5/5 ★ – asoola's review of Life is Strange: True Colors.

From the moment I saw Alex Chen back when they announced the game in 2021 I knew she’ll be a great protagonist but also I was very excited to play the game and experience the new story in the Life is Strange franchise and I’m glad to say that it definitely is a great story with an amazing protagonist and characters and the world of Life is Strange True Colors is definitely a place I’ll always love and Haven Springs will always feel like a second home to me! My recent replay reminded me of how much I love this game and it’s vibes, the game was very cozy but that didn’t take away from the emotional moments and hard decisions I had to make, and it definitely didn’t take away from the serious topics it dealt with (Corporate greed, how harsh the foster care system can be for orphans, suppressing one’s emotion, etc), the empathy power is definitely the right power not just for this story but for Alex’s character development! It’s time for protagonist talk and this time around it’s Alex’s turn, I said it above and I’ll say it again she’s an amazing protagonist and she’s just as good as the previous protagonists in my opinion seeing her character develop as the story unfolds was amazing! From the beginning Alex wanted to deal with her issues on her own and hide a part of herself so she can be accepted and not rejected like she has been all her life. Since she was a young girl she wanted to make things right, to keep her family together she thought it was her job, her mom dying wish to her was to look out for her dad and brother, but because of her journey in Haven Springs she was reminded it’s not her job to keep things together and the same thing is said to her again by Gabe in Chapter 5 Side B. Alex blames herself for the family falling apart I think but it’s not her fault that entire scene in the orphanage with Gabe highlights how Alex changed for once someone told her it wasn’t her job to keep her family together, and not just that Alex always hid from her own feelings and suppressed them and instead felt other’s feelings and in that moment in chapter 5 she starts to understand and confront her emotions because she’s been avoiding doing that for the longest time. Her character development is written so well and her being more confident of her power and more sure of who she wants to be and her worth was a joy to see after all the hardships she endured, her time in Haven Springs also taught her the meaning of home which I love but more on that later! Point is Alex is definitely a well written protagonist and I’m so glad I got to experience her story! Other than Alex I really loved all of the characters in True Colors including Jed to be honest, all of them had their own problems but they never hesitated to help each other! Ryan is definitely a favorite character of mine he’s very kind, caring and always wants to help people to become a hero because that’s what his dad was to him. I realized Ryan wanting to be a hero was due to how he adored his father and his hero role he wanted to be like his father because Jed was Ryan’s role model. (That until he learns what his father actually did) I really love how they dived into his character and who he is as a person before introducing his romance with Alex I think it’s very well done! (I did chose Ryan over Steph so in my review I’ll talk about my own choices only) His relationship with Alex was so cute to see and it genuinely brought a smile to my face every time they were acting cute together! Ryan aside Steph definitely is a good character in this game I wasn’t a big fan of hers in Before the Storm I didn’t hate her but I didn’t love her character so I was neutral on her character before but this game made me a fan of her character to be honest! I think she was a great friend to Gabe and Alex and her friendship with Ryan is amazing to see! Riley, Charlotte, Eleanor, Duckie and Pike like I said were all amazing characters I loved how they each become a valuable ally and friend or enemy to Alex depending on the choices I chose too! (Not to brag but I managed to make all of them side with Alex) Jed is definitely a complex character because he knows what he did was wrong and feels terrible for it but he also didn’t want to admit it and hid his mistakes and feelings about them in a way he kinda parallels Alex the protagonist of the story! I really loved his character I think because despite the mistakes I don’t think he was a bad person I think he genuinely cared for Alex if he didn’t I don’t think he would’ve felt sad before his betrayal happened! Now that’s all over I wanna talk about endings and I really like both endings but after lots of thought about the entire story I realized Stay in Haven ending is the one for me (the one with Ryan) at the beginning of the chapter Dr.Lynn asks Alex what she learned in Haven Springs and I chose the meaning of Home because I think that’s what Alex wanted and needed, after all the suffering she needed a home where she felt wanted and loved and that’s what Haven Springs was for her despite what happened with Jed at the end she really felt comfortable with her power and people accepted who she is, she has friends and family now and I think that fits the story that was told! Home isn’t just being in a four walls place, Alex truly found a home with the people who love and accept her and that’s I think is the better conclusion to the story for me! Well that’s all I wanted to say also I have to mention the soundtrack in this game is fantastic, the entire game is a masterpiece in my book I definitely enjoyed every second of it and I’m so glad I decided to play it back in 2021 and this recent replay made me feel more sure about my love for the game! 🩷