That I chose to punch the Woodsman during his interrogation was a fact that some Fables refused to let me forget, and I made no secret of my contempt for anyone who willingly agreed to work for the Crooked Man's gang. I tried to only fight when attacked, to respond kindly to those who needed kindness, to help anyone I could. For my part, I've tried to avoid those pitfalls wherever I could. All throughout this season, Bigby has had ample opportunity to commit acts of impulsive violence, to ignore the pleas for help from his friends and colleagues, and to just generally be a raging dick. Even the characters very much on the "right" side of the law will bend the rules, lash out in anger, and make truly terrible decisions. Then again, if you've been playing The Wolf Among Us all this time and expecting some kind of simple, happy ending after everything that's taken place, you probably haven't been paying close attention.Īfter all, nobody in The Wolf Among Us is exactly an innocent. If your hope for The Wolf Among Us was that every loose thread would be tied up in a neat, purely satisfying way, "Cry Wolf" may leave you feeling a bit cold. Some of those questions are of the intentional variety, while others just feel like minor plot holes never addressed for the sake of narrative convenience. The murders Bigby and friends have been investigating are eventually solved, the Crooked Man and his criminal organization receive some measure of justice (depending on how you choose to proceed), and life in Fabletown eventually returns to a sort of normalcy and yet, questions remain. "Cry Wolf" is at once a definitive end to the story arc that's been building since that severed head appeared on Fabletown's doorstep, and something of a non-ending, too. The Wolf Among Us essentially backed into its final episode, needing a strong, thoughtful conclusion to justify the diminishing returns of the last couple of episodes.įortunately, "Cry Wolf" delivers mostly that. With each episode, the choices the player encountered seemed less and less vital, the investigation became less interesting the larger it grew in scope, and characters that made a strong impression early on began to disappear into the background. After a strong start, this fantasy-tinged police procedural progressively found itself having greater and greater trouble justifying its episodic structure. ![]() I've had my share of issues with Telltale's first season of The Wolf Among Us. If you haven't played this episode and intend to do so, don't read this! For all of the new details that spill out of Bigby’s continuing investigation in Smoke & Mirrors, much of it – just like the title suggests – feels like misdirection.Editor's Note: As always, this is a spoiler focused recap of The Wolf Among Us' finale. Certain aspects of the gameplay have been moved to the background, but the story is what you’re here for and that story is still able to keep you perched at the edge of your seat. The second episode of The Wolf Among Us isn’t quite as strong as the first one was, but that’s hardly a knock against it. The earmarked this-or-that decision moments from the first episode may be gone, but it’s evident that it’s in service to the story. There are major revelations to be had over the course of this two or so hours, and you’ll be left with just as many questions about what’s to come. Smoke & Mirrors is by no means a “bridge” episode. If you were invested by the end of Episode One, then you’ve no choice but to keep playing. You might have less control over the path you take from one location to the next, but this is still an expertly conceived and written work of fiction set in the Fables universe. ![]() ![]() This is a spoiler-filled chunk of story from start to finish. The meat of this chapter is better left for recaps than reviews. That’s not just true of this particular episode, it’s true of Telltale’s storytelling efforts as a whole. The title Smoke & Mirrors suggests there’s an illusion. The challenge isn’t in finding the “right” choice, it’s in letting go of your preconceived notions and embracing the particular role you want your Bigby to play. No matter how much control you appear to have over the course of a situation, certain outcomes are preordained. ![]() Of course, the brilliance of Telltale’s efforts is in the way the dev team conceals the fact that major story points are scripted from the outset. You’re just locked into a slightly more rigid path this time around. There isn’t a moment in Episode Two when you choose to chase one suspect versus another (as there was in Episode One), but every decision still has consequences. The smallest things can matter in a Telltale game. This could be perceived as a shortcoming, but be careful. How can you capably conduct a murder investigation when not one person you speak to can be trusted?
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