If you remember the old Goosebumps choose-your-own-adventure books, you can probably think of Visual Novels as something like that. With interactive elements, they are closer to video games than e-books, but are still cut up into series. These novels can either be flat images put together or little interactive bits. But the general idea is that it is a halfway point between media.

An example of the Visual Novel Fate/Stay Night

One of the more notable companies that were built around Visual Novels would be Telltale Games. Known for games like Monkey Island, or Tales from the Borderlands, the company uses the storytelling of novels to create an episodic animated adventure that could be played in multiple ways.

Source: Monkey Island 2: Le Chuck's Revenge

Something that is important to note is that while visual novels can count as point-and-click games, that does not mean all point-and-click games are visual novels. For games like Machinarium, there is little to no text in the game. Instead it relies on visuals that the player is used to, in order to explain the story.

While you can argue that the game would work as a visual novel (in some artsy way that it goes past the need for words to get the point across), the game itself is closer to a video game than an actual novel. But as American audiences for these games grow, we would be expecting a difference between visual novels from Asia and Western versions to grow.

If you are interested in learning more about these things, check out our top 5 Visual Novels on the Steam store here.

When Telltale Games announced that they were doing a Tales from the Borderlands series, I'll admit I was skeptical at first.

Not only did they prove me wrong, episodes 1-4 were fantastic, but episode 5 knocked it out of the park.

The Vault of the Traveler is a perfect example of how a Telltale game should end. Choices you make actually matter and the story doesn't give you a chance to catch a breath. It was one heck of a roller coaster and I'm sad that the journey with Rhys and Fiona has ended.

You will feel the consequences of your actions

It is an amazing feeling when the choices you've made in the previous episodes actually have an impact on the story.

If you were a jerk in the other episodes, you won't find yourself with many friends. If you didn't save your money, you'll wish you had. People you had the option of saving will return the favor, or they might not. It all depends on your actions.

The Vault of the Traveler made me want to go back and play the earlier episodes again, so that I could see the different outcomes of my choices.

An epic conclusion that will hit you right in the feels

Episode 5 ties everything together in a way few stories ever do.

Character arcs were relatable and superbly written. Characters that I had disliked in previous episodes stepped up to the plate when things mattered, and I found myself rooting for those people that I previously wouldn't have.

Everybody from Loader Bot to August gets a chance to shine, and those end up being some of the coolest moments in the episode.

When the dust settles and Rhys and Fiona see what's left, they have to ask themselves, "Was it all worth it?" The game starts to become heavy with emotion and the voice acting is so well done that it's hard not to sympathize.

For a series that was able to make me laugh so much, it was surprising to see that it could make me fight back tears.

Unexpected twists were shocking but managed to connect everything in a way that seems so obvious after you have all the pieces of the puzzle.

The conclusion for Tales from the Borderlands was more than satisfying.

Is it worth your time?

Yes! If you've played the previous episodes, the Vault of the Traveler is a must have. A nearly perfect conclusion to an epic series, episode 5 will not let you down. 

If you haven't played any episodes yet, and you're skeptical like I was about Tales from the Borderlands, at least check out the first episode. Telltale might surprise you with how interesting a Borderlands story can be.

The fourth episode in the series, Tales from the Borderlands: A Telltale Games Series is set to release tomorrow, August 18th, under the episode name "Escape Plan Bravo."

Telltale Games is doing a staggering release, having the episode available tomorrow on Windows PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4; while Xbox 360 and Xbox One will be August 19th, and lastly Android and iOS dated for August 20th. 

Beware: Spoilers for Escape Plan Bravo

In anticipation for the public release of the episode, Telltale Games has divulged a small synopsis on what the episode contains.

Beware, spoilers.

The whole plot behind "Escape Plan Bravo" is that the Vault beacon is being sought out by Vallory, who has captured Rhys and Fiona - who are trying to find their way onto the Hyperion Moon Base, which coincidentally has the Vault beacon.

"In this penultimate episode of the season, captured by Vallory and her goons, Rhys and Fiona are forced to continue the search for the Vault beacon — at gunpoint. The beacon is on the Hyperion moon base — Helios — while our heroes are on Pandora... so there's the pesky cold void of death known as 'space' to overcome. Even with assistance from a familiar face, and with a worryingly helpful Handsome Jack hitching a ride in Rhys' head, getting on board the ominous 'H' is going to take every drop of guile, and quite possibly all the spunk you've got. Sacrifices will be made — can you make the tough choices needed to succeed?"

Telltale Games

While there are bound to be many unanswered questions at the end of "Escape Plan Bravo", the concluding fifth episode in the series should shed some light on what will happen to the beloved characters of Hyperion and Pandora. 

What fate do you believe Rhys and Fiona will have? Will Vallory gain access to the Vault beacon?

Episode 4 of Telltale's Tales From The Borderlands releases next week on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Mac, and Linux. The episode releases on August 18, except for Xbox consoles, where it will release a day later on the 19th.

Titled Escape Plan Bravo, Episode 4 is the penultimate episode in the series and carries on the story of Rhys and Fiona as they remained captured by Vallory. Telltale Games released a synopsis for the episode:

In this penultimate episode of the season, captured by Vallory and her goons, Rhys and Fiona are forced to continue the search for the Vault beacon - at gunpoint. The beacon is on the Hyperion moon base - Helios - while our heroes are on Pandora... so there's the pesky cold void of death known as 'space' to overcome. Even with assistance from a familiar face, and with a worryingly helpful Handsome Jack hitching a ride in Rhys' head, getting on board the ominous 'H' is going to take every drop of guile, and quite possibly all the spunk you've got. Sacrifices will be made - can you make the tough choices needed to succeed?

While you wait for the next adventure from Telltale's Borderlands series, you can read our reviews of Episode 1 and Episode 2.

In other news, at E3 Telltale Games announced a new The Walking Dead spin-off, based on Michonne - this adds to the studio's already stacked line-up including Minecraft: Story Mode, an original IP, a yet-untitled Marvel game, and a probable season 3 of The Walking Dead. In the meantime, you can see how we rank Telltale's games thus far, to quench that thirst!

For more on Tales From The Borderlands and all things Telltale Games, stay tuned to GameSkinny.

We are excited beyond belief to be welcomed back to Pandora with the very first look at Tales from the Borderlands: A Telltale Games Series in motion. Announced less than a year ago, and shown behind closed doors at E3 and PAX Prime, today is the FIRST time we get to see the game! The season will feature Troy Baker as Rhys, Laura Bailey as Fiona, Chris Hardwick as Vaughn, Erin Yvette as Sasha,Patrick Warburton as Vasquez, and Dameon Clarke as Handsome Jack. Additional casting details from the season are yet to be announced.

Synopsis of Tales from the Borderlands

You'll play as Rhys, a Hyperion 'suit' with dreams of being the next Handsome Jack, and Fiona, a Pandoran con artist looking to score her biggest ever swindle. Thrown together as unwilling partners in an adventure to recover cash they both think is theirs, their journey will take you on a wild ride where gangsters, bandit lords, and Vault Hunters are just some of the obstacles you'll encounter, in this new take on the award-winning universe created by Gearbox Software.

With the addition of two new characters to the series, it brings up the question: where the story will go?

Who is Rhys and why are his biggest dreams to be the next Handsome Jack? Will we see resurfaces of old favorite characters? The story is obviously set after Handsome Jacks demise, but how far into the future will the story go? The Bonnie and Clyde pair seem to be up to no good as Fiona aspires to be the biggest con artist ever to step on Panodora, but seriously who are these guys? What's also interesting to point out is if this story will be a separate story to the game, or something more adding to the recently released Borderlands The Pre-Sequel. I wonder if we will see older versions of Nisha, Wilhelm, and Athena? 

Telltale Games is notorious as inquisitively adding pockets of golden plot twists to games and series already popular. This will defiantly be no different, so get pumped and hyped for this next installment!

The season premiere episode of Tales from the Borderlands, titled 'Zer0 Sum,'will soon be available for digital download worldwide across multiple platforms. Stay tuned to Telltale Games on Twitter and Facebook for the latest details on release dates!

With the great gaming boom of the 1990s, many people who consider themselves as "gamers" no longer fit into the under 18 demographic. The 2013 Essential Facts Study released by the ESA  notes that the average gamer age is actually 30 years old - with a majority 36% over the age of 35. I'm in my late twenties, and I've never been so glad to be below average. 

That said, the older I get, the more difficult it becomes to make time for video games in my life.

When I started working a full-time 9-5 job recently, gaming got cut out of my entire schedule for the first month. When I came home, I had to make dinner, socialize with my husband, and if I wasn't exhausted after that, maybe I'd get caught up on my television shows. 

I'd look at my video games longingly. With the semi-recent release of Final Fantasy XIII - Lightning Returns,  I contemplated re-playing the previous two games, ultimately deciding that they were too much of a commitment the limited free time I had. 

After the price dropped, I finally picked up Ni No Kuni and to my chagrin, was only able to play it for a couple of hours one weekend before I got overwhelmed with other commitments.

Let me re-iterate that for you guys: an amazing game I waited to play for years that is basically like playing inside a Studio Ghibli movie was sitting on my shelf unplayed because I simply didn't have the time for it. How sad is that? 

Then I discovered episodic gaming. 

I have gotten into comic books recently, and when I heard about TellTale Games' The Wolf Among Us (based off the Fables series from Vertigo), I decided to take a chance and play it. After all, I needed something to spend my hard-earned money on.

Episodic gaming fills a niche for gamers who long for something more compelling than a smartphone game, with less of a time committment than a AAA game. 

So I sat down one Saturday afternoon and played through the first episode of The Wolf Among Us. Two hours later, I had completed the first episode and felt accomplished and satisfied as I went about the rest of my day. 

The experience repeated itself when the second episode of The Wolf Among Us was released, and I began pondering why the experience was so fulfilling when my time committment was so brief.

Here's what I came up with. Episodic gaming fills a niche for gamers who long for something more compelling than a smartphone game, with less of a time committment than a AAA game.

In other words, Episodic Gaming is great for grown ups.

1. The limited time committment makes downloading and playing a game like The Wolf Among Us a stress-free event. I may only have 2-7 hours a week for gaming, and this type of game fits perfectly into a busy schedule. 
2. You get your money's worth. The story-driven nature of episodic games makes them just as engaging as larger titles. You can find cheaper games that are just as engaging (Candy Crush anyone?), but I'm willing to pay extra for games that don't put me in a skinner box. 
3. You're getting a lengthy game in small bites. Most episodic games end up having between 3-5 episodes, so your overall game time might reach over the ten-hour mark. Since the game is broken up and released in stages, you never have to commit more than two hours at a time. 
4. You can feel the accomplishment that comes with beating a game without playing 30+ hours. You know that feeling you get when you beat the final boss of a game and the credits role? It's a pretty great feeling, and you can get that feeling while still having a social life. 

While this type of gaming is still in its infancy, it's clearly still filling a niche in the gaming community. Considering that Telltale Game's The Walking Dead garnered a ridiculous number of accolades, including "Game of the Year" from various sources, it's time other companies caught on and started developing episodic games of their own. There's a whole crowd of people just waiting for more.