The Wolf Among Us: A Fairytale Beginning?

The Wolf Among Us is an episodic, choice-based game made by Telltale Studios, a studio which won 2012 Game of the Year for The Walking Dead. The Wolf Among Us is based on a on-going mature graphic novel series, Fables by DC, which deals with a dark and twisted town and their sheriff, Bigby, who you control. It’s considered a prequel to the comics so it’s a fresh new story and there’s no need to read the comics if you don’t want to.

Your setting is Fabletown, unsurprisingly full of famous characters from fable and fairy tales. Sheriff Bigby hasn’t always been a good guy and therefore a lot of the residents hate your guts, which is difficult to deal with when you’re trying to protect them from the real world discovering them. Episode One deals with a mysterious killer in Fabletown but also alludes to bigger problems later on, concerning the daunting ‘Farm’ which fables are sent to if they cannot pass as human.

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It’s great being able to choose what you say to characters and how you progress the story, as you become more attached and involved with the residents of the town and Bigby himself. Often there’s a time limit on your choices, so your answers become impulsive, or accidental if you press the wrong button. Choices can be trivial or crucial and the effects can be immediate or gradual, which compel you to really think about what you do in the game. I’m hoping that in future episodes the choices you make will create a larger impact on the overall direction of the story, with a possibility of several endings, rather than the smaller and more personal effects they cause at the moment.

There’s a whole host of strange and different characters, all of which are memorable and involved with the story. The plot is complex and reminds me of  ‘film noir’; mysteries surround every character and every event. There’s a simple control system in all aspects of the game, even in the fight scenes where you’re required to press the buttons in a small time frame, making it frantically fun. Although you have a story to follow, there’s a lot to do along the way, the experience of which is enhanced by the atmospheric and stylistic graphics, great voice acting and a lively musical score. A lot of thought has been put into the environment of the game, from background noise and character design to the architecture of the buildings.

The game is comedic, dark and engaging, and its focus on plot and story makes it a great addition to your collection. The fresh twist on fairy tales is interesting and amusing and it’ll be great to meet more of the fables in future episodes. So far only the first of five episodes has been released, a clever technique to keep gamers interested, and you can purchase a season pass or episodes individually.

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The Wolf Among Us is currently available on PC/Mac, Xbox and PS3 and is coming to iOS and Playstation Vita later on in the year.