Have a little faith in Telltale
So I've noticed over the course of the week there's been quite a couple varied responses to TTG's announcement of Clementine as the protagonist for Season 2 and least to say, I'm a little surprised at the lack of trust that some folks seem to have in Telltale. I mean for sure, Clementine's going to be limited in what she can do as a child but that gives Telltale the opportunity to write in more clever methods of dealing with problems, like crawling through a vent that an adult like Lee wouldn't have been able to. Decisions from Season 1 can still affect her if you think of it, I mean sure, you'll still have the opportunity to steer the direction of the game but I'm sure that what Clementine's learned will also influence how she goes goes about with her actions. For instance, she might have a different choice of dialogue if she chooses a certain option, or a different response to some things.
And yes, Clementine will definitely die in Season 2, at least if you end up with a Game Over sequence anyhow. How Telltale will choose to depict this, that's their choice and if you dislike it, then simply don't play the game (But miss out on a great experience). I doubt we're going to be seeing Clem brutally ripped in half, more likely we might just see something akin to Ellie's death scenes in the Last of Us (Where you saw a clicker biting her or grappling her before it faded to a game over). And yes, Clem may face some bad situations but we should trust Telltale enough that they'll depict it tastefully, one way or another.
I really do worry that some of the reactions people have had to some of this is going to change some important developmental decisions for Season 2 and/or future potential TWD titles so please, simmer down. Telltale have proven themselves to us with both Season 1 and the Wolf Among Us, so to say the least I think we should have a little more faith in them.
Comments
I love you and I agree! Clem is awesome and her being the protagonist is probably the best decision TTG has ever made.
I personally prefer not to judge before playing the game.
I find it very dumb to judge something that you didn't even experienced yet...
Wait and see, it's your only choice there...
But i really want Telltale to make a game serie about John Constantine... PLEASE !!
Exactly. "Don't knock it before you've tried it."
Regardless of the direction Telltale takes S2, it will be very, very difficult to be as atrocious as that other walking dead game.
I didn't really want Clem to be the protagonist in S2, but it's TTG, so I KNOW they'll do it well.
I'm glad someone finally pointed out the obvious that we shouldn't judge season 2 until we see it. At very least, wait until the first episode is out, then I think we will have a far better gage if making Clem the player avatar was a mistake or not. I think a lot of people will realize that they worried and complained for no good reason, and are going to feel mighty foolish when all is said and done. In any case, it is silly to complain mere weeks before the game's release. TTG is not going to change anything at this stage regardless. Might as well accept the fact that Clem is the protagonist for this season, and get over yourselves.
I'm sorry if what I just wrote sounds harsh, but it bothers me that the idea of playing a little girl rubs some people the wrong way. Remember, this is survival horror. Not being a major bada$$ (at least not in any traditional sense) is not a problem when a feeling of helplessness is the norm for the genre. While I loved Lee as a character and also his story arc of redemption, he still fit very nicely into the typical video game protagonist - the 30 something male. Give credit to TT for trying something out of the box for once.
Personally, I relish playing Clem for season 2. Not only am I invested in her character that I am glad we will see the continuation of her story (if not the conclusion of her story, for better or worst), but I also like the fact that Clem is to be the agent of her own fate (via the player, of course). It is refreshing to see a female protagonist that is not merely an object of sexual desire, but a person that we can care deeply about.
A like for you sir/ma'am
"Survival Horror" is used a bit loosely these days though, any one remember playing the original RE? Now that was terrifying. TWD does have it's moments and S2 will probably add even more.
I was skeptical about playing as Clem at first. Honestly though, the more I think about it, the more I realize how many opportunities it brings.
Remember the "Armed with Death" sequence where Lee walks through a herd of walkers with a meat cleaver? That moment hah a certain finality to it. That was your last blaze of glory before you go out. There was no epic music when fighting the stranger (no music at all, for that matter), it was personal, gritty, and in your face. As Clementine, you can't have moments like that. Can you take on a couple walkers? Probably. But that was the last time you will be a badass in this universe. Season 1 was an easy mode tutorial. This is the main game.
Either way, I expect telltale will make an awesome game.
I'm still skeptical about playing as Clem. I will continue to be so until I play the game for myself and see otherwise, but I WILL be getting Season 2 because I'm giving Telltale the benefit of the doubt. Season 1 was fantastic, which is why I'm willing to give Season 2 a try. I'll trust'em, and see what happens.
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To the original poster, Thank you! It's a pleasure to read something rational and optimistic for a change.
Replacing the creators of season one with the creators of 400 days is a valid reason to expect the worst and lose faith in season two. This was long before learning thaat Clementine would be the protagonist even though its not wanted by many fans. 400 Days did nothing but make me lose confidence by making a stupid sounding idea even worse than expected. It takes all the gameplay elements away and is presented in a horrible way. I think season two will have a lot more problems than the story. I don't think it will be a very good based on 400 Days which made me realize it's not just the story but the way it's presented. I noticed it was very different in the way it uses the short time given to sat up the choices and it's a lot different. I noticed it immediatly.right after playing the original and It's a lot worse.
Replacing the creators of season one with the creators of 400 days is a valid reason to expect the worst and lose faith in season two. This was long before learning thaat Clementine would be the protagonist even though its not wanted by many fans. 400 Days did nothing but make me lose confidence by making a stupid sounding idea even worse than expected. It takes all the gameplay elements away and is presented in a horrible way. I think season two will have a lot more problems than the story. I don't think it will be considered a good game in general. 400 Days made me realize it's not just the story, but the way the story is presented as well. I noticed it was very different in 400 Days immediatly and isn't good. I will at least play the first episode regardless of my expectations.
Perhaps you are right. Most protagonists are not only 30-something, male, but also white. However, a black protagonist that is not a gang member is not unheard of. Take Gordon Freeman for example.
As for doing unrealistic things... how realistic is it to fight zombies, or alien creatures from another world?
Im not worried that this will change the developers decisions. People tend to be reactionary by nature but they almost always calm down when we actually get to play the game. I trust Telltale completing and I know the game is going to be great. By this point, I think its safe to say they know what they are doing, lol
400 Days increased my faith in the company. To be able to create a completely new set of interesting characters when we had relatively little time with them was quite an accomplishment in my eyes.
The reason that I think 400 Days wasn't as well received as the first season has more to do with that fact that you had little time to get to know and relate to all of the characters they presented. At best you got about 20 minutes for each characters story, and only a short follow-up with the Tavia segment. So while it was not up to the standards set by season one, it was not bad. Not great, merely good. It is also important to remember that TT stated that 400 Days was an experiment in non-linear storytelling, and if it was successful or not may depend on your subjective view. I thought it was a nice try for a first go, but needs some fine tuning to get it great. What that means is that that we can't assume that 400 Days is a dry run for season 2. A little experiment and a little to give the fans something to tide them over before the next season is no reason to believe season 2 is a train wreck bound to happen.
The reason I'm confident that season 2 will be just as good, if not better, than season one is because of The Wolf Among Us. Admittedly, I was very uncertain about it, assuming that TT couldn't catch lightening in a bottle twice, but the first episode showed me that not only did they keep the quality of storytelling, character development, voice acting, and art direction high, but they improved on these things (especially the art direction in my opinion). However, what they really improved on were choices and the consequinces of those choices. I will not go into spoilers here, but I invite you to look at the first episode of TWAU, if you haven't already, to see what I mean. I think that is a far better indicator of what we can expect from season 2 of TWD than 400 Days.
The point I'm trying to make is that TTG does one thing very well - they learn from each experience they have and use what they learn to improve their games. Not many other game devs can claim that.
Finally, as for not many fans wanting Clem as the protagonist, I don't know what you are talking about. It is hard to gage the exact amount, but I would wager, based on reactions on this forum, the consensus is about split 50/50, with the "against Clem as the protagonist" side showing everything from hatred to uncertainty. I also doubt that TTG would do something as stupid as mindfully giving the fans something they know they will hate. TT listens to their fans, and read the forum posts. I'm sure they realized not everyone would be happy about this, but certainly not the majority. I don't want to make assumptions about you, but I hope your negativity towards Clem as protagonist stems more from a concern for quality storytelling, and not a hatred of the character of Clem.
Just keep an open mind and just wait. Things may be better than you think.
Goddamit did you read what he write in end of his post?! You glad? You fucking agree?!!
Too many people glad that Clem is a new PC. I appeal to you people, why you are so happy?! You sane?
In The Walking Dead the protagonist is like a mark of death, Clementine is doomed by 65%. Say that it's sad - say nothing, my worst nightmare comes true. But....
This is The Walking Dead
Can i just remind you Russel's words when Nate ask him if he is part of a gang ?
HE SAY'S : "HEY MAN IT'S FUCKING RACIST !!!!"
So i am gonna put myself at Russel's place and say it for you : HEY MAN IT'S FUCKING RACIST !!!! "
So what ? Even if she is not the PC she is going to die...
Why you are so sure? If Clem is not protagonist, adult PC can protect her.
I totally agree. Telltale is awesome at these cinematic play along titles; maybe the best out there. Even back to the future was great. Pretty sure game of the year winning studios have some idea how to make a game sequel stand out. I can't wait to play as Clem anyway. Who else would you put in that spot? Omar? All I can say is i want more wolf!!!!
I had a lot of trouble getting through the game, because its nerve-wracking. As well written as the story and character development was, I did not want to rip off the band-aid, I did not want to see what was going on at the evil dairy. So I put off finishing the game until recently, when I learned that Clementine was going to be the protagonist. I was excited at the idea, and it made me willing to push through my anxieties, because I wanted to see her path to PC status. The move now seems both optimal and inevitable. It makes everything Lee goes through that much more important.
I don't buy that the lessons I tried to impart as Lee are void if the results aren't handled automagically by the computer. In fact, I'd be surprised if there didn't arise a great deal of grousing about how the Clementine-bot didn't meet people's individual senses of how her character should have developed. I don't doubt the game would still have been good despite merely having some other adult trying to influence Clem-bot, but I am much more comfortable about being empowered to interpret Lee's legacy myself.
I am all in favor of simply trusting the writers of Telltale. Despite my own grousing a while back about the direction the company was taking doing video game tie-ins to other franchises (though certainly good ones), and their departure from reviving Lucas Arts-style point-and-click adventure gaming, I can't complain about their engrossing storytelling, or their rich and credible characters or their ability to astonish me with plot developments. I keep pre-ordering whatever they come up with, and I haven't regretted it. Even if the excellent job they've done so far in carving out this interactive cinematic genre so far wasn't enough as exhibit number one, I give you exhibit number 2: They're letting me play Clementine this time. It damn sure looks like they know what they're doing.
And then if adult PC dies ?
Do you know that even in season 1, clem can die...
Are you talking about "Game over death" or real death ?
Cause the first is inevitable, and the second is logically inevitable too...
I wasn't saying there is a vast majority who dislike the idea of Clem as the protagonist, but just mentioning how careful they have to be when it fans are split on certain issues. I think the best option is to carefully use Clementine to transition to a new protagonist. It's a lot more dangerous if they attempt to bring back Kenny, and hopefully they don't try to. At least the fans all care about Clementine which makes the writing possible. Kenny is loved by some and hated by others with the rest somewhere between those extremes. I will purchase episode one at the very least, regardless of my expectations.
It's true look and CJ and Franklin both are in gangs and dont act like humans. also it's ever more rare to have a black little girl as a protagonist.
How could a human act non human...
I dont really understand what he is saying...
Is he telling me that black people in gang are not human ? WTF...
I understand you if they replaced the people that made season 1. Then this may be bad. do you have any proof?
Well if season 2 have great writing. Lees lessons will still be felt in season 2.
Clementine would be the protagonist even though its not wanted by many fans
This is what you stated in your original post. While "many" may not equal "majority", there is the implication that you are making that more fans would have preferred Clem not be the protagonist for season 2 than fans that would. If I am assuming something wrong here, then I'm sorry for misunderstanding. However, the simple fact is that TTG knew that most of the fans liked Clem, so it wouldn't be too hard for them to conclude that those fans would want to see her take a more active role in her story as the lead. So, I would assume that the backlash that has been on the forums since the teaser trailer might come as a shock to them. Even if that is the case, I really doubt it will change what they have planned for the season. As I understand it, the basic outline for the season's story is already laid out - the script writing for each episode is merely filling out the various details. It is highly doubtful they would change the protagonist mid-season just because of some disagreement from some of the fans. After all, the TTG killed favorite characters last season without regret or remorse, regardless of the negative fan reaction, and certainly didn't change the course of the season because of it. Clem is the protagonist for this season, like it or not.
Of course, TTG may have known that not everyone would be on board for Clem as the lead, and are just rolling the dice that once everyone sees the first episode, those that opposed it will be on board then. A gamble? Perhaps,. but not a big risk considering their current track record.
Exactly. Considering it's the player who actually imparted these lessons onto Clementine, it's more likely that they're gonna follow them up themselves with their own personal interpretation of it.
The reason 400 days was weaker than Season 1 was partly due to the fact that they kept leaping between protagonists without giving us time to care much about them or identify with them, as we did with Lee. The last thing they need to do is transition that weakness to a regular season.
If they've chosen Clementine as the new protagonist (and they have), she needs to be the new protagonist, not a 'transition' protagonist before we go to some random douchebag we've never met before and care nothing about but who is a more conventional main character for them to work with.
Maybe he means that they don't act humanely. But that is a misleading word as it is. After all, natural human behavior runs the gambit from angelic to demonic, and everything in between. In the broadest sense, humanely merely means to act as a human would. In the traditional sense, humanely means to act with kindness and unselfishness, to distinguish us from animals. My experience has shown me some humans are just as bad, if not worse than animals. At least animals have the excuse of acting the way that do out of hunger, or fear, or merely for survival. Humans have been known to act with cruelty because they find pleasure in making others miserable. Like it or not, that is humanity for you.