The Wolf Among Us Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Well as we inch closer  and closer towards summer we start trying to clear out our backlog of games for review. I had high hopes from this game as its from a studio I came to know and love for their epic work on their The Walking Dead game. This time around we will see if the people over at Telltale Games can recreate the same success they found with Clementine and The Walking Dead. So lets go find out all about The Wolf Among Us...

The Wolf Among Us is an ongoing episodic graphic adventure video game based on Bill Willingham's Fables comic book series. The Wolf Among Us is a point-and-click adventure game, where the player, in control of the protagonist Bigby Wolf, can move about the environment and examine and interact with other characters or objects. It is similar to Telltale's previous game, The Walking Dead, in that the player may make choices in their actions or through conversation trees that will influence future events in the story, including events in future episodes. These include major decisions, such as deciding which of two culprits to chase after while allowing the other to go free. Some scenes are more action-oriented, requiring the player to respond to a series of quick time events. Failure to do these correctly may end the scene with the death of Bigby or another character, but the game will restart at a checkpoint just before that scene to allow the player to try again.

What’s Good:

Replay value: Many variables to examine and paths to take and potential relationships to form so one or even two breakthroughs wont be enough to explore all possible avenues.

Soundtrack: Wonderful ambiance, voice acting and overall sound quality. All characters are represented and depicted well and translate well into their modern gritty roles.

Graphics: The game itself seems to have a more refined and crisp look to it than The Walking Dead. I definitely like the art style utilized in this as it feels more real and less cartoon-like.

Story-line: Very interesting story-line; started out a bit confusing but slowly started making more and more sense as time went on. Considering the game is based on a comic book series that is already well fleshed out i have high hopes for the progression of this series.

What Should Have Been Added:

Only thing I can think of is a better save/level system so the player can readily reload key-points in the story to choose different options and see how they play out.

Final Thoughts:

Even though it felt a bit shorter than anticipated a enjoyable and worthwhile experience that I have grown to look forward to. I am very much looking forward to playing through this series from start to finish just as we did with The Walking Dead.

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The Walking Dead Season 2 Episode 2 Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Alrighty then, ladies and gentlemen we back back all up in this bitch. Full recovered from our near death experience we are back to business as usual. Taking it slow and getting back into the swing of things this week we get our grubby little hands on episode two of Telltale Games wonderful game The Walking Dead. Episode one really hit things off with a bang last time and left us on the edge of our seat. Will episode 2 follow suit and deliver on the high level quality we have come to expect from The Walking Dead Series?

The Walking Dead: Season Two is an ongoing episodic graphic adventure based on Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic book series and developed by Telltale Games. It is the sequel to The Walking Dead, with the first episode released digitally in December 2013, and a retail collector's DVD edition planned at the conclusion of the season. The game employs the same narrative structure as the first season, where player choice in one episode will have a permanent impact on future story elements. The player choices recorded in save files from the first season and the additional episode 400 Days carry over into the second season. Clementine, who was the player's companion during the first season, is the player-character in Season Two. If you haven't already feel free to check out our game-play videos of Season 1, 400 Days DLC, and the start of Season 2 on our YouTube channel.

What’s Good:

Replay value: So many options but so little time.

Soundtrack: Wonderful ambiance, voice acting and overall sound quality.

Graphics: The game itself seems to have less graphical options to tweak so I take that to mean there were default improvements made behind the scenes.

Story-line: Oh my god!! I don't want to spoil it but a character from Season 1 makes an appearance in this episode. I nearly lost it when I discovered it, you definitely gotta play the game or watch my play through to see who the mystery character is.

What Should Have Been Added:

Maybe a flashback portion of the episode to help give some explanation as to how that character from Season 1 survived and what they experienced to get to where they are now. 

Final Thoughts:

Even though it felt a bit shorter than anticipated a enjoyable and worthwhile experience as always. I'm starting to wonder if I even need to review this series anymore since honestly I cant see Telltale Games messing up this excellent franchise they have created.

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The Walking Dead: Season Two Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

*starts Daniel Bryan chants* YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! I finally got my hands on time and a copy of The Walking Dead: Season 2. I know i'm way late in playing this but I just now clearing out some of my back logged games since my machine had died on my and I was M.I.A. for about three months. If you have been following my coverage of this game you know just how much I am invested and a fan of the series. It connects you to the characters on such a level that I haven't seen from a game in a while, the closet game that comes to mind would probably be the new Tomb Raider game that we reviewed last year. Well enough of this recap let go catch up with Clementine, Omid, and Christa.

The Walking Dead: Season Two is an ongoing episodic graphic adventure based on Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic book series and developed by Telltale Games. It is the sequel to The Walking Dead, with the first episode released digitally in December 2013, and a retail collector's DVD edition planned at the conclusion of the season. The game employs the same narrative structure as the first season, where player choice in one episode will have a permanent impact on future story elements. The player choices recorded in save files from the first season and the additional episode 400 Days carry over into the second season. Clementine, who was the player's companion during the first season, is the player-character in Season Two. If you haven't already feel free to check out our game-play videos of Season 1 and the 400 Days DLC on our YouTube channel.

What’s Good:

Replay value: With this being the first episode of Season 2 one would think there is not much to do but its quite the opposite. Before my play-through I actually went back to replay Season 1

Soundtrack: Wonderful ambiance, voice acting and overall sound quality. It is truly an immersible experience embarking with Clementine as she enters all the situations and environments she encounters.

Graphics: Graphic quality seems to have taken an inherent step up in this iteration of the game while still retaining the classic comic book cell shaded style that the series has embraced. The game itself seems to have less graphical options to tweak so I take that to mean there were default improvements made behind the scenes.

Story-line: Excellent story progression and character progression helps keep you focused and on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. Playing through there are many moments that have you clueless as to the angle the story is developing from but still manages to make sense underneath it all.

Game Mechanics: Improved HUD and UI make this almost like a whole new game. I was pleasantly surprised when playing to notice the little nuances about the interactivity of the game that they had changed. Another pleasant addition to the game I liked is the increased level of quick time events (QTE) included as it keeps you alert and in sync with the immediate plight of Clementine.

What’s Bad:

The unrelenting hard decisions that Telltale Games forces on the player are no joke. As you become invested in the game and Clementine you truly see that the developers at Telltale Games are some evil people. Just kidding; the game is excellent and I simply cannot wait to get my hands on the next episode.

What Should Have Been Added:

I wish instead of the way they transitioned between time lapses they gave more back-story development for us to connect deeper with the struggles Clementine had to overcome. All she has learnt to cope with the cruel world she is in and struggles she has overcome are of utmost importance to her character development.

Final Thoughts:

This game is on a roll and continues to meet  if not exceed expectations in each episode. I cannot wait to see what Telltale games throws our way next. Clementines growth over the span of the two seasons is really impressive and maintains the bond the player has developed with her over the course of the seasons.

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Its About Goddamn Time

Gameplay - 10/10

Storyline - 8/10

Graphics - 9/10

Game Score : 27/30

Well my life is somewhat in shambles as I write this but at the end of the day i guess its true what they say; at the end of the day all a man has is his word and his tech. So as any other man does I drown myself in my tech and revel in the fact that gaming exists for normal people like me. So here we have Playstation All Stars Battle Royale; Sony's foray into the world of all out brawling fun akin to the likes of Super Smash Brothers. Make no mistake even though this game will be seen as a copy of Nintendo's Super Smash Brother franchise it is its on little slice of heaven in its own right and improves upon its main source of comparison. So this week we look at the free to play open access beta of PASBR (Playstation All-Star Battle Royale)...

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is an upcoming crossover fighting video game which is being developed by SuperBot Entertainment in conjunction with SCE Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita video game consoles. The gameplay is conceptually similar to the Super Smash Bros. series, in which up to four players can battle each other using characters from various Sony franchises such as God of War, PaRappa the Rapper and Sly Cooper, as well as third-party franchises like BioShock. 

There are, however, differences in how opponents are defeated. During the game, players damage other players to receive orbs that build up a power meter at the bottom of the screen (These orbs can also be found on the stage over the course of the match). Earning enough power allows players to use one of three levels of super moves which can be used to defeat opponents and earn points. Arenas are also inspired by various PlayStation titles, with some areas mashing up two titles into one (for example, a LittleBigPlanet-themed stage which is mixed with Buzz!). The game will feature cross-platform play between the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita versions. So you can game at home and on the go with your favorite Sony character's.

Whats Good:

This game takes many notes from the Smash Brothers franchise and improves upon them. It features a new take on the battle system where players have set lives and battles are determined by the last player alive. Instead the team over at Superbot have decided to come up with a system that fosters fast paced action and intense battles. By doing away with any clear indicator of who is in the lead or who has the least amount of lives and just having everyone battle it out it keeps the action moving and helps combat player who may want to play a lame keep-away game instead of getting in the mix of everything. The game also features a very good online matchmaking system with puts forth quick match making and stable online connectivity between players. As you can imagine this is a very big thing for a game that is 4 players on one screen going crazy. Wide variety of characters to choose from various Sony related franchises not to mention the possibility of additional DLC characters.

Whats Bad:

My only complaint with the game thus far is that the items in the game are very hard to make the most of because of the animation to pick up items is a bit cumbersome. Also the characters need some balancing because as it stands Radec and Kratos seem to be the cream of the crop from the six characters available for play in the beta. (Parappa The Rapper, Radec, Kratos, Sweettooth, Sly Cooper, Fat Princess)

What Should Have Been Added:

Honestly can't say right now since I only played the beta but i'll hopefully update this once I get the full version of the game.

So until next time you guys enjoy some footage of me and my friend Doug Morris aka Daigo Kengo playing some 2 vs 2 as we take on all comers on the internet. The full game comes out on November 20th so keep your eyes peeled.

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Kiss Your Moral Compass Goodbye

Gameplay - 10/10

Storyline - 10/10

Graphics - 9/10

Game Score : 29/30

OMFG!!! Where has this game been all my life? Telltale Games you people are gods among men in the gaming industry as of right now. That's it i'm declaring it right now that this game is game of the year worthy. If you are within earshot or eye-shot of this review and have not yet played this game stop reading or listening and go play from episode 1. GO! I'll wait...

Ok so by now you should have played and gotten back to read this; if not then you can also check out our two earlier reviews of Episode 1 & Episode 2. So let me just start off by saying after completing my play-through and writing this i'm pissed as fuck for what happened in the game. You can be damn well sure that I will be playing over a new save state to ensure that person does not die the second time around. Be sure to check out my play-through with commentary video at the end of this review. I swear every-time I write a review for Telltale Games epic episodic The Walking Dead game there are just less and less things for me to praise without repeating myself. I thought I had some tough choices to make when I played Episode 2 but Episode 3 blew those out the water. The team at Telltale Games definitely have shown that they know what they are doing and are not a one trick pony. I'm so happy to see that in these times of DLC and multi-player based gaming that someone still understands that the story and character development of a game is what makes the experience truly worthwhile.

Oh my darling dear Clementine; the things you have seen. Being forced to grow up so fast is never and easy thing and boy oh boy does this episode put you in some intense dilemma. If I were any lesser of a man I know there are certain points in this episode that would have had me crying like a little wuss. Just like the title says you can kiss your moral compass goodbye in this episode because there are so many heavy choices to make. Even when you think you are doing the right thing it can easily turn you into feeling you made the worst decision ever. I feel such an intense bond between me and Clementine almost as if she is genuinely my daughter now, my every thought and action revolves around her and how it will impact her. If I had to sum up this game in one phrase it would be "this game is too well written."; this game has refreshed my faith in the gaming industry. It has been far too long since I have seen a game so exquisitely written and delivered to its audience.

Here we have the next character that I am conflicted with; I started out wanting to be friends with him in Episode 1 but slowly he started taking on a kind of bossy asshole type mentality. I know the game adapts to the choices we make as we progress so I felt kind of responsible but it was already too late to try and fix our damaged relationship. In Episode 3 however I made up my mind to start severing ties with him, sadly the game had other plans and somehow I kept finding myself in situations where I just couldn't do it. By the end of Episode 3 I felt so bad that I started trying to mend my relationship with him yet again and as of writing this I think i'll continue to do so in Episode 4. This game just really knows how to tug at your heartstrings man.-_-

Well that's it for our review of The Walking Dead Episode 3 here on In The Mind Of My Mind. Hope you enjoyed it and will give the game a play cause it surely deserves you money. If you can't then we got you covered with our game-play commentary so grab some popcorn and enjoy the show.

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