Short Opinions - The Wolf Among Us: Episode Five

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. Episode Two. Episode Three. Episode Four.

WARNING: Spoilers. Spoilers. Spoilers.

Episode Five: “Cry Wolf” - For now, my trip through Fabletown is over.  And while I may have answers, I'm not so sure I have a resolution. Though I left The Crooked Man at the bottom of The Witching Well, Nerissa's confession at the end of Episode Five only confirmed that this game never had any intent of giving me control over this situation. The Wolf Among Us is an expertly crafted story that's main intention is to leave you guessing.

The Wolf Among Us' episodes never leave you in the same state of mind.  Reading through what I had written on previous episodes, I've noticed that I have contradicted myself on several occasions as my beliefs about what was right and what was going on had changed. Choices in the game get progressively heavier in nature and it's not always easy to act upon impulse, especially in the last two episodes, as you get closer to each character. The Wolf Among Us effectively plays on emotions by letting you into others' lives. NPCs do not shy away from their issues and are not afraid to tell you if they think something is unjust in Fabletown. I found myself commiserating a lot for other characters in the game and wanting to do something that made their struggles easier, if only slightly.  But, it was the moments when those I had viewed as enemies let me into their lives that I found choices the hardest to make.  When The Crooked Man insisted he had nothing to do with the murders, I questioned whether or not throwing him into the Witching Well was the best option.  When Tweedle Dee told me I would be doing him a favor by killing him, as I had done to his brother, I was ashamed. When I saw Georgie Porgie fall to his knees by Vivian's body, then beg for me to end his suffering, I saw him only as another person, not as the rat I had a few episodes earlier. I obliged his request and I'm not sure how to feel about it. 

As the game went on, choices were harder to make and I often felt people's lives were my decisions. Something I wasn't always comfortable with.  But, by the last scene of the last episode, none of this mattered. Because with Nerissa's confession, once again, The Wolf Among Us left me guessing about whether or not everything I had done and felt was right.  I don't know if The Crooked Man had anything to do with the murders, I'm not sure I should have put Georgie out of his misery, and I'm definitely not sure what to expect from Season Two.

 

The Wolf Among Us' story really benefits from its source material and takes advantage of the fact that most players already know most of the fairy tales its characters are derived from.  Because of this, the game is free to not only create its own spin on the lore, but also bypass character introduction to get straight into its own tale. The Wolf Among Us takes artistic liberties with its characters by twisting their back stories to fit its own spin on things, such as the Woodsman's confession that he only stumbled across Bigby and Little Red Riding Hood, because he himself was on his way to rob her and her grandmother. The Wolf Among Us is the unofficial sequel to all of our childhood fairy tales. While they are retold for a much older crowd, they lack none of the emotional appeal from when we were younger. I think the fact that a lot of these tales are stories people grew up with creates a familiarity with the player and eases them into caring about the people of Fabletown and what happens with their lives.  I personally found myself caring about the characters of this game a great deal, as is evident by the way I write about them.  I believe a major factor in this is that I feel like I know most of them already simply by them having already been on my television years before.

There will obviously be a sequel to The Wolf Among Us and I'm sure the next time around, the story will take players on an even more intense ride of emotions and choices. When that time comes, make sure you are glued to PBG for all you will need to know.