Short Opinions - The Wolf Among Us: Episode One

Short Opinions is a section that will feature quick thoughts on games that I have recently played that I hadn't scheduled for review. These may be games that clutter my backlog or simply games I didn't feel like writing a full review for. There is no set schedule for these and they will be posted whenever I see fit. May contain light spoilers.  

I've decided to break up my opinions on The Wolf Among Us based on each episode.  So rather than posting one accumulative article once I have completed all five episodes, I will post one on each individual episode as I complete them.

Episode One: "Faith" - I went into the first episode of The Wolf Among Us excited, yet apprehensive. While I enjoyed Telltale's past work with The Walking Dead, it wasn't able to hold my attention, and I ultimately never finished Season One. But, on the contrary, I have always found the concept of the Fables series' modern take on popular fairy tales to be interesting. So, it was a world I felt I needed to check out. Bigby Wolf and the rest of the residents of Fabletown have definitely caught my attention. The art of The Wolf Among Us and the way it eases you into tough decisions make this first entry strong and while I haven't seen enough to become fully immersed within its tale, I have a feeling that it won't be long before I can't get enough.

Right out of the gate, I was taken aback by the colorful world of The Wolf Among Us. Where The Walking Dead was awash in bleak colors to accentuate the mood of the story, this game made use of bright colors, such as pink and purple to create a more classic cartoon feel. Immediately as character's were introduced, the art design evoked feelings of nostalgia that remind you of the cartoon's themselves that popularized these characters and stories for more modern generations. But, that's not to say that The Wolf Among Us isn't bleak itself. Created by these campy colors are characters that live in filth and squalor. You rarely find yourself fully charmed by anyone you meet within your first couple hours in Fabletown as you might have when you were introduced to these creatures via VHS. This juxtaposition creates an interesting duality of the characters whom we grew up with. On one hand, our fond memories of them still remain and it's initially pleasant to see them again, but now that we can see what time has done to them, it's hard not to feel a little repulsed with where their story has ended up.

The Wolf Among Us rarely feels like it isn't giving you the decision you would make in the situation. Almost every intersection of choices gave me what I felt was an adequate selection of decisions for different personality types. If I wanted to care for someone, I could be tinder. If I wanted to be firm, I could raise my voice. If I wanted to commit aggravated assault, I could be extremely violent. But, this first episode didn't make me feel as though I was making any weighty decisions that left the balance of the world in my hands as The Walking Dead seemed to do at the drop of a hat. That's certainly not a complaint though, as each decision I made seemed to be setting me up for something bigger within later episodes. I was happy to be free of morally vexing choices early-on so that I could learn what I thought my role in this world was and could progress my character to make the choices I felt were the right ones later on.

I certainly think The Wolf Among Us is good and it is definitely interesting. Based on the first episode of the game, I'm not blown away, but I enjoyed it and I am excited to see where the story goes. I imagine once I have unraveled more of the mysteries within Fabletown, my mind will be consumed with potential solutions and suspects and my writing here will reflect that. Stay tuned to PBG for more Short Opinions and more The Wolf Among Us.