Line #12 YMMV/LifeIsStrangeTrueColors


1	* {{Adorkable}}:
2	** Alex's awkward but earnest demeanor when interacting with other characters in the trailers has earned her a lot of love from the fanbase already. Her fondness of cats, as evidenced by the pre-order outfit pack, enforces this status. The choice to have her be more forward with either of her love interests, more notably Steph who will become lost for words on numerous occasions, has also earned her a great amount of praise.
3	** Gabe geeking out with Alex while listening to a record from their childhood and his calm attitude towards her angered outburst (after she accidentally absorbed Mac's anger) has endeared him to the fandom.
4	** Steph enthusiastically saying 'I do!' in her head after [[spoiler:Alex proposes marriage during the LARP to alleviate her worries about what Alex thinks of her,]] along with being flustered and speechless when Alex first makes the offer, becoming enamored with Alex during their duet performance at 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.
5	** Ryan's love of nature, to the point where he listens to birdcalls recreationally, 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 points out the ArtisticLicenseBiology of a snake getting put to sleep with a bell and how he [[spoiler: desperately hopes that Alex doesn't think he looks stupid in his various costumes.]]
6	** 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.
7	** Eleanor joking about body shots [[DirtyOldWoman (or not)]] during the Spring Festival gives her a goofy side that the fandom has seemed to eat up.
8	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation
9	** Some fans believe Alex is on the autism spectrum, due to her social awkwardness, her aversion to being touched by people she doesn't know well, and her very clear dislike of maintaining eye contact.
10	** 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 and his quip about Steph not even trying when she suggested "heterosexual seeking heterosexual" for a potential dating profile for him.
11	* AntiClimaxBoss: [[spoiler:Jed will confess to his crimes, even if nobody supports Alex, during her final confrontation with him.]]
12	* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: Without a doubt, the most beautiful ''Life is Strange'' game to date. The setting is absolutely gorgeous and is lovingly detailed, and the lighting at the various times of day is stunning. Then there's the characters themselves, while they still have the classic ''Life is Strange'' look, they're also far more detailed and expressive, and there's a lot more variety between faces and body shapes.
13	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
14	** The ''Wavelengths'' DLC is based on being able to play music from numerous indie bands. The trailer showcases this by opening with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBkHHoOIIn8 Portugal. The Man's Feel It Still.]]
15	** Angus & Julia Stone join the series once more, this time composing an original album named after the series. Needless to say, it perfectly encapsulates the emotional vibe the game seems to be going for.
16	** The announcement trailer is scored by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIqXnirQlvM Novo Amor's Haven]], a laidback acoustic tune (which also serves as the main menu music) 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.
17	** Alex and Steph give a damn good cover of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZEeUHjDCks ‘Blister In The Sun’ by the Violent Femmes at the Spring Festival]]. It also shows Alex breaking out of her dorky persona briefly, adding an almost flirty aspect to the song. Mxmtoon, who portrays Alex’s singing voice, gives the song a slow, emotional cover on her true colors OST as well.
18	** [[https://youtu.be/aWqfbmhq-oE "Alabaster Daydreams"]] by Think Of The Children.
19	** The almost cerebral alternative track [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj0TY5jhx3Q Lately by Metronomy]] plays during the Spring Festival.
20	* CatharsisFactor: Regardless of the final choice to forgive or condemn him, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who didn't enjoy Alex [[spoiler:reading Jed like a book and proceeding to give him an extremely destructive TheReasonYouSuckSpeech. Her dismissal of Diane as nothing more than a lackey for Typhon beforehand is equally as cathartic.]]
21	** While tragic, it's still quite gratifying to see Steph immediately [[spoiler:call Ryan out if he decides to side with Jed. Alex can also potentially refuse to forgive him afterward, depending on the player's choice.]]
22	* CryForTheDevil: [[spoiler: Jed caused a mining accident through his own arrogance and left several miners to die, and later tried to kill Alex as she was close to discovering what he had done, yet he's not an entirely evil man. It's clear that his actions have weighed heavily on him over the years, and it's strongly implied that he couldn't have saved those men even if he had wanted to. Jed also genuinely loves Haven Springs and those within it, and is perfectly content to take care of Alex after Gabe's death. A lot of players forgave Jed for his actions due to the remorse that he feels, and Alex and the townspeople can do the same.]]
23	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
24	** Alex's stuffed animal Shu-Shu has received positive reception for being a cute CompanionCube stuffed animal with a surprisingly deep connection [[spoiler:to Alex's past life before she went into foster care]].
25	** Duckie, the former war veteran who loves to drink, is loved for being a genuinely sweet person to everyone. [[spoiler:His mourning of his late wife has gathered sympathy to everyone, to the point where people will even start the chapter all over again just to help him out with his sorrows]].
26	* EpilepticTrees:
27	** 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.
28	** 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. [[spoiler:Rhianna [=DeVries=] and Kylie Brown do reprise their roles as Chloe and Rachel from ''Before the Storm'' — something that fuelled even more fan speculation, since the ''Wavelengths'' credits were available to view for nearly three weeks before the episode itself came out — but in the end they only appear in flashbacks.]]
29	** 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. Chloe and Rachel only appear in flashbacks and the latter is still dead either way, while the former's fate remains determinant on what choice the player made in season one.]]
30	* 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, such as a playable protagonist with powers and a consistent cast of supporting characters.
31	* FanFicFuel:
32	** 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?]]
33	** What was Gabe's life like after he and Alex were separated? And what was his life like in Haven Springs prior to Alex's arrival and his untimely death? Alex can pick up bits and pieces of the latter, but there's a lot of gray areas there to explore.
34	** What if another previous Life is Strange protagonist came to Haven Springs, either during the events of the game or after the [[spoiler:Stay in Haven ending]]? Many fans tend to point to Max and/or Chloe in this scenario.
35	** Are there other emotions that Alex has yet to tap into? Given the fact she only discovered joy in Chapter 2, there seems to be enough ambiguity that allows for fans to expand upon the nature of her empathic powers.
36	** 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. Fans have also pointed out that Ethan would get along ''great'' with Chris and Daniel, if they ever were to meet.
37	* {{Fanon}}: Many people tend to envision [[spoiler:Ryan taking up the mantle of Haven’s sheriff]] in post-canon fanworks.
38	* 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 [[AndIMustScream literally not stop herself]] [[GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul 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?
39	* 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 velociraptor and tyrannosaurus rex, both depicted in Jurassic Park) had feathers to varying degrees.
40	* HarsherInHindsight:
41	** The memes about how Ryan was going to be sidelined in favor of Steph become this if the player [[spoiler:makes choices that cause Ryan to side against Alex with his father Jed, who tried to shoot her. The fact that also depending on the player's choices, he can be the first one Alex can open up to about her powers, makes this situation far bleaker. And that's not even going into how regretful and sorrowful he becomes in some of the endings.]]
42	** 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. The fact that it’s all but stated that she was coerced into sex and the above-mentioned FridgeHorror of the situation pretty much put any jokes about the ability to rest.]]
43	* IKnewIt:
44	** A handful of fans online correctly guessed that [[spoiler:Ryan, depending on the player's choices, would side against Alex.]]
45	** As seen on the WMG page, many fans guessed that [[spoiler:one of the endings would involve Alex leaving Haven Springs.]]
46	** Fans correctly guessed that [[spoiler:Chloe would make an appearance during the ''Wavelengths'' DLC, however, it's in a voice-only flashback.]]
47	* InformedWrongness: An interesting example when it comes to [[spoiler: reminding Eleanor about Gabe's death. Not reminding her is considered to be the bad option, and it means that she won't stand up for Alex at the town meeting during the finale. However, it's fairly common knowledge that it's kinder to '''not''' remind dementia patients of upsetting life events, as they'll only suffer again each and every time they forget and then remember. Eleanor's dementia is shown to be fairly bad at this point too, around the stage where it would be recommended to not remind her.]]
48	* ItsShortSoItSucks: The biggest criticism is the game isn't terribly long and that most chapters are quite short even with the sidequests and collectibles.
49	** {{Invoked}} in the ''Wavelengths'' DLC, 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. Also noteworthy is the fact that ''Wavelengths'' is actually a fair bit longer than any individual chapter of the main game (3-4 hours as opposed to 2-ish hours each), though fans were still disappointed once it was revealed that further content had allegedly been cut due to UsefulNotes/COVID19 production restrictions.
50	* JerkassWoobie: Mac is obnoxious, violent and a terrible boyfriend to Riley. But it's still sad to watch as he gets a panic attack in the second chapter. [[spoiler: Not to mention the reveal that he did try to cancel the explosion, but was ignored and then coerced by Typhon into keeping quiet.]]
51	* JustHereForGodzilla: Regardless of the quality or story of the final product, many people are still turning in to see Steph's return from ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrangeBeforeTheStorm''. The ability to romance her in the game only increases this. To seemingly no one's surprise, the majority of players (over 70%) have romanced her over Ryan.
52	* LGBTFanbase:
53	** Let's just say that Steph's inclusion and Alex being a BespectacledCutie with a 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.]]
54	** The Wavelengths DLC seemingly setting up the ability to have a WLW dating profile and a radio day dedicated to Pride month only increases this fanbase.
55	** The fact that Ryan is implied to be on the asexual spectrum has also made the game extremely appealing to members of the asexual community. In addition, gay and bisexual men do appreciate his huge dad vibe and dorky nature.
56	* MemeticLoser: Ryan, for reasons outlined above and below. The fact that he's set up as a potential love interest when the other choice is fan-favorite Steph led to him being regarded as something of a HopelessSuitor who never had a chance, even before the release of the game. [[spoiler:He's also the only one who, depending on player choices, can actually end up worse off than when he was at the beginning of the game.]] After the release of the game however, it dialed down in the former reason due to even the most die hard Steph fans admitting that they like him and are willing to romance him in a second playthrough.
57	* MemeticMutation:
58	** Poor Ryan or ''99% of players romanced Steph''.[[labelnote:Explanation]]A common meme that's come up in the fandom is how Steph being a romance option and a returning EnsembleDarkHorse to boot means many people are going to romance her over Ryan. Plenty of jokes have been made about how the player stats are going to be tipped in Steph's favor.[[/labelnote]]
59	** Alex has two hands. [[labelnote:Explanation]]While part of Ryan's MemeticLoser status is that an overwhelming amount of players chose to romance Steph over him, many players came out of the game still liking his character and choosing to romance him in subsequent playthroughs. As a result, it's become popular for the fandom to express the desire to have Alex be in an open relationship with both her love interests.[[/labelnote]]
60	** "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 Series/ParksAndRecreation meme to fit the trio.[[/labelnote]]
61	** The hardest choice in the game for bisexuals and pansexuals/The game expects us to choose?! [[labelnote:Explanation]]Bisexual and Pansexual players like to say that the choice to either send Ryan or Steph to distract Diane is the hardest, as it basically equates to picking who they find more attractive out of an already conventionally attractive pair.[[/labelnote]]
62	** What emotion is this? [[labelnote:Explanation]]The bittersweet moment from the end of Chapter 2, where Alex discovers Ryan’s joy, has become shared repeatedly amongst the fandom due to a common bug where Alex is stuck in a T-pose position while uttering the aforementioned line.[[/labelnote]]
63	* {{Moe}}:
64	** Alex is a sweet and kind girl who has suffered greatly from being in foster care while being an empath, yet she always strives to try and help people. She's got an incredibly cute appearance too, given that she's short and has a slightly chubby build.
65	** Ethan is a bright and cheerful child who has such an incredible imagination. He's adorable and warms to everyone that he meets, to the extent that [[spoiler: almost the entire town is happy to join in the LARP that Steph puts on for him to cheer him up in the wake of Gabe's death.]]
66	* MorePopularReplacement:
67	** Previous GayOption love interests — [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrange Chloe]], [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrangeBeforeTheStorm Rachel]], and [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrange2 Finn]] — all 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]].
68	** Ryan himself is also more popular compared to 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.
69	* MoralEventHorizon: [[spoiler:Jed leaving seven miners to die in a collapsing cave]] was already bad enough, but when [[spoiler:he shoots Alex and leaves her to die, just to protect his reputation,]] is when [[spoiler:he]] truly crosses it.
70	* {{Narm}}: Some people found it a bit hilarious that Alex's powers are described as ''the psychic power of empathy''. The actual gameplay mitigates this issue somewhat by showing that her powers also include a form of telepathy, allowing her to pick up thoughts and memories associated with particularly strong emotions.
71	* NarmCharm:
72	** 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.]]
73	** The same also applies to when she [[spoiler:absorbs Ethan's joy, transporting the player into a full-fledged Final Fantasy style fight with the main villain of the LARP.]] Is it a little corny? Absolutely. Is it also heartwarming to see Ethan actually having a great deal of fun after blaming himself for [[spoiler:Gabe's death?]] ''Most definitely''.
74	* 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 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.]]
75	* OneTrueThreesome: A platonic version, Alex/Ryan/Steph has been pretty popular but due to Ryan and Steph's IncompatibleOrientation, have fans see both of them as very close friends along with both dating Alex.
76	* PortmanteauCoupleName: A combination of last names specifically. The fandom has taken to calling the Alex/Steph pairing 'Chenrich', while Alex/Ryan is commonly referred to as 'Luchen'.
77	* ShipMates: Chengrich (Alex and Steph) and Chencan (Ryan and Gabe) shippers get along pretty well in [=AUs=] where Gabe lives.
78	* SugarWiki/SheReallyCanAct: With the improvement in graphics and use of motion capture, ''True Colors'' gives its protagonists far more areas to shine in far more than just voice acting.
79	** Erika Mori, Alex's actress, gets to delve into more dramatic territory and conveys the character's torment and heartbreak expertly in chapter 5, [[spoiler:where Alex is taken on a recap journey of her traumatic past.]] She also gets plenty of moments to show the character's dorkier, charismatic side.
80	** Katy Bentz 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.
81	** 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 role makes his impeccable performance all the more impressive.
82	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
83	** [[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 main story 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.]]
84	** Mac Loudon. [[spoiler:He's an employee of Typhon directly linked to the accident that killed Gabe, and despite his [[HairTriggerTemper anger issues]] and unwarranted suspicions that Gabe was trying to steal Riley from him, Mac really does love his girlfriend and is shown to be wracked with guilt over Gabe's death. You'd think he'd play a key role in helping Alex take the company down.]] There's even potential for a secondary arc centering around Mac learning to control his anger and making amends to those he's hurt. And given her own experiences with losing control emotionally, Alex could act as Mac's guide through such an arc. Instead, Alex's only major interaction with Mac is whether or not she helps him through a panic attack. If she does, he's DemotedToExtra and only gets one other scene outside of offhand mentions and text messages. If she doesn't, he's PutOnABus for the rest of the game.
85	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: It's said Alex can get easily infected by strong emotions which was the main cause of her troubled life in the foster care system. It would have been interesting seeing Alex trying to cope with that part of her power, but it only comes up a couple times and Alex largely gets over it in the climax of Episode 1.
86	* TooCoolToLive: Gabe is one of the sweetest people in Haven Springs, quickly reconnecting with his estranged sister and helping her get Haven without so much as a second thought of something in return. Naturally, he doesn't make it past the first chapter.
87	* UnexpectedCharacter:
88	** Steph's reappearance was quite a shock as nobody thought that a character from the prequel of the first game would make a return. Her love from the fanbase (and the developers) was a direct factor in her appearance in ''True Colors''.
89	** ''Wavelengths'' (Steph [=DLC=]) shows [[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]]
90	** In ''Wavelengths'', [[spoiler:Chloe does indeed make an appearance. Along with '''Rachel Amber'''. Albeit both in a flashback.]]
91	* 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.]]
92	* WinBackTheCrowd:
93	** ''True Colors'' draws heavily from the original game's formula: a female protagonist with gameplay-entwined powers delves into a murder mystery in the heart of an idyllic, small-community American town. This was seen as a welcome return to form for some, as the second game was a wild departure from the first and proved to be [[BrokenBase very divisive]] in the fandom. ''True Colors'' seems like a merge of the two, returning to the setting and general style of the first while keeping the parts that were praised in the second, such as a minority protagonist and the strong family theme. Premier EnsembleDarkhorse [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrangeBeforeTheStorm Steph Gingrich]] returning as one of the main protagonists and potential love interests was also met with approval.
94	** In general, the game is considered this in terms of Creator/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.
95	** The ending to the original Life is Strange was often disliked due to how dark both of the endings were; [[spoiler: Arcadia Bay is either destroyed and a lot of people die while Chloe survives, or Chloe dies unloved and alone on a bathroom floor while Max struggles to carry on with her life]] while the endings in True Colors are incredibly safe; [[spoiler: no-one other than Gabe dies, and the biggest choice is whether Alex stays in Haven Springs or leaves, and then further split into whether she leaves with her love interest or not, with all choices being shown as positive.]]
96	* TheWoobie:
97	** 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.
98	** 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 [[spoiler:the full extent of her family situation and her time in the foster care system.]]
99	** 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 Typhon 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.
100	*** Also saddening, you can potentially have Alex leave a romanced Ryan behind if he [[spoiler:believed Jed over Alex and you chose to not let her forgive him.]]

Context YMMV / LifeIsStrangeTrueColors