My thoughts with Season 4 episode 1 (*some spoilers*
I vowed i would not purchase another Telltale game unless they greatly improved after Season 3 and well...after watching someone’s playthrough of the game on YouTube, i decided to actually purchase this game myself, something I didn’t think i would do but I have to be honest, you surprised me Telltale and i did say if this game was a BIG improvement from Season 3 then i would buy the game. Season 4 is a million times better than ANF i think we can all agree. I guess you do listen to feedback. Thank you
So i thought there was PLENTY of gameplay, something that had been lacking for many years. For anyone that knows me, gameplay is very important to me because obviously “playing” a game is better than just watching cutscenes or choosing dialogue options so i appreciate that Telltale included a lot in this episode.
I felt as though there could have been more hubs. There was so many surrounding things to look at in that episode. I wish the hubs wouldn’t disappear after you look at things too, like in Season 1 you could relook at something and somtimes get a different response. Not hugely important but could have been better.
I liked the optional collectables that Telltale have included in this game. Whilst it’s not solving puzzles, it’s something new and somewhat interesting.
I was disappointed that the character interaction wasn’t effective enough. What i mean by that is that while i liked that we could talk to every character in the school grounds, i would have liked to have been given a selection of things to ask each character rather than a timed choice of something a character asks or says to you. An example being in Starved For Help when giving the group food, you could speak to every character and have about 4 choices of non timed dialogue to choose from in which you can learn more things about Ben for instance. It would have been nice to be able to have a list of things to ask Ruby or Aasim for example, some of the less prominent characters. The hub disappears after speaking with everyone as well which doesn’t help. I miss the days you could speak to someone, then go to another character and a new dialogue option is unlocked because of a conversation you had with another person about him or her thus expanding on character development.
Episode length felt longer although this could be because of the amount of gameplay included which is absolutely fine because as i said, it felt longer which is important.
The new system when killing walkers was a welcome change, still the same Q and E buttons but liked how they freshened it up. The 360 camera view gave the game a lift too in my opinion.
I felt very engaged in the story and the characters. I am hoping to learn more about all of them. The mystery surrounding the raiders and Tenn’s sisters was intriguing and I hope we learn more about what happened to them.
Clem’s bond with AJ is believable and i do hope that whatever choices will noticeably carry over to the episodes that are still to come and not just brought up in the next scene. Like when Clem deals with Abel, AJ brings it up in the next scene about why you let him steal the food. I want to see something mentioned in say Episode 3 for example so that I know Telltale have took the time to make the effort to “remember” it themselves. In Season 1, random unimportant dialogue (which wasn’t major choice dialogue) that Lee told Kenny was often brought up in later episodes. I hope to see more of that? Maybe something like when Clem told AJ to show good manners when eating, bring that up in a later episode, it was an unimportant choice but it would show that Telltale have made the effort to remember such a little detail.
Past references were a nice touch such as Clem referring to eating a man’s leg, the Lee mentions etc. I hope we’ll be hearing more in the future.
I didn’t see the twist coming at the end so it was cool to see something so dramatic happen in the way it did although I had a feeling that Clem and AJ wouldn’t be settling down in peace anytime soon.
I would write more but I am about to start work so i just wanted to give my thoughts on some of the things i liked and didn’t like from the game so far.
What are your thoughts? Who are your favourite/least favourite characters and why? Do you have anything else to add?
Thanks for reading.
Comments
No one then? Lol
I loved the episode and I thought it was one of the best episodes in the series. It got me hooked from the get go and I can't wait to see more! If the episode lengths and quality stays consistent, the season could rival S1
Don't feel too bad--nobody said anything on Shoula's last I saw.
Thanks for replying? Lol
I agreed with pretty much everything you said in the OP.
The only thing I would add is that, following the things AJ got up to throughout the episode, it's been interesting to see how somebody who was born into the apocalypse would approach interacting with other people.
We haven't had any characters quite like AJ before in that sense, and I think they've been doing a really good job exploring that in the first episode.
Hoping for more of the same!
You mean like how AJ bites people or reacts when they walk up behind him? I found that an interesting trait
Yeah, that, and the ending, for example
I thought it was a good balance. No more huns were really needed.
Also dialogue felt more natural than just walking up and asking several questions. Id prefer one conversation that might effect later than overinformation that never matters
Yes but it still would have been better to give us a list of dialogue to choose to ask people to learn a lot more about them. I felt there could have been more hubs like Season 1 had tons
Yeah, I definitely took notice of that.
They're more or less doing the Season 2 and ANF thing of one conversation interactions with the characters, but tried to get around it by having multiple, less important characters to interact with and get an impression of.
Which naturally led to Mitch in particular being pretty nondescript.
It was very interesting. I genuinely like these new characters.
The episode has become my third favorite overall edging out A House Divided, which has held that spot since it's release. The only episodes I'd put before it are Long Road Ahead and No Time Left but if this season continues to be this good I'd say I might prefer it over Season 1