Life is Strange: True Colors sets a new standard for the series with its quality storytelling for most of the game, that its own failure to reach that standard in some of its most important plot and thematic points makes my disappointment with how it resolves sting a little harder. I wanted to believe it was going to break the series curse of falling apart at the very end. I was so taken by its willingness to tackle heavy topics such as the difficulties of family relationships and confronting emotional trauma, and its infectious, unabashedly joyous depiction of queer romance, all of which is treated with tenderness and nuance, and brought to life by an industry-best cast of performers and visual artists. It's a damn shame that it's let down by an overburdened finale and half-measure gestures at critically examining its thorny supernatural premise.

It's a testament to Life is Strange: True Colors' character work, from the warm, naturalistic dialogue to the downright magical facial animation, that I still think highly enough of the game to put it on my top ten list in spite of my big problems with the ending, and I'm still confident in Deck Nine handling the series moving forward.

Still, it honestly could have been a 2021 GOTY contender for me if it just stuck the landing!!! It's one of the few games of this year that actually made me emotional! Gahh!!!!