Review

The Wolf Among Us Episode 5: Cry Wolf

Well, we’ve finally made it to the end of Telltale’s The Wolf Among Us series. And as with most season finales, the expectation of experiencing something great was at an all-time high; regardless of how lukewarm the last episode was. The good news is that Telltale has proven themselves worthy of ending their episodic adventures with a bang. So it should come to no surprise, that Cry Wolf does an amazing job of anchoring this great series!

What was surprising, however, was how well each piece of the puzzle fell into place. For starters, Cry Wolf was all business from the start. Opening where the last episode left off, Bigby confronted the Crooked Man in his own lair. What transpires is one of the most intense conversations I’ve experienced in a Telltale game since Lee’s chat with the man who kidnapped Clem. Of course, this is if you chose to be civil about the whole thing. I’m sure going in with a mind set on fighting would have had a different, yet equally awesome result. This is mainly because things never die down. This entire episode is about Bigby closing the case one way or another. And because tensions are so high, the “or another” option seems to come up a lot.

That’s not to say you don’t have any major choices to make. Though a fight may be inevitable, deciding what to do afterwards is important. Do you leave a man to suffer a slow death or do you put them out of their misery? Would you lie about someone in order for “justice” to be carried out or do you hold on to your moral compass, even if it means a criminal walks free? When all of the chips are on the table, who your Bigby is will definitely come to light.

Telltale changed up the gameplay in regards to restraint. Like always, your encounters seem to lend themselves to more rash behavior, but it does slow down long enough to allow players to catch their breath. It’s actually possible not to do something without resulting in a “you’re dead” screen. The reason this change is so good is the fact that is wasn’t included in the other episodes which, in a way, offers a teachable moment. Sure, you could have meticulously restrained from making decisions that resulted in violence before Cry Wolf. However, this was the only episode that heavily promoted thinking about ones actions to such a degree. This level of premeditation was necessary  even though there were times where what seemed to be the right choice was presented like a carrot on a stick. I may be assuming too much here, but it feels like the emphasis on contemplation allows the player to choose if Bigby grows as a character, even in his lack of action. This alone is amazing when considering how the game has been conditioning the player to believe that none of the options available to them are wrong.

Going back to the story, all of our questions are answered by the time the credits roll. Some of which are rather surprising; an intriguing turn of events, that doesn’t raise more question when revealed. One interesting moment happens towards the end of the episode. Not to spoil anything, I’ll only mention that the writing gets even better after a certain someone is confronted by the cast. The back and forth dialogue is great as it deals with how hard life really is for the Fables. Even characters that have done vile things become relatable in an empathetic sort of way. Bottom line, Telltale has outdone themselves…again. Cry Wolf ended The Wolf Among Us on a high note, further cementing this developer as one of the best when it comes to modern adventure titles!