Life is Strange's use of art drove the narrative home, bookending Max and Chloe's story emotionally. While it might seem like a minute feature early on, it becomes the crux of a choice Max must make, effectively ending the game on one of two completely different notes. This choice and the way it was presented using Max's photography was a big reason why Life is Strange is still loved today.
But music has also always been a strong point of the Life is Strange games. Music is now blended with art in the next Life is Strange installment because of Alex Chen's talent as a musician, and now, Life is Strange: True Colors has the opportunity to blend the two thanks to Alex's supernatural power.
Life is Strange's Use of Art in Past Installments
Art has always been more than just a hobby in the Life is Strange universe. Off the bat, Life is Strange introduced Max Caulfield as an aspiring photographer in an artsy high school, discovering her powers during her photography class. Her use of polaroid photos becomes a major point in the narrative. While Max is normally only able to jump back in time by a handful of minutes at the most, she's sometimes able to peer into a photo she's taken and return to that moment in time, rewriting history.
Art returned as a motif in Life is Strange 2 as well, though in a less impactful way. Throughout his journey, Sean can sometimes take a moment to sketch his surroundings in his sketchbook, and he's quite talented. While these drawings give a window into how Sean feels and sometimes show Daniel's supernatural powers in a specific instance, art otherwise doesn't have the same significance that Max's talent does in Life is Strange.
Life is Strange's Use of Music in True Colors
But with Life is Strange: True Colors, the franchise sees a change to this trend. Instead of visual art, Alex's music will help drive the game's story. Just as it was rumored prior to True Colors' full reveal, Alex Chen is an Asian-American woman with the ability to feel others' emotions as a version of telepathy. While she can't read their exact thoughts, her emotions can become intertwined with others in a way that can even be overwhelming to Alex if the emotion is strong enough.
Recently, a closer look at Alex's character and the NPCs that she will come across was shown. After spending her life in the foster care system. This has undoubtedly shaped Alex in a way Life is Strange fans haven't seen so far. During True Colors, she's leaving Oregon and visiting her brother Gabe in Haven Springs, Colorado, deciding if it will become her permanent home or not. But as the closer look at True Colors showed, Alex is struggling with something socially.
The early footage of Life is Strange: True Colors gives fans the idea that Alex is shy, or possibly even suffers from social anxiety. The faceless woman interviewing her sounds concerned that Alex will be around lots of people in her day-to-day by helping Gabe out at the bar. Scenes from other trailers show that interacting with others will be a major part of the game. But because of Alex's power
Here, Alex's hobby is music, specifically playing the guitar and singing. How this talent will surface in True Colors has yet to be revealed, however, it's easy to see how Alex's music could be intertwined with her power that reveals others' emotions.
It often doesn't get the credit, but music and sound design are important to storytelling and provoking reactions from gamers. It's overshadowed by animations, graphics, and voice acting, but the intense, alternative soundtrack helped make Life is Strange's story as impactful as it was to its fans. Now, True Colors has the perfect opportunity to use Alex's music to produce emotional reactions from players and make them feel the same sensations that she does.
Life is Strange: True Colors will release September 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
