Reviewed by Rachel McBurney
Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers. If you have yet to play any The Wolf Among Us Episodes, you may want to read our Episode 1 review here.
Who doesn’t love a good fairytale? Thankfully for us, Telltale Games makes it their business to bring us a delightful little tale of adventure and magic… drenched in a cold, cruel emotional rain that swallows any semblance of innocence whole and then crawls its way through the darkness, searching for more. Welcome to Episode 3 of The Wolf Among Us, entitled A Crooked Mile.
When we last left Bigby and the Fabletown group, things had taken a really creepy turn. All the evidence pointed to Ichabod Crane being a serial killer who had forced prostitutes to glamour themselves so that they’d look like Snow White. He’d then have relations with them, and inevitably end up killing them all. Some of the pieces didn’t quite add up, like why Crane left Lily’s head on the front steps of the Fabletown apartments – but we all knew we were only two fifths of the way through the story, so must figured it would be explained or uncovered as we moved along. This time, the plot thickens, and the mood goes from feeling the need to take a shower and wipe off the emotional ick, to that sinking “we’re in so much trouble, guys” feeling that rests at the pit of your stomach, begging for relief.
Instead of introducing us to several new characters this time around, the story focuses in on the Fables we’ve already met, with only a couple new additions. This approach left me intrigued about the new characters, and more attached to the old favourites – adding layer after layer of interrelationship information that makes the entire situation feel more flawed, and somehow more important. Adding new depth to the interactions, and bigger revelations, it truly feels as if A Crooked Mile plunges right into the heart of the story, where we realize that everything we know so far could be wrong, and that we haven’t even scratched the surface of the really big secrets Fabletown is hiding. From deciding whether or not Bigby will defy his love interest, or ruin an old woman’s life, to finding out more information about relational entanglements and loyalties between different characters you never realized really knew one another that well – every bit of the story uncovers more and more about the real truth behind these Fables. That might just be all that’s needed to keep a gamer’s full attention from start to finish.
While the storyline may seem close to perfection, not everything is well executed in A Crooked Mile. Maneuvering through the rooms can be extremely troublesome in A Crooked Mile, even more so than previously in The Wolf Among Us, as the game tries to work with new angles previously not attempted, making for a cumbersome experience when trying to investigate any area. There is also a prompt issue gamers should be aware of, specifically with pressing the Q prompt during action sequences. This issue didn’t seem to exist in Episode 1, but in Episodes 2 and 3 it seems to be extremely prevalent. Four keyboards later and the different types of testing on each (slow, casual pressing, fast-paced pressing, holding Q down, trying to match the Q as the animation lands, you name it), and the issue still occurred (this may be a PC problem that doesn’t exist on consoles, but it can certainly break the immersion). All other prompts work smoothly, and the fight scenes are implemented flawlessly even if you fail at an attempt. In some cases, you’re meant to fail as part of the story. Still, it’s great to get into the fight by choosing whether to punch one of the Tweedle brothers in the gut or go for their gun can make the player feel like they are more in control of the situation.
Dingy scenery, dim lighting, and bold, comic book style animations are trademark with The Wolf Among Us, and A Crooked Mile doesn’t hesitate to continue with this trend. The most impressive part of the animations is how natural the cutscenes look, and how smooth the action sequences are, especially for something that looks hand drawn. Many of the same voice actors return in all their glory, with a few new ones to mix it up. The creepy way the Bloody Mary meows so casually during a very serious conversation instantly makes you feel chills, like she’s just this side of a bloody killing spree. The new voice acting is a nice addition, keeping in step with the high caliber in the series so far. There are many points in the story where there is no music, which can sometimes make the conversations even more realistic, more intense. The classic electronic cop-themed beats you hear in crime dramas is still there throughout the game, but it’s subtle and easily missed if you aren’t listening for it. Everything in the game is meant to be more immersive, and not get in the way of the story.
The changes that you see in our main character, on the other hand, are far from subtle this time around. In A Crooked Mile, players will really get to see Bigby reveal his true inner beast or expose himself as a gentle giant based on the decisions they make. There are no more half-choices like in previous episodes, where silence as a conversation answer was considered Bigby showing restraint, or asking someone to make a choice instead of Bigby was considered courteous. Hard-hitting questions make Bigby put all his cards on the table, and makes players finally decide what kind of man (or beast) he really is.
The Wolf Among Us: Episode Three – A Crooked Mile truly stands on its own against popular hits like The Walking Dead, and offers gamers a taste of a fairy tale that doesn’t pull any punches. If anyone was worried that the designers, writers, or anyone involved in this project would start getting lazy, they will be pleasantly surprised. This adventure will have an average playtime of sixty to ninety minutes, with the ability to go back and choose different paths if you want to see where the story will take you. A Crooked Mile not only delivers on every front the first two Episodes did with regards to storyline and character development, it takes it a step further, weaving an even more interesting web than before. While the mechanics can be a little aggravating, the animation transitions are smooth and the action sequences are nearly flawless, producing quality content worth playing.