Alex Chen arrives in the small Colorado town of Haven Springs to reconnect with her long-lost brother Gabe, after spending years separated from him in the social care system. She now harbours a secret – the power to read and experience other people’s intense emotions – and a desperate hope this ability won’t spill over unpredictably again. This is meant to be a fresh start, somewhere she can finally fit in and find a home. But tragedy soon strikes – Gabe is killed – and Alex must learn to accept herself and understand her power to discover what Haven Springs has really been hiding.
If all that sounds like classic Life is Strange, you’d be right, and if that’s up your small-town Arcadia Bay-style main street, you’ll similarly feel at home in Haven Springs. This is a Life is Strange game which has done its homework for what fans wanted and stuck somewhat rigidly to that list of requests. Queue up a charismatic but grounded young female protagonist, the ability to wield a special power yourself, and a return to a small community of characters you’ll grow more familiar with as each chapter unfolds. There are clear advancements on show too, with some of the series’ best dialogue and its most natural, nuanced on-screen performances to date thanks to stellar turns from the game’s key players, plus developer Deck Nine’s brilliant character animation.
True Colors also sees the return of fan-favourite Steph, from Deck Nine’s top-notch Life is Strange prequel Before the Storm. Here, again, she steals scenes and hearts, now employed as Haven Springs’ record store owner and resident radio DJ. Alex also quickly buddies up with Ryan, a soft-spoken local park ranger hunk and best friend of Gabe. Together, Ryan and Steph help investigate the circumstances of Gabe’s death, and act as Alex’s pair of possible love interests. Other characters in the town play supporting roles: Ryan’s father, a revered local hero who gives Alex a room and a job; Gabe’s grieving girlfriend who has a young child from a previous relationship; an older local businesswoman grappling with the onset of Alzheimer’s; and her daughter whose asshole boyfriend is employed by the town’s stereotypically-evil big corporation.
