Telltale, you have to focus on relationships! [No Episode 3 spoilers!]
Just played episode 3. Can't say that I enjoyed it.
The writing and direction this episode had was messy and unorginized. I couldn't enjoy myself while playing the episode, because I didn't have any fun.
You can read more of my opinions here (http://www.reddit.com/r/TheWalkingDeadGame/comments/25g1dq/the_walking_dead_season_2_ep_3_in_harms_way/chgux32) (it has spoilers, watch out!), but there is one thing I want to point out to Telltale here.
What made season 1 of Walking Dead so special wasn't the epic decisions of who will live or die in the game, if you will give water to a random guy or chop somebody's arm off.
It was the relationship you had with the characters that mattered.
In season 1, there was a small cast of characters. And many of these would react differently to Lee's choices in the game. They would like him more, or dislike him.
Kenny is a big example. You could finish season 1 with Kenny being your bro, or a rival you are forced to deal with. What made Kenny great was that he felt alive, you couldn't wait to see his reaction on stuff you did. And in the fourth episode, he would either join you to find Clem, or stay behind.
Lilly and her dad was also a good example. While Larry didn't change his opinion of you, Lilly did instead. She could either hate you, or like you. Same as with Kenny.
These changes in relationships that could be made in the game is what made season 1 more than an interactive movie. Your decisions mattered, because you had to live with them. The characters would remind you of things you did, not go on doing their own shit.
Please Telltale, you should focus on the relationships again, not big action pieces! Same goes with the Wolf Among Us!
The writing and direction this episode had was messy and unorginized. I couldn't enjoy myself while playing the episode, because I didn't have any fun.
You can read more of my opinions here (http://www.reddit.com/r/TheWalkingDeadGame/comments/25g1dq/the_walking_dead_season_2_ep_3_in_harms_way/chgux32) (it has spoilers, watch out!), but there is one thing I want to point out to Telltale here.
What made season 1 of Walking Dead so special wasn't the epic decisions of who will live or die in the game, if you will give water to a random guy or chop somebody's arm off.
It was the relationship you had with the characters that mattered.
In season 1, there was a small cast of characters. And many of these would react differently to Lee's choices in the game. They would like him more, or dislike him.
Kenny is a big example. You could finish season 1 with Kenny being your bro, or a rival you are forced to deal with. What made Kenny great was that he felt alive, you couldn't wait to see his reaction on stuff you did. And in the fourth episode, he would either join you to find Clem, or stay behind.
Lilly and her dad was also a good example. While Larry didn't change his opinion of you, Lilly did instead. She could either hate you, or like you. Same as with Kenny.
These changes in relationships that could be made in the game is what made season 1 more than an interactive movie. Your decisions mattered, because you had to live with them. The characters would remind you of things you did, not go on doing their own shit.
Please Telltale, you should focus on the relationships again, not big action pieces! Same goes with the Wolf Among Us!
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Comments
I miss Vanaman and Rodkin
It was part of the appeal of the game, and still is, the making tough, life-or-death decisions. I do agree, however, that relationships between protagonist and the cast have been lacking, and that without a response to those choices from the characters, it doesn't have the same impact as S1 choices did. **(?)X character will remember that** The. Hell. They. Will. Other than sometimes, what you say and do on an episode has felt even less "tailored" than S1.
Then, you have the variables and the branching. Maybe it's a tradeoff? A (seemingly) more diverging storyline in exchange for length, interactivity, and some details in the character interaction. I know some people are ok with that, but I personally don't think that it's worth it; at least, not with what I have been getting so far.