The Wolf Among Us

[toxicitizen]

 

Didn't see this posted and I don't think we have a thread on this one. I kinda wanted to post it in The Walking Dead thread just to annoy Dean.

 

Anyway, first trailer is out for the new game series from Telltale based on the Fables Vertigo comics. Having read the first few issues of the comics (something like two story arcs), I'm really intrigued to see what they do with this. It's a really cool setting. The trailer is looking pretty good, with visuals very similar to The Walking Dead.

 

Considering how hit-and-miss Telltale have been in the past, I'm really looking forward to see how they'll follow up The Walking Dead. Hopefully they can apply everything they've learned from making TWD and start making quality games more consistently.

 

[Mister Jack]

Never heard of the comic but I'll probably end up playing this anyway.

[Waldorf and Statler]

Never heard of the comic but I'll probably end up playing this anyway.

 

 

It's actually a pretty fucking great comic... until about issue 90 something. Basically once they introduce the new story arc/new villain it got crappy. Maybe it gets better but that's where I stopped.

 

Basically imagine Once Upon A Time, if it were actually good. In fact from what I hear the OUaT channel was trying to make Fables a tv show, but when they couldn't get the rights they decided to make the fruitier version.

 

If you don't know what the premise of the show and comic is: fairy book characters forced to live in real world in their own little city. Where it gets interesting is seeing different depictions of what you'd see in children's stories. Bigsby Wolf is a detective/badass. Snow White is a cold-hearted "ice queen" for the beginning of the comic. Prince Charming from most princess stories is basically one guy and he's this womanizing asshole who ruined basically every woman's opinions on men [including Snow White, at least until Bigsby].

[toxicitizen]

Yeah, what I've read of the comic was pretty great. It seemed like they did a lot of really interesting things with it. The first story arc was a murder mystery while the second one was basically Animal Farm. I should probably take the time to read further than that.

[Waldorf and Statler]

Like I said the comic is decent all the way till 95 or so. That's around when the first major story arc that was the driving force for the comic ends. My favorite character, besides Bigsby, was Little Boy Blue. He's a bamf

[Faiblesse Des Sens]

Looking back on Fables I enjoyed it but it's really not all that amazing/legendary/that sort of level. It really should have ended at some point instead of turning into a cash cow but apparently there's no clear direction Bill Willingham wants to take it besides to the bank.

Either way it's fun enough so I'll likely be getting this as I did like their work on The Walking Dead.

[Waldorf and Statler]

Agreed. It should have ended when the mainland storyline ended. Then they started to introduce marriage, and a new villain, and random prophecies and bleh

[toxicitizen]

I heard about the drop in quality but I'm unfamiliar with the creative forces behind the series. Is it more of a revolving door kinda deal like most comics where different writers and artists take runs on it? Or is there a single creator/mastermind behind the whole thing?

Edited August 14, 2013 by FLD

[Faiblesse Des Sens]

Bill Willingham writes all of it except for the spin-offs. Essentially the ones who created the series always stay in charge on lines like Vertigo.

[Waldorf and Statler]

What FDS said. Main reason I stopped after reading for so long is because the ending would have been perfect, but considering how popular it was maybe he wanted to continue to rake in the cash. I recall him saying that chapter 90 was about the halfway point. So if it hasn't reached around chapter 180-200 by now I don't expect it to end anytime soon.

[toxicitizen]

I see. Thanks. 

[Mister Jack]

 

 

Bringin this thread back!  So I beat episode 3 earlier, and it was a good deal more substantial than episode 2, which felt too quick and almost rushed.  This story is getting pretty intense.

 

 

Ha! I was right about Crane! Suck it, everyone who said I was wrong! Which was...pretty much nobody. Still, I called it!

Also, I'm trying to play through the game having BIgby as a mostly decent guy, but when I got the option to rip out Tweedle Dum's throat, you bet your ass I did it. Those fat bastards were starting to get on my last nerve, and they had already shot me about 50 times so by then I'm pretty sure we could call it self-defense. I don't even care what the karma punishment is for killing him. WORTH IT.

Besides, I may have been trying to have Bigby as a decent man for most of the game but there was no man in that moment. There was only the wolf, and the wolf wanted blood.

 

[TheMightyEthan]

Yeah,

I never thought for a second Crane was the killer, and it bugged me that throughout most of the episode there was no dialog option to that effect.  Hell, I didn't even believe it was really Crane in the photo, I figured it was someone glamoured up to frame him, though apparently I was wrong on that bit.

 

[CorgiShinobi]

I'm with you Ethan.

 

 

It got to the point where the episode proved to me Crane wasn't the killer, but Bigby seemed to only have "Crane = killer" comments when actually confronting him. In fact, like Mister Jack, I've been playing Bigby as a decent guy, though I also give him some attitude. It got to the point where even Snow was pissed off and she along with Bigby went on a rampage.

 

I felt bipolar when confronting Auntie Greenleaf. Believe it or not, I figured that Rachel (I believe that was her kid's name) was her in a glamour. So I go along with telling her to cut the crap and tell us what we needed to know about Crane. Eventually Snow wants to burn an Old World tree and leave Auntie Greenleaf. Damn, I didn't want to go that far so my only other option is to hire her. Well, hopefully Auntie Greenleaf will be of help in the remaining episodes.

 

As far as Dun goes... I mean I could have killed him. Dee and Dum have done a lot to Bigby, but I'm still going to try and keep the beast in control. Like, of course it's exciting to go another stage (or maybe that's the final) into your Big Bad Wolf form. Yeah, I tossed Dee at Bloody Mary hoping to phase her, but she was enjoying it. That's what struck me; I was putting on a show to her and that this was going to be needless violence.

 

Earlier I had punched Jack, so on PC I'm part of the 32% who didn't make a deal with Jack. I knew I could get information out of him still, but you're also in that mindset that you're tired of playing games and Jack is the most talkative Fable around. I wanted to get to the point and I got the witch's name. Not sure what Snow may have talked to Jack about, and it looks like Jack will play a role in Episode 4.

 

If anything, I'm wanting to know what role Woodsman still has in this because unless Woodsman pawned off his magical axe, there's something he still has to contribute to the investigation.

 

[TheMightyEthan]

 

Regarding the tree, I was hoping that there would be an option to confiscate it without destroying it, but ended up burning it when the choice came down to that or directly disobeying Snow.  I mean, she was using it for illegal magic...

 

[CorgiShinobi]

I was hoping for a dialogue afterwards so I could explain to...

 

Snow about how she was acting and my own actions. This was the episode where I saw Snow reach Bigby's aggression level. Not that it's not justified, what with Crane and his "holding her in his thoughts."

 

Did anything "troublesome" happen after burning the tree? My other reason was that... Auntie Greenleaf's apartment was rumbling at moments and her talk of "powers at work."

 

[TheMightyEthan]

 

Nope, she just said something about how you've ruined her.

 

[Mister Jack]

 

It is possible to refuse to burn the tree without hiring Greenleaf. All you have to do is remind Snow that she isn't your boss and that she technically has no authority over you. She doesn't like it, of course, but what's she gonna do about it?

 

[CorgiShinobi]

The one moment I played over, because I wondered if it could play out different, was...

 

Dee and Dum shooting at the funeral. The first time I tackled Dee, then kicked Dum's gun. I thought maybe if I attacked Dee's gun instead, I might stop Dee from shooting Gren, but Dum shot Gren with his gun, so I realized Gren was always going to get shot.

 

[Mr. GOH!]

 

 

I had no idea one of the outcomes was to hire Greenleaf. I told Snow to fuck off, she's not the boss of Bigby because he's the fucking Big Bad Wolf, and spared the tree, and then Snow told Greenleaf that the whole unlicensed glamour situation will be dealt with later.

 

I also had tons of dialogue options for Bigby to say the Crane wasn't the killer, or at least communicate calm  (for Bigby) skepticism. I think you get some options earlier on that affect what sort of attitude spectrum (I guess) Bigby can show in later chapters. Which is interesting; I hadn't expected that sort of granular change based on player choice. It makes me want to go back and replay the whole thing as a more aggressive Bigby.

 

 

Edited April 11, 2014 by Mr. GOH!

[TheMightyEthan]

 

I didn't get the option to express any skepticism that Crane was the killer until the scene with Snow and Bigby talking in Crane's office, after both the hotel and the funeral scenes.  And I never got any opportunity at all to express my true thoughts, that it wasn't even Crane in the picture but was someone (the real killer) glamoured as Crane to frame him.  Like, that was literally the very first thought I had when I saw the picture at the end of Ep 2, but it's like no one at Telltale even considered the possibility.

 

[Mister Jack]

 

Bonus Walking Dead

 

Edited April 15, 2014 by Mister Jack

[Mister Jack]

I finished episode 5 earlier, then went back through it to get the last few trophies I needed for the platinum.  This was a great series, and I'd put it up there with Walking Dead season 1 as Telltale's best work.  I don't know if they plan to make a second season, but I'd love to see more of these characters.  I just love the complex setting and the shades of grey permeating throughout the story.

 

I also am curious about something for those of you who finished the series...

 

 

What did you ultimately do with Georgie Porgie and The Crooked Man? For a long time while playing this series I told myself I was going to murder them once I got my hands on them, but when the time came to actually finish them off I found I couldn't bring myself to do it. Sure, I love me some street justice, but Bigby represented the law of Fabletown and over the past four episodes it was obvious that the citizens didn't have much faith in the system anymore. I refrained from executing Georgie and The Crooked Man less for Snow White's sake and more because I wanted Bigby to be better than the monster everyone thinks he is.  Georgie ends up dying anyway, of course, but that's his own fault for coming at me with a knife.

 

[CorgiShinobi]

Eh, about all that stuff...

 

I took pity on the guy because it was worded that I would be ending his suffering, so I killed Georgie after Vivian killed herself. Figured that, even though he was a scumbag, Georgie at least deserved to be put out fully by my hands. The Crooked Man seemed all too eager to talk to Snow White, but I did tell her I'd bring him back alive. Even if she didn't tell me, he wanted something to be said so I was curious.

 

I didn't know what I wanted the Crooked Man's punishment to be, and if you spend a little time deciding, he'll actually come at you. You get dragged to the Witching Well and I was super "Oh, you wanted to take a trip down the Witching Well!" Thing is, he gave Bigby the biggest "do it" face and was ready to embrace his descent or immediate death.

 

Guess what, it's imprisonment for you! Seriously, I don't know if it was because I helped Auntie Greenleaf, but she turns him into a crow and puts him in a cage. JUSTICE!

 

 

What has everyone's attention though is the ending. Like, it normally wouldn't seem like a cliffhanger, but...

 

When Nerissa says "you're not as bad as they say you are" like Faith said in the first episode, you'd think it's a charming coincidence. Thing is, the eerie music comes in and Bigby begins to recall lines from Faith, Swineheart, and even Bufkin. You're given a choice to either go after her or let her go. Like, why even give us that choice? I assume there will be another The Wolf Among Us as I'm not sure Fables picks up where we just ended.

 

 

EDIT: Now there are a few theories, though most of them revolve around glamour.

 

Bigby's true form is also simply badass. Nothing extreme, but pure legendary badass.

Edited July 9, 2014 by Atomsk88

[Mister Jack]

Regarding the final choice...

 

 

I have heard two theories. The first theory is that Faith is alive and glamoured as Nerissa, and Bigby realizes this when she says the line again. This seems unlikely to me, as this would have to mean Faith's head either had a perfect glamour or it wore off at some point and someone concealed it from Bigby and Snow. Possibility number two is that Faith was dead all along and Nerissa glamoured herself as Faith and met with Bigby before dropping off the head so that he would care enough about Faith's death to investigate it thoroughly.