This should really have its own thread. Also, I’m bowing out because it’s $60 and I haven’t gotten to Before the Storm or LiS 2 yet so I won’t be in a position to participate for ages yet.
Isn’t this just a hi res patch update? I’m confused by this series all the time
This is the third game in the series. But there is also a bundle which includes a remastered version of the first two.
This is a thing that is happening:
We had an exhibition I was very much looking forward to cancelled here because it was relying on Mongolian vestiges and material residing in the mainland part of the former Chinese Empire. And the Chinese Communist Party noticed it eventually, and insisted that none of the exposition mentionned the word Mongol, or the name Genghis Khan.
“Chinese players”, haha.
Deep into Chapter 3 now, and I’m absolutely loving the game so far. Very much into these characters and this place, the story, and the topics it touches upon or delves deeper into.
Oddly, the game crashed once to the PS main screen earlier in the week (with the automatic error report) but today it had a full crash of the entire PS5, shut it right off. Both times it was while loading an area (entering a building, although different ones). Since it saves on transition, continuing the game starts right where it crashed. Aside from that, I’ve not noticed anything glitchy.
I’m taking it slow, because I know it’s not a long game, and I think it’d be hard for me to take a different path through it to play again right afterwards. I’ll be itching for those remastered versions once I’m done.
Seems I’m the only one who has played this here, but now that I’ve completed it I will say that it holds up well compared to the first games of the series. I appreciated the tie to emotions for Alex’s power, as it helped to understand many of the characters you meet in the game. I think Alex is a contender for my favorite of the leads in the series, and that may be because of advancements in the way emotion is able to be shown on faces, even subtle eye or mouth movements. Dialogue is still something that doesn’t track well with the mouth (do any games get this perfectly during gameplay yet?) but once you let that go, the rest is pretty good.
No spoilers, only want to say that I found the ending I got to be poignant even if it was one of the better outcomes for what I hoped for Alex and Haven. I often find something personal in these games, and I feel True Colors touched on topics and outcomes that I can relate to in my own life. Not to mention I’ve always wanted go back to a small town like Haven, in the forest & mountains. And that makes me love the game.
I’m interested in replaying it again, even so soon after finishing. Honestly wished it was longer just so I can spend more time in an expanded Haven and surrounding area. They have a prequel DLC ‘Steph’s Story’ already released, so that’ll give me something else to play.
I know many were put off by the price at release but, whenever you get into it, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I bought the Ultimate version on the PS5, so hope the remastered LiS games coming in February do the first ones justice.
I’m looking forward to playing this, but just haven’t had the chance yet.
Okay, I finished this tonight and man did that ever take a face plant at the end. The ending proper was fine, but the whole chapter leading up to that really just soured the whole thing for me. I might come back to put my thoughts down in more detail, but right now I’m just feeling irritated.
Thanks for the warning. I completed chapter 4 a while ago and about to finish this up.
Yeah, I really liked the game, and the ending itself is good, but the last chapter grinds to a screeching halt. They probably thought it’d be too short if they just cut all that out, but the experience would’ve been better for it.
I think the game was harmed by its relatively short length. I’m not one to be concerned with value proposition, and would gladly choose to pay $60 for a fantastic 6-hour over a decent 60 hour one, so it’s not the absolute length that bothered me, but the whole thing gave me a feeling of being rushed through the story. I finished the game in a little over half the time the original LiS took, and it very much felt like a longer game that had been chopped and squished down.
The themes of home and family were important to it, but it didn’t slow down and breathe, and allow those relationships to form naturally. I loved (nearly) all of the characters, and the performances were largely fantastic, but I felt like it was forced to tell me how their relationships were developing rather than actually show it happen. It also felt almost claustrophobic, largely confined to a small stretch of the main street in town. All of that led the climax from the end of Chapter 4 up to the epilogue (which was unreservedly fantastic, and did a lot to salvage my goodwill) to absolutely crash and burn for me. Emotional beats felt unearned, plot beats felt jarring and unresolved, and the whole stretch felt like a mess. I get a strong sense that they had gone into it planning on that stretch being about double the length.
Ultimately, it was a frustrating and disappointing experience made moreso because of the high points with the characters and performances. There was an opportunity here for something really special.
Well this was pretty wonderful. Did Nightgaunt work on this one as well? If so, another great work, Nightgaunt and the team.
I would not mind at all seeing Alex and Steph again someday. And rest of the Haven Springs, eventhough I chose the adventure.
My final stats
Finally played this one now that it’s on Game Pass, and it comfortably meets the high bar set by the previous games in the series. I have enjoyed that each Life Is Strange has its own completely (or well, mostly) unrelated story to tell, with different sets of characters and different problems to relate. I liked seeing the world that Alex inhabits, and feeling her get more comfortable and feel more at home in Haven Springs. I was even surprised by a couple of the plot twists, though they are set up enough in advance so that they don’t feel totally out of left field. I’m hopeful these will keep coming, they are always worth checking out.
I did work on it for a couple years! I left before development finished. I thought the team did a really great job on the final product. Obviously not objective at all, but I was really hoping Erika Mori might win a performance award, as I think she’s phenomenal as Alex (enabled by the brilliant facial capture tech the team developed between BTS and TC). Some of the non-verbal performance in the game, particularly by Erika, just turned out incredible, I thought. And I had basically nothing to do with that!
Most of my work was in the first two chapters. Probably the thing I was most directly responsible for was the foosball game and for the general power mechanics (though I admit they made some good improvements after I left).
I’m glad Game Pass is giving folks a chance to try it!
I’ll add on to the list of those that really enjoyed the game. Loved Alex and Steph. Enjoyed the game so much on Game Pass that I bought the upgrade to the Deluxe Edition so I could play Wavelengths. While I enjoyed wavelengths as well, be warned that it’s short at around 3 hours and takes place completely in the record store.
I was disappointed that the D&D sessions that Wavelengths had were more short flashbacks based on one or two decisions instead of a more interactive session like Before the Storm had.
How come?
And yeah the facial animations here were huge step up from the previous games. Alex was amazingly realized. I already miss the game and I finished it today :p
The foosball game though. Bah! I won the first match when Steph let me win, but lost the second one 5:3. I didn’t mind though.
I wasn’t there for Wavelengths, but my understanding is that a lot of what it ended up being was determined by what work they could do during the height of COVID. For what that’s worth.
Haha, long complicated story. I was at the studio (which was Idol Minds before it was Deck Nine) for more than ten years, so there’s a long history there. To be clear, they let me go. Their reason was “creative differences.” Which was maybe half-true: I had expressed disagreements with studio leadership about studio direction, process, and culture at various times (including when True Colors had a rocky pre-production). But also, they had a big hire they wanted to make, and had to find a way to afford. “Creative differences” was about all they could say when they wanted to free up the budget but I had had a stellar performance review a few months earlier! Still, there was a reason it was me and not someone (or several someones) else: It might have stopped being the best fit. It was the push I needed to go indie! I’m not bitter about it.
And they went on to make a very good game, because there’s a lot of very talented people there.
Ouch, no kidding. Frankly that sounds kinda shameful from their part, after 10 years…but I am glad it worked out for you.
I remembered you were the director (or co-director) on BtS so when the credits rolled on TC I thought you were Zak Garriss, but I guess that is some former colleague.