in pre-production. This alleged Life is Strange title will supposedly continue Max and Chloe's story after the events that unfolded at the end of the first game. If this rumor is true, fans not just get their long-awaited answer but also get a true sequel to the first game.
Life is Strange: True Colors releases September 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.