The Wolf Among Us: In Sheep's Clothing
Overview -
Make no mistake, after the first three episodes of Telltale Games' 'The Wolf Among Us,' there is something in the air. After shaking off a decent introduction, each episode has dripped with fantastic destitution. Playing as Fabletown's Sheriff has meant balancing force, deduction, and the delicate-to-harsh sensibilities of the other characters. In 'Sheep's Clothing,' the fourth and penultimate episode of the season (which will hopefully be followed by another), begins with Bigby in a tough position physically, but in a worse one emotionally. Can the Sheriff find and punish the brutally guilty while still protecting the common folk who resent his lone and authoritative status?
Video Review
There's a certain judiciousness in how each scene's setting is parceled out as either pedestrian or extraordinary, and there's more to it than just whether it's being reused. When a well-lit ho-hum pawn shop takes on a grind-house quality, or a dank meat locker can achieve a dense forest effect more unsettling than even the horror beyond it, it's easy to see that this team is working wonders with the engine. There were times, like seeing the dry splatter on Bigby's shirt, where the individual character texture resolution appeared to need a boost. Other factors, like octagonal earrings, errant shadow blending, and jittery character animation just seem like spots where Telltale has settled for now. Even so, it's nice to see the game look so good on such unspectacular hardware.
Audio Review
Once again, I love the soundtrack. It cooks the mood perfectly, but I despair to hear no new music ever even hinted at. The voice acting is very good, with the biggest exception being a certain blowhard. Even with just stereo, the steady improvement in sound design continues, and I'm very expectant for this area to really pop in the next episode.
Final Thoughts
When announced, the idea of playing as the Sheriff in the prequel Fabletown wasn't exactly a homerun. Boiling the tapestry of characters and locales down to a single character's point of view was no sure success, but when playing 'In Sheep's Clothing' the payoff is apparent. Bigby, gruff and reformed, isn't the most righteous of characters, but stepping into his place and trying to redress all of the sick and twisted acts that have accumulated over four episodes, has meant becoming an integral part an engaging narrative, and brings to my mind the exploits of William Munny in 'Unforgiven.' As for the conclusion of 'In Sheep's Clothing,' it somehow makes the wait for the finale interminable and yet the cliffhanger seems like one worthy of great anticipation.