It's finally over. All the anguished waiting, the microscopic deconstruction of the trailer, at last, the Walking Dead Telltale game, season 2, episode one, is upon us! And there's no disappointment in the heart of this aficionado. It is totally cool.
The Walking Dead franchise has been a major boon for the creative explorations of the interactive fan base crowd. Elsewhere on this site, we've looked at the booming role of the Walking Dead fanfiction . The Telltale game provides another, more structured, but still interactive experience with the world that Robert Kirkman created.
Fans of season one will certainly remember Clementine. She was kind of the object of the first season. The subject, if you will, the acting protagonist, Lee, was largely driven by his desire to protect her. However, as such fans will know, Lee is gone, and now Clementine has to fend for herself. Thus she has graduated to protagonist of season two. When we meet back up with her in season two, we already see how she has had to grow up, forced to make the hard decisions to survive the zombie apocalypse.
The almost universally celebrated game, in its second season, continues breathing new life into the adventure game genre, once left for dead by many a gaming aficionado. Its strength of the past carries through into the present, skirting the danger of lapsing into mere puzzle solving. Instead, the emphasis on dynamic and interactive story telling remains its forte. And these aren't empty choices.
The character's decisions about what to do, and even what to say, lead to real, often surprising and sometimes tragic outcomes. Furthermore, the game keeps track of decisions, many of which come back to haunt our main character - Lee last season, Clementine this season - from episode to episode. Indeed, it appears choices from last season can still have an impact in this new season.
All this is not to say that there are no changes in season two. And most of them are definitely improvements. The technical improvements are particularly noteworthy. I found the graphics much improved in the second season; they are more richly detailed. Frame rates are also improved, being more stable. Clementine walks about at a much advanced clip, now. A welcomed addition, when gripped in on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense.
My one complaint isn't a huge thing, but it does annoy me a little. And it is worth mentioning considering how much of the game's cache and value arises from its interactivity. The dialogue choices frequently struck me as excessively bi-polar. It seems I have to play Clementine as either a waif or a badass. She's either batting her eyes or spoiling for a throw-down. I think these options are too limited and don't get the most out of the story. I'll be watching that development going forward.
On the other hand, there is something intriguing to this dynamic, too. Playing a young girl, it turns out, allows for some unexpected options. This is quite different than playing Lee. Clementine doesn't hesitate to take advantage of her youthful, feminine coquettishness. This adds an intriguing dimension - particularly for those of us who haven't any experience actually being young girls!
And, I'm happy to report, that Telltales' strongest strong suit remains firmly in place here in the first episode of season two. I'm referring of course to the moral complexities confronting the protagonist. For instance, are you prepared to make Clementine a dead cold killer right from the get-go?
Often to their own surprise and even lament, a lot of early players have done just that. What will be the long term consequences of this choice? We anxiously await what future episodes will reveal. This kind of moral turmoil is the real secret of success for the Walking Dead Telltale games, I believe. So far, in season two, all is looking bright for the future. Well, as long as you're not, you know, caught up in a zombie apocalypse, and the like.
The Walking Dead franchise has been a major boon for the creative explorations of the interactive fan base crowd. Elsewhere on this site, we've looked at the booming role of the Walking Dead fanfiction . The Telltale game provides another, more structured, but still interactive experience with the world that Robert Kirkman created.
Fans of season one will certainly remember Clementine. She was kind of the object of the first season. The subject, if you will, the acting protagonist, Lee, was largely driven by his desire to protect her. However, as such fans will know, Lee is gone, and now Clementine has to fend for herself. Thus she has graduated to protagonist of season two. When we meet back up with her in season two, we already see how she has had to grow up, forced to make the hard decisions to survive the zombie apocalypse.
The almost universally celebrated game, in its second season, continues breathing new life into the adventure game genre, once left for dead by many a gaming aficionado. Its strength of the past carries through into the present, skirting the danger of lapsing into mere puzzle solving. Instead, the emphasis on dynamic and interactive story telling remains its forte. And these aren't empty choices.
The character's decisions about what to do, and even what to say, lead to real, often surprising and sometimes tragic outcomes. Furthermore, the game keeps track of decisions, many of which come back to haunt our main character - Lee last season, Clementine this season - from episode to episode. Indeed, it appears choices from last season can still have an impact in this new season.
All this is not to say that there are no changes in season two. And most of them are definitely improvements. The technical improvements are particularly noteworthy. I found the graphics much improved in the second season; they are more richly detailed. Frame rates are also improved, being more stable. Clementine walks about at a much advanced clip, now. A welcomed addition, when gripped in on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense.
My one complaint isn't a huge thing, but it does annoy me a little. And it is worth mentioning considering how much of the game's cache and value arises from its interactivity. The dialogue choices frequently struck me as excessively bi-polar. It seems I have to play Clementine as either a waif or a badass. She's either batting her eyes or spoiling for a throw-down. I think these options are too limited and don't get the most out of the story. I'll be watching that development going forward.
On the other hand, there is something intriguing to this dynamic, too. Playing a young girl, it turns out, allows for some unexpected options. This is quite different than playing Lee. Clementine doesn't hesitate to take advantage of her youthful, feminine coquettishness. This adds an intriguing dimension - particularly for those of us who haven't any experience actually being young girls!
And, I'm happy to report, that Telltales' strongest strong suit remains firmly in place here in the first episode of season two. I'm referring of course to the moral complexities confronting the protagonist. For instance, are you prepared to make Clementine a dead cold killer right from the get-go?
Often to their own surprise and even lament, a lot of early players have done just that. What will be the long term consequences of this choice? We anxiously await what future episodes will reveal. This kind of moral turmoil is the real secret of success for the Walking Dead Telltale games, I believe. So far, in season two, all is looking bright for the future. Well, as long as you're not, you know, caught up in a zombie apocalypse, and the like.
About the Author:
When you're keen to have the scoop on all the Walking Dead news , you should be following Mickey Jhonny's posts at the Pretty Much Dead Already blog. Gaming enthusiasts will want to read his review of the best games for PC that is entirely free!
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