I’m a huge fan of Bill Willingham‘s Fables. I have a shelf filled with trade paperbacks and my husband bought me a kindle for Christmas to make the collecting stop.
When I heard Telltale was creating The Wolf Among Us, a game based in the Fabletown universe, I was ecstatic. Their treatment with other properties like Back to the Future and (especially) The Walking Dead Game was so good that I couldn’t help but have high expectations for Fables. Art is a huge selling point for me in both comics and video games. Fables has great art and Telltale didn’t disappoint in bringing the that artwork to life.
Well, The Wolf Among Us demo and episode one just came out and OHMIGAWD I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED.
Immediately, I got to play as everyone’s favorite anti-hero Sheriff Bigby Wolf. The immersion into the world was immediate for me by combining the visuals of a local cop in a city scene and a talking toad begging not to be sent to “The Farm” for not looking human.
The demo was super fast but it combined social choices, law enforcement choices, and ass-kicking choices.
There are a lot of quicktime events, that’s basically the basis of all in-game interaction: surprise there’s a choice to make in the conversation and your choice changes how characters feel about you. Those choices, include silence, punching people in the face, being sympathetic, or being dismissive.
There’s always the concern that a game rooted in immersive story telling will have to sacrifice actually game-play. You’re not doing a lot of hunting and pecking or hiding behind 3/4 walls scattered throughout the level, you’re still getting the full experience of an action-packed character. Bigby is both a thinker and a doer. He’s a detective with a short fuse and a lot to lose.
Granted I know all this from being obsessed with the comics. However, as an avid reader, I felt The Wolf Among Us not only did the characters and the world justice, but it truly brought them to life.
If you’re a fan of storytelling, if you’re a fan of complex characters, if you’re a fan of interactive art, if you’re a fan of getting off the rails and making your choices count: THIS GAME WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY!
Just like The Walking Dead Game, The Wolf Among Us will be released in episodes. There are 5 scheduled and they can be purchased individually or as a season pass. Prices vary by console. If you have an Xbox the first episode of The Wolf Among Us and the season pass is only $19.98 (purchased separately). If you buy on Steam, the season pass (for all 5 episodes) is 24.99.
NOTE: The Wolf Among Us is rated M for Mature. Just like the comic, there’s a lot of violence, harsh language and even some sexual situations.