Choices matter
Some people have been talking about the language Telltale's marketing department used in promoting this game, saying that it gave gamers the impression it would feature branching narratives, that your choices would make broad sweeping changes across the game's narrative landscape. I personally disagree, as marketing is marketing.
But here's the thing. I went through the whole game in one sitting, cried (as did many) shut down the PC. Then I restarted it, played through the last segment again and in this one, I didn't cuff Lee to the radiator. In my original playthrough, I'd cuffed him, and that never felt right to me.
It's a little choice that really impacts very little in the story, but it was incredibly important to me. I think that's where the disconnect is between people who were unhappy with the way the game treated player agency -- because choices can matter even if they don't change anything.
Kinda cool that a game can generate this much discussion, I guess.
But here's the thing. I went through the whole game in one sitting, cried (as did many) shut down the PC. Then I restarted it, played through the last segment again and in this one, I didn't cuff Lee to the radiator. In my original playthrough, I'd cuffed him, and that never felt right to me.
It's a little choice that really impacts very little in the story, but it was incredibly important to me. I think that's where the disconnect is between people who were unhappy with the way the game treated player agency -- because choices can matter even if they don't change anything.
Kinda cool that a game can generate this much discussion, I guess.
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Comments
If gamers and the gaming industry hear that a game adjusts to your gameplay and that your choices affect the story, they naturally and correctly think that two players games can vary greatly in both the story and actions. Because that is what this feature has always meant.
You can't say "This game has hundreds of different vehicles that you can drive" and then come out with a game that only has two models of vehicles but are in hundreds of colors. Technically you're advertising wasn't lying, but everyone will assume that it meant many models and types. Which will lead to massive letdown and anger.
It's borderline scamming people. No decision in this game changes where you go or what you do. No matter what you say or do, you'll still go to Crawford, still lose the boat, still meet the same guy who takes Clem, and still die in the same room.
No one honestly thought that this would be the case before playing the game.
i think what matters to the person who plays the game is the biggest issue, personally i would say there were 2 endings each with minor differences that i wouldn't count as different endings, and they are 1) Clementine finishing off lee so he didn't turn, or 2) Clementine leaving Lee to turn
the minor details are one or 2 arms and cuffed or not, you could say that means there are 8 endings but personally i wouldn't.
you could claim that choosing your class in an RPG is a choice that doesn't matter because they all deal damage just with different animations, but i would imagine someone that argued that wouldn't enjoy the game as much as someone who thinks that their choice of beard is important.
personally when i played TWD i felt that a choice like giving the children the cheese and crackers was important because it seemed the best most well rounded meal of the choices i had and i thought even though he may like it the jerky would probably not be the best for larrys heart, so even though i have played the game multiple times and i cant see any evidence that the choice of food effected anything, i still feel like it matters.
so basically what i am saying is that everything in any game is up to the players to decide as to whether it matters or not, so if you play TWD and decide that nothing in the game mattered, that is unfortunate but ultimately your choice/opinion