By Nivea Serrao
Via PCGamer
It may have taken four months, but the Big Bad Wolf is finally back in town – and he doesn’t disappoint.
‘Smoke and Mirrors’, the second episode in Telltale games comic-book-adapted video game series ‘The Wolf Among Us’, picks up minutes after the first episode, ‘Faith’, left off. And following that startling conclusion, players get to see just how far the Bigby Wolf will go as events continue to unfold around him.
This in particular is important, as Bigby’s reactions are an important part of the game. His choices matter in the long run, influencing the range of options that will be available to him in future episodes. One of the best parts of this episode is seeing some of the decisions made early on in ‘Faith’ finally paying off.
What’s more, this episode ups the ante for Bigby, with new developments in the series’ overarching story giving him not just more depth, but also emotional stakes for his decisions. This is great, as not only does he serve as the player’s gateway to the ‘Fables’ universe, but his interactions with the other characters help flesh them out more too.
This leads to not just a compelling episode, but it expands the game for future episodes. After all, the more Bigby cares, the more interesting his choices – and their subsequent results – become.
Much like the first game, the story takes place in Fabletown, the tiny New York enclave that houses a community of fairy-tale and storybook characters who fled their respective homelands, with Bigby – AKA the Big Bad Wolf – acting as their sheriff.
But where as ‘Faith’ only offered the basic locations found in the comics, ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ opens up the world up geographically, building a gritty city that fits in with the noir-influenced game art and neon colored highlights that lend the game its captivating comic book aesthetic.
The voice acting in ‘Faith’ is phenomenal, easily establishing characters’ personalities and motivations for new players, while also bringing to life characters exactly how long-time ‘Fables’ fans imagined them. ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ builds upon this introducing two new characters – the ruthless former-pirate Bluebeard, and the sleazy strip club owner Georgie (of nursery rhyme fame) – both of whom come off as engaging and three-dimensional.
However, the script is really where ‘The Wolf Among Us’ shines. The series- long mystery perfectly fits in with what has been established by the comics, while also allowing the game’s creators to play with tropes and themes commonly found in hard-boiled detective fiction. The result is a video game experience that combines the best of both worlds – a sliding scale of morality, with hints of the fantastical.
This, along with the choice-based outcomes, creates a game that asks to be played several times – if only to hear every line of dialogue triggered by Bigby’s actions.
In doing so, it proves that not only are comic books ripe for video game adaptation, but that Telltale games are the ones to do it.
Nivea Serrao is a contributing writer. Email her at entertainment@nyunews.com.
