History YMMV / LifeIsStrangeTrueColors

** Ryan himself is also more popular compared to both Warren and Finn as the male love interest. Warren has been seen a lot less interesting than Chloe and is often neglected due to how the first game is about the relationship between Max and Chloe while Finn is a morally dubious character who you have to follow him in order to form a relationship with him. 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.

* MorePopularReplacement: 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]].

** However, this hasn't stopped some people from theorizing that familiar characters could return in Steph's DLC Wavelengths. People are also guessing that Rachel and Chloe could still make an appearance, setting ''True Colors'' in a sort of alternate universe similar to the ''Life is Strange'' comic. However, the DLC gives you a choice whether you sacrifice Arcadia Bay or not, making it clear that it does not take place in the comic universe and the familiar face turns out to be her best friend Mikey.

** 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]].

* EvenBetterSequel: Many players agree that ''True Colors'' is far truer to the spirit of the first game compared to ''Life is Strange 2''. The majority of reviews also praise it for harkening back to what made the series so popular in the first place.

** Steph living in Seattle and being part of a band before moving to Haven Springs can bring plenty of connections to the ''LIS 2'' characters including Sean and Lyla being huge fans of her band Drugstore Makeup or needing Estaban's service for her band's tour bus.

* 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 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.

* GeniusBonus: in 'Wavelengths' Ryan can mention in a group app that he dislikes ''Film/JurassicPark'' for depicting dinosaurs incorrectly, the lack of feathers in particular. It is nowadays widely understood that birds are actually true dinosaurs, directly descending 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.

* GeniusBonus: in 'Wavelengths' Ryan can mention in a group app that he dislikes Jurassic Park for depicting dinosaurs incorrectly, the lack of feathers in particular. It is nowadays widely understood that birds are actually true dinosaurs, directly descending 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.

** If you [[spoiler:Sacrificed Arcadia Bay]] in the first game then it's revealed in the DLC that Steph and Mikey are both working through [[spoiler:trauma regarding lost loved ones.]] Then you remember Steph's failed relationship with Izzie, as well as another potential failed relationship during the events of the DLC. On top of that, there's the fact that she ''also'' lost Gabe, as well as the fact that she and Ryan can end up estranged by the end of the game depending on your choices and she heads headlong into this.

** 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]], with the motion capture playing a key role in conveying Steph's inner torment.
** Eric Emery conveys Ryan's grief during chapter 2 excellently, as well as the following scene where Alex examines his joy aura. [[spoiler:He also gets a dramatic scene if Ryan isn't swayed to Alex's side during the ending, delivering a sullen performance that displays the character's conflict extremely well.]] The fact that this is Emery's first major voice-acting job makes his impeccable performance all the more impressive.

* NeverLiveItDown: For some, [[spoiler: Ryan not siding with Alex during the town meeting in the finale as it's based on how many of the townspeople stand up for Alex, and not how well Ryan knows Alex himself. While it is jarring that a romanced Ryan can still refuse to believe Alex, it's also worth noting that he has only known Alex for a just over a month at this point, while he's known everyone else in the room (asides from Steph and Diane) for his entire life. Ryan is also incredibly guilty when he does learn the truth, and should Alex not forgive him, is incredibly devastated by it.]]

** 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.]]

** If you [[spoiler:Sacrified Arcadia Bay]] in the first game then it's revealed in the DLC that Steph and Mikey are both working through [[spoiler:trauma regarding lost loved ones.]] Then you remember Steph's failed relationship with Izzie and the fact that she ''also'' lost Gabe, as well as the fact that she and Ryan can end up estranged by the end of the game depending on your choices and she heads headlong into this.

* EpilepticTrees: Due to the return of Steph from Before The Storm, many fans have made guesses as to who else from the franchise could make surprise appearances in the game. The guesses range from Chloe to Max to Daniel to ''[[BigBad Mark]] [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrange Jefferson]]''. However, no characters from previous games return in the story of the main game.
** However, this hasn't stopped some people from theorizing that familiar characters could return in Steph's DLC Wavelengths. People are also guessing that Rachel and Chloe could still make an appearance, setting ''True Colors'' in a sort of alternate universe similar to the ''Life is Strange'' comic.

*** Also saddening, you can potentially have Alex leave a romanced Ryan behind if he [[spoiler:believed Jed over Alex and you chose to let her forgive him.]]

* FanFicFuel: What kind of adventures occur after [[spoiler:Alex decides to leave Haven Springs with Steph or Ryan? Given one of the photos in her guitar case shows her and Steph in New York, could they possibly run into Max and Chloe while they're there as well?]]

* LGBTFanbase: 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.]]

* NarmCharm: Despite the mundane nature of Alex's powers, they're used in a heartbreakingly effective manner when she [[spoiler:deconstructs Jed's entire warm hero personality and forces him to confront his self-loathing to confess to the tunnel collapse at the end of chapter 5.]]

** The ''Wavelengths'' (Steph [=DLC=]) trailer appears to show [[spoiler:a grown-up Mikey North from ''Before the Storm'']]. While it had been teased that "an old friend of Steph's" would make an appearance in the bonus chapter, most people seem to have been betting on Chloe.[[note]]It being one of the North brothers makes a lot more sense in hindsight, however — both Chloe and most other characters from Arcadia Bay can determinately be dead by the time ''True Colors'' takes place, which would make an on-screen cameo much more difficult to wrangle. Another ''Before the Storm'' character who was friends with Steph and didn't appear in ''Life is Strange'' can be easily explained as them having left town before Max arrived, no matter which ending the player chose for Season 1 — so basically it had to be either Mikey or his brother Drew.[[/note]]
** If the ''Wavelengths'' credits are anything to go by, [[spoiler:Chloe does indeed make an appearance. Along with '''Rachel Amber'''.]]
* 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.]]

** Ryan can potentially end the game worse off than where he starts. At ''best'' his best friend is still dead, and [[spoiler:his father is revealed to be part of the Tython conspiracy and sent to prison]]. However, he can end up estranged from his other two best friends if he [[spoiler:sides with Jed.]] To make this possibility worse, if you romance Steph and [[spoiler:leave Haven]] then you'll get a sad cutscene of [[spoiler:him staring out over the balcony of the apartment, clearly saddened over the fact that he’s effectively alone now.]] This ending is particularly bad in the scenario where he ends up estranged from his two living best friends.
*** Also saddening, you can potentially have Alex leave a romanced Ryan behind if he [[spoiler:believed Jeb over Alex and you chose to let her forgive him.]]

*** Also saddening, you can potentially have Alex leave a romanced Ryan behind regardless of if he [[spoiler:believed Jeb over Alex.]]

** At the end of the game Alex can potentially end up with [[spoiler:the Haven Council ''and'' potential love interest Ryan not believing her.]] The hurt she shows if this happens is hard to watch. Especially since this comes after learning the full extent of her family situation and her time in the foster care system.]]

* 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.

** Some fans have taken to interpreting Ryan as being asexual, due to the fact that he wears a black ring on a middle finger (a subtle symbol within the Ace community to help each other notice one another without outing themselves), and the fact that his attempts at flirting tend to be far more chaste (and awkward) then previous characters in the series. It does help that he was included in a tweet celebrating LGBTQIA+ characters during Pride Month.

* {{Fanservice}}: Bearing in mind that Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad: pretty much the entire game is fanservice for long-time ''Franchise/LifeIsStrange'' fans. After a divisive second mainline entry into the series, ''True Colors'' returns to some of the popular features of the original game (and, to a slightly lesser extent, its prequel) that were absent in the sequel, such as: a female protagonist, a main character with superpowers of their own that the player directly controls, and a single fleshed-out location shared between all episodes. It also sees the return of fan-favourite Steph Gingrich as a romanceable character this time around, while Alex's [[GayOption Straight Option]] is far less sidelined and more conventionally attractive than previous male romantic options in the series. Steph is also playable in the [=DLC=]; popular supporting characters being PromotedToPlayable is another thing frequently seen on the fandom's wish list. [[spoiler:There's also no real BadEnding to the game; a common criticism of basically every previous ''Life Is Strange'' title was that all possible endings were too dark. This is especially the case for endings that involved the players pursing gay romance storylines, which typically resulted in some form of heartbreak in all three prior games, while no such thing occurs here.]]

** In general, the game is considered this in terms of DeckNine's involvement in the franchise. While ''Before The Storm'' certainly has fans, it was very divisive among the fanbase due to not having been made by Dontnod, being a prequel that eliminated several popular headcanons, not having as many episodes, and several other issues that alienated certaim groups of fans of the first game. ''True Colors'' avoids many of those trappings due to having only a single returning character in the main game, have a full five episode format, and an enticing plot.

** Steph enthusiastically saying 'I do!' in her head after [[spoiler:Alex proposes marriage during the LARP to alleviate her worries]] along with being flustered and speechless when Alex first makes the offer, becoming enamored with Alex during the Spring Festival, and begging in her head for Alex to [[spoiler:kiss her while they're on the roof of the Black Lantern]] all makes her come off as far more shy and dorky, as well as even more appealing to a fanbase that already adores her.
** Ryan's love of nature, to the point where he listens to birdcalls recreationally and tries to point out the ArtisticLicenseBiology aspect of a bell causing a snake to sleep, has earned quite a bit of love from the fandom. Additionally his 'acting' during the LARP further shows his adorkable nature, he even sends messages online as his wolf and snake characters respectively just going 'awoo' and 'hiss', not to mention how he [[spoiler: desperately hopes that Alex doesn't think he looks stupid in his various costumes.]]
** Duckie getting ''really'' into the LARP, his fondness of stories and long texts, and his bittersweet scene with Alex in the Black Lantern during the Spring Festival have earned him nothing but love from the fandom.

** 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 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 announcement trailer is scored by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIqXnirQlvM Novo Amor's Haven]], a laidback acoustic tune before transitioning to Cyrus Reynold's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41nJVmBoQHM When You Call]], which serves as a perfect backing to the reveal of the game's plot, characters, and various other elements.

* {{Fanon}}: Many people tend to envision [[spoiler:Ryan taking up the mantle of town sheriff]] in post-canon fanworks.

** While tragic, it's still quite gratifying to see Steph immediately [[spoiler:call Ryan out if he decides to side with Jed. Alex can potentially refuse to forgive him afterward, depending on the player's choice.]]

* {{Fanservice}}: Bearing in mind that Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad: pretty much the entire game is fanservice for long-time ''[=LIS=]'' fans. After a divisive second mainline entry into the series, ''True Colors'' returns to some of the popular features of the original game (and, to a slightly lesser extent, its prequel) that were absent in the sequel, such as: a female protagonist, a main character with superpowers of their own that the player directly controls, and a single fleshed-out location shared between all episodes. It also sees the return of fan-favourite Steph Gingrich as a romanceable character this time around, while Alex's [[GayOption Straight Option]] is far less sidelined and more conventionally attractive than previous male romantic options in the series. Steph is also playable in the [=DLC=]; popular supporting characters being PromotedToPlayable is another thing frequently seen on the fandom's wish list. [[spoiler:There's also no real BadEnding to the game; a common criticism of basically every previous ''Life Is Strange'' title was that all possible endings were too dark.]]
* 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. Alex's date says "she seemed into it at the time", which of course could well 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?

** All the jokes about how ineffectual Alex's powers are a little harder to take after the release of the game, which reveals that [[spoiler:Alex was actually deeply affected by them, and it was a primary factor in her alienation in foster care. They also result in her lashing out towards Gabe, Steph and Ryan, which she herself cannot control due to being infected with strong emotions.]]

* ItsShortSoItSucks: The biggest criticism is the game isn't terribly long and that most chapters are barely over a hour even with the sidequests.

* NeverLiveItDown: For some, [[spoiler: Ryan not siding with Alex during the town meeting in the finale as it's based on how many of the townspeople stand up for Alex, and not how well Ryan knows Alex himself. While it is jarring that a romanced Ryan can still refuse to believe Alex, it's also worth noting that he has only known Alex for a few months at this point, while he's known everyone else in the room (asides from Steph and Diane) for his entire life. Ryan is also incredibly guilty when he does learn the truth, and should Alex not forgive him, is incredibly devastated by it.]]

** [[spoiler: The fact that Alex and Gabe's father turns out to be one of the miners left to die by Jed's incompetence has almost no bearing on the actual plot, while it's the reason that Gabe went to Haven Springs, it could be completely removed from the plot and it would barely change a thing. Given that John Chen presumably lived in or close to Haven Springs while working at the mines, it would have been interesting to see some elements of him throughout the town that Alex could discover; perhaps the older residents remembered him, maybe the other miners hanging around would know of him through their work. Alex herself could have received more memories from him during her journey through the mines. Instead, it feels like a last minute addition that wasn't given any thought.]]

* UnfortunateImplications: [[spoiler:The ''only'' way to avoid Ryan's BadEnding is to romance him, since even if you got the GoldenEnding in all other respects and never lost his friendship and trust, he'll still be shown alone and crying on the rooftop in his last scene while Alex heads off into her future (whether that's in Haven or elsewhere, with Steph or alone). This has some pretty uncomfortable implications in a game that otherwise goes out of its way to avoid suggesting that Alex ''owes'' anyone a relationship or should take the burden of their happiness upon herself regardless of her own needs.]]

* {{Fanservice}}: Bearing in mind that Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad: pretty much the entire game is fanservice for long-time ''[=LIS=]'' fans. After a divisive second mainline entry into the series, ''True Colors'' returns to some of the popular features of the original game (and, to a slightly lesser extent, its prequel) that were absent in the sequel, such as: a female protagonist, a main character with superpowers of their own that the player directly controls, and a single fleshed-out location shared between all episodes. It also sees the return of fan-favourite Steph Gingrich as a romanceable character this time around, while Alex's [[GayOption Straight Option]] is far less sidelined and more conventionally attractive than previous male romantic options in the series. Steph is also playable in the [=DLC=]; popular supporting characters being PromotedToPlayable is another thing frequently seen on the fandom's wish list. [[spoiler:There's also no real BadEnding to the game; a criticism of basically every previous ''Life Is Strange'' title was that all possible endings were too dark.]]

* {{Fanservice}}: Bearing in mind that Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad: pretty much the entire game is fanservice for long-time ''[=LIS=]'' fans. After a divisive second mainline entry into the series, ''True Colors'' returns to some of the popular features of the original game (and, to a slightly lesser extent, its prequel) that were absent in the sequel, such as: a female protagonist, a main character with superpowers of their own that the player directly controls, and a single fleshed-out location shared between all episodes. It also sees the return of fan-favourite Steph Gingrich as a romanceable character this time around, while Alex's [[GayOption Straight Option]] is far less sidelined and more conventionally attractive than previous male romantic options in the series. Steph is also playable in the [=DLC=]; popular supporting characters being PromotedToPlayable is another thing frequently seen on the fandom's wish list.

* {{Fanservice}}: Bearing in mind that Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad: pretty much the entire game is fanservice for long-time ''[=LIS=]'' fans. After a divisive second mainline entry into the series, ''True Colors'' returns to some of the popular features of the original game and its prequel that were absent in the sequel, such as a female protagonist and a single fleshed-out location shared between all episodes. It also sees the return of fan-favourite Steph Gingrich as a romanceable character this time around, while Alex's [[GayOption Straight Option]] is far less sidelined and more conventionally attractive than previous male romantic options in the series. Steph is also playable in the [=DLC=]; popular secondary characters being PromotedToPlayable is another thing frequently seen on the fandom's wish list.

* {{Fanservice}}: Bearing in mind that Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad: pretty much the entire game is fanservice for long-time ''[=LIS=]'' fans. After a divisive second mainline entry into the series, ''True Colors'' returns to some of the popular features of the original game that were absent in the sequel, such as a female protagonist and a single fleshed-out location shared between all episodes. It also sees the return of fan-favourite Steph Gingrich as a romanceable character this time around, while Alex's [[GayOption Straight Option]] is far less sidelined and more conventionally attractive than previous male romantic options in the series. Steph is also playable in the [=DLC=]; popular secondary characters being PromotedToPlayable is another thing frequently seen on the fandom's wish list.