The Walking Dead Season 2: A House Divided
Overview -
Telltale pushes on in season two of 'The Walking Dead' with 'A House Divided.' Clementine's solitary journey continues as she wrestles with characters in a new group, just as the developer's journey continues as it wrestles with a world devoid of Lee. As the young hero seeks out safety and companionship, the player must make her most difficult decisions for her. Telltale's ability to balance story and gameplay in their groundbreaking first season made it almost impossible to tell when it's you or the game pulling the strings. Maintaining that trend with season 2 has to be the core expectation.
Video Review
I celebrated the continued style of 'The Walking Dead' in season two during my review of 'All That Remains.' Neither that nor some lingering issues with the tech behind the game are changed. Some of the scenes are still oddly dark as well. Nevertheless, 'A House Divided' highlighted some of the great facial work by the Telltale team. The shared looks between Clementine and her new pals, especially Luke and Nick, convey more emotion than a script ever could. Everybody's fear, relief and dread is captured almost perfectly, and it brings a lot to a given scene.
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Audio Review
The excellent voice acting continues to enliven the smaller moments between Clementine and the rest of the cast. Clementine's assertive, sometimes irreverent delivery often allows her to communicate with the older characters on their level. Again, I can't oversell Melissa Hutchison's ability to keep Clementine's age while also reflecting the wisdom forced on her by this terrible world. Michael Madsen also joins the fray to chilling effect.
As much as I harp on the topic of autonomy and linearity, I still find it extremely difficult to fault the game in my final calculation. 'The Walking Dead' as a whole and this latest episode are doing amazing things for storytelling in games. Clementine is an all-time great character, this season solidifying her as a unique and compelling protagonist, and William Carver might just be the series' best villain. He may not even be a villain in the coming episodes, and it's exactly that kind of ambiguity that keeps me on my toes. It keeps me wanting more. 'A House Divided' fleshed out the group and offered up some moments of sincere tension and, for some of us, regret.
Yes, I'd like it to feel a little more like a video game, in that I'm at the controls. But, on the flipside, I'm happy to watch these characters play out their own lives as well. Season 2, right now, is getting away with its faults.
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