Life is Strange: True Colors

91%
Game Brain Score Based on 8,551 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
Life is Strange: True Colors Game Cover
In conclusion, if you want a game that will shake up your emotions in ways you didn’t know you needed your emotions shaken, Life Is Strange: True Colors is a must-play.
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Buy Life Is Strange: True Colors on PlayStation Store. Embark on an emotional, narrative-led adventure where a unique power is the key to solving a thrilling mystery.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

91%
Audience ScoreBased on 8,551 reviews
story2,485 positive mentions
grinding19 negative mentions
  • Engaging and emotional story that resonates with players.
  • Beautiful graphics and art style that enhance the overall experience.
  • Well-developed characters that players can connect with and care about.
  • Choices often feel inconsequential, leading to a lack of meaningful impact on the story.
  • The pacing can be slow, with some chapters feeling drawn out or like filler.
  • The game is relatively short for its price, which may leave players feeling unsatisfied.
  • story6,260 mentions

    The story of "Life is Strange: True Colors" follows Alex Chen, a young woman with the power of empathy, as she navigates the emotional landscape of her brother's mysterious death in the small town of Haven Springs. While many players appreciate the game's emotional depth and character development, some criticize its predictability and linearity, feeling that choices have less impact on the overall narrative compared to previous installments. Overall, the game is praised for its beautiful visuals, engaging soundtrack, and heartfelt storytelling, though some find it lacking in complexity and length compared to earlier titles in the series.

    • “This installment follows the story of Alex Chen, a young woman with the power of empathy, the unique ability to experience and manipulate the emotions of others and read minds, as she unravels the mystery surrounding her brother's death in the quaint town of Haven Springs.”
    • “Overall, Life is Strange: True Colors successfully recaptures the magic of the original game while introducing new elements that enhance the storytelling experience.”
    • “The story, the characters, the emotions... it all just hit me in the best way possible.”
    • “The story is as disappointing as it is contrived.”
    • “Very poor character development, the story is not involving and completely uncommon for this series - there was no actual drama.”
    • “Unfortunately, the story falls flat and is way too simple.”
  • music1,665 mentions

    The music in "Life is Strange: True Colors" has been widely praised for its evocative and immersive quality, featuring a mix of licensed tracks and original compositions that enhance the emotional depth of the narrative. Many players appreciate the indie and folk influences, noting that the soundtrack complements the game's atmosphere and character moments beautifully, although some feel it lacks the memorability of previous installments. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's emotional impact and player experience.

    • “Coupled with an evocative soundtrack that complements the game's emotional beats, True Colors delivers an experience that is both visually and audibly pleasing.”
    • “The game’s licensed soundtrack, featuring indie artists like Phoebe Bridgers and Radiohead, complements the emotional tone of the story beautifully.”
    • “The soundtrack is phenomenal, country tracks accompanied by rock songs have always been great to experience during this franchise's entries.”
    • “The soundtrack isn't as good as it was in the original either and there aren't many memorable tracks that will stick with you, but it does its job in the in-game world.”
    • “The music was forgettable too often, but voice acting was good.”
    • “The music has also taken a noticeable hit, with the vast majority of the soundtrack being from the same two people (instead of a variety of indie bands) and most of it being incredibly forgettable, coupled with many of the more impactful scenes not even having music.”
  • graphics1,430 mentions

    The graphics in "Life is Strange: True Colors" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and significant improvements over previous titles in the series. Players have praised the vibrant color palette, detailed character models, and enhanced facial animations that contribute to a more immersive experience. However, some users noted occasional graphical glitches and performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems, which detracted from the overall experience.

    • “Life is Strange: True Colors is graphically stunning, with breathtaking visuals that immerse players in the vibrant world of Haven Springs.”
    • “The graphics have truly come a long way from the previous titles, showcasing detailed character models and a beautifully rendered environment that enhances the emotional storytelling.”
    • “The visuals are absolutely gorgeous, with a unique art style that combines realism and charm, making every scene a pleasure to explore.”
    • “The graphics in certain scenes make the characters look like they are having a stroke... the storyline isn't even good, I've tried over and over to get back into it but I just get completely zoned out because of how boring it is.”
    • “Graphically, this game is a massive leap from any of the previous titles with RTX available for DX12, but it does run fairly hot.”
    • “The graphics are not the real core of Life is Strange; it is the decisions, the connections, and how life is rough and beautiful at the same time.”
  • emotional1,402 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Life is Strange: True Colors" has garnered a wide range of responses, with many players praising its heartfelt storytelling and character development. While some feel it lacks the intense emotional impact of earlier titles in the series, others appreciate its focus on empathy and personal growth, leading to moments of genuine connection and catharsis. Overall, the game is described as an emotional rollercoaster, filled with touching scenes that resonate deeply with players, making it a memorable experience despite some critiques regarding its pacing and narrative depth.

    • “Alex's motive to uncover the truth is explored really well, drawing players into Alex's world and her emotional journey.”
    • “Life is Strange: True Colors is a captivating narrative-driven game that immerses players in an emotionally rich journey.”
    • “The emotional moments hit hard, and there were a few scenes that genuinely moved me.”
    • “I mean, you can definitely buy it just to try it out, but don't get your hopes up for this game... for a fan of the original 'Life is Strange' series, it won't be as good as it might seem at first glance. For such a price and with such a boring story, I definitely do not recommend it.”
    • “This game suffers from a horrendously boring story; there were very few moments that kept me invested and motivated me to keep playing, and you just don’t feel as strongly towards the characters that you did in the previous games.”
    • “Really boring story with boring characters.”
  • gameplay803 mentions

    The gameplay in "Life is Strange: True Colors" maintains the series' signature focus on exploration, dialogue, and choice-driven narrative, but many players feel it lacks depth and innovation compared to previous titles. While the introduction of Alex's empathic powers adds a unique mechanic, it often feels underutilized and simplistic, leading to a gameplay experience that some describe as more of an interactive movie than a traditional game. Overall, while the emotional storytelling and character interactions are praised, the gameplay is seen as shallow and repetitive, with many reviewers suggesting that the game's price does not justify its relatively short playtime.

    • “Her ability to connect with and understand the emotions of those around her adds a unique layer to the gameplay, making interactions with other characters feel more impactful and genuine.”
    • “The decision-making mechanic remains a core element of the game, and while some choices may seem less impactful compared to previous entries, True Colors still offers meaningful moments where players' decisions shape the narrative.”
    • “The gameplay features the series’ signature choice-based mechanics, allowing players to shape the story through meaningful decisions.”
    • “The gameplay is shallow where you just walk around and press a button to make decisions in conversations and maybe solve a very simple puzzle.”
    • “The gameplay and story are extremely underwhelming, predictable, and bland.”
    • “The power mechanic in True Colors barely has any gameplay impact other than just moving the story forward.”
  • atmosphere248 mentions

    The atmosphere in "Life is Strange: True Colors" is widely praised for its warmth, vibrancy, and emotional depth, effectively capturing the essence of the small-town setting of Haven Springs. Players appreciate the stunning visuals, immersive soundtrack, and the way these elements enhance the storytelling and character interactions, creating a cozy yet impactful experience. Despite some critiques regarding character depth and plot complexity, the overall ambiance is considered one of the game's standout features, resonating deeply with fans of the series.

    • “This is truly a magical and touching experience, full of colorful characters, beautiful scenery, and a soothing and healing atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, and graphics were beautiful.”
    • “The atmosphere of Haven Springs is absolutely astonishing, the characters are complex with layers to peel like an onion, and the story is infused with heartfelt moments, intense lessons, and profound themes that make this game so beautiful.”
    • “The characters were sweet but super bland, the scenery was gorgeous but felt very limited, and all of that can be applied towards the plot and general atmosphere.”
    • “It can barely even match the atmospheres the previous titles had.”
    • “The story and creepy atmosphere might be weaker than the original's, but its characters are such an improvement, and isn't that what Life is Strange is for?”
  • humor121 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its blend of lighthearted moments and emotional depth, with players frequently laughing out loud during interactions and events, particularly the live-action roleplay segment. The dialogue is noted for its wit and charm, contributing to a rich character experience that balances humor with poignant storytelling. Overall, the game successfully combines funny, quirky moments with heartfelt scenes, making it an engaging and enjoyable experience.

    • “The town was immersive, and despite my initial misgivings at one of the segments, a larp game in the game, at the end of that chapter I was laughing out loud with genuine amusement and getting really invested in the whole thing.”
    • “The writing for the dialogue was good too between characters, especially with Gabe since he can be quite witty and funny.”
    • “The story and character interactions range from sweet, funny, and delightful to powerful and heartbreaking.”
    • “It should be translated into 'drag one's testis' if you want to add authentic vulgar jokes (not funny).”
    • “It had a perfect combo of everything I needed in a game to have a great time - a combo of cringey but funny dialogues and monologues, distinct characters, captivating mystery, sad revelations, and decisions that made you think over them for a long time (even when they didn't mean much in retrospect, it really didn't bother me at all).”
  • character development114 mentions

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising it as a standout feature that enhances emotional depth and player investment, particularly in the protagonist Alex and her relationships. However, others criticize the pacing and execution, noting that significant character growth often occurs offscreen or feels rushed, leading to a lack of depth in supporting characters. Overall, while many appreciate the improvements in character design and emotional storytelling, some feel that the game falls short in delivering a fully fleshed-out narrative experience.

    • “The storytelling and character development are top-notch.”
    • “This game brings some of the strongest character development in the series and is very effective at getting you invested in the characters right from chapter 1.”
    • “But where this game truly shines is the storytelling and character development that happens over the length of the game.”
    • “Very poor character development; the story is not involving and completely uncommon for this series - there was no actual drama.”
    • “It felt as though there was supposed to be more build-up and character development.”
    • “The story felt a little bit rushed at times because a lot of relationship-building and character development seemed to have happened offscreen.”
  • optimization103 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues such as stuttering and crashes, particularly on high settings or with advanced graphics features like ray tracing. While many users noted that the game runs well on lower-end hardware, others with powerful setups reported instability and frame rate drops, indicating that the optimization could be improved for a smoother experience. Overall, while the game boasts impressive visuals and voice acting, its technical performance remains a point of contention among players.

    • “The game just looks gorgeous and is well optimized.”
    • “✔️ Well-optimized, no technical issues.”
    • “Game performance is great, the world is beautiful with RTX shadows and reflections, and I haven't run into any major bugs.”
    • “I had a few performance issues for the first time in the series.”
    • “The game is also not optimized.”
    • “It's poorly optimized for PCs and 4K screens.”
  • replayability86 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting that while there are multiple endings and choices that can lead to different outcomes, the overall experience remains largely similar across playthroughs. Some reviewers appreciate the depth added by decision-making and collectibles, while others criticize the limited variation in content and the short playtime, suggesting that replaying may not be compelling for everyone. Overall, it offers some replay value, but many feel it falls short compared to previous titles in the series.

    • “The choices players make have significant consequences, adding a layer of replayability as different decisions lead to different outcomes.”
    • “Loads of surprises and loads of choices make this game replayable a couple of more times.”
    • “Yes, it is rather short but with all Life is Strange games there are always multiple different endings, so it has a good replay value.”
    • “Overall, this is certainly recommended, it was fun to go through but obviously has virtually zero replayability.”
    • “My hours played at the time of writing this review is the length of the game, there was an episode in amongst it where I struggled to stay awake and this game has zero replayability factor as it's predictable, uninspired and you're not left wanting to go back and make different choices just to see what happens.”
    • “Word of warning though, the game is very short compared to previous titles and player choice has very little to no impact on the end of the game, which removes replayability.”
  • grinding57 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized, with many players describing it as tedious and overly time-consuming, often requiring excessive effort to progress. Reviewers noted that the gameplay feels artificially extended through repetitive tasks and dialogue, detracting from the overall experience. While some moments attempt to break the monotony, the consensus is that the game demands more time and patience than many players are willing to invest.

    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “One long, tedious grind.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The game tries to pass off tedious puzzles and quick-time events as gameplay, but it just feels like busywork.”
    • “I really wanted to love this game, but there are just so many glaring problems with it that the process of playing it was tedious and disappointing at every turn.”
  • stability48 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting minor visual glitches and occasional crashes, while others experienced a smoother experience with no significant issues. Common problems include flickering textures, lip-syncing issues, and save corruption, particularly when starting DLC. Overall, while some players found the game polished and bug-free, others noted persistent glitches that detracted from the experience.

    • “Perfectly optimized and absolutely bug free from start to finish.”
    • “I only had one crash and one minor visual glitch throughout my whole playthrough, so my experience was almost bug free, which is nice to see in today's times.”
    • “From a technical standpoint, the game runs great.”
    • “However, I did experience visual glitches, from flickering shadows to textures often loading late.”
    • “Broken HDR, save corruption issues when starting the DLC, visual glitches like an all-black screen for a scene that you need to blindly move through to work around.”
    • “The game glitches as soon as the main menu loads in and continues through the entire time I play it.”
  • monetization16 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, with players feeling misled by advertising that promised more than the game delivered. Many reviews highlight the excessive reliance on microtransactions and DLC shortly after release, detracting from the overall experience and suggesting that the focus was more on profit than quality. Despite some engaging gameplay elements, the monetization strategy has left a negative impression on players.

    • “Definitely not worth the price and feels like a cash grab.”
    • “This is a game that spent more on licensed music and advertising than quality control and game testing.”
    • “All of this is obviously my opinion but I'm calling out the corporate cash grab, which is ironic because the game is literally about a corrupt company.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

82% average critic score

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Play time

12hMedian play time
13hAverage play time
10hMain story
13hCompletionist
9-14hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 96 analyzed playthroughs

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