The next entry in the episodic adventure series Life is Strange, Life is Strange: True Colors, is just a few weeks away from releasing. Life is Strange True: Colors isn't Life is Strange 3 and is a departure from the series in more ways than one. The game is in development at Deck Nine Studios, rather than Dontnod Entertainment, the studio responsible for Life is Strange and Life is Strange 2.
While Dontnod may have parted ways from the Life is Strange franchise for the time being, it is still creating narrative-driven choice and consequences-based games that highly resemble the one that started it all. Last year, it released Twin Mirror, a self-published title that is surprisingly similar to Deck Nine's upcoming Life is Strange: True Colors, and fans hoping to fill in the anticipation void may want to check it out.
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Twin Mirror puts players into the shoes of Sam Higgs, an investigative journalist that returns to his hometown of Basswood, someplace in West Virginia. Like Arcadia Bay from Life is Strange, Basswood is a small American town where everyone happens to know everyone and there are plenty of secrets to uncover. A few areas in the game that Sam returns to multiple times, such as the local pub and the viewpoint, are likely to send many players into a state of nostalgia.
Life is Strange: True Colors embraces a similar small-town American setting called Haven Springs, set beneath the rocky mountains of Colorado. Players can expect similar points of interest here, such as the local eatery called The Black Lantern, where players can also try their hands on some classic arcade games. Interestingly enough, Twin Mirror also features an arcade game that players can try in its local pub.
However, the biggest similarity between Life is Strange: True Colors and Twin Mirror is the fact that both feature an ongoing murder mystery at the heart of their story. It's also the biggest reason why eager fans should try Twin Mirror right now to get a taste of what Life is Strange: True Colors could be. Unlike the latter, the former doesn't feature supernatural abilities, although Sam's conflict with his illusory alter-ego self makes for some interesting conversations and may remind many of the introspective moments from the Life is Strange games where the protagonist would sit and carefully analyze their thoughts. Twin Mirror's campaign doesn't take long to beat, and since it's not episodic, players can even finish it in a single sitting.
Life is Strange: True Colors may seem a lot like Twin Mirror, though that shouldn't be the only reason why Life is Strange fans should give it a try. Twin Mirror's reviews weren't that good, and there are other games like the first Life is Strange that excited fans could check out instead. Players expecting a complex plot and a fleshed-out cast of characters will be disappointed, as Twin Mirror doesn't excel in either. Its most cumbersome aspect is, however, is the investigative sections where players have to gather all the clues in an area to progress the narrative. It could be off-putting in a big way, and given that Life is Strange: True Colors is also a murder mystery, it may not sit well with players who give Twin Mirror a try so close to True Colors' release date.
All in all, though, Twin Mirror is a decent game. With Life is Strange: True Colors right around the corner, Twin Mirror could be an ideal experience for those that want something similar to the upcoming game but are burnt out by replaying Life is Strange and Life is Strange 2. However, with some issues also bogging it down, fans can afford to skip Twin Mirror if they want.
Life is Strange: True Colors will be available September 10, 2021, for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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