Telltale Games has earned a great deal of respect over the years. Despite their Law & Order and Jurassic Park games that weren’t that well-received, The Walking Dead received widespread praise. With Game of Thrones and Tales from the Borderlands coming next year and season two of The Walking Dead is already underway, Telltale seems to have a full plate of new series to finish.
The Wolf Among Us is based on Fables, the popular graphic novel series by Bill Willingham.
The story of The Wolf Among Us is a bit complex for those who don’t know the graphic novel series Fables. The story is apparently canon, and draws from much of the world of the series. TWAU takes place in Fabletown, a borough of New York City where the fables of legend and lore live. This gives you characters like Belle, Beast, Ichabod Crane, the Huntsman, Bigby Wolf (The Big Bad Wolf), and Snow White. Characters who are more animal-like, such as the Three Little Pigs, are forced to live on The Farm, which is in Upstate New York. Some fables can buy a glamour, which is basically a spell that allows them to pass as humans, though the prices are constantly driven up, making it more difficult for some fables to afford.
Telltale doesn’t need zombies to tell this dark, gritty story.
Players follow the story of Bigby Wolf, who has shed his past of eating children and pigs and become the sheriff of Fabletown. Bigby uncovers a murder and follows a series of clues in an attempt to hunt down the killer while also dealing with minor disputes involving characters such as Beast and Mr. Toad. The story is fast-paced and a pretty brutal—Telltale doesn’t need zombies to tell this dark, gritty story. For example, the Huntsman, once revered as a hero, is now a drunk who struggles to find his purpose in life. He frequently wanders the streets of Fabletown, picking fights with Bigby and hoping people will remember him as the hero he once was. Each member of the cast has depth and their own motivations, and with just a few characters introduced at a time, players are given time to breathe and take in each new character.
The world is cel-shaded, and it looks beautiful.
Those who are familiar with Telltale’s recent games will recognize the gameplay and art style of The Wolf Among Us immediately. The world is cel-shaded to look like a cartoon, and it looks beautiful. As always with Telltale games, the animations are a bit jerky, but it barely takes away from the harrowing story. Players control Bigby Wolf as he walks around environments, talks to characters, and survives quick-time events. A few key points force players to make important decisions, such as chasing one of two suspects and talking to a friend instead of checking up on a lead. The decisions feel impactful, and neither decision really seems to be right.
The characters define The Wolf Among Us.
The Wolf Among Us brings players a world unfamiliar to most players, and the characters define it. The story is compelling, heartbreaking, and sometimes difficult to swallow, such as dealing with the remorseful Huntsman. Players who enjoy a gripping murder-mystery with a dash of fantasy and mythology will find much to love in The Wolf Among Us, and I can only hope the next four episodes are just as fantastic as this first one.
