Life Is Strange: True Colors
A 2021 adventure game about empathy and mystery.
Life Is Strange: True Colors, an adventure game from 2021, is part of the Life is Strange series. It was created by Deck Nine and released by Square Enix. The story follows Alex Chen, a young woman with the ability to sense the emotions of those around her, as she works to uncover the truth behind a tragic event in her life. The game came out on September 10, 2021, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia, with a Nintendo Switch version arriving on December 7, 2021. Unlike earlier games in the series, it was released all at once, though it is still divided into chapters. Critics generally gave it positive reviews, highlighting its characters, writing, story themes, voice acting, and facial animations, but they pointed out issues with pacing, repetitive locations, and choices that felt less impactful.
The gameplay is a third-person graphic adventure. Players control Alex Chen as she explores the fictional town of Haven Springs and talks to non-player characters through a dialogue tree system. Her psychic empathy lets her see others’ emotions as colorful auras and sometimes manipulate them, though she risks being overwhelmed by those feelings. Some characters have stronger auras, signaling trauma or hardship. When Alex interacts with them, a “nova” can occur, reshaping the world around both characters to reflect the trauma. Players then figure out the cause of the emotion and can choose to help comfort the character.
The plot begins in April 2019, when Alex leaves a foster care group home to reunite with her brother, Gabe, in Haven Springs, Colorado. Gabe shows her around the town, where most people work for a mining company called Typhon. Alex meets several residents, including park ranger Ryan, radio DJ Steph, bar owner Jed, flower shop owner Eleanor and her granddaughter Riley, Gabe’s girlfriend Charlotte and her son Ethan, sheriff deputy Pike, taxidermist Duckie, mine safety manager Mac, and Typhon operations director Diane. While Gabe shows Alex his apartment, Mac attacks him, wrongly believing Gabe is involved with his girlfriend Riley. Alex’s emotions flare, and she defends Gabe. Later, Ethan goes missing, and Alex, Gabe, and Ryan search for him. Gabe calls Typhon to cancel a planned blast, but it proceeds anyway, causing a landslide that kills Gabe.
Alex uses her powers on Mac, who was working the night of the
- developer
- Deck Nine
- publisher
- Square Enix
- release_date
- 10 September 2021
- platforms
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia, Nintendo Switch
- genre
- Graphic adventure
- protagonist
- Alex Chen
Quick Facts
- Title
- Life Is Strange: True Colors
- Developer
- Deck NineDragon's Lake Entertainment developed the Switch version.
- Publisher
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 5 · Windows · Xbox One · Xbox Series X/S · Stadia · Nintendo Switch
- Released
- 10 September 2021 · Nintendo Switch · 7 December 2021
- Series
- Life Is Strange
- Genre
- Adventure
- Modes
- Single-player
- Director
- Zak Garriss
- Producer
- David Lawrence Hein<!--Rebeccah Bassell
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game is set in April 2019 in the fictional town of Haven Springs, Colorado. Alex Chen reunites with her brother Gabe, but a mining blast triggered by Typhon company causes his death. Alex uses her psychic empathy powers—seeing emotions as colorful auras—to investigate the cover-up. She discovers that Typhon ignored Gabe's call to cancel the blast, and later learns that her father died in a car accident, not a mining accident. The story culminates in a town council confrontation where Alex exposes the truth, leading to Jed's confession and Typhon's shutdown.
Reader's Guide
Life Is Strange: True Colors received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised the game's characters, writing, story themes, voice acting, and facial animations, but criticized its pacing, repetitive environments, and lack of impactful choices. Unlike previous entries in the series, it was released in its entirety while still being structured into chapters. The game introduced performance capture for the first time in the series. A downloadable content prequel story, Wavelengths, was released on 30 September 2021, focusing on the character Steph. The game's theme of empathy was chosen before the main character or story were settled, and the developers aimed to explore vulnerability and self-acceptance through Alex's powers.
Did You Know?
- The game was developed by Deck Nine, which previously developed the prequel Before the Storm.
- Alex Chen's empathy powers allow her to see emotions as colorful auras and become 'infected' by others' feelings.
- The downloadable content Wavelengths was released on 30 September 2021.
- The game was released in its entirety, unlike previous entries in the series which were episodic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Alex Chen in Life is Strange: True Colors?
Alex Chen is the playable protagonist, a young woman who relocates to Arcadia Bay and discovers she can perceive and channel the emotions of everyone around her. Her journey centers on uncovering the truth behind her mother's mysterious death.
What are Alex Chen's powers in Life is Strange: True Colors?
Her core ability is empathy—sensing the feelings of others—and she can channel that into five distinct powers: empathy, telekinesis, time stop, invisibility, and possession. Each power is unlocked as she progresses through the story.
How does Life is Strange: True Colors end?
After piecing together the truth about her mother's murder and the secret organization responsible, Alex confronts the mastermind and ultimately chooses whether to leave Arcadia Bay or stay and help the community heal. The game closes with her making a personal decision about her future.
Who made Life is Strange: True Colors?
The game was developed by Deck Nine and published by Square Enix, launching on September 10, 2021. It is a standalone entry in the Life is Strange franchise, told entirely in English.
What platforms can I play Life is Strange: True Colors on?
It is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia, with a Nintendo Switch port arriving on December 7, 2021.
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