It’s a cliche to say that Xbox Game Pass is the best deal in gaming, but, well, it’s kinda true. The subscription service provides a huge selection of games on PC, Xbox consoles, and mobile, leaving Sony PlayStation struggling to catch up with its own online service.
Now that deal has gotten a little sweeter. As of now, Microsoft has added 2021’s Life is Strange: True Colors to the service (along with Panzer Corps 2 and The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk on PC). If you’re at all familiar with Life is Strange you’ll know what to expect with True Colors — a cast of young characters, supernatural powers, a mystery to be solved, queer themes out the wazoo, and a beautifully curated indie soundtrack.
The game follows Alex Chen as she heads to the picturesque Colorado village of Haven Springs to reunite with her long-lost brother. Tragedy soon arrives, and Alex has to use her ability to sense people’s emotions to unravel what’s really going down in this apparently perfect little town.
It’s a very fun ride that’s tear-jerking but also very hilarious, with developer Deck Nine frequently managing to pull the rug out from under the players. It’s also not the longest game in the world and can be beaten in just a few sessions, thus making it perfect if you want to take a break from a longer game and find out what all the fuss is about.
If you’ve been bitten by the Life is Strange bug there’s much more to check out. The first two games in the series —Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm — have just been remastered and re-released. Life is Strange 2 experiments with a road trip format with mixed results, and the 2020 game Tell Me Why (also available on Game Pass) is a Life is Strange title in all but name.