The new game in the Life is Strange series, Life is Strange: True Colors, is coming out on September 10th. Developer Deck Nine showed some new game footage at the Square Enix E3 presentation, and we're here to break it all down.
Life is Strange: True Colors is set in Haven Springs with new character Alex Chen (Erika Mori) traveling to the community in order to start over. Unfortunately, she won’t get long to enjoy her fresh start as tragedy soon strikes. She must heal from the sudden loss of her brother Gabe, whom she hadn’t seen for eight years and was just getting the chance to reconnect with. Alex must then figure out what happened in the suspicious accident that caused his death while interacting with the people of the town who all seem to have their own secrets they want to keep.
The definitive mystery-solving aspects seen throughout the previous games will still hold a central part of the new game as well, though in a new setting with new powers, which sets the game apart from prior entries. In the previous games, characters were able to manipulate time or use telepathy to move through the world. In this newest game, the power is that of empathy. In what was more of a short demo than a trailer, game director Zak Garriss talked through that new ability and the impact it will have on the game.
“Alex’s psychic power of empathy is integral to the story of Life is Strange: True Colors. It impacts every relationship she builds and every decision she makes,” Garriss said. “For years, Alex has been unable to shut out the strong feelings of others, the fear, sadness, and anger of those around her, leading her to believe her power was a curse. In the wake of Gabe’s death, Alex realizes the only way she can find the truth is to embrace her power.”
So what does that power actually look like? In the presentation, Garriss says you will use Alex’s power to focus on brightly colored auras of people throughout town that will then let you gain insights into people’s state of mind and their true thoughts. It is these true thoughts that will let you see through any lies or obfuscations to get to the truth of what really happened to Gabe.
“These valuable insights deepen Alex's relationships with the folk of Haven Spring as well as sparking new dialogue options and events,” Garriss said.
These new dialogue options will expand the branching paths of the story based on how you choose to use the information you gain. One example shown in the new footage comes from an early scene where Alex learns that the character of Mac has something to hide from his girlfriend. The choice then becomes whether you will listen to Mac’s pleas for him to get to tell his girlfriend himself, trusting he will do it at all, or reveal the information yourself.
Personally, there is no more tempting choice than that left hand option and I will likely have to restrain myself from pressing the button to pick it immediately. Knowing the way the Life is Strange series works, it is likely that choosing to reveal Mac’s secret may make him into an enemy that will cause unintended consequences later. That's the dilemma posed by decisions like this as you must work to uncover the truth, and that may mean being strategic about how you engage with the people of the town.
In addition to the decisions you will have to make, Alex’s power also can prove to be a great deal more potent when she encounters someone who is experiencing particularly strong emotions. Rather than just being able to listen to their inner thoughts, she will be able to form a more profound and all=consuming connection with that person.
“When Alex encounters a particularly strong aura, she can reach out to actively connect with that person’s emotions. This generates a Nova, a supernatural flair that transforms the world around Alex into a reflection of that person’s psyche,” Garriss said. “In this altered, emotionally charged state, Alex can experience fragments of thoughts and memory to get to the root of their issue. But not every emotional crisis can be easily dealt with, some carry a dangerous, even life-threatening, amount of power.”
The most daunting example of this new mechanic was shown when Alex overhears a character in a moment of crisis. The character says, “He’s dead. I wish I were, too.” Alex can then choose whether to take away their pain, at great personal expense, or let the person continue to suffer silently. It is certainly heavy stuff, though it makes for deeply morally challenging choices that are part of the core of what makes the series so impactful. Do you choose to suffer at another’s expense? What impact will it have on your own psyche? The answer will only be revealed once you make the choice, and it doesn’t seem like there will be any rewinds this time.
The footage, which you can see below, offers the fullest look at the game we've seen thus far. Even beyond the interesting premise of the game’s new powers, the way they are represented visually makes for the most vibrant colors in the series. When seen through the eyes of an entirely new character, Alex, there is an abundance of intrigue and striking visuals that make this game one that I can’t wait to experience. Thankfully, I won’t have to wait too much longer.
Life Is Strange: True Colors is scheduled for release on September 10th on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia. Oh, and it is coming out all at once meaning I will likely be unavailable starting that same day as I dive into this new world and all that it has to offer.