#9 - The Wolf Among Us
Platform I played on: PlayStation 4
Available platforms: Steam, gog, Android, iOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Developer/Publisher: Telltale Games
Length: 9 hours, 1 1/2-2 hours per episode (5 episodes)
Story:
The Wolf Among Us is based on the comic book series Fables, which features some of our favourite fairytale characters living the gritty life in New York. They must keep their identities hidden from the regular folk (called mundies) and those who cannot are sent to live on a farm. Not all is well in Fabletown. Our protagonist, the Big Bad Wolf, called Bigby Wolf, finds a decapitated head in front of his apartment building. It is his job and yours, along with the help of Snow White and some other Fable characters, to find the murderer and solve the case before more fables suffer the same fate.
Gameplay:
For those unfamiliar with the Telltale style of gameplay, it basically consists of interacting with the environment, dialogue choices, and some quick time events. You control Bigby Wolf and you'll be able to examine our environment, finding clues or just listening to commentary. There will also be quick time events in the more action oriented scenes of the game, where you'll have to press the right button at the right time, or mash a button when indicated. The major element of the game is dialogue choices, When speaking to a character, you'll be given a number of responses, which will decide how Bigby approaches the case and how others feel about him and interact with him. You'll also have choices to make which will slightly alter the story and at the end of each episode you'll be shown how many players took the same approaches as you for key moments.
Environment:
This is not a free to explore game, you'll be set in specific locations for specific sections of the game. Occasionally, you'll have the choice of where to go first/in what order. When in an area, you're usually free to walk around and examine your surroundings, which might give you valuable clues or information. The locations themselves are usually small, but they do feel pertinent to the game and they're pretty interesting. You will return to certain locations which will usually have new things for you to examine and explore.
Ambiance:
The Wolf Among Us is very gritty, although less so then the comic books, I'm told. Everything has that grit to it. The lighting, the characters, the music. This is not the fairytales you tell to kids, this is a much more grown up and jaded version. Of course the whole murder mystery thing tends to put a damper on everything, but even with the generally serious and dark tone, The Wolf Among Us still manages some genuinely humourous moments which help keep the game from becoming too dark and depressing.
Choices:
This is where the game really puts its focus. While the overarching plot will stay the same no matter what you choose, your choices will affect certain things like how characters react to you, Book of Fables entries unlocked, and what evidence you find to help you in your case. It also just indicates what kind of guy Bigby Wolf is going to be and how you're going to approach the case. Are you going to be the no-nonsense sort? Are you going to play the "good cop"? Are you going to help the Big Bad Wolf turn over a new leaf? There are a number of ways you can approach a situation to make the experience more tailored to you.
Puzzles:
The main puzzle is, obviously, finding the murderer. While the case will be solved by the end of the game, regardless of your choices, you'll be able to make decisions that will allow you to build a stronger case and find evidence to solve it yourself before the game tells you who did it and why. There are times when you'll need to find the correct evidence in an area and put it together to get the full picture of what's going on. Additionally, there are Book of Fables entries to be unlocked, some of which you might miss if you pick incorrect options (these aren't necessary to anything, more of just collectables).
Cons:
-2gritty4me
-My fav Disney Princess kinda sucks in this :/
-So much swearing
-Would have liked to see some more well-known Fables at least make a small appearance
Pros:
-Bigby's voice acting is excellent
-Interesting seeing what I'm used to seeing as kids characters in a more grown up setting
-The ending is super interesting
-Good amount of choices
-Good character development based on your choices
Overall:
I just want to preface but saying that this is very much a game for adults. If you have kids who like Snow White and you think they may like playing a game with her in it or something, just be aware that there's a lot of adult content. Or heck, if you're an adult and just don't enjoy that stuff. The game was a bit too gritty for me, I'm not big on that style personally, but I overall enjoyed the game much more than I expected to. I was invested in the story and characters and the ending, although confusing, was excellent. If you like murder mysteries, don't mind the grit, and want to see some fairytales, this might be a game worth checking out!
Verdict:
These lips are sealed