The Wolf Among Us: Episode 4 Review

Is the penultimate episode of TellTale's Fables franchise worth sinking your teeth into?

A fatal flaw of many second-to-last entries of a series is that they usually only serve to hype up their finales, and so are often victims of originality and little plot development. This is partly the case for Episode 4 of 'The Wolf Among Us', which has already had it's fair share of dull moments throughout it's steady release pattern.

Though the majority of 'In Sheep's Clothing' serves as exposition for the series' final chapter, Episode 4 has a few stand out moments that'll keep the player interested. We're immediately reminded of the events of the night before, being forced to grimace our way through a button mashing sequence to repair a bloodied and bruised Bigby's broken arm. It's an opening that certainly pulls you back into the danger our main characters are facing, though the tension quickly dies down and we're faced with a lengthy dialogue driven encounter with Snow White and your porky flatmate Colin. In fact, several sections of this episode are driven by character interactions; with some being more bearable to sit through than others. Your encounter with Beauty and the Beast in particular is a bore to endure, as their sympathetic portrayal from previous episodes is completely reversed and are suddenly depicted as one-dimensional spoiled brats. 

Most of the characters also continue to be oblivious to the player's previous choices, as noted in my review of Episode 3 here, with very little dialogue variation on this part. There are a few more choices to make within this episode that will undoubtedly affect the player's experience in Episode 5, but it's a pity we have to wait for the finale to see our minor decisions come into play.

This episode does however contain another multiple choice segment, with each path, although both ultimately coming to the same conclusion, offering unique interactions and dialogue for the player. This certainly makes the user's journey more adapted to their playstyle and specific to their choices from throughout the series. It can be noted though that your choice here does not alter the overall outcome - Bigby still learns the same information either way. Although a neat addition to the series' gameplay, it would be better for future installments if these 50/50 choices had a greater impact on the overall story; the best of which was in Episode 1, but even then, the character in question has only appeared once in the series if you managed to save them, having no impact whatsoever on your journey.

There's also very little actual detective work within this episode - a lot of the revelations made were ones that I'd deduced of my own accord, and few answers are obtained for the more important questions at hand. Unlike previous installments, the player doesn't have the option to deduce the evidence through their dialogue choices, which I found to be one of the more interesting aspects of investigation throughout the series. It's for this reason that very little really progresses story wise within the episode, which means there's a lot to wrap up in the upcoming finale. 

However that doesn't mean the episode is without it's thrills. There's an excellent fight sequence where you face off against the fantastically designed Jersey Devil, another of the Crooked Man's goons, in a heart pounding quick time event, where you'll get some much needed help from an old friend. It's also key to note that the actual climax of the episode is incredibly successful at building up suspense and creating a very unsettling atmosphere for the player, and really hypes up the series' final episode. Just make sure you choose to 'Smoke' as your final option - you won't regret the fantastic cliffhanger you'll receive for it. 

Ultimately, Episode 4 of The Wolf Among Us is very hit and miss in terms of both gameplay and story, which leaves a lot to be desired. It's up to the final chapter then to give us a gut wrenching conclusion to TellTale's fairytale noir, where we can hopefully see all of our choices come into play when the case is finally closed. 

Score: 6/10

Batman Arkham Origins: Cold, Cold Heart DLC Review

Is the final DLC for Batman: Arkham Origins a frozen delight or another Schwarzenegger?

 

 

Revenge is a dish best served cold, and Warner Bros. Games Montreal certainly stepped up to the plate with this final DLC for their take on Rocksteady's Arkham franchise.  And whom better to dive into the 'Origins' of than Mr. Freeze, a Batman rogue who rose to fame after his appearance in the iconic animated series in the early 90s.

 

In fact, it's hard not to see the developers' love for 'BTAS' throughout this story DLC - the plot is loosely based on fan favourite episode 'Heart of Ice', in which The Dark Knight must rescue humanitarian Ferris Boyle from a chilly demise at the hands of one giant ice robot, but all is not as it seems. Even the opening title screen beautifully mimics the original series' title card, and there are multiple references through dialogue that are subtle nods to the infamous episode. Needless to say, knowledgeable Bat fans will definitely appreciate these Easter eggs.

 

The story itself is essentially a retelling of said episode, but has more twists and turns for gameplay value. We open with a fantastic sequence in Wayne Manor, where you fight your way through thugs that have invaded the mansion before travelling through a secret passage to don your cape and cowl. From then on it's a race to find Mr. Boyle before Freeze quite literally breaks the ice, and you'll bump into a few familiar faces along the way, including a hilarious cameo from Nolan North as the Penguin, who was sadly underutilised in the main campaign. Maurice LaMarche reprises his role from Arkham City as Freeze, and his voice work shines through as the highlight of the DLC. With such well written dialogue paying homage to the original animated classic, it's bizarre to be both intimidated by and sympathetic towards a character in such a way. Overall the story is a little underwhelming if you know the basics of Freeze's origins, especially considering how emotionally driven it's source material was, but has a few touching moments here and there to keep you interested.

 

 

 Gameplay has also evolved thanks to the addition of the new XE suit; an Iron Man-esque fashion statement that allows you to kick criminal ass whilst in subzero temperatures, and use your Thermal Gloves to free frozen civilians, or just allow for interesting new takedowns. Whilst the suit has a great design, with its bulky shoulder pads and mouth-less cowl, the only new feature it gives us is a copy and paste of the Shock Gauntlets from the main game. Whilst this is only a slight disappointment, it's a shame to also see this new suit isn't available to use in the external challenge maps, nor are any of the new locations available as said maps outside of this DLC. It's a flaw that Arkham City's 'Harley Quinn's Revenge' also had, and one that will hopefully be fixed third time around for the upcoming Arkham Knight.

 

Unfortunately this isn't the only deja vu you'll notice in this DLC. In the free roam sections of the game (notably reduced down to just the South District of Gotham, giving you a much smaller environment to play with), you'll have the chance to take out some Anarky thugs in order to earn yourself some upgrades. Whilst this could have been an interesting side quest to tie in with the main narrative, it's evident some of these sections were taken directly from gameplay shown at Origin's E3 preview last year - which didn't make the final cut of the main game. Interesting really, when you think about how developers Warner Bros. Games Montreal stated they wouldn't be releasing any more patches for the infamously buggy Arkham Origins to focus on this DLC, yet they merely added unused elements into the latter. Sheer laziness, or severe pressure from Warner Bros? That's an answer to decide for yourself. Regardless, the Anarky missions are few in number and are basic combat encounters that are brain-numbingly simple to beat.

 

What is a challenge however is the several Silent Predator encounters you'll face. Multiple enemies, a whole lot of guns, hostages to boot - you'll need to think your way through these ones. The boss fight is, again, suspiciously similar to Arkham City's Mr. Freeze showdown, but incorporates these stealth elements to the point where you really have to be on your toes to avoid getting spotted. Combat remains the same, and offer less of a challenge if you're an experienced Arkham gamer. However the introduction of enemies with cryogenic equipment is a nice little addition that is a neat aesthetic touch, but can become tedious to avoid.

 

 

 Another disappointment is the laggy graphics. There is a distinct difference between the CGI cutscenes and the ones rendered in-game, and the lip sync is frankly embarrassing. It's a shame really, as many of said computer rendered cinematics are stunning to look at, and a lot of the new locations such as Wayne Manor and Nora's containment unit are great setpieces to admire. You'll find yourself sitting through many black loading screens in order to transition into a dialogue driven encounter, and then grimace your way through dodgy lip movements. It's a problem I certainly never noticed in the main game itself, so it's a pity to see it show up here when several elements of this DLC seem lazily strung together as is.

 

At its core, A Cold, Cold Heart is a neat little extra to add to the Arkhamverse lore, but fails to add any original gameplay aspects that'll make you get your money's worth. Thankfully, its clear love for Batman: The Animated Series saves this DLC from freezing solid in the ice cold blizzard of unoriginality, and is sure to warm true Bat fans' hearts.

 

Score: 5/10

The Wolf Among Us: Episode 3 Review

The midway mark of TellTale's fairytale noir returns the series to its bloody brilliance.

 

 

Being the halfway point of any series is difficult as it is, let alone that of a franchise created by  award winning developers. Yet 'A Crooked Mile' serves up the perfect recipe for a detective RPG, and we finally get to see some of our all important choices come into play.

 

Picking up after the cliffhanger of Episode 2, Sheriff Bigby Wolf finds himself in a race against the clock to track the location of Fabletown's very own Keyser Söze, offering players the best multiple choice decision of the series so far. You quite literally become the detective, choosing where to investigate first, and fast. The story based timer and multiple story options that come with this portion of the episode are fantastic, amping up the tension to an insane degree where you'll stop at nothing to make sure you get the evidence you need. You'll find yourself tactically choosing what objects to click in order to find out what's important and vice versa, and the odd chiming of a clock in the background really helps to make the player feel completely immersed in this race against time. It's an episode that'll definetly be worth replaying to see what clues you missed out on first time around. 

 

The rest of the episode is also solid, with your playstyle finally seeming to have an impact on others. Characters will have different interactions depending on your previous choices, and each individual suprisingly begins to hold out on their own in this installment. You can find yourself empathising with Holly the Troll just as much as the protagonist you're playing. What can be pointed out though is that most changes in characters' behaviour seems to be based more upon major story decisions within the series (killing said person here, beating up said person there) rather than one on one character interactions. Despite backchatting to Snow White on every available occasion, she'll still be kind hearted towards you rather than tutting at your every move like in previous episodes. Hopefully this is something that can be improved in Episode 4.

 

Choices also appear to be limited in some instances. For example, when questioned if you believe a character is guilty, the vocal options are "No, he's guilty.", "What do you mean?" and "How do you know?" Spot the difference? The player's own deduction of the mystery is therefore limited in expression, and offers little expansion when it comes to your own theories.

 

 

The episode does however introduce new characters to the franchise's folklore - including comic staple Flycatcher and the ruthless Bloody Mary, an antagonist exclusive to the TellTale's take on the Fables comics, and a villainess that will certainly leave a lasting impression next time you look in a mirror. 

 

The series is fundamentally a murder mystery, and as is typical of the genre we get a few red herrings and more questions appearing than actually being solved by the end of it all. It's a lot to answer for in just two more episodes, and although very little moves forward in the grand scheme of things, we do get the resolution of one character's arch, though even that is cut short by the game's phenomenol climax.

 

Whilst previous episodes had few truly intense action moments, the finale of 'A Crooked Mile' is, in short, badass in every sense of the word. Combat remains to be basic, but little impact is needed to exaggerate the brutal showdown that takes place, and is by far one of the series highlights. We see Bigby as we've never seen him before - and it's a beatdown that will certainly be hard to forget.

 

All in all, the third installment of 'The Wolf Among Us' can sometimes leave you howling for a full moon, but successfully hypes up what's sure to be a heart pounding penultimate episode.

 

 

Score: 8/10

South Park: The Stick of Truth Review

The rude and raunchy RPG will make you laugh, cringe, and want to relive all 17 seasons again and again.

 

With over 200 episodes and an iconic animated movie under it's belt, the satirical South Park seems the perfect candidate to poke fun at the ever-growing gaming community. For those who aren't a fan of the show's crude and cruel portrayals of topical social issues and political correctness, The Stick of Truth is exactly that; no anti-Semitic joke is left unsaid, no turd left un-flung. But for long time fans of the show, the game not only lives up to the franchise's name sake, but also creates a hilarious RPG experience that any roleplayer can enjoy.

 

You play as the New Kid, or Douchebag for short, having just moved in to the chaotic town of South Park in the midst of an all out imagination-fuelled war between the kids of your new neighbourhood, who've clearly been watching far too much Lord of The Rings. It's not long before you're dragged into the mayhem, mastering your fart techniques and giving your all to protect the titular Stick of Truth - a weapon that can supposedly control the universe.

 

The game really feels like you're playing an episode from the show, with the iconic cut-out animation style transitioning perfectly into the video game world, without feeling out of place alongside the gameplay mechanics. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone bring their usual wit and social commentary along with them, making a game that is both a parody of the medium and a well rounded gaming experience.

 

 

What’s more, the game is an open-world homage to the show’s 17 year history, featuring the entire town to search and explore. You’ll have a hard time not coming across an Easter egg of some sort, from Tom Cruise hiding in Stan’s closet to some familiar furry creatures hanging out in the forest. It’s a solid 12-14 hours of inside jokes, references and offensive humour that pulls from 247 episodes worth of comedy gold. Even for those who aren’t familiar with the show, there’s plenty of jokes that work without needing any context, so you won’t be missing out on the punchline.

The comedy doesn’t stop there, with the game taking tropes from the RPG franchise and making them their own. You choose from four classes to play as, whether that be the football helmet-wearing ‘fighter’ who relies on baseball bats and crotch shots to make their way to victory, or the hilarious Jew class, who uses a Circum-scythe to give him enemies a bleeding debuff. It’s an experience that’s not only well thought out by the creators, but brings you back to your own childhood of thinking up imaginary worlds – except this time with katanas and broken beer bottles. The classes are however very similar in move sets, with no additional abilities unique outside of combat, so most players may feel obliged to choose the latter for their playthrough, due to it having the only class-based achievement in the game (discovering Jesus as a Jew no less), and being the most creative character type.

There’s still a vast amount of customisation to be had with your character though, having practically hundreds of different costume pieces and weapons you can equip with special ‘stickers’ to give you that extra boost in combat. Who doesn’t want to battle with a glowing pink dildo that gives your enemies shock damage? It’s a nice layer of complexity to an otherwise basic system.

 

The battles themselves are very typical of the genre, following a turn-based pattern and relying on mainly timing your button presses just right. It’s a system that’s fun at first, though can become tedious after you’ve unlocked all your abilities.

You don’t fight alone however. After earning their friendship through a fictional Facebook, you can choose between several of the show’s characters to join you on your quest. Each can be swapped out at any point in the game, and all feature unique abilities true to their character – the fair maiden Princess Kenny is revived if killed in battle, whilst High Jew Elf Kyle can kick his adoptive brother Ike at his enemies. Some characters’ moves are more useful than others, but each has their own unique dialogue throughout the open world, so it’s worth swapping them around every now and then to hear what comical one liners they have to say.

Though the main story is a tad too short, and boss fights become basic once you’ve levelled up enough, South Park: The Stick of Truth is a game that is both fun to play and fun to watch. Regardless of how repetitive the combat can become, there’s plenty of charm to the game that masterfully builds upon the show’s foundations, creating a game that is one of a kind to the genre. Just don’t forget to bring your towel.

Score: 8/10

The LEGO Movie Review

Bursting with colour, creativity, and of course bricks, this pop-culture cashgrab is as smart as it is stunning.

 

 

The iconic Danish brand alone guarenteed this film's financial success - but what could have been your typical dumbed down kid's movie is actually a masterful construction of wit, satire, and nostalgia that the whole family can enjoy.

 

In fact, The LEGO Movie is perhaps moreso written for adults than children. It's a movie that is very self aware, and the majority of the film's gags revolve around the limitations of the brand in question. For a film that is essentially an hour and a half long commercial, it surprisingly has a lot of social commentary, even poking fun at the consumerism it's based upon. There's several little nods throughout the narrative that can make anyone who's ever played with those iconic bricks feel like a kid again.

 

That's not to say that The LEGO Movie is without a plot - considering the brand has hundreds of licenses under their studded belts, it's actually admirable to see the writers haven't let their game down; the band of minifigure misfits are perfectly cast and, dare I say, hilarious to see interact with one another (Liam Neeson as a police officer with an unusual case of bipolar disorder takes the cake) and the inclusion of multiple third party characters makes this universe even more imaginative and similar to that of many children's experiances with LEGO. The third act is nothing short of breathtaking - after a year with so few good animated films, who'd have thought a movie based on colourful pieces of plastic could actually be incredibly touching? It's a moral that can identify with millions of LEGO users across the world, and one that is perfectly bittersweet; for both the young and young at heart.

 

The animation is also top-notch, with the stop motion indistinguisable from it's computer generated counterpart. It's a feast for the eyes, though can be overwhelming at times - the second act feeling like a mass of multicoloured bricks sprawled across your carpet. If you can recover from this seizure of creativity however, the rest of the film is incredible to look at, and you can see the craftsmenship that went into creating each individual world. From an ocean made out of translucent blue studs to every alarm clock reading 7:00AM, it's a "Master Builder" paradise.

 

Far from following the instruction manual of children's films, The LEGO Movie is a creation that is made with true precision in both writing and visuals. Despite the ocassional overwhelming nature of it's detailed setpieces, the mass is constructed into an ending you can't help but marvel at, and builds the foundations for many brand-based, family friendly films to come.

 

Score: 9/10

The Wolf Among Us: Episode 2 Review

The second instalment of TellTale's five-part Fables tribute lacks the full moon of its predecessor.

 

'Smoke and Mirrors' picks up practically minutes after the cliffhanger of Chapter 1, and we're immediately transported back into the beautifully stylised world of The Wolf Among Us. Having waited over four months for this next instalment to the franchise, Episode 2's long awaited release is only somewhat justified by it's actual content.

 

This chapter is much slower in pace, with very little actual story progression. Episode 2's plot is similar to a jigsaw puzzle, in that the majority of gameplay is based solely on detective work - from analysing a crime scene to interrogating a suspect. However, playing 'Smoke and Mirrors' is essentially like completing a jigsaw that came with specific instructions. When analysing evidence, the correct response seems the most obvious out of the four options, making your job as Sheriff feel like child's play, and the game's climax is unsurprising thanks to a sporadic change of one character's mannerisms. Most players will have the intellect to work these things out for themselves, making Bigby's investigation less mysterious and therefore less interesting.

 

In addition, the player's choices are limited to minor decisions in comparison to Episode 1's, where you felt as if everything you did had a huge impact on your case. Here, we have your quint essential good cop bad cop - play Bigby nice, or play him as the Big Bad Wolf he was born to be. These black-and-white decisions literally come to the point where an entire scene revolves around provoking your suspect through either mild intimidation or by brutally destroying his possessions. In this case then, the game is very bland to play out in some sections, in that you're limited to only develop Bigby's character down one of two paths.

 

 

Despite these flaws, the episode still holds up well and features many new characters who you'll just love to hate. Georgie Porgie is no longer an innocent little boy, but the owner of Fabletown's sleazy strip club The Pudding 'n' Pie, and early on we meet the kind hearted but obnoxious Jack of beanstalk-climbing fame, who doesn't quite know when to keep his mouth shut. These new additions to the game's universe add yet another layer of depth and dimension to a franchise that is already so rich in detail and well thought out. The gorgeous neon colour palette is shown off in all of it's glory in the strip club scene; paired with the game's brooding soundtrack, it's just stunning to experience.

 

Existing characters aren't left out though, with your choices from the previous episode playing a big part of several scenes in the episode. The suspect you arrested in the former's climax will give you entirely different information to what the other criminal would have said, allowing both you and Bigby to slowly solve the mystery in a unique way. Characters will interact with you based on how you treated them previously, and Bigby himself is developed fantastically over the course of the narrative. Adam Harrington's voice work shines through, perfectly delivering each line with such emotion - you BECOME the Wolf, with the player's choices parallelling the mood of the protagonist. Why wouldn't you hit that person when Bigby scowled at them like that?

 

 

With a story that's grim, gruesome, and everything in between, 'Smoke and Mirrors' is a satisfying addition to the The Wolf Among Us' evergrowing Fable universe, but lacks the proper story progression or diverse choices that would make it surpass Episode 1. Let's hope then that this is the only slimy hairball we'll see in the series.

 

Score: 7/10

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate Review

The Arkhamverse's first venture into handheld gaming is a solid entry to the series' near perfect mythos.

Whilst Warner Bros. latest console addition to the franchise didn't bare as well as its predecessors, Batman: Arkham Origins was undeniably the best written and best looking entry to the trilogy. However along with the release of this perculiar prequel came the addition of a game unique to the PSVita and 3DS platforms - I'm of course refering to Blackgate.

 

Set three months after the events of Origins, Blackgate follows Batman's journey into Blackgate Prison in order to take out the three gang leaders - Joker, Black Mask and Penguin - who are holding the facility hostage after a suspicious riot breaks out. Working alongside The Dark Knight is Catwoman, in her first canon appearence of the franchise, whos motives seem uncertain to her caped counterpart. The story is the main focus of the game as it should be, with the same stellar voice acting and the same stellar writing behind the series that we've come to expect. Troy Baker in particular steals the show again as the Clown Prince of Crime, and the game actually manages to be pretty dark at times. Without giving too much away, Blackgate's loose plot and unneeded cameos in the form of boss fights ties up nicely at its climax, alluding to a much anticipated WB project in the works. In all honesty, many faults cannot be pointed out within the story itself, and the game is certainly a worthy entry into the Arkham universe. Although one must bode the question - haven't we seen this all before in Batman: Arkham Asylum?

 

What's particularly interesting about this game is it's platforming style, modelled after Metriod and the such like, in contrast to the sandbox enviroment of its console equivalents. In every sense then, Blackgate was designed to be handheld, and not a mere copy and paste job.

 

Playing on a 3DS though, it's hard to say many traditions of the franchise have transitioned all that smoothly. Keeping up a combo in combat is near impossible thanks to the device's tiny buttons in comparison to console controllers, meaning that the now iconic Freeflow Focus system developed in previous games is lost entirely to clunky, slow fight scenes. This can be particularly difficult for some of the boss fights, in which you have to multitask evading and using gadgets without the ability to quickfire them like in the game's predecessors. I specifically mention that I played the game on a 3DS as I feel the experiance may have been slightly different should I have played on a PSVita. In fact, I would say the game is designed even more so to the Vita's advantage; the collectables throughout the game don't feel that rewarding to gather unless you're earning a trophy for them, and similarly so for unlocking each ending (which we'll get into a bit later).

 

 

As far as Detective Mode goes, again the limitations of being a handheld game restricts overall enjoyment of playment. Each predator sequence feels laid out for you, not making it much of a challenge if you know the basics of any Arkham game. Of course there are the odd encounters that require you to think more than usual, but the new ability of analysing your environment is really what seals the deal.

 

Although briefly touched upon in Arkham Origins, the new feature of being able to analyse your surroundings using Detective Mode makes an emmersive gaming experiance where you truly feel like the World's Greatest Detective, and rightly so takes up the majority of gameplay. I actually found myself really liking this new feature after initial skepticism, and it isn't as tedious as it looks. Blackgate is very much a puzzle based game, with this new feature being the core of it. I'd love to see something similar introduced into the future console entries to the franchise, as it makes the Caped Crusader's journey that little bit more interesting.

 

Also unique to the game is the ability to backtrack. Each boss holds out a specific area of the prison, and once you've explored around half of each facility, you'll be required to travel to another via a secret entrance to obtain a gadget upgrade in order for you to move on. Admittedly this can be a bit tedious, but the structure works out OK for the most part, and the great set designs are good enough to occupy you otherwise. This also allows the player to complete the main story in different orders, making it great for replay value if you want to unlock all the villain's secret (all be it short) cutscenes and a slightly alternate climax - note the word slightly.

 

If anything however, the games biggest fault lies in its atrocious character models. Although only noticeable up close, by slapping a texture onto a character model rather than designing them more carefully is in all honesty a disgrace to a system that has had the likes of the beautiful Uncharted and Forza on their resume. Again, this may differ from console to console, but the 3D was certainly not doing the character models any justice.

 

 

What is gorgeous to look at however is the motion comic cutscenes. With a stunning blend of hand drawn animation and realistic textures, these drive the story forward and look fantastic in 3D. Bar some characters being drawn slightly off, it's a neat addition that delivers on what TMNT: Out of The Shadows failed to do so. As I mentioned earlier, the backdrops are also extremely well designed and laid out, whilst also being easy to navigate over time, allowing the platforming experience to be as entertaining as it should be.

 

In conclusion, Arkham Origins: Blackgate is similar to its prequel twin in that both have technical flaws and don't deliver 100% of the time. Despite these problems though, both also give us a great story, and the new features added are really what make them worth checking out.

 

Score: 7/10