Last October, Telltale Games released their first episode of their venture into the world of Fables with The Wolf Among Us which follows tough as nails Sheriff Bigby Wolf (Formerly The Big Bad Wolf) as he tries to solve the murder of a fable called Faith in the gritty streets of Fabletown hidden in the streets of New York City. Episode 1 was fantastic with its dark humor and amazing story telling so how does Episode 2: Smoke & Mirrors do against its predecessor.
The game continues straight after the events of Episode 1 with Bigby stuck inside a Mundy Police Station after making a shocking discovery at the end of the previous episode. Shortly After, Ichabod Crane breaks him out to get him back on the streets of Fabletown to help find the serial killer responsible for Faith’s death aswell as to interrogate Bigby’s prisoner who was left on the streets of New York before the end of Episode 1 So who you interrogate depends on your choice (Tweedledee or The Woodsman). In addition to this Bigby must also look for witnesses, clues & Threaten individuals to get answers before finding the ultimate lead in his investigation.
As far as the gameplay goes, Episode 2 remains similar to the first with Point & click Adventure gameplay with many elements of detective work including finding hidden evidence and determining if someone is lying or telling the truth. As previously stated in my review for The Wolf Among Us Episode 1, The Point & Click gameplay is traditional Telltale gameplay and shows that Telltale has well and truly brought the genre back. This episode didn’t have as much dark humor in it as the previous episode obviously due to the huge shock at the end of the first episode but this in turn made the story even better with the game instead taking a darker and grittier turn of events making it look even more like a true detective game.
In The Wolf Among Us Episode 2, Many of the characters from the previous episode return including Bigby Wolf, Ichabod Crane, Beauty & The Beast, Mr. Toad, The Magic Mirror & Bufkin to name a few however more new characters were introduced including Jack Horner who is a mischievous Smart Ass who wisecracks in serious situations and added a rather funny and awkward conversation with Bigby and Georgie Porgie who is a British Pimp who owns the local strip club; The Pudding & Pie along with The Little Mermaid who serves as a stripper in Georgie’s club. In addition to all of this, Episode 2 like Episode 1 features a short but enjoyable boss battle with you taking on Beast due to a misunderstanding which leads to a rather entertaining fight with some equally excellent dialogue.
As with the previous Telltale games I’ve reviewed there are no problems with this game whatsoever other than the fact that it means once this episode is completed we have to wait for the next episode which judging by the way this episode was released means we will get Episode 3 shortly after the next installment in The Walking Dead Season 2. No Problems at all with this episode and I have to say As I mentioned in my review for episode 1 aswell, I stick with my point that choices are a huge part of what makes this and Telltales other titles so distinct as it ultimately determines your characters path which in one way could mean certain death or another way could lead to you committing murder or even then it could lead you to catch the culprit; The possibilities are endless.
All in all, Episode 2 is continuing what appears to be a great leap into the world of Fables and shows that Telltale’s expert storytelling is not slowing down for a second with a story that will firmly place you in Bigby’s mind set and get you involved in the characters thoughts and emotions. The new characters add some fresh humor to the story and the revelation at the end of the episode will have gamers cringing for the fact they’ll have to wait until the next episode and will no doubt shock those who aren’t expecting it. If you haven’t purchased the season pass yet; It is highly recommended you get your hands on one and do some catching up before Episode 3 releases.
My Score – 10/10
The Good:
- Story is briliant
- Great Surprises for the gamer
- Darker & Grittier than Episode 1
- New Characters add new humor to the mix
- More Detective work
- Boss Battle nice way to end the episode
The Bad:
- The Wait for Episode 3
*Warning: The Trailer below may contain spoilers for those who have not played Episode 1 yet so please view with caution.*
Review by Matthew McNamee
Related articles
- The Wolf Among Us Episode 1: Faith Review (ugnnultragamingnewsnetwork.com)
