Welcome to Haven Springs

For longtime fans of the series, Haven Springs, CO may seem like a weird place to start. It has no bearing on anything outside it. It’s nestled in the Rocky Mountains, and the events that take place in the game located in this town touch nothing in the greater universe of Life is Strange than anything else in the franchise, really. That’s what makes it a great place to start, though. Unburdened by the outside forces that churn up and down the West Coast of the United States and (eventually) to a college town clear on the other side of the country, this idyllic location contains the purest story in the series. Only Steph Gingrich brings any part of Arcadia Bay (the gravitational center of this universe, along with its two most famous citizens, for our purposes at least) to Haven Springs, and her connection to outside events only comes up in this game’s DLC, which is not what we’re talking about.

Life is Strange: True Colors does not even begin in Haven Springs. It starts at the Mental Health facility where Alex Cheng is being evaluated for release. It’s not long before we end up here, though, and we learn that, in a Life is Strange game, the location is as important to the story as anything. The atmosphere and events of each game is informed by where it takes place, and it is no accident that the most upbeat entry in the franchise takes place in such quaint mountain town. Sure, it has its dark side just like any other small town in this universe, but its denouement is less dark than we are used to. This sets True Colors apart as a more positive entry, but also the one you might most want to walk around in, taking in the trees, the buildings, the lake. it’s the perfect setting for Steph’s LARP session because it evokes those towns in fantasy RPGs we’ve enjoyed. It feels lived in, even if it still has those dang invisible walls, and the only other location, the mines, is walled off for story beats only.

I choose Haven Springs as our launch point because of its isolation. It does not have the baggage of Arcadia Bay, the confusion of Caledon, or the intimidating scope of five entire states. it simply is what it is, and it facilitates Alex’s story of self discovery perfectly. She can only go so far, so she is forced to confront the people and learn to care about them, but the simple beauty of the town draws her. Location is important in these games, and Haven Springs is my choice to be the first to represent why.