The Wolf Among Us Episode 2 Review; Smoke & Mirrors [PC]
Wed, February 5, 2014 Warning: Minor SPOILERS contained within this review.
The Wolf Among Us' first episode debuted around 3 months ago to high-critical acclaim. Fables is one of the most celebrated Vertigo comic books and it was only a matter of time until it made it into mainstream media. Telltale long, long ago that they were working on developing a game based off of the comics. The first episode of The Wolf Among Us was released and was probably my favorite TellTale game to date. It had true detective work, character development, choices that matter, and most importantly, a stellar protagonist. It's interesting how one 2 hour episode of a video game made me instantly read over fifty issues of Fables, one of the Fairest graphic novels and the Fables Encyclopedia. The world is expansive and wonderful. Now, the second episode of The Wolf Among Us -- "Smoke and Mirrors" -- introduces some of those characters that we have seen in the comics, but in a way that people new to the universe can easily get a sense of their personality and traits.
Episode 2 of The Wolf Among Us dives deeper into a simple muder mystery that started out the series. After the harrowing tragic cliffhanger at the end of the first episode, any Fables fan would know that there would be some sort of cop-out coming up that counteracts that, but TellTale did the opposite. They made the cliffhanger and it's resolution integral to the mystery. The clues just stack up and the drama increases a tenfold. The episode also starts out with a very recognizable Fables location from the first trade and also introduces Bluebeard (voiced by The Walking Dead's Dave Fennoy) and is in exact form from the comics. Not only that, but players new to this universe really get a sense of how Bigby and Bluebeard interrogate people. Speaking of the interrogation scene, it's completely fueled by the player's choices. We can be good cop, or bad cop and get some good answers out of the suspect that will definitely help us out later.
Smoke & Mirrors truly feels like a detective mystery, and that's what sets it apart from The Walking Dead. It's gameplay is perfect for the type of story it's telling and truly gives the player a sense of importance. In The Wolf Among Us, the noir setting is only increased with the deeper, darker side of the the exiled creatures in full-force. This game truly parallels the magnificient first volume of Fables, set a couple decades later and also offers some great easter eggs and insight to fans of the series while continually building around these characters and this world. Once the clues stack up and Bigby finds the truth behind the murder mystery, it's an incredible payoff for the player.
That's really all there is to say about the second episode without diving into spoiler territory, honestly. That's the cold truth about reviewing TellTale games. They barely improve gameplay with each episode and you're left to analyze a short, but excellent short story whilst I try to avoid spoilers for my readers. Regardless, Smoke and Mirrors is a must-buy, returning to familiar locations and themes in the first episode as well as introducing plenty of new characters that will hopefully appear again. Telltale's voice cast is once again phenomenal, so why aren't you playing The Wolf Among Us?
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