The Wolf Among Us: Episode One: Faith Review

Telltale has done it again, crafting yet another addictively compelling narrative. Set in the fascinating world of Fabletown, a New York neighborhood where all the characters from various fairy tales and folklore live. You play as Bigby Wolf (The Big Bad Wolf), the sheriff, as you try and keep the fairy tale creatures protected from those in the real world as well as each other. Coming off of the astounding success of The Walking Dead, Telltale has delivered another fantastic comic book adaptation, but more surprising is the fact that The Wolf Among Us improves on every facet of the adventure game formula they seemingly perfected last time. Better written and voiced, each character breathes life into a world bursting with details and intricacies the likes of which are rare in any video game genre but near absent in modern adventure games. Character animations and scene transitions are smoother making it more seamless than ever, even the technical blemishes that plague The Walking Dead have been ironed out.

The first episode of The Wolf Among Us plays out like a typical detective story, searching for clues in the environment and questioning people for answers. The way Telltale ties all the different fairy tales together is astounding and easily one of the most engaging aspects of the entire game. Bigby is a tad to cliche, with a gravely voice worn down by chain smoking and whiskey; the stereotypical noir detective in a brutally violent rendition of fairy tale lore. Gameplay is choice focused with bursts of button prompt actions that are more fluid and exciting than those from The Walking Dead. The games striking aesthetic are achieved through impressive lighting and a comic book heavy outline. The game is dense with references and names from the decades of comic book history and can be overwhelming but the story smartly focuses on the characters involved, and what a bunch of characters they are. Without a single weak link or lacking moment this first episode of The Wolf Among Us is a massive technical and storytelling accomplishment for a developer who seems to be getting more proficient in its execution with each new endeavor.

(5 out of 5)