Episode 1: All The Remains
In 2012 Telltale Games brought us their version of The Walking Dead based on the comic books by Robert Kirkman. Now, roughly a year since Episode 5: No Time Left, we are sucked back into the story of Clementine for Season 2 of the episodic game series.
Roughly 16 months have passed since the events of No Time Left and things are grim for Clementine. All That Remains explores the character of Clementine in ways we never got to see in Season 1, this is due to her being the playable character this time round. You can now choose what she says and does meaning that we can see her perspective of the events of Season 1 and her story of events before the apocalypse for the first time. She has also matured, a lot. No longer is Clem the scared little girl in a dress, now she is a wise cracking pre-teen focused on one thing alone, survival. She is no longer afraid to kill, and she knows how far to push the boundaries with people to get what she wants and to stay alive.
The basic story explored in the first episode is that it comes to a point where Clementine can no longer look out for herself and has to rely on a new group to look after her. Some people are a little less willing to just invite a stranger in and as the episode goes on people's secrets begin to come out, helping you make decisions that could ultimately decide between who to let live and die. Episode 1 has an awful lot of action for an opening episode, one that is supposed to set the scene, this compensates for the lack of game changing decisions you have to make but just like Season 1, you'll be surprised what could potentially effect the rest of the game.
Gameplay is very similar to TWD Season 1 & the other titles from Telltale. A point & click game at its core, you have the ability to move around small 3D environments and interact with multiple objects to solve puzzles and move the story forward. Combat is dealt with in QTE's, mostly button mashing, however some more precise actions have been included this time round such as holding one button down and tapping another, or moving the left stick whilst pushing buttons. It's nothing complex as TWD was never about having loads of gameplay mechanics, however this is a considerable step up from the original series and Telltale's other titles.
Visually, The Walking Dead looks great. Now take that with a pinch of salt because compare it to many other games and its cel-shaded, 3D representation of the source material isn’t easy on the eyes. But compare it to the other Telltale titles and the source material itself and Season 2 is something of beauty. A much more varied and vibrant colour selection, higher detail in both character models and environment, less frame rate issues, better lighting; it's all there and it looks great.
As for sound, the voice acting is what you would expect; something of awe and wonder. Any existing characters have their roles reprised and new characters are just as believable and interesting to talk to thanks to some amazing voice talent. The soundtrack is calming much like the first season's and gives nice atmosphere to the world.
In conclusion, All That Remains is the best start Season 2 could have had. It gets right in there, with many moments that already stand head and shoulders above the best of Season 1's. If you wanted more action, more interesting characters, more blood, more Walking Dead; then All That Remains is exactly what you are looking for. A great start to what looks to be another amazing series from Telltale.
In 2012 Telltale Games brought us their version of The Walking Dead based on the comic books by Robert Kirkman. Now, roughly a year since Episode 5: No Time Left, we are sucked back into the story of Clementine for Season 2 of the episodic game series.
Roughly 16 months have passed since the events of No Time Left and things are grim for Clementine. All That Remains explores the character of Clementine in ways we never got to see in Season 1, this is due to her being the playable character this time round. You can now choose what she says and does meaning that we can see her perspective of the events of Season 1 and her story of events before the apocalypse for the first time. She has also matured, a lot. No longer is Clem the scared little girl in a dress, now she is a wise cracking pre-teen focused on one thing alone, survival. She is no longer afraid to kill, and she knows how far to push the boundaries with people to get what she wants and to stay alive.
The basic story explored in the first episode is that it comes to a point where Clementine can no longer look out for herself and has to rely on a new group to look after her. Some people are a little less willing to just invite a stranger in and as the episode goes on people's secrets begin to come out, helping you make decisions that could ultimately decide between who to let live and die. Episode 1 has an awful lot of action for an opening episode, one that is supposed to set the scene, this compensates for the lack of game changing decisions you have to make but just like Season 1, you'll be surprised what could potentially effect the rest of the game.
Gameplay is very similar to TWD Season 1 & the other titles from Telltale. A point & click game at its core, you have the ability to move around small 3D environments and interact with multiple objects to solve puzzles and move the story forward. Combat is dealt with in QTE's, mostly button mashing, however some more precise actions have been included this time round such as holding one button down and tapping another, or moving the left stick whilst pushing buttons. It's nothing complex as TWD was never about having loads of gameplay mechanics, however this is a considerable step up from the original series and Telltale's other titles.
Visually, The Walking Dead looks great. Now take that with a pinch of salt because compare it to many other games and its cel-shaded, 3D representation of the source material isn’t easy on the eyes. But compare it to the other Telltale titles and the source material itself and Season 2 is something of beauty. A much more varied and vibrant colour selection, higher detail in both character models and environment, less frame rate issues, better lighting; it's all there and it looks great.
As for sound, the voice acting is what you would expect; something of awe and wonder. Any existing characters have their roles reprised and new characters are just as believable and interesting to talk to thanks to some amazing voice talent. The soundtrack is calming much like the first season's and gives nice atmosphere to the world.
In conclusion, All That Remains is the best start Season 2 could have had. It gets right in there, with many moments that already stand head and shoulders above the best of Season 1's. If you wanted more action, more interesting characters, more blood, more Walking Dead; then All That Remains is exactly what you are looking for. A great start to what looks to be another amazing series from Telltale.
Episode 2: A House Divided
Its been 4 months since the last Walking Dead episode landed, we heard nothing, not a peep. Then a week before Telltale said on Twitter it was coming and finally everything had it besides the PS3. Then nearly a week later it arrived for PS users but the big question was only made bigger with this delay; was it worth the wait? Picking up immediately after the events of the first episode, A House Divided drops us in the woods with Clem & your chosen survivor from the end of the first episode and places them in a small building surrounded by walkers. From there things escalate to meeting with a man named Carver who is adamant on finding the group you are with, leaving the safety of the home and tracking north to a old ski resort where a few old faces return.
This episode of Season 2 is reasonably action heavy, with a fast paced storyline, and a handful of combat sequences. It's easily the most adrenaline fuelled episode across both seasons and this faster pace is exactly what we needed after a long break. It kicks you straight back into the action and doesn't hold back for one second. Of course it has its slow moments, but these are there to give opportunity for Clem to bond with the new survivors and they are few & far between. The Walking Dead has often been said to be at its best when it is slow and character focused, but this episode does seem to buck that trend with a fast paced, action packed couple of hours.
The game runs well, probably the smoothest episode to date. The game only drops frame rate going in and out of loading screens and minor instances in between. New characters are engaging in their performances and instantly become someone you know you'll like, or someone you'll hate, thanks to some excellent voice acting.
To wrap it up, A House Divided is a great episode. Better than All That Remains? Yeah I suppose, but was it worth the wait? Personally, no. After 3 months I would expect more from Telltale. Its getting to the point that even though I love each new episode and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. I cant help but feel a little let down occasionally that every episode thusfar has been late and they just seem to be getting later. We can only hope that Episode 3 wont be too far around the corner so we can continue this great new chapter in The Walking Dead.
Its been 4 months since the last Walking Dead episode landed, we heard nothing, not a peep. Then a week before Telltale said on Twitter it was coming and finally everything had it besides the PS3. Then nearly a week later it arrived for PS users but the big question was only made bigger with this delay; was it worth the wait? Picking up immediately after the events of the first episode, A House Divided drops us in the woods with Clem & your chosen survivor from the end of the first episode and places them in a small building surrounded by walkers. From there things escalate to meeting with a man named Carver who is adamant on finding the group you are with, leaving the safety of the home and tracking north to a old ski resort where a few old faces return.
This episode of Season 2 is reasonably action heavy, with a fast paced storyline, and a handful of combat sequences. It's easily the most adrenaline fuelled episode across both seasons and this faster pace is exactly what we needed after a long break. It kicks you straight back into the action and doesn't hold back for one second. Of course it has its slow moments, but these are there to give opportunity for Clem to bond with the new survivors and they are few & far between. The Walking Dead has often been said to be at its best when it is slow and character focused, but this episode does seem to buck that trend with a fast paced, action packed couple of hours.
The game runs well, probably the smoothest episode to date. The game only drops frame rate going in and out of loading screens and minor instances in between. New characters are engaging in their performances and instantly become someone you know you'll like, or someone you'll hate, thanks to some excellent voice acting.
To wrap it up, A House Divided is a great episode. Better than All That Remains? Yeah I suppose, but was it worth the wait? Personally, no. After 3 months I would expect more from Telltale. Its getting to the point that even though I love each new episode and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. I cant help but feel a little let down occasionally that every episode thusfar has been late and they just seem to be getting later. We can only hope that Episode 3 wont be too far around the corner so we can continue this great new chapter in The Walking Dead.
Episode 3: In Harm's Way
So after 6 months we have finally hit the midpoint in Season 2 of Telltale's immensely popular episodic game series based in the comic book universe created by Robert Kirkman. With the cliffhanger to the last episode leaving bums teetering on the very edge of seats it was hard to not be excited by what Episode 3 was going to offer us, TWD's take on The Great Escape. So after another couple of hours with Clementine & co. I'm ready to share my verdict on the latest action packed entry.
In Harm's Way is very difficult to talk about without spoiling either itself or its predecessor, A House Divided, so unfortunately there will be spoilers for the last episode. When Bonnie from TWD: 400 Days finds Clementine's group at the end of A House Divided, she brings with her the man they have been running from this entire time, Bill Carver. The group are taken hostage and brought back to a hardware store where Carver has a survivor settlement established. They are thrown into prison, and over the course of three days do work to keep the settlement up and running all whilst plotting to escape from their captors. The episode is largely a chance for you to decide what kind of person Clementine is going to be from now on, whether you want to keep her as the innocent little girl we knew from Season 1, or whether you are going to let her grow into the strong survivor she is destined to be. Though your hand is forced more to the side of having her develop, it's during the games more tense moments where you can chose to go forward or to stand by the sidelines.
Episode 3 manages to strike perhaps the best balance between calmer character building moments and blood pumping action sequences by consistently throwing you off guard thanks to fantastic antagonist Carver; and by allowing you to decide who in both groups of survivors you should and shouldn't trust. Again one of my biggest problems with Telltale's games is the poor quality technical performance. Episode 3 is plagued with a juddery frame rate and lengthy loading screens, despite the last two episodes having significantly improved performance since the first season.
The new lighting engine really gets given a chance to shine in this episode with a bold representation of light and dark, significantly aiding the dramatic quality. There is one section in particular towards the end of the episode involving Kenny where the lighting gave the scene so much more power and fear than near enough any scene in either seasons thusfar. A couple of the new characters introduced that look set to stick around for a little while join the roster of top notch voice talent, but yet again Carver steals the show with some of the best dialogue in the series to date and really giving the games a much needed antagonist equal to the likes of Philip 'The Governor' Blake and Negan.
Before I finish up the review I want to talk about the one thing that annoyed me and it is one of the most important points of the episode so if you don't want it ruined skip to the end of the review. So my biggest problem with In Harm's Way is that Bill Carver is killed. Although the way he is killed is fitting and on fine form for a Walking Dead antagonist, he has had very little time to show us what he was really capable of and to ever be too much of a threat. Yes there are several points in this episode where he does manage to show just how evil he can really be, but he was never too desperate and we therefore never got someone as truly evil as The Governor and that's what Telltale's games are really missing. We need a bad character that is around long enough for us to truly begin hating them, or for us to begin to see sense in their ways much like the comic book has done numerous times. Carver was an excellent opportunity for Telltale to go somewhere with a character that didn't care who or what got in his way to get what he wanted and unfortunately we will never get to see a progression of that now.
In summary, In Harm's Way is the best episode of Season 2 and aligns itself neatly with the best bits of Season 1. But this is the first time I haven't been left on the edge of my seat at the end of an episode. Don't get me wrong, it ended on a cliffhanger but due to the event that I mentioned previously, but I'm not entirely sure where the story can go that it hasn't been already. Only time will tell and we have plenty of that until the next episode will arrive.
So after 6 months we have finally hit the midpoint in Season 2 of Telltale's immensely popular episodic game series based in the comic book universe created by Robert Kirkman. With the cliffhanger to the last episode leaving bums teetering on the very edge of seats it was hard to not be excited by what Episode 3 was going to offer us, TWD's take on The Great Escape. So after another couple of hours with Clementine & co. I'm ready to share my verdict on the latest action packed entry.
In Harm's Way is very difficult to talk about without spoiling either itself or its predecessor, A House Divided, so unfortunately there will be spoilers for the last episode. When Bonnie from TWD: 400 Days finds Clementine's group at the end of A House Divided, she brings with her the man they have been running from this entire time, Bill Carver. The group are taken hostage and brought back to a hardware store where Carver has a survivor settlement established. They are thrown into prison, and over the course of three days do work to keep the settlement up and running all whilst plotting to escape from their captors. The episode is largely a chance for you to decide what kind of person Clementine is going to be from now on, whether you want to keep her as the innocent little girl we knew from Season 1, or whether you are going to let her grow into the strong survivor she is destined to be. Though your hand is forced more to the side of having her develop, it's during the games more tense moments where you can chose to go forward or to stand by the sidelines.
Episode 3 manages to strike perhaps the best balance between calmer character building moments and blood pumping action sequences by consistently throwing you off guard thanks to fantastic antagonist Carver; and by allowing you to decide who in both groups of survivors you should and shouldn't trust. Again one of my biggest problems with Telltale's games is the poor quality technical performance. Episode 3 is plagued with a juddery frame rate and lengthy loading screens, despite the last two episodes having significantly improved performance since the first season.
The new lighting engine really gets given a chance to shine in this episode with a bold representation of light and dark, significantly aiding the dramatic quality. There is one section in particular towards the end of the episode involving Kenny where the lighting gave the scene so much more power and fear than near enough any scene in either seasons thusfar. A couple of the new characters introduced that look set to stick around for a little while join the roster of top notch voice talent, but yet again Carver steals the show with some of the best dialogue in the series to date and really giving the games a much needed antagonist equal to the likes of Philip 'The Governor' Blake and Negan.
Before I finish up the review I want to talk about the one thing that annoyed me and it is one of the most important points of the episode so if you don't want it ruined skip to the end of the review. So my biggest problem with In Harm's Way is that Bill Carver is killed. Although the way he is killed is fitting and on fine form for a Walking Dead antagonist, he has had very little time to show us what he was really capable of and to ever be too much of a threat. Yes there are several points in this episode where he does manage to show just how evil he can really be, but he was never too desperate and we therefore never got someone as truly evil as The Governor and that's what Telltale's games are really missing. We need a bad character that is around long enough for us to truly begin hating them, or for us to begin to see sense in their ways much like the comic book has done numerous times. Carver was an excellent opportunity for Telltale to go somewhere with a character that didn't care who or what got in his way to get what he wanted and unfortunately we will never get to see a progression of that now.
In summary, In Harm's Way is the best episode of Season 2 and aligns itself neatly with the best bits of Season 1. But this is the first time I haven't been left on the edge of my seat at the end of an episode. Don't get me wrong, it ended on a cliffhanger but due to the event that I mentioned previously, but I'm not entirely sure where the story can go that it hasn't been already. Only time will tell and we have plenty of that until the next episode will arrive.
Episode 4: Amid the Ruins
Its been about two months since Episode 3 landed and the response to it was fairly mixed. I praised its genius 'Great Escape' style prison break storyline, whereas some criticised it for being largely a series of fetch quests which didn't make an awful lot of sense as to why responsible adults would turn to main character Clementine for.
Amid the Ruins does suffer much the same fate with Clementine being put into situations that seem out of place and downright silly when there are plenty of other people to do the same job (probably better), however it yet again enforces the message that Clementine is a forever evolving character, from a little girl you found hiding in her tree house, to a bold and confident young survivor.
Taking place immediately after the events of Episode 3, you begin by escaping Carver's compound as it is flooded by a herd of zombies. With tensions running high in the group, Clementine must try her hardest to settle conflicts and be the cause of as few as possible as the group argues about what they are going to do next. Alongside this Rebecca has began the process of giving birth to her child, and new character Jane taking Clementine under her wing to teach her the ways of solo survival. Kenny is again having to deal with the loss of a loved one (seems like exactly one season ago to the episode we were in the same position), and the rest of the characters are just trying to get by.
As a whole, much like TWD Season 1 Episode 4 and The Wolf Among Us Episode 4, Amid the Ruins is very much about setting up the season finale and therefore could potentially be considered the weakest entry due to its slower paced style and the way it kills off characters for very little reason other than they were not convenient to the plot anymore; also much like the previous episode it seems to fall flat on decisions wherein pretty much every significant decision so far seems insignificant by the end of the episode. That being said Amid the Ruins does have more than a few moments where a curveball will be served and the unexpected happens and as a result was one of my favourite episodes this season simply because of them shocking moments.
Amid the Ruins is very light on combat sequences meaning much of the episode is talking and exploring the environments. It's about getting to know some characters better as well as saying goodbye to others. It again throws in a couple of Season 1 throwbacks, in particular when you find yourself in a history museum and Lee's love of history is mentioned.
This episode is all about the conversations. It contains some of the best dialogue the series has ever had as well as some quite tough, though relatively unimportant decisions. The episode clocks in at about an hour and 45 minutes, similar to that of Season 1's fourth episode, hopefully though episode 5 will last much longer than last Season's finale.
Again TWD continues to showcase its excellent lighting effects in a cel shaded game. More than ever did I feel that this episode was the comic book actually coming to life thanks to some great lighting and animation, it was also one of the smoothest running episodes to date. As stated earlier, Amid the Ruins is very much about setting the scene for the finale, and judging by a few subtle hints to people with a knowledge of both the comic & TV show, it's going to be a great finale filled with action, heartbreak, and ultimately breaking even the manliest man down into a snivelling wreck. Two months is simply too long to wait!
Its been about two months since Episode 3 landed and the response to it was fairly mixed. I praised its genius 'Great Escape' style prison break storyline, whereas some criticised it for being largely a series of fetch quests which didn't make an awful lot of sense as to why responsible adults would turn to main character Clementine for.
Amid the Ruins does suffer much the same fate with Clementine being put into situations that seem out of place and downright silly when there are plenty of other people to do the same job (probably better), however it yet again enforces the message that Clementine is a forever evolving character, from a little girl you found hiding in her tree house, to a bold and confident young survivor.
Taking place immediately after the events of Episode 3, you begin by escaping Carver's compound as it is flooded by a herd of zombies. With tensions running high in the group, Clementine must try her hardest to settle conflicts and be the cause of as few as possible as the group argues about what they are going to do next. Alongside this Rebecca has began the process of giving birth to her child, and new character Jane taking Clementine under her wing to teach her the ways of solo survival. Kenny is again having to deal with the loss of a loved one (seems like exactly one season ago to the episode we were in the same position), and the rest of the characters are just trying to get by.
As a whole, much like TWD Season 1 Episode 4 and The Wolf Among Us Episode 4, Amid the Ruins is very much about setting up the season finale and therefore could potentially be considered the weakest entry due to its slower paced style and the way it kills off characters for very little reason other than they were not convenient to the plot anymore; also much like the previous episode it seems to fall flat on decisions wherein pretty much every significant decision so far seems insignificant by the end of the episode. That being said Amid the Ruins does have more than a few moments where a curveball will be served and the unexpected happens and as a result was one of my favourite episodes this season simply because of them shocking moments.
Amid the Ruins is very light on combat sequences meaning much of the episode is talking and exploring the environments. It's about getting to know some characters better as well as saying goodbye to others. It again throws in a couple of Season 1 throwbacks, in particular when you find yourself in a history museum and Lee's love of history is mentioned.
This episode is all about the conversations. It contains some of the best dialogue the series has ever had as well as some quite tough, though relatively unimportant decisions. The episode clocks in at about an hour and 45 minutes, similar to that of Season 1's fourth episode, hopefully though episode 5 will last much longer than last Season's finale.
Again TWD continues to showcase its excellent lighting effects in a cel shaded game. More than ever did I feel that this episode was the comic book actually coming to life thanks to some great lighting and animation, it was also one of the smoothest running episodes to date. As stated earlier, Amid the Ruins is very much about setting the scene for the finale, and judging by a few subtle hints to people with a knowledge of both the comic & TV show, it's going to be a great finale filled with action, heartbreak, and ultimately breaking even the manliest man down into a snivelling wreck. Two months is simply too long to wait!
Episode 5: No Going Back
It's been a gruelling and slow 8 months seeing Telltale's second season to The Walking Dead pan out. But it's the end of the road, the finale is here, and there is no going back. It's been a great season so far but is Season 2 better than the original? Its down to this final episode to make that call.
Picking up at the cliffhanger to Episode 4, the group are surrounded by the Russian survivors. When Rebecca turns into a zombie whilst cradling her newborn baby and a gunfight breaks out between the two factions, it begins a chain of events that give Clementine a position of power and authority in the group. For the first time her opinions aren't pushed to one side and ignored but are valued insights on what is best for the group and its newest addition.
This episode completes Clementine's journey into a hardened survivor and allows you to decide who you want to join you and who you want to leave behind. The episode isn't a tear jerker like last seasons finale, though it definitely has some touching moments. It's also one of the longest in the season with a length of just over two hours. The gameplay is more choice and dialogue based than combat, even in combat situations most of the control is wrestled away from you which does make this one of the less gameplay driven episodes, but in exchange we are delivered some of the best dialogue in either series to date.
There were a couple of times towards the latter end of the episode where I felt it was dragging on longer than it needed to, at several points I felt like the episode would end, but instead it kept on going. Overall you cant help but feel that season 1's finale was a much more thrilling and emotionally fulfilling experience.
The presentation is good with fewer technical hiccups than usual, however some of the loading screens seemed longer than average. The voice acting and use of the soundtrack in this episode though is simply phenomenal. Though Telltale's games are ripe with great dialogue and excellent voice talent, No Going Back is the icing on an extremely delicious cake thanks to some extremely human moments between Clementine and the supporting cast; most notably the scene at the old power transformers.
It's been a gruelling and slow 8 months seeing Telltale's second season to The Walking Dead pan out. But it's the end of the road, the finale is here, and there is no going back. It's been a great season so far but is Season 2 better than the original? Its down to this final episode to make that call.
Picking up at the cliffhanger to Episode 4, the group are surrounded by the Russian survivors. When Rebecca turns into a zombie whilst cradling her newborn baby and a gunfight breaks out between the two factions, it begins a chain of events that give Clementine a position of power and authority in the group. For the first time her opinions aren't pushed to one side and ignored but are valued insights on what is best for the group and its newest addition.
This episode completes Clementine's journey into a hardened survivor and allows you to decide who you want to join you and who you want to leave behind. The episode isn't a tear jerker like last seasons finale, though it definitely has some touching moments. It's also one of the longest in the season with a length of just over two hours. The gameplay is more choice and dialogue based than combat, even in combat situations most of the control is wrestled away from you which does make this one of the less gameplay driven episodes, but in exchange we are delivered some of the best dialogue in either series to date.
There were a couple of times towards the latter end of the episode where I felt it was dragging on longer than it needed to, at several points I felt like the episode would end, but instead it kept on going. Overall you cant help but feel that season 1's finale was a much more thrilling and emotionally fulfilling experience.
The presentation is good with fewer technical hiccups than usual, however some of the loading screens seemed longer than average. The voice acting and use of the soundtrack in this episode though is simply phenomenal. Though Telltale's games are ripe with great dialogue and excellent voice talent, No Going Back is the icing on an extremely delicious cake thanks to some extremely human moments between Clementine and the supporting cast; most notably the scene at the old power transformers.
STORY: 8/10
GAMEPLAY: 7/10
PRESENTATION: 7/10
LIFESPAN: 7/10
SCORE: 7/10
As a whole package The Walking Dead Season 2 is a must own if you haven't played it already. A touching and well written story of a young girl turning into a survivor. However, it doesn't quite live up to the standards of its predecessor due to a story that doesn't quite match the extremely high standards of the original season.