Hello everyone!

Beware, long post ahead.

I still remember the time when the computer game Life is Strange managed to win the hearts of gamers all around the world, gathered a massive army of fans, and settled in our hearts for good. Its creators didn't stop there, and soon, several more parts were released.

Main menuThe game I'm reviewing today, Life is Strange: True colors, was announced a long time ago, but I only found out about it this summer when YouTube kept pushing those annoying ads in every video. That's when I learned about the new part, and I immediately went to Steam to pre-order it.

The graphics are just as good as the previous parts I wish I had a chest like thatI could've waited, of course - nowadays, games are usually broken within a day or two; remember Cyberpunk, which was broken on the very first day of release. But I decided not to wait and sent almost two thousand rubles to pre-order it. I'm not entirely sure about the local rules - there's a thing about movie premieres (you need to attach a photo of your ticket), but what about computer games? Do you need to confirm the purchase and playtime? Just in case, I'm attaching an electronic receipt, or else some people might think I'm just watching Let's Plays, taking screenshots, and pretending it's my own playthrough.

Proof of purchaseThe game was developed by Deck Nine - the same studio that gave us the prequel Before the Storm, which some people even liked more than the original. Fans of this part will be surprised in "True colors" - one of the episodic characters will already play a significant role in the story. Remember Stefan Guevara? I remember her :) I've been waiting for this game to drop since September 9th. Initially, the release date was set for September 10th, but for some reason, it got pushed back a day in Russia. I'm not even kidding, I took a day off work just to play it, and now I've been stuck in this game for four days, and I don't want to stop. I'm on this loop, constantly wondering what would happen if I made a different choice. I'm totally hooked! 🔶SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Here are the minimum and recommended specs for this game:

Minimum:

Operating System: Windows 10Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.40 GHz or Intel Core i5-2300 2.80 GHzRAM: 6 GBHard Drive: 30 GB on a hard driveGraphics Card: Radeon HD 7790 or GeForce GTX 750Ti with 2 GB memoryAlso: Keyboard, mouseRecommended:

Operating System: Windows 10Processor: AMD FX-8350 4.00 GHz or Intel Core i5-3470 3.20 GHzRAM: 8 GBHard Drive: 30 GB on a hard driveGraphics Card: Radeon RX 590 or GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB memoryAlso: Keyboard, mouseThis game is pretty demanding, and it's only available to those with the right hardware. It's a shame, really, because games like this should be accessible to everyone who loves visual novels.

The main character New friendsNow for the not-so-fun stuff: my gaming rig meets the recommended specs, but I still encountered a bunch of organizational issues that really put a damper on my experience. I'm not blaming the devs, but check out the foreign forums (this game hasn't gained much traction in Russia yet, so it's still pretty quiet): a lot of people are talking about the problems they're experiencing.

I dialed back the graphics settings to mediumFirst off, I encountered some major issues with the graphics - for some reason, colorful blotches would randomly pop up on the screen. I'd seen other console owners complaining about dark, almost black images and objects on foreign forums, and it made the game unplayable. I saw a YouTube video from another player showcasing these problems, and it freaked me out. The views are stunningAdditionally, I got kicked to the desktop a few times with a message saying a fatal error had occurred. Once, my computer even shut down completely, and a couple of times, I was just booted back to the main menu (which meant the game progress after the checkpoint was wiped). Chapter 4During my second playthrough, I somehow couldn't access the puzzle solution from the street performer - I'd collected all the clues, found the answers, but when I approached him, the 'Reveal Answer' feature was suddenly unavailable. What's going on? I've even experienced this with Cyberpunk 2077 - is it my hardware or the devs' fault? I'll wait a bit, check the forums, and maybe read some more discussions. But for some reason, I get the feeling that Deck Nine is in for a world of trouble, and they'll have to work on some patches. I've since moved the game from my D drive to an SSD - it required some serious cleaning up, as the game takes up over 20 GB. I also had to lower the screen resolution and graphics settings to medium, as my computer was making these awful noises that scared me half to death. And, weirdly enough, the problems decreased significantly. Happiness works wonders To the point and clear! The game isn't suitable for players under the age of 18 (yeah, like that's ever stopped anyone): there are scenes of alcohol consumption, nicotine use, characters swear freely, and there are LGBTQ+ characters. But, honestly, it's nothing new - you can see the same thing in every other game in the series. Stef was still hinting at being gay before the storm hit. Don't worry, no spoilers ahead - everything below is in the official trailer, and all the screenshots are mine, although I did have some issues taking them: for example, Fraps refused to take screenshots of this game, so I had to get creative and use another program.

You can either build relationships or stay friends with everyone. The music store. STORY My brother and sister, Alexandra and Gabriel Chen, were separated almost ten years ago. After our mom passed away from a long illness, our dad tried to take on the role of a caring parent, but he just couldn't hack it. To make matters worse, he was struggling at work. Eventually, he just bailed on us. Fifteen-year-old Gabriel was left to fend for himself, and life taught him some tough lessons. Eleven-year-old Alexandra (Alex) was sent to foster care and spent years there before Gabriel, now older and wiser, tracked her down. He offered to let her move in with him in Haven Springs - a small town in Colorado where she could find a real home. And she agreed.

Alex in the bar. One of the options. Haven Springs really is a haven for introverts. The pine trees, the majestic mountains, the cold river waters, the cozy little houses, and the friendly locals all make Alex feel like she's finally found a home. And the best part? She's reunited with her brother, whom she hadn't seen in ages.

Alex and Gabe Let Loose Right now, Gabe's working at the Blacklight pub, and he's got a girlfriend who's got a kid from her previous marriage - the kid's totally stoked on Gabe. And Alex is fitting in with the locals pretty quickly, too. It looks like they're starting a new chapter in life, and finally, everyone's found the happiness they've been searching for...

The Nighttime Views Here Are Magic But, unfortunately, it's not meant to last. Just one day. That same evening, Gabe's stepson, Ethan, decides to head into the local mines. Gabe, Alex, and Gabe's best friend rush to the kid's aid, but things take a dark turn: the mines are about to undergo some explosive renovations.

Saving Ethan The explosion sends boulders tumbling down from the mountain peaks. And, unfortunately, Gabe's not so lucky... He's gone.

Remembering Gabe at the Bar The whole town's talking about the accident, but Alex and Gabe's friend are convinced it's no accident - Gabe had actually reached out to the mining crew before heading into the mines and asked them to hold off on the explosives. Someone knew there were outsiders in the area, but they went ahead and gave the green light anyway. But who?

Zombie Will Lead the Way So, Alex and Gabe's friends start their own investigation - they're not buying the official story, and they're determined to get justice for their buddy. But getting involved in this kind of thing is a whole lot riskier...

Fifth Episode I'll be honest, the story isn't exactly new, but I'm applauding it. It was mind-blowing - I haven't gotten so many different emotions from a game in ages; of course, my interest in the game was kept on the first playthrough by the question that was always on my mind: who's behind it all? I started suspecting everyone in the story, recalling facts from their backstory, trying to figure out their motives. And the worst part: the character I really liked, but was suspecting the most, turned out to be the culprit... I was really hoping I was wrong until the very end.

Alex, just like Max, is also a guitar player This part is no different from the previous ones in terms of making certain choices. I wouldn't say they change the story a lot, but it feels like you're making all the decisions yourself. Mostly, the choices are about little things: what to order at the bar, how to behave with a character - friendly or hostile, how to deal with your enemy.

On stage And, of course, you can decide on a romantic relationship: do you build something with one of your friends, or do you keep things platonic? For romance, you'll only have two options - both of Max's best friends, one male and one female. You can even choose to have no romantic relationships at all.

You can go without romance The critical choices will come at the very end of the game. The final branching point gives the game the opportunity to show multiple endings (and, according to my count, there are more than four). I haven't seen them all yet, but I'm excited to see what's coming up.

The guitar sound is on point here The story is presented in five episodes - they're all available now, so you don't have to wait for a new episode every month. My first playthrough took around eight hours (according to Steam), and the game gets a lot faster after that, since you already know what to do.

Mom and Dad If the first part's main character had the ability to control time, this game's Alex has the gift of seeing strong human emotions, taking them on, stealing them, figuring out their cause, and even reading information about the things that trigger them.

Meeting up with my bro Some plot twists had me crying - and I'm not exaggerating. The funeral scene in the early episodes was especially heart-wrenching.

Feeling the good vibes What didn't sit well with me in this story was how the people around Alex behaved. Sure, it's clear that Gabe was everyone's friend and the guy who could always make them smile, but Alex lost him too - and it was only the first day they met. And yet, no one's conscience stopped them from throwing scenes and basically forcing Alex to find ways to cope.

Someone's crying again GAMEPLAY Nothing revolutionary new here - the gameplay's the same as in other LiS games. You're controlling from a third-person perspective with the standard WSAD keys. Holding down the left Shift key gives you a bit of a speed boost in some areas, but it's not consistent everywhere. The system will let you know about other active keys.

Heart-to-hearts This is one of those games I call a relaxer - you don't have to be on the edge of your seat, you can chill, grab a snack, and occasionally press a button. I played while having dinner and applying moisturizer. There are scenes of alcohol consumption The gameplay is built around tasks that you can see in the quick menu. Usually, it's something pretty straightforward, like finding a specific character and chatting with them, or finding a specific item or helping someone out. There's no time limit, so you can explore the game world and interact with it at your own pace - want to just chill by the dock while the relaxing music plays in the background? You can play the guitar, then head to the table for a game of pool. Clean up the house and tend to the garden.

Playing the guitar Check the news on social media.

Freebies are always a good thing But I've got to give a shout-out to the arcade games - that was a nice touch.

Arcade games If you're not in a rush and interact with the non-playable characters, you can take on some extra tasks. Help a down-on-his-luck guy find his missing dog; give an ornithologist a hint about where they last saw a bird; nudge two lovebirds into confessing their feelings; figure out the answer to a riddle and whisper it in the player's ear.

Trying to shoo the cat away The ability to read Alex's emotional state by holding down the right mouse button (if we're talking about the PC version) is another important aspect - sometimes it feels like you're stuck and can't progress any further. During my first playthrough, I often felt lost - what do I do next? It turns out you need to read the emotions and objects that absorb those emotions.

Gabe's Memorial Altar Identifying the Cause of Aggressive BehaviorThe third episode was a real hoot, with a whole heroic quest on foot through the city, searching for artifacts and buying magical items. And a fight. I mean, the creators did a great job.

Final Boss Troll FightI've got to say, though, that the episodes were a bit too drawn out. The first one was the real showstopper - the rest were just filled with some empty, not-so-essential scenes. Even the third one - yeah, the quest was interesting, but it took up 70% of the episode time and didn't really get us any closer to solving the mystery. And the fifth episode? It was like a whole different game! - mostly just a kaleidoscope of flashbacks, trips to the past, and nightmares.

Healing Spell DeadlyAlthough I have to admit: the final episode did manage to scare me pretty good...

Scary, Turn It Off!Another minus for me is the inability to skip through dialogue and some cutscenes. Especially for replaying - you already know what you're going to get from the conversation, and the character just seems boring, but you have to sit through it anyway.

Making the Right ChoiceSo, to sum it up, the controls are super simple and don't require any special skills. It's hard to get lost, and you can always check the in-game menu to see what you need to do. In short, Life is Strange is the kind of game where you can't really lose. Unless, of course, you accidentally make the wrong choice, but there's always the option to replay. She's Gonna Be a Witch Auto-save is a thing in the game - just keep in mind you've got around five or six checkpoints within one chapter.

Working in a Bar's Not Easy CHARACTERS One thing you can't take away from Life is Strange is the characters, which feel like real people.

Alexandra (or Alex) Chen - the main character of the story; judging by her last name and eye shape, she and Gabe have Korean roots. To date, most of the negative feedback from players worldwide has been about the main character - many are whining that she's, you know, fat...

First Episode Another part of the unhappy players continues to complain that we're not playing as Max and Chloe again.

No Contest Alex is 21 years old; her superpower of seeing strong emotions and taking them on comes with its downsides - if someone's aggressive, she becomes aggressive too. And, as a result, unmanageable. She never got past a single psychiatrist before; while she was living in the foster home, she'd often have meltdowns. Couples looking for a kid usually skipped over Alex.

Guitar or Broom, Either Way She loves playing the guitar.She comes across as a decent, compassionate, and really nice girl. I was worried they'd turn her into a drama queen in the face of all these sad events, but she held up well and didn't crack. It was the others who ended up getting all emotional around her.

Memories Gabriel Chen - Alex's older brother (four years her senior); after being left to his own devices, he became a tough teenager with some run-ins with the law, but eventually got his head on straight. In Haven Springs, he managed to earn respect and become almost like a trusted friend to most of the residents.

Gabe Gabe with his best friendLooking back at past events, I recall that he often clashed with his dad. As he himself said, we were like bombs with a timer, and Alex would frantically run back and forth to defuse us.

HospitalI think Gabe was pretty unfair to his dad, but it seems like he's starting to realize it too.

Mom's keychainHe's in a relationship with a girl named Charlotte (no screenshots of her, though). Charlotte is a dark-skinned woman who owns a little marijuana shop, a creative type who loves making figurines.Stef Gingrich - is Gabe's best friend, moved to Haven Springs at his invitation; she runs her own record store and does radio shows.

StefFace familiar to those who've played Before the Storm. Stef isn't afraid to show her LGBTQ+ identity and is pretty skilled at flirting with women. One of the contenders for Alex's heart.Ryan Lucas - is Gabe's best friend, loves plaid shirts and jackets, and another character who might have romantic possibilities.

RyanIt's like déjà vu - Ryan looks uncannily like Luke from "The Walking Dead": from the details of his appearance to his personality. There's even a theory that LiS shamelessly borrowed some gameplay mechanics from Walking Dead. Take, for example, the shooting at green bottles, which was in the first part.

I even wanted to buy a plaid shirtJed Lucas - is Ryan's dad, runs his own pub, "Black Light"; that's also where Gabe works. After his death, Jed kindly offered to let Gabe stay and work at the pub. What else is left to do?

JedTwelve years ago, I was working in the mines and almost lost my life. Meeting JedJason Pike - our local sheriff; a laid-back, open-minded guy who's always down to grab a beer and talk about life.

Pike Pike worries about AlexRiley Litty - she and her grandma run the flower shop; Riley's getting ready for college, and Gabe's been helping her out big time. She's also been seeing this super possessive guy who's not exactly thrilled about their hangouts.

RileyShe's super chill, level-headed, and just really sweet. Eleanor Litty - Riley's grandma, who basically raised her as a single parent. She's a total goofball, loves hugs, and has a bit of a memory problem.

Flower shop EleanorMack Lauden - Riley's boyfriend, who's super jealous of Gabe and has a major attitude problem.

MackHe's basically the prime suspect in this whole mess, since he had motive.

Mack goes after GabeEthan - Gabe's son from his previous relationship; the kid took to Gabe right away, and they became super close. Gabe tried to fill the void left by Ethan's dad, and Ethan really looked up to him. When Gabe passed away, Ethan shut himself off from the world and started beating himself up over guilt - if he hadn't been there, the tragedy wouldn't have happened.

Ethan I'm probably being harsh, but I'm right there with you. What's this kid doing digging in the mines at midnight?He's got a wild imagination, drawing comics about superheroes; in the scene where he needs to be saved, he's showing some serious fear that a monster is lurking somewhere - and that fear rubbed off on Alex, who started freaking out too.

Alex playing with EthanValkyrie - the record store owner, a feisty lady; she's not one to be coddled, and she starts getting all snippy.

Valkyrie🔶GRAPHICSI think they're amazing - just like the other Life is Strange games. The screenshots have already said it all for me: the locations are top-notch, and the outdoor views are just as breathtaking.

Check out the amazing work on the locationThe emotions on the characters' faces are super realistic - I don't think I've seen anything like it in Life is Strange before.

Alex's dad and GabeThe atmosphere in the game is just incredible; the abundance of warm colors just clashes with the dramatic storyline. It's a real treat to play this game - I mean, I'd even want to live in it. And again, I'm getting those Twin Peaks vibes.

Stef's storeThe music soundtrack is, as always, on point - I ran into a familiar song in the fifth episode, but it was performed by someone I'd never heard of before. The dramatic moments are accompanied by acoustic guitar melodies, and the vinyl records in Alex's room or the jukebox in the pub deliver some awesome and catchy tracks.

The Living GnomeThe Russian dub is non-existent; only Russian subtitles are available. The quality of the translation is subpar. The translators didn't see fit to translate the profanity and used printed alternatives instead. There are enough inaccuracies. For example, Steph mentions Alex as "from some chick," but in the subtitles, it comes out as "from one girl."

Meeting in the fifth episode🔶OVERALL IMPRESSIONSI've already gotten some of the most conflicting reviews for this game, but from my own experience, I can say that I had a blast playing it. It turned out even better than I expected. I don't even want to think about whether it's worse or better than True colors in the other parts – it's a completely new game, and it's definitely worth checking out.

Creative NatureDon't judge the game based on other people's reviews. And don't dock it points for not being about Max and Chloe, or for the main character being a bit heavier. And definitely don't judge it for being about LGBTQ+ individuals. I wouldn't recommend it to haters of episodic games or those who are intolerant of the LGBTQ+ community. On the other hand, I highly recommend it to everyone else.

The Only Way to Have Fun TogetherCons: the price is a bit steep;I experienced a few crashes and some graphical glitches;it's impossible to scroll through the dialogue;there are some unnecessary scenes in the episodes.Pros:

the episodic format;the ability to choose;the main character is really likable;the music is amazing;the other characters didn't let me down;the atmosphere is incredible;the graphics are top-notch;the story is really interesting. I'm giving it five stars, despite the frustrating lag and crashes. I hope it's just a developer error and they'll fix it soon. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy spending more evenings playing this game with friends. And I'd definitely recommend it to others.