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| Awesome (image from:http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/18126559/wolf_among_us.0_cinema_640.0.jpeg) |
Since the final episode for Telltale Games The Wolf Among Us was released today, I got to finish the entire game and have decided to write up a review for it.
For fans of Telltale, The WOlf Among us will be steeping into very familiar territory. Not much has changed in terms of gameplay, it's your typical adventure game, walking around and interacting with characters and environments and what not, but that's not the main attraction here.
What draws me, and many others, towards Telltale and their games (like The Walking Dead) is their brilliant story telling. The Wolf Among Us does not disappoint in this area at all, in fact I can safely say that this has been one hell of a story that could either be just as good or even better than the first season of The Walking Dead.
Backstory
Before going more in depth with the review, I'd like to have this section primarily for backstory of The Wolf Among Us. Here, I'll describe where the source material comes from and what makes this world and it's narrative so interesting.
The premise of The Wolf Among Us is taken directly from a graphic novel series called Fables. Fables essentially follows the stories of all fairy tale characters and creatures and what happens to them when they are introduced to our world.
The story of Fables begins when the Homelands (the world in which fairy tales live in) was invaded by someone called The Adversary. This invasion causes all these fairy tales, or Fables, to begin a mass exodus out of their world and into ours. In our world, the world of the Mundies (the Mundane, non-magical folk, sort of like Muggles) the Fables have two communities. The main community resides in New York city in a small community they call Fabletown. The other community is The Farm, a small area upstate of New York where Fables that don't look like humans are sent to live. The only catch is that these Fables are not allowed to leave The Farm, so it's seen to be more of a prison.
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| Volume 1 of the Fables series(image from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d9/Fables.png) |
Fabletown consists of the Fables that look like humans (princesses, princes, kings, etc) and those that can afford to buy Glamours, magic that shape shift them to look like humans. Fabletown is dirty, it's scummy, it's seedy. It is the very environment in which Noir fiction would take place in, and Fables is definitely a Noir fiction. Fables have to live with harsh rules, they are often put into positions of great difficulty and poverty. Characters like The Little Mermaid are working at strip bars, and other well off characters help govern the town.
But at the center of all of this is usually Bigby Wolf and Snow White. Bigby is the Big Bad Wolf from numerous tales and acts as the Sheriff of Fabletown, ensuring that everything is in order. Everyone is afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, so he's not generally treated with the most welcoming arms whenever he's around. But he's trying to do good, he wants to be good and he no longer wants to be seen as the Big Bad Wolf.
Snow White is the other main character of the Fables series, and she acts as the governing body of Fabletown as the deputy mayor. She is intelligent, caring, and a follower of rules. Her relationship with Bigby has been pretty platonic for the most part, though Bigby does want more.
What Fables also does well is changing characters that we know and love to fit well with the Mundie world. For example, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz is actually a hired killer. Cinderella ends up being a spy. The Woodsman is a false hero who gets drunk everyday. These characters are the lifeblood of Fables, when you read the books you instantly recognize your favorite childhood stories, but changed in a way that makes them so much more interesting.
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| Snow and Bigby(image from: http://media.dcentertainment.com/sites/default/files/GalleryComics_V_1900x900_20131218_Fables_v19_52b0b38924d622.26293936.jpg) |
What I find to be the best though, is of course Bigby Wolf and his continuing story of redemption.
Anyways, that's enough about the series. I plan to read more of it one day, but so far the entire premise is incredibly interesting. I recommend that anyone who likes comics or even just good stories to pick up the first volume of Fables.
Now, onto The Wolf Among Us.
Narrative is the Core
The Wolf Among Us is a prequel to the events of the Fables graphic novels, but it doesn't take place in the Homelands. What Telltale has done is place players in Fabletown in the shoes of Bigby Wolf, several years or so after the mass exodus of Fables. It's clear that the Fables are still trying to adjust to the world of the Mundies and it is clear that Bigby himself is still quite erratic in behavior.
Throughout the game, the narrative of Bigby Wolf takes center stage as the player decides what kind of Wolf they want to play as. Bigby can be harsh, unforgiving, violent, a renegade or he can be caring, a straight arrow, strong willed, etc. Bigby's constant evolution as a character is determined by the player. The best part about the narrative is the moral choices that you need to make as a character. There are no wrong decisions because the narrative simply continues despite choosing to do something that may seem absolutely horrible. These choices allow you to make Bigby into the kind of wolf you want without any terrible consequence. By the end of the game, Bigby could be incredibly violent and short tempered, but he may also be patient and in control, yet the main story will stay exactly the same, only with the character of Bigby Wolf changing.
Unfortunately, while this is indeed a strength, the moral choices you make are also a weakness as well. Unlike The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us has very clear moral choices. You can tell which choice is a morally wrong choice. The Walking Dead gets a pass on this because it's a post apocalypse adventure game, choices are always going to be in the grey with no real right or wrong. The Wolf Among Us allows you to be a good wolf or a bad wolf, in a sense, and this causes several issues with the narrative. There were times where I'd find my character to act violent once, and it would be after treating another character with respect and patience. However, despite that, my one small act of violence (which wasn't even THAT bad) would end up being criticized heavily by other characters, making my actions seem much worse than it really was.
This creates an issue with the narrative that's hard to ignore. The idea that you can't do something in small doses can really affect how you decide certain actions in the future and it can create annoying scenarios in which characters condemn you for doing something so menial.
*Spoilers*
All I did was burn a cigar on a prisoner because they weren't telling me anything. And this was right after 4 other choices where I chose to be nice to the prisoner. Suddenly, the characters called me out for 'beating' and 'torturing' the prisoner. Now, this would have been a fair criticism on Bigby's part if he had chosen to beat the prisoner, burn him, cut him, etc. But a small burn is suddenly condemned to the same degree as an entire session of torture.
*End Spoilers*
Throughout the game, the narrative of Bigby Wolf takes center stage as the player decides what kind of Wolf they want to play as. Bigby can be harsh, unforgiving, violent, a renegade or he can be caring, a straight arrow, strong willed, etc. Bigby's constant evolution as a character is determined by the player. The best part about the narrative is the moral choices that you need to make as a character. There are no wrong decisions because the narrative simply continues despite choosing to do something that may seem absolutely horrible. These choices allow you to make Bigby into the kind of wolf you want without any terrible consequence. By the end of the game, Bigby could be incredibly violent and short tempered, but he may also be patient and in control, yet the main story will stay exactly the same, only with the character of Bigby Wolf changing.
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| The hero of the story! (image from: http://pop-verse.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/The-Wolf-Among-Us-Faith-11-10-2013-4.jpg) |
Unfortunately, while this is indeed a strength, the moral choices you make are also a weakness as well. Unlike The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us has very clear moral choices. You can tell which choice is a morally wrong choice. The Walking Dead gets a pass on this because it's a post apocalypse adventure game, choices are always going to be in the grey with no real right or wrong. The Wolf Among Us allows you to be a good wolf or a bad wolf, in a sense, and this causes several issues with the narrative. There were times where I'd find my character to act violent once, and it would be after treating another character with respect and patience. However, despite that, my one small act of violence (which wasn't even THAT bad) would end up being criticized heavily by other characters, making my actions seem much worse than it really was.
This creates an issue with the narrative that's hard to ignore. The idea that you can't do something in small doses can really affect how you decide certain actions in the future and it can create annoying scenarios in which characters condemn you for doing something so menial.
*Spoilers*
All I did was burn a cigar on a prisoner because they weren't telling me anything. And this was right after 4 other choices where I chose to be nice to the prisoner. Suddenly, the characters called me out for 'beating' and 'torturing' the prisoner. Now, this would have been a fair criticism on Bigby's part if he had chosen to beat the prisoner, burn him, cut him, etc. But a small burn is suddenly condemned to the same degree as an entire session of torture.
*End Spoilers*
Along with the character narrative of Bigby Wolf, the overarching story is a noir-fiction murder mystery. Without spoiling much, Bigby Wolf is tasked with the job of solving a murder and arrest the culprit. Pretty simple until things start flying off the handle very soon changing a murder mystery into a story full of conspiracy, twists and turns, and dishonesty. Couple that with the fantastic moral choices (though questionable at times) that Telltale implements in the game and you've got one hell of a story that will keep you glued to the screen.
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| Expect to run into situations where you have to take sides. Shit gets pretty awkward pretty fast(image from: http://download.xbox.com/content/images/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258411216/1033/screenlg4.jpg) |
Brilliant Characters make Brilliant Stories
Like most fairy tales, we learn to love the characters. We all remember how Red Riding Hood had narrowly escaped the stomach of The Big Bad Wolf. We all remember how Mr. Toad had numerous vehicular adventures. We remember how Ichabod Crane was tormented by the Headless Horseman.
Characters, especially good characters, make stories. The Wolf Among Us does this brilliantly, gathering all these fairy tale characters together (even those from urban legends like Bloody Mary) to not only create an interesting story, but to also have a side cast that seem just as important as the main cast.
At the very beginning of the game, you get to meet Toad from The Wind and the Willows and you get to see him numerous times as the game progresses. Apart from Toad, there's a whole slew of side characters that, at first seem like minor throwaways, but will grow along with the main cast. Hell, even Grendel from Beowulf is here along side a drunk monkey from The Wizard of Oz.
This attention to character is what sets Telltale apart from other companies when it comes to story telling. To make a believable world, to make a gripping narrative, even the side cast should be interesting. It makes your choices more impactful when you feel as if your choices may affect everyone and not just the main characters. It's a brilliant example of top notch game design that even most triple A developers fail to accomplish.
At the very beginning of the game, you get to meet Toad from The Wind and the Willows and you get to see him numerous times as the game progresses. Apart from Toad, there's a whole slew of side characters that, at first seem like minor throwaways, but will grow along with the main cast. Hell, even Grendel from Beowulf is here along side a drunk monkey from The Wizard of Oz.
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| Colin of the Three Little Pigs isn't in the game much, but even with short appearances, he's a great character.(image from: http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/250320/ss_cf263a545dbf1f3f60ca5fe19cbcbdff8a4bfcfc.1920x1080.jpg?t=1404763717) |
This attention to character is what sets Telltale apart from other companies when it comes to story telling. To make a believable world, to make a gripping narrative, even the side cast should be interesting. It makes your choices more impactful when you feel as if your choices may affect everyone and not just the main characters. It's a brilliant example of top notch game design that even most triple A developers fail to accomplish.
Colour, Cel Shading, and Seediness
Like The Walking Dead, The Wold Among Us uses cel-shaded graphics. Characters and environments look like they're been taken straight out of the comics, an aesthetic that looks absolutely beautiful.
However, unlike The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among us is brimming with colour. It makes sense, considering The Walking Dead is post apocalyptic and The Wolf Among Us takes place in a seedy New York City community. You'll colours melting together in such harmony that it's hard not to appreciate the artistic design of the game. I've found my eyes to widen at certain scenes, exclaiming 'wow' under my breath.
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| It really is an aesthetically pleasing game(image from: http://diehardgamefan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/wausmoke2.jpg) |
Almost none of the environments look boring and dull, each one is filled with colour in the right places to highlight safety or danger. Colour is incredibly important, and colour is managed well as a narrative device as well. Another thing to note is the contrast of colours in certain scenes, making sure your eyes are directed to the right areas and to ensure that the environment does not feel empty and boring.
Talking Never Gets Dull
Perhaps the most important aspect of Telltale games and adventure games as a whole should be the voice acting. What's the point of having an incredible story if your characters all sound dead and uninterested? Thankfully, The Wolf Among Us delivers solid performances from every single cast member, bringing the characters to life and allowing the player to truly connect with them.Several actors have been brought back from The Walking Dead to voice The Wolf Among Us. Dave Fennoy (Lee Everett) voices Bluebeard, Melissa Hutchinson (Clementine) voices Toad Junior and Beauty. Gavin Hammond (Kenny) also returns to voice Beast, Tweedle Dee and the Magic Mirror. However, the star of the show, is of course Adam Harrington, the voice of Bigby Wolf.
Harrington has voiced a small time character in The Walking Dead: 400 Days named Leland, but in The Wolf Among Us, he takes center stage and provides a top notch job in bringing Bigby Wolf to life.
With Harringtons performance, you can feel when Bigby starts to get mad, you can even feel when he genuinely starts to care or worry. A simple change of tone and Bigby instantly turns from a snarling beast to a worried sheriff, showing that subtlety is often better than a direct approach.
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| In this case, Bigby gets pretty...direct (image from: http://i.imgur.com/I9hvanK.gif) |
Not once had I felt the need to skip dialogue and not once had I felt the desire to shut a character up. Each performance was so great that I simply wanted more. I tend to get pretty upset whenever a characters' dialogue got cut off due to me having to make an action, I just wanted more! quite a shame really. But it's a testament to how amazing the voice acting is.
An Unforgettable Adventure
The Wolf Among Us truly delivered an unforgettable experience for me. I want more! I want to see more of what Fabletown has to offer and I want to return to Bigby's shoes!
The Wolf Among Us, like The Walking Dead, is a game for everyone. The gameplay is simple enough for anyone to pick up and play and the narrative is set out so well that friends can discuss with each other the choices they've made, the characters they love or hate, even speculate on future seasons.Telltale is unbeaten when it comes to their episodic content, it's very much like a TV show and it serves it's purpose of creating fans and 'water cooler moments' well.
We need more games like The Wolf Among Us. We need more games that don't butcher their source material, we need games that can create engrossing and engaging narratives. We need games that can make even the most trivial characters seem important and interesting.
Simply put, The Wolf Among Us is incredible and arguably the best work that Telltale has done to date.
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| PLAY IT NOW!! (image from: http://www.dustycartridges.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/The-Wolf-Among-US-630x354.jpg) |
Verdict:
5/5
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