Series is Great: But Choices are Linear with minimal impact
As the topic states, the series is highly engrossing and well done. Except for one facet, the choices.
Telltale brags from the launch of the game the choices you make will have a large impact and shape the story.
When in reality the choices you make deviate very little from the linear path of the game, and typically only amounts to minor dialogue changes. This is my 3rd playthrough the current episodes available. I keep expecting the choices to branch out a bit, but ultimately little changes. Keep in mind, each additional replay I purposely try and pick choices I never made before.
So far the game seems to be suffering from Mass Effect syndrome. Where the developers promise meaningful choices but ultimately, if current progress is a future indicator, it means little. The narrative doesn't really change nor does it branch out on the choices you have made.
Let me just reiterate I love this series, but lets not disillusion ourselves in this facet. Telltale has a lot of room to improve if they are seeking a highly personalized narrative based on player choice.
Telltale brags from the launch of the game the choices you make will have a large impact and shape the story.
When in reality the choices you make deviate very little from the linear path of the game, and typically only amounts to minor dialogue changes. This is my 3rd playthrough the current episodes available. I keep expecting the choices to branch out a bit, but ultimately little changes. Keep in mind, each additional replay I purposely try and pick choices I never made before.
So far the game seems to be suffering from Mass Effect syndrome. Where the developers promise meaningful choices but ultimately, if current progress is a future indicator, it means little. The narrative doesn't really change nor does it branch out on the choices you have made.
Let me just reiterate I love this series, but lets not disillusion ourselves in this facet. Telltale has a lot of room to improve if they are seeking a highly personalized narrative based on player choice.
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Comments
It sounds like the all encompassing totally freedom infinite branching story you want is better found in pen-and-pencil role-playing game. There's a pretty good RPG called AFMBE. Perhaps that is for you.
This game is about story first and foremost.
I don't think you people realize the amount of effort and intensive work it would require to make a game like you guys describe.
Here's a choose-your-own adventure for you:
You sit at your computer ready to vent because your unrealistic expectations cannot be met by modern gaming, you have the choice to read other thread titles first or post blindly.
flip to page 63 if you wish to read other thread titles first
flip to page 27 if you wish to post blindly
I guess I too have an unrealistic expectation, that of people flipping to page 63...
Hurr hurr. We sure have no reason for such expectations!
You do impact the story and your choices do make a difference.
Just because their language doesn't represent your fantasies
Doesn't mean it's false advertising.
but i hope it does feel like it has different endings, to me the decision to save Doug or Carley actually impacted the way i saw the exit of lilly, she was either a crazy murderer (carley) or she panicked and fired in a stressful time and now she had to run away (doug+stay in rv) but in the end i would need a bit more than that to say the choices matter, either way playing the game is an enjoyable experience
How they matter is a sense of perspective really. I for one think they do matter. In episode one I decided who got 3 months of life (Carley or Doug). In Ep. 2 I decided how a person was going to view me for the rest of the game (Lilly or Kenny). And in Episode 3 those decision came to a head. And like you said one of the differences was Lilly was either a cold-blooded murderer. Or it was an accidental death on her hands. Then you decided how you would deal with her. That's a choice that matters imo.
Some things, though, are inevitable. Just like life. There are things that are out of your control. Out of the characters' control. And especially out of Lee's control. And I think the storyline of the game reflects that.