History YMMV / LifeIsStrangeTrueColors

* ShipMates: Chengrich (Alex and Steph) and Chencan (Ryan and Gabe) shippers get along pretty well in AUs where Gabe lives.

* GeniusBonus: in ''Wavelengths'' Ryan can mention in a group app that he dislikes ''Film/JurassicPark'' for depicting dinosaurs incorrectly, most notably the lack of feathers. It is nowadays widely understood in the scientific community that birds are actually true dinosaurs, having directly descended from them. There's ample evidence that many dinosaurs, most particularly theropod dinosaurs (which includes modern birds and such famous non-bird species like velociratpor and tyrannosaurus rex, both depicted in Jurassic Park) had feathers to varying degrees.

* TheWoobie: Alex, Ethan, and Ryan tend to qualify as they all feel somewhat responsible for Gabe's death, on top of the plentiful amount of trauma described on the page.

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** Rather than release the game in episodes over the course of a year, the entire story is set to drop on the release date, which has been met with high approval from fans who are tired of the typical schedule. This was referenced in the debut presentation, with the developers explaining that they wanted players to experience it at their own pace.
** Quite a few players were worried before release that Steph was going to be sidelined in favor of Ryan during the main campaign, with many a growing worried that the game would push one love interest in favor of the other. The end result shows that both characters have plenty of screen time and heartwarming ShipTease moments with Alex, most of which are subtle enough to not completely derail the player’s preferred romance route. In fact, many of these moments can be downplayed by the player if they wish to.
** The bleakness of the previous games is downplayed for this entry. Notably, [[spoiler:no character, apart from Gabe, can die; the main villain can ultimately be forgiven in the end;]] and Alex will still have close friends no matter what. Even the endings lean heavily on the sweeter aspect of bittersweet.
** Many have criticized the original [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrange Life is Strange]] for having a final choice where one option is given more detail than the other, making it seem like the developers were wanting to penalize players for not choosing the option they wanted. [[spoiler:The options for Alex's final choice--whether to stay in Haven Springs or leave to find adventure/pursue a music career--are both presented as perfectly acceptable choices and each have their own unique benefits, with neither being portrayed as the "right choice"]]. There's also the matter of [[spoiler:Alex's choice of either forgiving or condemning Jed. While you might expect the condemn option to come with penalties for not following the EasilyForgiven trope, condemning Jed leads to no such adverse effects and is presented as being a completely valid and justified reaction to Jed's actions]].
** Overall, the romance options apply as this for both Steph and Ryan. Previous games have left a sour taste in player's mouths due to how much hardship the gay romance situations would involve. Even the most positive endings resulted in [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrange2 the couple on the run]] or [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrange left homeless and wandering the earth]]. ''True Colors'', however, has no negative consequences if you romance Steph, and is actually the happier romance to play through depending on the player's choices. On the opposite side, a lot of male romances in the past games have been derided for having serious issues (most notably Elliot in ''Before The Storm'' and even Finn from ''Life Is Strange 2'') or not being too compelling story-wise. Ryan has been appreciated for having a genuine connection with Alex and being a generally pleasant guy even if both of them are platonically together and [[spoiler:while there's a chance that he'll side against Alex, it is for an understandable reason and he does quickly regret it afterward. He will also understand if he isn't forgiven, showing signs of remorse]]. Furthermore, this game has both romance paths solidified with a kiss — ''Life Is Strange 2'' received some criticism for the fact that the Cassidy romance path culminated in a sex scene and guilted the player if they refused to sleep with her mere minutes after confessing their feelings (and even more for the fact that [[GayOption Finn's]] romance route ''didn't'' have the option to go beyond a kiss, which many regarded as a DoubleStandard).
** ''Wavelengths'' reveal that Steph and Mikey did indeed continue living in Arcadia Bay during the event of the first game and the decision between sacrificing Arcadia Bay or not has affected the two of them. It also revealed that she continued to keep in touch with Chloe, at least until she left with Max if the Sacrifice Arcadia Bay option was chosen.

%% Do not add Base Breaking Character, Broken Base, or Overshadowed By Controversy examples until 6 months after the works release.

* ItsTheSameSoItSucks: ''Extremely'' {{Downplayed}} in that most people making the criticism still admit to enjoying the game and finding it to be done well, but what flack it has caught has largely centred around the fact that it follows the original ''Life Is Strange'' formula quite closely and contains few surprises for long-time fans of the series. Whether you think the return to a safer and more fanservice-y model was good or bad will probably depend on whether the more experimental formats of ''Before the Storm'' and particularly ''Life Is Strange 2'' worked for you or not.
** Alternatively, some players TakeAThirdOption and find ''True Colors'' a nice LighterAndSofter reprieve after the last game in particular got very dark, but hope that the series continues to mix things up going forward.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic:
** While [[spoiler:Diane]] is meant to be seen similar to [[spoiler:Jed]] in that they're both forced to be lackeys for [[spoiler:Typhon,]] many people tend to view [[spoiler:Diane]] more unfavorably due to the fact they're far more active in trying to discredit Alex, to the point of [[spoiler:threatening her with a federal crime.]] The fact they are far more hostile towards the members of the council, specifically [[spoiler:Pike]], [[spoiler:if they side with Alex during the town meeting is also a major factor in her hatedom.]]

** [[spoiler:Jed]], while still a major JerkassWoobie, has been largely forgiven by the fandom despite [[spoiler:trying to shoot Alex in cold blood, even if she agreed to sign the affidavit.]] [[spoiler:He]] also seems to be completely fine with [[spoiler:Typhon threatening the town’s resident’s, including his own son, doesn’t exactly do him many favors.]]

** Let's just say that Steph's inclusion and Alex's {{Meganekko}} and surprisingly flirty personality, most notable in the marriage proposal she can make to Steph during the LARP, have endeared the game to numerous queer women. The absence of [[spoiler:any catch on either of the endings if Alex has romanced Steph has also proven to be popular, addressing some concerns over how the previous games treated LGBTQ+ couples.]]

** The bleakness of the previous games is downplayed for this entry. Notably, no character, apart from Gabe, can die, the main villain [[spoiler:can ultimately be forgiven in the end]], and Alex will still have close friends no matter what. Even the endings lean heavily on the sweeter aspect of bittersweet.

** Katy Benz gets to experiment with Steph's character far more than in ''Before the Storm'', including having some softer moments around Alex. Most notably, her nervousness and giddiness after Alex makes a faux proposal during the LARP, and her [[spoiler:enraged, but heartbroken reaction if Ryan betrays her and Alex in favor of his father.]] She's also able to explore Steph's trauma regarding [[spoiler:the destruction of Arcadia Bay or the deaths of Chloe and Rachel]], with the motion capture playing a key role in conveying Steph's inner torment.

* WhatAnIdiot: Ethan, who has spent enough of his life in Haven Springs to understand that controlled explosions are a thing and that the mines are dangerous, will still go up into the mines when one is scheduled, even if he's warned against it by both Alex and his father figure, Gabe. While his age is never stated, Ethan is old enough to draw and write intricate comics and to understand how to LARP, so he's more than old enough to know better.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: It's said Alex can get easily infected by other people strong emotions which was the main cause of her torubled life in the foster care system. It would have been interesting seeing Alex trying to cope with that part of her power, but after Episode 1, she is never shown getting infected by others emotions in a negative way.

** "I'm Steph, this is my girlfriend Alex, and her boyfriend Ryan." [[labelnote:Explanation]]Related to the above, it's become popular to edit the ParksAndRecreations meme to fit the trio.[[/labelnote]]

** The ''Wavelengths'' DLC falls just under a few hours long. Invoked, in that it's more a slice of life chapter that gives a glimpse into Steph's life before Alex's arrival, rather than a full-fledged look at her experiences in Haven Springs.

** Eleanor joking about body shots (or not) during the Spring Festival gives her a goofy side that the fandom has seemed to eat up.

** Overall, the romance options apply as this for both Steph and Ryan. Previous games have left a sour taste in player's mouths due to how much hardship the gay romance situations would involve. Even the most positive ending resulted in [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrange2 the couple on the run]]. ''True Colors'', however, has no negative consequences if you romance Steph, and is actually the happier romance to play through depending on the player's choices. On the opposite side, a lot of male romances in the past games have been derided for having serious issues (most notably Elliot in ''Before The Storm'' and even Finn from ''Life Is Strange 2'') or not being too compelling story-wise. Ryan has been appreciated for having a genuine connection with Alex and being a generally pleasant guy even if both of them are platonically together and [[spoiler:while there's a chance that he'll side against Alex, it is for an understandable reason and he does quickly regret it afterward. He will also understand if he isn't forgiven, showing signs of remorse]]. Furthermore, this game has both romance paths solidified with a kiss — ''Life Is Strange 2'' received some criticism for the fact that the Cassidy romance path culminated in a sex scene and guilted the player if they refused to sleep with her mere minutes after confessing their feelings (and even more for the fact that [[GayOption Finn's]] romance route ''didn't'' have the option to go beyond a kiss, which many regarded as a DoubleStandard).

** Overall, the romance options apply as this for both Steph and Ryan. Previous games have left a sour taste in player's mouths due to how much hardship the gay romance situations would involve. Even the most positive ending resulted in [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrange2 the couple on the run]]. ''True Colors'', however, has no negative consequences if you romance Steph, and is actually the happier romance to play through depending on the player's choices. On the opposite side, a lot of male romances in the past games have been derided for having serious issues (most notably Elliot in ''Before The Storm'' and even Finn from ''Life Is Strange 2'') or not being too compelling story-wise. Ryan has been appreciated for having a genuine connection with Alex and being a generally pleasant guy even if both of them are platonically together and [[spoiler:while there's a chance that he'll side against Alex, it is for an understandable reason and he does quickly regret it afterward. He will also understand if he isn't forgiven, showing signs of remorse]]. Furthermore, this game has both romance paths solidified with a kiss — ''Life Is Strange 2'' received some criticism for the fact that the Cassidy romance path culminated in a sex scene and guilted the player if they refused to sleep with her (and even more for the fact that [[GayOption Finn's]] romance route ''didn't'' have the option to go beyond a kiss, which many regarded as a DoubleStandard).

** Overall, the romance options apply as this for both Steph and Ryan. Previous games have left a sour taste in player's mouths due to how much hardship the gay romance situations would involve. Even the most positive ending resulted in [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrange2 the couple on the run]]. ''True Colors'', however, has no negative consequences if you romance Steph, and is actually the happier romance to play through depending on the player's choices. On the opposite side, a lot of male romances in the past games have been derided for having serious issues (most notably Elliot in ''Before The Storm'' and even Finn from ''Life Is Strange 2'') or not being too compelling story-wise. Ryan has been appreciated for having a genuine connection with Alex and being a generally pleasant guy even if both of them are platonically together and [[spoiler:while there's a chance that he'll side against Alex, it is for an understandable reason and he does quickly regret it afterward. He will also understand if he isn't forgiven, showing signs of remorse]]. Furthermore, this game has both romance paths solidified with a kiss rather than the more explicit elements of ''LIS 2'''s romance options.

** Due to the above confirmation that [[spoiler:Rhianna [=DeVries=] and Kylie Brown would reprise their roles]] in ''Wavelengths'', some fans speculated that the [=DLC=] would reveal ''True Colors'' had been taking place in the [[ComicBook/LifeIsStrange comics continuity]] all along, since that's the only continuity in which [[spoiler:Rachel is still alive and she and Chloe are currently a couple]]. This ended up not being the case: [[spoiler:''Wavelengths'' makes it clear that Steph lived through the events of the first ''Life Is Strange'' game, which never happened in the comics' main [=AU=] timeline]].

** Previous GayOption love interests, Chloe and Finn, both received polarizing responses due to behaviors that some fans deemed manipulative and selfish, and the fact that the player had to go along with their more morally dubious actions to enter a relationship with them didn't help matters. Steph on the other hand is much more unanimously beloved due to being a straight-up NiceGirl who supports Alex regardless of her decisions. It helps that she already had a good reception in [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrangeBeforeTheStorm her debut appearance]].

* FridgeHorror: A text message chain on Alex's phone at the beginning of the game contains a heavy implication that she was either date raped or coerced into having unwanted sex in order to have a place to stay for a night. This is bad enough, but there's another implication that potentially makes it even worse. The guy also says that, "she seemed into it at the time", which of course could just be him trying to justify what he did; but since we know Alex can respond uncontrollably to strong emotions, can she literally not stop herself from feeling and acting on lust if she's with someone who wants her, even if she wouldn't consent to sex under other circumstances?

** Ryan himself is also more popular compared to both Warren as the male love interest. Warren has been seen as a lot less interesting than Chloe and is often neglected due to how the first game is about the relationship between Max and Chloe. Ryan however, is a much more interesting character who has a genuine connection with Alex even if you romance Steph (he'll even be the first to congratulate Steph if Alex gives a rose to her). Even if [[spoiler:he sides against Alex in the last chapter,]] it is an understanding, though not universally accepted, reason that he did it and many are still willing to romance him in a second playthrough.