Life is Strange and Mass Effect are two vastly different series, from their subject matters to gameplay style, so fans of the former may not be in the know. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition was suddenly announced just months before its release, though there were many leaks leading up to it. Its popularity made the rerelease even more precedented than Life is Strange: Remastered Collection.

But other than the genre of game, the biggest difference between the two is that Mass Effect: Legendary Edition's announcement came alongside official word of the next mainline installment on N7 Day, and it will follow the events of both Mass Effect 3 and Andromeda. Similarly, Life is Strange: Remastered Collection and Life is Strange: True Colors, the next mainline installment, were both announced on the same day, March 18, 2021. What's odd, though, is that the Remastered Collection won't release until next year while True Colors is due out in just a few days. It would have been great to have the release dates possibly flipped, with Life is Strange: Remastered Collection releasing first so players could relive it and compare the experiences.

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Mass Effect: Legendary Edition and Life is Strange: Remastered Collection

Based on evidence, it looks like the next Mass Effect game will include connections to both the original trilogy and Mass Effect: Andromeda, making it important for players to have at least played the original trilogy to fully understand its plot. Life is Strange, on the other hand, usually doesn't have many connections with its other installments, save for Before the Storm, which served as a prequel to Life is Strange. Interestingly, however, a side character that appears in the prequel, Steph, will also make an appearance in Life is Strange: True Colors.

So naturally, the big question that many fans will likely have going from Before the Storm to True Colors is how Steph made her way from the west-coast town of Arcadia Bay to Colorado's Haven Springs, both fictional locations. While there have been small references to other Life is Strange games before, like the Arcadia Bay plaque that Sean and Daniel pass by, Steph is the first time a connection between titles has been made in a prominent way, which could lead to uncovering more lore about the characters and superpowers.

Like any other Life is Strange installment, True Colors will be a harrowing experience, following protagonist Alex after her older brother Gabe is lost in an accident. However, the situation is more serious than it may seem as his death wasn't exactly just an accident. Though embargoes for previews of Life is Strange: True Colors have lifted, it's still pertinent to remain spoiler-free. However, what can be said is that True Colors shares many similarities with its predecessors. For example, decisions are rarely easy and their outcomes are unclear.

So it's likely of interest for gamers to play the original installments of Life is Strange and Before the Storm, if they want to get a taste for the game that fans first fell in love with, the title that kickstarted the franchise, but it doesn't make as much sense to play the original versions without their graphical upgrades like full facial motion capture when the Remastered Collection is just over the horizon. And other than graphics, there are many more elements that True Colors has improved upon from Life is Strange thanks to time and growth.

Life is Strange: Remastered Collection releases Early 2022 for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.

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