Price I paid: $15? I think?
Available on: Windows (reviewed), OS X, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbone, Ouya, PlayStation Vita, iOS, and Android.
By now, you probably already know or have at least heard that
The Walking Dead: A Telltale Game: Season
One was an incredible, tear-jerking, feels-feeling, undeniable smash hit. I
played it, and I loved it. So how could they manage to live up to the
expectations people had for the sequel? They did it by giving the player new
challenges, different but equally difficult decisions, and pouring just as much
soul into this game as they did the first.
There are a limited number of things I can say about the
game without giving away something meaningful. Truthfully, most decisions and
actions didn’t seem to alter the game that much, but the impact they had on me
was pretty steep. There were plenty of gut-wrenching events that made me squeal
and question my decisions. I would be a pretty scummy person if I robbed you of
those moments of squirming, revelation, and uncertainty because of your actions
just to brag about my own.
After each chapter, it shows you some of the major decisions you made and what % of other players chose the same. Apparently, 7.1% of players share my discomfort with babies and are probably fellow members of /r/childfree.
So this isn’t as much of a review as it is a piece trying to
get you to figure out if you want to play it or not. If you’re on the fence
about trying it, here are a few simple tests to determine if you should play it
or not:
Did you enjoy the first game? If yes, play it. It is
different than season one, and they do a few subtle things at the beginning to
differentiate it from its predecessor. However, it does still feel like a
continuation of the same story.
Do you like story-driven games? If yes, play it. Gameplay is
almost a generous word for these The
Walking Dead games. It’s kind of like putting unbaked cinnamon buns in a
waffle iron and calling them cinnamon bun waffles. The waffles part is almost
purely cosmetic, but I eat them anyway because they are the best breakfast
pastry I’ve ever ingested. As a show, it would still be meaningful and good,
but the subtle small amount of traditional gameplay strengthens it. The
minimalist gameplay keeps you that much more engaged with the story and the
lack of gameplay forces the developers to pile on unique situations and ponderous
moments, creating a truly rich story.
Do you like visual novels? If yes, play it. Read everything
after “If yes, play it.” in the paragraph above if you need a longer sentence
than this explaining why you should play it.
Nearly any screenshot I could take of the game would either spoil something or it would be the same shot you could see on the game's Steam page... So here's a picture of an adorable kitty.
I managed to get three completely different endings, so I
have no idea how they could continue the current story with a new Walking Dead season due sometime in
2016. I thought each ending was satisfying in their own way. The ending I
originally got best represented my play style and take on the world, something
I usually don’t feel at the end of a game.
I actually took a several month break while playing this game. The story
and choices got a little too deep and heavy for me, and I needed walk away for
a spell. When I returned to it, it felt like I had never left. The story made
sense despite the break. I hadn’t realized how streamlined it was or how
progression was more important than remembering ever detail. They call back to
previous events as a refresher, which is nice because a lot happens and it is
easy to forget some of the details.
If you like games that make you think and test your
reasoning skills more than your twitch-reflexes, I highly recommend The Walking Dead Season Two. If you want
to dabble in the point-and-click adventure game genre, this or season one are
great places to start.
I was baptized in the
blood of zombies and men and became a woman.
9/10 would feel awful
about every decision I made again.
Jesse Galena
Twitter: @RexiconJesse
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