The developer behind Life is Strange: True Colors has revealed more about the emotional auras found within the game. While Life is Strange: True Colors will be the fifth installment to the Life is Strange series, it will only be the third mainline game. With it will come a whole community of new characters, as well as new supernatural powers. This time, the story will focus on Alex Chen, a 21-year-old with the power of empathy.
With her empathy power in Life is Strange: True Colors, Alex can see people’s emotions as an aura surrounding them. She can also absorb and manipulate these emotions, meaning that, much like with previous protagonists in Life is Strange games, Alex can use her powers to help those around her. And, in Alex’s case, using her powers will help her discover more about the mysterious circumstances that surround her brother Gabe’s sudden death.
A new post from Deck Nine Games’ Narrative Director Jonathon Zimmerman on the PlayStation Blog has revealed more details on the emotional auras in Life is Strange: True Colors. Each emotion experienced within Life is Strange: True Colors will not only radiate a different color, but the way in which these auras present themselves will also be visually very different. While a blue aura around a person will represent sadness and have an organic fluidity to it, a purple aura that represents fear will take on a much more erratic and spikey presence much like an “EKG monitor.” Meanwhile, a red aura representing anger will flicker like a flame and a gold aura representing joy will radiate outward from each individual “like the sun’s corona.”
How Alex ultimately chooses to react to these emotional auras in Life is Strange: True Colors may offer some form of catharsis to those around her. However, whether or not Alex should interfere is another question, and her actions will have consequences. This is also true if Alex creates a “nova” with her powers. These novas will alter the surroundings within the game and allow Alex to obtain pieces of other characters' memories. As with previous installments to the series, each choice made by the player will lead to different branches in the game’s overall narrative.
Thankfully for Alex, as she comes to terms with her empathy powers in Life is Strange: True Colors, she will have a friendly face by her side. Steph from Life is Strange: Before the Storm is making a return in True Colors, this time as a radio DJ. She is still a tabletop RPG enthusiast in this latest installment and, should players wish, she can also become a potential romantic interest for Alex.
With its beautiful setting of Haven Springs, and its already emotionally laden narrative, Life is Strange: True Colors will likely be a welcome addition to the franchise. However, unlike previous games in the Life is Strange series, True Colors will be releasing all in one go, rather than in episodic installments. This means that fans will be able to dive right in and immerse themselves fully in this next supernatural adventure within the Life is Strange world.
Life is Strange: True Colors comes to Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S platforms on September 10.
Source: PlayStation Blog