Review

Developed by:Telltale Games Published by:Telltale Games Genre(s):
  • Adventure
  • Platform:
  • Handhelds
  • Microsoft
  • PC
  • Sony
  • Cost:$24.99 (For Full Season) ESRB Rating:MATURE Players:1 Release date:October 11, 2013 Reviewed on:PC Episode Release Date:April 8, 2014
    9.2

    The Wolf Among Us Episode 3: A Crooked Mile

    One of my main concerns for The Wolf Among Us was that it revealed too much too early. With Smoke & Mirrors (episode 2) showing me the “killer” and possible motive, what was the need for three more episodes? Will the next three episodes be filled with filler content? Let me answer these questions by simply stating, everything isn’t always what it appears to be…

    A more accurate statement would be that episode 3, A Crooked Mile, has completely shattered the notion of the story ending prematurely – at least in terms of well written narratives that trail off to lackluster endings. This isn’t a surprise though, seeing as how there are five episodes total. No, it’s more of a confirmation of Telltale’s talent; despite the obvious fact that the season won’t be over for some time, they were able to conjure up a reasonable level of doubt with the seemingly clear cut case presented in episode 2 (a reasonable conclusion for me and for the main character Bigby).

    Just like before, this episode picks up right where the last one left off. Bigby, who’s learned the “truth” about the most recent murder, sets off to find Snow White. Believing that she may be in danger, he heads to a funeral being held for one of the murder victims. Finding Snow there, he informs her of his findings before allowing her to continue with the proceedings. Moments later the Tweedle brothers show up and…well, I don’t want to spoil what happens next. I will say that from that point forward the kid gloves are off. Heated confrontations, all out brawls, and lots of gunfire fill A Crooked Mile to the brim. There aren’t any-action-for-action’s-sake moments though, as plenty of dialogue and clue finding kept this episode from flying off the rails. Besides, based on what’s been going on, I expected someone to lose it before the credits rolled.

    Also like before, the game seemed to present more negative responses to conflict. What’s interesting though was the actual instigator in these situations. Allowing Bigby to be the bigger person or voice of reason this time around was refreshing; I was beginning to think that the writers wanted Bigby to relapse into his past big bad wolf self. Instead his big badness is saved for when it’s really needed, unless of course, you chose otherwise. Speaking of choice, this episode also brought back the more dramatic “pick your path” segments. In trying to figure out who is doing what, Bigby will have to decide which leads he’ll pursue. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough time to search every place or question every person and he can’t be in two places at once. With a clock literally ticking down the seconds, deciding on where to go was really tough. I’m still wondering if I should have turned left at Albuquerque!

    Old television tropes aside, I really liked A Crooked Mile. There was a lot of intense action coupled with a decent amount of drama. Some of my lingering questions were answered while a host of new ones popped up. And I especially liked the reveal of a certain “Bloody” character. After playing through this episode I can see the end in sight…and it’s scary. That said, I can’t wait to see what the next two episodes hold. Will Bigby find out what’s going on before it’s too late? Who is ultimately behind the killings? And what magical force is keeping everyone from talking? Find out, in the next exciting episode of…The Wolf Among Us!

    *We scored this review slightly different than the previous episodes due to the recent changes in how we review games. This doesn’t hurt the game (score wise). That said, we wanted to explain why there are only four categories instead of five.

    Gameplay:

    10

    Smoke & Mirrors continues to be an exciting ride.

    Graphics:

    10

    I still love the art style and vibrant colors.

    Sound:

    10

    The voice acting is still top notch.

    Replay Value:

    7

    The same as before; I’d rather wait until my saved game makes its way through the entire season before replaying.

    Final Score:

    9.2

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