The Wolf Among Us Season Two Delayed Until 2019

Telltale announced on their website, that due to the "fundamental changes" (likely referring to the restructuring after a round of layoffs that happened due to a toxic environment that cultivated in the studio after the surprise success of the first season of The Walking Dead), The Wolf Among Us Season Two has been delayed until 2019.

They've stated that the reason for the delay is because they are "committed to exploring new ways to tell our stories. Taking this extra time will allow [them] not only to focus on quality but also to experiment and iterate in order to craft something truly special".

If this means that the gameplay will be significantly different than the cut-and-paste style gameplay that's been in Telltale's games since The Walking Dead, then the delay is certainly most welcome.

Telltale Shakeup

I last posted adventure game news way back in... 2016! Holy Moly! Since then, a lot has been going on at Telltale:

They've completed season one and season two of Batman, season two of Minecraft: Story Mode, season one of Guardians of the Galaxy (season 2 hasn't been announced... but it's pretty inevitable), and Season Three of the Walking Dead.

Plus, they announced season two of The Wolf Among Us (yes!), and announced that season four of The Walking Dead will be the final season.

Even more surprisingly, Kevin Bruner quit and Dan Connors stepped back temporarily as CEO. Then, Pete Hawley, the former general manager of games at Zynga replaced Dan Connors as CEO.

Then, on the 7th of November, a little more than a month after Pete Hawley became CEO, Telltale laid off 25% percent of its staff.

According to The Verge, the atmosphere at Telltale was toxic long before Pete Hawley came in. Kevin Bruner apparently stifled creativity and pushed employees into long crunch times.

Dan Connors was mentioned to be a much less imposing figure, but Pete Hawley isn't off to a great start. But some employees are hopeful that they'll have more creative freedom going forward.

I hope so as well. This blog was once named "Telltale Fan" after all. I wish the employees who are still at Telltale luck that they'll be able to once again make the games they want to, without being overworked. And, I wish those that lost their jobs luck in the future. If any of you haven't yet landed a new job, hopefully you will soon. And hopefully the next job will be your dream job.

Fables Court - The Wolf Among Us Night Court Mashup

I decided to get back into video editing, and thought of a fun idea. Both The Wolf Among Us and Night Court involve trials held in the 1980’s, so I thought it’d be fun to mash them up.

Tales from the Borderlands is Now On GOG.com

Tales from the Borderlands is now available at GOG.com, and is currently 50% off as part of their summer sale, which ends tomorrow. All of the Telltale games available at GOG.com are currently on sale, ranging from 50% off to 90% off, as part of the summer sale as well.

The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead series on GOG.com

More Telltale games are now available DRM-free on GOG.com. You can pick up The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead series for 75% off too if you grab them now, as they're currently part of GOG.com's summer sales.

Choices and Consequences Review: The Wolf Among Us: Cry Wolf

The Wolf Among Us finale is here, and, despite some minor issues, it does manage to live up to expectations and end the season story arc well.

The story once again begins where the previous episode left off.  This time, Bigby finds himself confronting the person who is responsible for everything.  Of course, this person's powerful friends are not willing to let it end without a fight, so things remain tough for the sheriff of Fabletown. Ultimately, the season's premise comes to a head, as Bigby must decide how far to give into his primal wolf instincts towards those who are against him.

The new villain isn't as over the top as the secondary villains, but this person is every bit as conniving and heartless as you'd expect a kingpin of the underworld to be.  The facial animation has been great this season, and it continues here, on both the villains and the rest of the characters.  The animation for the climactic battle against the secondary villain introduced in the third episode is especially well done, and is a treat to experience for both players of the season as well as fans of the Fables comic itself.  People have waited the entire season to see Bigby in action like this, and the wait has been worth it because Telltale has delivered.

The rest of the presentation continues to shine as well.  The backgrounds for both the new and returning locations are as well done as ever, and the music continues to add to the atmosphere of the game admirably.  The voice cast also delivers in the finale, as they deliver their lines with as much raw emotion as you'd expect at the end of such an intense investigation.  The return of an early determinant character from episode one is a clear standout here.  The actor's performance is impeccable, as this character has lost so much, and you can hear it in his voice.  It is satisfying to hear him finally let his grief out.

The only slight drawback of the episode is the area in which other episodes of this season has shined. This season has eschewed puzzles and direct controlled action completely for choice based gameplay that affects the way characters are treated and to a latter extent directly affects the course of the story. For the most part, that continues here.  The choices that Bigby makes in this episode directly effect the way the finale unfolds,  However, some of the choices that have been made earlier don't feel like they have affected the story as much.  Some of the story feels railroaded, especially in one instance at the end, where it feels less like Bigby has affected those events, and more like the story was shifted in one direction in order to fit in with the established events of the the comic.  It's only in this one instance where that feeling is exceptionally strong, so it's not too much of a deterrent.  Overall, the season wrapped up satisfyingly.

The season finale of The Wolf Among Us manages to be a satisfying wrap up to an excellent season. The story continues to be strong, and the characters are as well portrayed as ever, both the new and the returning.  The animation continues to be excellent, especially in the climactic battle against the season's secondary villain.  The music and general art style of the game also continues to add to the atmosphere of the game.  The choice based gameplay isn't quite as strong here, so it doesn't quite alleviate the lack of puzzles and direct controlled action as much as previous episodes.  However, it is only really one choice that feels forced to adapt to the story, so in the end, most of the choice based gameplay has worked well this season.  There is also one plot string that is intentionally left open at the end,  which hopefully means that Telltale is planning more adventures in the Fables universe.    If it's as strong as this season, another adventure would certainly be welcome.

(Side note: If you don't like gameplay that utilizes choice based consequences but still want to experience the story, Vertigo will be releasing a graphic novel adaptation called Fables: A Wolf Among Us later this year.)

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

Episode Four Review

Choices and Consequences Game Review: The Wolf Among Us - In Sheep's Clothing

The penultimate episode of The Wolf Among Us follows a beaten and battered Bigby as he comes to terms with the fact that even he has to be worried about his own mortality. The story delves deeper into the seedy underbelly of Fables, and continues to deliver the fantastic mystery and suspense that this season has been known for.

The story begins with Bigby dealing with his wounds from the last episode.  He was nearly beaten, but he's determined even more to catch the person responsible.  His prime suspect has powerful allies, who will give their lives in protection, and their lair is a secret that is shrouded in magic so no one knows exactly how to enter it.  Bigby has to go further into the shady parts of Fabletown in order to find the people that work for his suspect in order to solve the mystery and bring the criminal to justice.

Once again this story introduces a secondary villain from urban legend, who is not quite as formidable as the last, but is every bit as nasty.  The design of this character is wonderful, from the unassuming glamored human form to the disturbing reality of this fable's true self.  There are many returning characters as well, most of whom had only previously had brief roles in the story.  They are finally given their moment to shine, with the wonderful animation of the facial expressions that has been consistent this season, to the fantastic portrayals by the voice actors.  The music also continues to be a high point, once again setting the gritty mood of the seedy underbelly of Fabletown excellently.

By this point, it is obvious that nothing is going to change in regards to having more player interaction beyond the quick time events and player choices, but Telltale continues to handle the different reactions by characters based on Bigby's actions quite well.  The season is all about Bigby's quest for redemption over his actions against other fables when they were still in the old world.  The way that Bigby handles the fables is a big part of the charm of the choice system of this season, as they don't trust him and they all react quite differently based on how Bigby handles the situation.  As the investigations more intense, never before has the reactions been quite as disparate.  The story benefits as a result, no matter which way you choose to play.

In Sheep's Clothing is another fantastic episode. The story is exceptionally strong here, and the mystery and suspense is intensifying satisfyingly. Puzzles and direct controlled action sequences are once again eschewed in favor of choice based gameplay that changes the perceptions of characters to the protagonist.  However, this gameplay is used really well here, with the reactions of the characters and the way they treat Bigby being quite different based on the choices made.  The art, music, and exceptional voice acting also help to make this episode another shining example of a season that is one of Telltale's best examples of their cinematic story games.

Final Verdict:

4½ out of 5

Episode Three Review

Episode Five Review

Choices and Consequences Game Review: The Wolf Among Us: A Crooked Mile

The third episode of The Wolf Among Us delivers another great episode as it takes us deeper into Bigby's investigation, as he realizes the scope of his investigation is bigger than he had previously thought.

The episode begins with Bigby having to confront the person who he had discovered had been committing crimes against Fabletown in the last episode.  The story is getting more intense than ever, and just as it seems Bigby is finally on his way towards finding out who is behind everything, another spanner is thrown into the works. 

On top of the excellent story, this episode introduces an excellent secondary villain that comes from a popular urban legend.  That character is delivered perfectly, from the sinister animations in the facial expressions, to the fantastic voice work.  The animation and voice work of the other characters also continue to be a high point here, with every character receiving just as much attention to detail, and every actor delivering their lines superbly.  The music is once again great, fitting the mood of the game perfectly.  The background art is also once again top notch, with the new locations showing all the dirt and grit that you'd expect from the lower rungs of a hidden community in New York City.

The lack of puzzles and direct controlled action once again isn't too much of a problem, as the choice based character interaction system is used to great detail here.  This episode also contains the game's first direct story based choice.  Midway through the season, the advertising tagline of Bigby either helping those around him or giving into his wolf side is in full force.

A Crooked Mile meets the high standards set by the first few episodes, and exceeds them.  The lack of puzzles and direct controlled action is overshadowed by the excellent use of the choice based character interaction system, and the first true story changing event of the season.  The new secondary villain is excellent, both in appearance and voice, and the depictions of the other characters are her equal in every way.  The backgrounds and music also continue to be exceptional, and add to the gritty atmosphere of the story.  The Wolf Among Us is truly shaping up to be a great season.

Final Verdict:

4½ out of 5

Episode Two Review

Episode Four Review

Choices and Consequences Game Review: The Wolf Among Us - Smoke and Mirrors

The second episode of The Wolf Among Us picks up right after the surprise ending of the first episode, and manages to continue the pace, delivering all the content that made the series premiere so good.

The story starts off with Bigby having to deal with mundies, which is the term fables use for the mundane, or non-fable folk.  Their meeting is quick, but it was interesting to see how Bigby reacts to people who he isn't sworn to protect.  It would have been nice to have seen more of this, but the story soon continues the murder investigation that started in the premiere, and manages to throw in some twists of its own.

The returning characters are once again well written and performed, and the new characters are their equals in both categories.  Of special note is the character of Bluebeard, who is a shady type that sticks his nose in Bigby's business and seems to have an ulterior motive behind his actions.  He is voiced excellently by Dave Fennoy, who previously voiced Lee in The Walking Dead.  The rest of the characters are great as well, but Bluebeard is the standout this episode.

The music once again is top notch, filling the atmosphere of the game with its excellent soundtrack.  There are still no traditional adventure game puzzles of note, but the choice based gameplay is used well here, as is the choice of paths that was introduced in episode one, and is still a welcome addition here.

Faith started the season off with a bang, and Smoke and Mirrors continues the momentum. The plot is great and the mystery is expanding in interesting ways. The voice actors do a fantasic job here, the music is great, and the choice based gameplay continues to be utilized in a satisftying manner.  This series is continuing in the direction of being one of Telltale's best cinematic story games.

Final Verdict:

4½ out of 5

Episode One Review

Episode Three Review

Choices and Consequences Game Review: The Wolf Among Us - Faith

The Wolf Among Us takes place in the world of the Fables comics, and uses the same choice based gameplay that Telltale employed in The Walking Dead.  Like that series, the characters react to you based on your choices.  Luckily, the first episode of The Wolf Among Us also follows The Walking Dead in creating a fantastic story that uses the choice based mechanics well.

The game takes place in New York city in the 1980's and follows Bigby Wolf, the Big Bad Wolf of legend, who has now reformed and is working as sheriff in a hidden community for fables known as Fabletown.  None of the fables truly trust him because of his sordid past, so when a murder happens at the Fabletown office, he has to investigate the crime while trying to win over the Fable community.  This game employs the game mechanics Telltale initiated with the final episode of The Walking Dead season one and continued in 400 Days.  There are no real puzzles here, and all action sequences are handled by quick time event sequences.  The main gameplay here is choice based, and the characters opinions of Bigby change based on the choices that you make.  While it would have been nice to have some more meat to the investigation mechanic, the choice based gameplay works quite well with this story.  Bigby isn't much of a people person, so the fables really don't know what to think of him.  Because of this, the characters really do respond quite differently based on how you choose to have Bigby act.  This game also adds the ability to choose between two locations, with the action in both locations still happening in real time.  This adds a lot to the choice based gameplay, as Bigby has to deal with the aftermath of his choice once he goes to the other location.  Hopefully Telltale continues to use this mechanic in their future games, as it really does add a lot to the experience.

The voice work shines as usual.  Each character is voiced superbly, from the characters from the comics, to the fables that were adapted just for Telltale's story.  And, it's a fantastic story so far.  The game is a murder mystery, made all the more menacing as the entire community that Bigby has to investigate is made up of superhuman beings.  The art style is also excellent, as the game looks just like a comic book in motion.  Never before has a Telltale game looked this good.  The game is topped off with an excellent soundtrack, which fits the atmosphere of the game well.  Long time fans of Telltale will be pleased to hear a tune from another Telltale game that is put to good use here.

The first episode of The Wolf Among Us is a great start to the season.  While it continues on the path that Telltale has been setting lately of gameplay based solely on choices and character reactions with some quick time events, it manages to use these mechanics well.  The story is excellent, the characters are all interesting and superbly voiced, the music fits the atmosphere well, and the art style is gorgeous.  This episode stands right up there with the best episodes of The Walking Dead as shining examples of Telltale's style of cinematic story games.

Final Verdict:

4½ out of 5

Episode Two Review