The Wolf Among Us 2 has been listed as "Coming Soon" on its Epic Games Store page for so long that it's not surprising folks are getting noticeably ??concerned over it. Following a recent rumor that it got dusted, Telltale had to confirm that it's (yes) still in development.

The rumor apparently began on a Reddit thread, where a supposed whistleblower reported that the game was on the brink of cancellation. They wrote that The Wolf Among Us 2 was "at a critical poi?nt" and Telltale may have "no choice but to shelve it."

Development on The Wolf Among Us 2 'continues', confirms Telltale

As the rumor grew wings, developer Telltale Games had to step in. Speaking to Eurogamer, the company confirmed that development on The Wolf Among Us 2 "continues" and?? that more will be revealed later.

"As a rule, we don't comment on rumours and unsubstantiated reddit threads," a?? Telltale Games rep told Eurogamer. "But development on The Wolf Among Us 2 continues and we're excited to share more about the game with Telltale fans and our co??mmunity when the time is right."

The reply should be enough to satiate fans of the troubled series for now, although rumors like this tend to crop up during times of uncertainty for games long in development. Bigby Wolf's next adventure has been cooking for a long time, even before Telltale shut its doors in 2018. The developer made a surprising comeback in 2019 and announced that the game is still on the way. It was delayed from 2023 to this year, however, and we haven't seen hide nor hair of th??e wolf man.

Hopefully, we'll hear more about a possible release date soon. I need more Bigby in my li?fe, as do ?we all.

The post No, The Wolf Among Us 2 hasn’t been canceled appeared first on Destructoid.

It looks like Telltale Games is the latest studio hit by the wave of?? layoffs rolling t??hrough the games industry. Following a report of layoffs, Telltale has confirmed to Destructoid that it recently let go off members of the team.

First news of this came from J.H., a developer who worke??d at the pre-revival Telltale as a cinematic artist.

"This is a sore subject, but I feel it necessary to add to the gaming layoff news: Telltale laid most of us off early September," said J.H. He went on to explain he can't disclose the current status of The Wolf Among Us 2, as it's under NDA.

When ?reached for comment, a spokesperson for Telltale Games pro?vided Destructoid the following comment:

"Due to current market conditions, we regrettably had to let some of our Telltale team go recently. We did not take this action lightly, and our commitment t?o storytelling and finding new ways to do so remains the same. We are grateful to everyone for their dedication along this journey, and we are working to support everyone impacted. All projects currently in development are still in production, and we have no further updates at this time."

Telltale declined to specify how many roles were let go, or which departments were affecte??d.

Telltale Games was revived after its closure by LCG Entertainment, which set to work releasing a few projects under a 'new' Telltale banner. Between re-releases like Batman Shadows Edition and a collaboration with Deck Nine on The Expanse, the Frankenstein-ed Telltale seemed to be picking up steam, with The Wolf Among Us 2 just over the horizon.

The anticipated sequel to the original Telltale's Fables adaptation was delayed earlier this year, pushing it into 2024. In an interview with IGN, Telltale CEO Jamie Ottilie said the delay was? primarily to avoid burnout or shipping an u??nfinished game. Development was also shifting from Unreal Engine 4 to 5.

This adds Telltale to the growing number of studios that have cut jobs this year, in what's been a dishearteningly massive wave of layoffs across the industry. A brief list includes Epic Games, Striking Distance Studios, CD Projekt Red, multiple studios owned by Embracer Group including Beamdog and Crystal Dynamics, Ubisoft, BioWare, Relic, Riot, Firaxis, and Microsoft. Plus reports of more at Twitch, Naughty Dog, and Team17. On top of all that, there was also the shutdown of Dang!, PixelOpus, Vanpool, and Volition Games.

The post Telltale Games is latest s?tudio to undergo layoffs appeared first on Destructoid.

With the fifth and final episode of The Expanse: A Telltale Series, the nearly two-month journey reaches its conclusion. Even though I did an impression-based and non-scored review for ??each episode prior, this final episode will go over my thoughts on the entire adventure.

_{(Previous reviews: Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4)}

I was cautiously optimistic coming into The Expanse: A Telltale Series. I'm a huge fan of the show, and while Telltale titles—and more importantly, Deck Nine—have been pretty hit or miss for me in the past, they typically do storytelling right. And, when it comes to The Expanse universe, that's what?? interest??s me: the story. Overall the experience had a few highs, and a few more lows, but there is certainly some enjoyment to be had.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Telltale
Released: September 21, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

Welcome aboard the Artemis, beltalowda

The first episode set the stage for the rest of the package. By the end of the first story, Camina Drummer is the captain of the Artemis, leading a crew of five others. Again, the narrative takes place before the events of the TV show and serves as a bit of a backstory for Drummer. The original voice actress, Cara Gee, reprises her role and nails it every step of the way. If you're a fan of the show like I am, Deck Nine nailed it in terms of fitting into what we know and love from the source. However, the decision to set The Expanse: A Telltale Series be?fore the events of the show definitely hamstrung it a good bit.

The bigger-picture narrative simply doesn't feel important, which is one of its biggest stumbling blocks. One of the strengths of the show is its storytelling, including backstory. Upon completing The Expanse, despite having fun, I found myself wondering if this story really needed to be told. In the final episodes, you get a little more information about Drummer's time in the OPA organization: but in the end, the details weren't all that important. I'd love to see The Expanse which takes place after the events of the show. After all, there's a roughly three-decade time jump between where the show left off and the events in the next book, so there's ?plenty of possibilities for storytelling in between.

A short but beautiful journey

Telltale titles have never been long by any means, but The Expanse feels even shorter. I played each Episode as they were released, with two weeks in between them. In the end, my total playtime was just under six hours, and I explored and interacted with everything I possibly could. Don't get me wrong, a narrative-driven game can certainly be short and sweet. But I think my bigger issue here is price. At $40, six hours is a bit on the lower end. For comparison, The Wolf Among Us was 9-10 hours on average and was only $20. I understand there are potentially higher costs involved when it comes to licensing The Expanse, not to mention getting Cara Gee to voice Drummer. But at some point, you do?? have to consider whether there's enough there to justify the price. Of course, that's up to the individual player more? than anything.

With that in mind, even though it's short, it's a beautiful journey. This is the most visually beautiful Telltale game yet. And with most of the episodes taking place in space, it's nice to have the beautiful backdrop of deep space to look at. The first couple of episodes both take place amongst ship debris in deep space, which started to feel repetitive. But each episode is well crafted and designed to fit the theme of The Expanse universe. There are even a couple of space combat scenes that feel like they ??are right from the show. If you are a fan, you know this is a good thing.

A building block for Telltale gameplay

Though past Telltale titles have been considered "walking simulators", that wasn't really the feeling I got with The Expanse. There's a range of freedom to? run around, not to mention the ability to disable your grave boots in Zero-G and float. It's a nice touch for a narrative game, an?d a step forward for Telltale titles.

There's a handful of mini-games scattered throu?ghout the episodes as well. You'll find yourself cutting through hull sections to find items, dodging lasers from drones trying to find you, and properly routing power between junction boxes to enable devices. The added element of gameplay isn't necessarily game-changing, but it does help spice up the adventure through this narrative-focused tale.

However, there are some growing pains as well from adding more gameplay elements. Throughout each episode, you'll find various collectibles suc??h as data logs and Salvage. The data logs are pretty much just some extra story, but collecting the Salvage se?ems to have no purpose. In the first episode, Drummer comments that the Salvage could be useful, but then nothing is ever done with it. You'll find several other collectible items that do have a purpose. For example, in the first episode, you can find a focusing laser crystal to give to the Doctor on board the Artemis. But Salvage just seems to exist to exist.

Do choices ever really matter?

The ability to make your own decisions is a big part of any narrative title, especially a Telltale title. At the end of the first episode, you're present??ed with your first big decision which is essentially to kill someone or let them live. The choice feels very important at the time. However, I realized later that regardless of your decision, you just don't see that person anymore. So in the end, did the choice really matter?

In typical Telltale fashion, you are shown the decisions the community has made at the end of each episode. Looking through one of the potential outcomes of a decision in the third episode made me very curious to see what could h??appen. So, I made a separate save just to see how much it actually changed: I got a few extra lines of dialogue, but then the rest of the episode played out exactly like my original playthrough.

"Truth is truth. How you deal with it is up to you."

In the end, The Expanse: A Telltale Series feels like a slightly above-average Telltale game. Visually it's the best we've seen yet, and the added gameplay elements are certainly moving in the right direction. If you're looking to consume any canon The Expanse content and are willing to pay a premium to do so, you'll enjoy what Deck Nine is offering. Just expect the story to enhance what you know about The Expanse, not build upon it.

It's important to note that for anyone who ??hasn't watched the show, it's a tougher recommendation. While it does technically serve somewhat as a prequel, and it is its own standalone experience, I just don't know if there is enjoyment to be had playing through it if you aren't already on board with the universe. Most of the enjoyable moments for me were when I could relate to something from the show, or learning some more Belter (one of the languages in this world).

Unfortunately The Expanse: A Telltale Series probably won't stick with me like The Wolf Among Us or even The Walking Dead did. But there is still some fun to be had, and it's proof there is the potential to add a little more gameplay to Telltale titles. I even think another proper Expanse entry that has a bit more meaningful of a?? story to tell could be perfect for the Telltale formula. If that happens, I hope the narrative doesn't play it too safe next time.

[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]

The post Review: The Expanse: A Telltale Series appeared first on Destructoid.

The penultimate episode of The Expanse: A Telltale Series is rather polarizing. In essence, the highs of the episode are probably the peak of The Expanse title so far, but the lows are equally as low. Episode 3 left us—as Camina Drummer—at an old abandoned mining station in deep space. Our oxygen is low and we're all alone after Arlen and Rayen took control of the Artemis and?? left us.

Drummer adventures back through the derelict station. in an attempt to find a communications panel to activate a beacon and hopefully get help. At the start of the episode, there is a power box puzzle similar to the ones in Episode 3, and then the episode turns into somewhat of a walking sim?ulator. And I definitel??y mean it when I say "walking."

[caption id="attachment_403819" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Expanse: A Telltale Series �Episode 4 (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Telltale
Released: September 7, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

A rough start

A majority of the episode is walking through the station—with no ability to run—while Drummer hallucinates due to oxygen deprivation. To put it bluntly, this is by far the slowest and most boring part of The Expanse yet. Not only is it painstakingly slow due to the hindered movement speed, but it also just sort of rehashes everything that has happened so far. This wouldn't be so bad if we were in ??the penultim??ate chapter of a long game. However, in this case, our total playtime is literally only several hours. Some of the things the game is having us relive, I literally experienced an hour or so ago in terms of gameplay.

Filler is definitely not necessary when we're talking about five one-hour-long episodes. Maybe there would be some intensity there if we didn't know the fate of Drummer. But seeing as The Expanse game here is a prequel to the show, we know Drummer survives this event just fine. Instead, the majority of the episode ??just feels like filler meant to get us to the next episod??e.

Near the end of the segment in the station, Drummer has somewhat of a flashback where we get a little more information about her time working for Anderson Dawes before the show. It's a nice little nod to fans of the series, that gives us a little bit? more information. But, none of what happens is game-changing in any way in terms of story. And as far as gameplay, you literally just walk to each part of the room, triggering another moment from her past.

Perhaps the worst part of this long section of the episode is that, graphically, your screen is blurry due to Drummer'??s oxygen deprivation. Unfortunately, I was unable t??o get any good screenshots of the episode for this reason.

All around me are familiar faces

Near the end of the episode, we finally reach the comms panel and activate the rescue beacon. Unfortunately, our saviors are in fact the pirates from Episode 2. Not quite the help we were looking for. Once taken on board, we also encounter another familiar face. Not familiar to Drummer, but familiar to fans of The Expanse TV series. I won't say who it is, but I'm also not sure if the character's appearanc??e really means too much. In the end, this may just be a cool nod to the fans, rather tha??n an impactful narrative.

We also finally come face-to-face with savage pirate captain Toussaint whom we evaded in Episode 2. She talks about wanting Drummer to join the team—which canonically we know does not happen—but also points out she tracked the Artemis and is following it. This, of course, is setting up a final showdown between Drummer and Arlen and Rayen. While cool, this really does nothing for the overall narrative of The Expanse, and it's hard to really? care about the characters we have barely seen and that did not e??xist in the show.

Another odd point about this episode is that there weren't many choices. I found myself wondering near the end of the episode if there would even be a post-episode screen that shows the community split on choices throughout the episode. In the end, there was, but the number and quality of choices we made in this?? episode were super-low compared to the previous episodes.

[caption id="attachment_403820" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The beginning of the end

As we conclude the penultimate episode and head into the finale, I find myself a bit disappointed. The adventure started strong with Episode 1, and I was very excited for the future. In the beginning, I was thrilled about the potential The Expanse: A Telltale Series had, and it seemed to be handling the story right. But every episode since has felt pretty lackluster. The connecting story revealed at the end of Episode 3 feels as though it's not going to progress any further with just one episode lef??t??.

And once again, we have to talk about length. Telltale titles and other narrative games have never been super long, but The Expanse is still way too short. Each episode has been about an hour, some a little less, and some a little more. But to say I've played about 4-5 hours through four out of the five episodes really makes me question the value. After all, The Expanse: A Telltale Series is priced at $39.99.

On September 21 we will get the final episode of The Expanse: A Telltale Series. At this point, I will write my final review and score for the series. With the direction we're headed at the end of this episode, I'm not optimistic. But, The Expanse has certainly surprised me before. My hope is that, in the end, this is a memorable addition to The Expanse universe. Unfortunately, my fear is that it will instead be a forgettable—and honestly irrelevant??—footnote in the story of Camina Drummer.

[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher. We’re saving the score for the final episode to encompass the complete experience.]

The post Revie?w: The Expanse: A Telltale Series �Episode 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

With Episode 3, The Expanse: A Telltale Series reaches the midpoint of its story. After the end of the second episode, we find Drummer and her crew piloting the Artemis toward the coordinates found on a data card in the first episode. Episode 3 begins with the Artemis approaching the location of thos?e coordinates: an old derelict space station.

Interestingly, this is one of the earliest created space stations. It was built shortly after the creation of the Epstein Drive, which allowed interplanetary travel in the solar system. This station existed before the term ?"Belters," and before the formation of the OPA. This station was home to some of the first humans to leave Earth and settle in space.

[caption id="attachment_399107" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Expanse: A Telltale Series �Episode 3 (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Telltale
Released: August 24, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

A monumental narrative episode that connects with the show

Until this episode, The Expanse: A Telltale Series has kind of been its own standalone experience in The Expanse universe. More specifically, it takes place before the events that unfold in the six-season television series. However, in Episode 3, the overall narrative actually connects with the show and gives us a mo??re detailed look at the events leading up to it.

Honestly, I was curious if Deck Nine would end up doing this, but wasn't too sure if it would. After all, the events of The Expanse: A Telltale Series are canon in The Expanse universe. Part of me felt like it would just be its own separate standalone story that simply takes place using a ch??aracter we came to love from the show. But?? let's be real here. If the goal is to make this a truly memorable experience, it would probably have to connect to the show in some way. Now that it does, the story definitely feels more impactful and meaningful. I'm more interested in seeing where we go from here with the final two episodes.

[caption id="attachment_399125" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The gameplay loop continues

I had stated in my impressions of Episode 2 that I was afraid ever??y episode would be exploring ship wreckage. For the first two episodes, that's what we were doing most of the time. Fortunately, we step foot in an actual space station for the majorit?y of this episode, though exploring a structure in zero-G is obviously very similar to exploring what's left of a derelict ship.

While Episode 2 introduced a laser-dodging gameplay mechanic, Episode 3 features a new puzzle. For several spots throughout the space station, you have to direct power via cables to connect a grid of power boxes. It's honestly very simple and not difficult at all; you just trace where which cable goes to the next box and activate it. Once again, The Expanse: A Telltale Series is pr??imarily a narrative-driven experience. However, it is nice to see the developer try to throw in some new gameplay elements with each episode, no? matter how simple they may be.

[caption id="attachment_399111" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Yep, my choices mattered

In Episode 2, it felt like my choices were starting to matter. But, in Episode 3, it's very clear that my choices do in fact matter. Two big things happened at the end of the episode that made me curious—did I affect this outcome? In standard Telltale fashion, at the end of each episode, you get to see how your choices compare statistically to t??he choices of other players. While it appears one of the big things that happened does in fact hap?pen no matter what, it appears as though the other big thing can be prevented. Sorry for the lack of detail here, I don't want to spoil anything.

However, it gets even more interesting. Out of pure curiosity, I speed-ran through Episode 3 again, specifically trying to change the outcome. Don't worry, I still planned to use my original playthrough going into Episode 4. With these types of titles, I find it most interesting to live with your choices. But I was surprised to find out that despite changing things, I still had the same outcome. I could be wrong, but I think it was actually a choice I made at the end of Episode 2 that had an effect on the outcome in Episode 3, which is great.

[caption id="attachment_399128" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

A solid experience so far

As we head into the final two episodes, I'm overall feeling pretty happy with The Expanse: A Telltale Series so far. My only issue with it so far may be the length in comparison to the price point. The Wolf Among Us was $14.99 for five episodes that totaled close to 10 hours. So far, through three of the five episodes of The Expanse: A Telltale Series, I'm at a little less than four hours. And the price is $39.99, over double the price compared to The Wolf Among Us.

Not taking the length and price into consideration, this has been a fun trek through the universe of The Expanse. And, I feel like it's about to ??get even more interesting as we head into the back half of the story.

In two weeks we will take a look at Episode 4. And on September 21 we will reach the conclusion of The Expanse: A Telltale Series with the final episode.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher. We're saving the score for the final episode to encompass the complete experience.]}

The post Review: The Expanse: A Telltale Se??ries �Episode 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series picks up right where the first episode left off. Things were in a bit of disarray, so the opening moments of The Expanse: A Telltale Series Episode 2 are a bit hectic. However, Camina ?Drummer is now the captain of The Ar?temis, which means our choices should now matter more than ever. Even though we're technically still in the first half of the series, by the end of the episode I certainly feel like things are moving forward.

[caption id="attachment_395756" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Expanse: A Telltale Series �Episode 2 (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Telltale
Released: August 10, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

A familiar gameplay loop

I have to admit, Episode 2 is very similar to Episode 1. We start out onboard the Artemis, before encountering a ship debris field. We navig?ate the wreckage, find a few hidden items, then finish out the episode back on the Artemis. Don't get me wrong, the narrative moved forward in Episode 2. But with each of these episodes only lasting about an hour and a half so far, I'm starting to worry a bit.

Listen, I understand...this is The Expanse. It makes sense that we've spent all of our time in the depths of space so far. But, that doesn't make it a fun gameplay loop. Space looks just as beautiful as it did in the first episode, but navigating the derelict ship felt a bit too much like I had just done the same thing. It would be cool if we get to explore a station at some point, or even maybe visit Earth, Mars, or even another planet. Even though that's highly unlikely given the overarching narrative of The Expanse, I do think it would be cool to do.

About halfway through the episode, there is a new gameplay element in which you have to navigate the wr??eckage while dodgin??g the lasers from drones that are searching for you. It's nothing game-changing, but it is nice to see Deck Nine trying to add some new gameplay mechanics into a narrative-focused title.

[caption id="attachment_395755" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Choices do seem to matter

While I seemingly made some big choices in the first episode, I wasn't sure i??f they were actually going to end up mattering or not. Furthermore, I went out of my way to complete some "side missions", obtaining various items my crew had re?quested.

To my surprise,  the choices I made actually seemed to impact what happened throughout this episode, which is great. Also, it seems like going out of my way to gather those extra items also made a difference too. For example, in Episode 1 our medic had requested a new laser crystal for our surgical device on the Artemis. I was able to find it and in Episode 2 someone required a surgical procedure??. The procedure was seemingly effective specifically because I found the la?ser crystal. I am a bit curious about what would have happened had I not found it.

As a side note to The Expanse fans, this is definitely the Camina Drummer from the show. As I said in my impressions of Episode 1, Cara Gee knocks it out of the park. I'm really glad they were able to get her to reprise the voice of Drummer. There are a few choices you have to make throughout this episode, and they certainly felt like Drummer options. At the end of the episode, we catch up with our crew on the Artemis. We really get to see the effects of D?rummer being captain, which I'm sure is setting up future episodes.

In two weeks we'll take a look at Episode 3 at which point I think we'll have a good idea of the direction The Expanse: A Telltale Series is taking.

The post Review: The Expanse??: A Telltale Series �Episode 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

After a five-year hiatus, Telltale has returned with The Expanse: A Telltale Series. With all the drama surrounding the company's bankruptcy in 2018, followed by its acquisition by LCG Entertainment in 2019, it's fair to have some doubts. Furthermore, Deck Nine are the developers. While they have experience with narrative-driven games, will this even feel like a Telltale game? Well, I can tell you that answer is yes. And while I'd never dare try to dethrone The Wolf Among Us, I will tell you this: The Expanse is shaping u?p to be one of the best Telltale Games titles yet.

I should start by saying I am a huge fan of The Expanse. The SyFy/Amazon Prime series is genuinely in my top three TV shows of all time, maybe even number one. I have to admit that when I first discovered the details behind The Expanse: A Telltale Series I was a bit worried. With it taking place before the show, how could I really care about the story? Furthermore, I loved Camina Drummer ??in the show, but could a narrative-driven experience focused on one of her adventures really hold my interest over five episodes? Thankfully, my concerns were allayed early on in Episode 1.

[caption id="attachment_393844" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Expanse: A Telltale Series - Episode 1 (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Deck Nine
Publisher: Telltale
Released: July 27, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

Long live the Belt

In The Expanse: A Telltale Series you take on the role of Camina Drummer, XO of The Artemis, a scavenging ship skirting the uncharted edges of The Belt. Drummer is voiced by Cara Gee, who played her in the show, and she absolutely continues to prove she's perfect for the role. If you are expecting some good ol' Belter Creole, don't worry—there??'s plenty of it, Beratna.

The ship's captain discovers the wreckage of an Earther ship near Jupiter. Based on the fact the ship i?s out here alone and there's no public record as to why it would be out there, the captain thinks there has to be something valuable on board. The crew sets course for the wrec??kage, setting up the events that will pan out over all five episodes.

Like any Telltale game, there's a big emphasis on choices mattering. With this being just the first episode of five, most of the story threads haven't had time to result in any sort of consequences for my actions, which is understandable. However??, at the end of the episode I had to make what certainly felt like a meaningful choice. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure I made the right one—only time will tell.

Similar to previous Telltale titles, the choices are often not easy. It's not, "Do you wan??t to save a puppy or drop it down a volcano?" In fact, in most cases, you can even guess what sort of consequences may arise from each choice. From there, it's up to you to decide what you think is the lesser of two evils. I'm excited to see how much player decisions actually shape the game, because it always felt a bit hit-or-miss in previous Telltale games.

Doors and corners, kid

Graphically, The Expanse is the best-looking Telltale game to date. Even though there's still the somewhat cartoony style, it looks very clean. Some of the sections of The Artemis are surprisingly detailed, and the vast expanse (hehe) of space looks incredible. Deck Nine really knocked it out of the park in this re?gard—deep space has never looked so beautiful. Furthermore, character facial animations of come a long way. It's fun to see Drummer react to an intense situation or banter with her crew, and actually react to it accordingly.

This is definitely still a story-driven game, but the gameplay itself has big improvements as well. Running around as Drummer feels a lot smoother and less restrictive than I remember in The Walking Dead �The Final Season. There's also a system to float around in zero-G space that reminds me a lot of the similar zero-G segments in Dead Space.

Also, there are even little side missions you can tackle while progressing through the chapter. I've yet to see if they will actually influence the game in any way, but they are a nice addition. While exploring the wreckage of the Earther ship I managed to find a laser crystal for The Artemis' medic, and a cigar for the pilot. There's even a mission log on the br?idge of the ship so you can check your active mission. I also came across several areas where I could pull out my blow torch and slice through a panel to retrieve some salvage. Every time I did my crew would commend me for doing so, but I'm not sure just yet if there will be a practical use for the materials.

[caption id="attachment_393870" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

I'm excited about the future, beltalowda

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with The Expanse: A Telltale Series �Episode 1. With episodic content, we really won't have a full appreciation for The Expanse until the entire story is told. New episodes will release every two weeks, so The Expanse should be complete in September. What I do know, is this is a very strong start to th??e adventure. I'm very excited to see what's in store for Drummer and the crew of The Artemis.

If you are a fan of The Expanse TV series, this should be a no-brainer purchase for you. Any more The Expanse material is worth checking out. That being said, this story takes place before the show, so it's not necessary to have watched it to enjoy this entry. Sure, you might not recognize a couple of easter eggs, but the narrative itself is its own. This first chapter does a great job of setting the stage for the remaining four episodes. Regardless of your previous experience, The Expanse: A Telltale Series �Episode 1 is a fun experience in a beautiful universe.

The post Review: The Expanse: A Telltale Series – Episode 1 appeared first on Destructoid.

New episodes will arrive every other week

Telltale Games is premiering the first episode of The Expanse: A Telltale Series this summer. The first installment?? will go live on July 27, with more episodes to follow in the weeks after.

The Expanse series will be episodic, with five episodes in?? total. After the first drops on July 27, each episode will follow two weeks after each other, putting the targeted end date in September.

There's a standard edition for $39.99, or a Deluxe Edition for $44.99 that will give 24-hour early access on PlayStation or Epic, and also future DLC. Yes, Telltale confirms DLC is on ??the w?ay, though it doesn't clarify what shape that will take.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzG5WI5ak1g

All part of the churn

This new Expanse series arrives from the revived Telltale Games, under LCG Entertainment. While it's rolled out games like the Shadow Edition of the Batman Telltale series, The Expanse is one the studio has been building up to for a while, in collaboration with Life is Strange: True Colors developer Deck Nine.

Telltale also confirmed that The Wolf Among Us 2, its follow-up to the previous Fable adventure, is delayed into 2024. The shift is to avoid crunch, and move from Unreal 4 to 5, according to an IGN interview at the time.

This will be an interesting one to watch, to see what the new Telltale is putting out. Deck Nine's involvement certainly has me intrigued, as True Colors was a really solid entry in the Life is Strange series, and I'm a fan of The Expanse too. Opting for an episodic structure similar to what old Telltale pop?ularized has me curious about its reception, though. At the very least, it will be weeks between episodes ?rather than months.

We'll see if the sci-fi drama's gradual rollout works. The Expanse: A Telltale Series premieres on July 27 f?or PlayStation 5, Xbox Serie??s X|S, and PC via Epic.

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Telltale is shifting to avoid crunch and accommodate an engine shift

The Wolf Among Us 2 is being delayed out of this year. Telltale Games confirms that the sequel will be moving into 2024, as the team makes an effort to both avoid crun??ch and move ??????????????????????????from Unreal Engine 4 to 5.

Speaking to IGN, Telltale Games CEO Jamie Ottilie attributes the choice to a number of reasons. Part of those is concerns over burnout: "I've done [crunch], and ?I don't want to do it again, ?and it's not fair to ask it," Ottilie said.

"Making games is difficult a??nd they need time to be right," Ottilie told IGN. "And it doesn't do any of us any good to ship somet?hing that's not ready."

The other concern is a shift from Unreal Engine 4 to 5. According to the CEO, m?any on the team feel its worth the extra work, but he does say it entails redoing "quite a bit of work" that was already f??inished.

Rather than crunch or ship an unfinished project, Telltale will work to finish The Wolf Among Us 2 on its new schedule. The new series is episodic, like its predecessor; but unlike the first Wolf Among Us, it's being made all at once, so the whole run will be finished by the t?ime Episode 1 rolls out.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkXwW5H28m0

A wolf in the wings

While that might be disappointing for those hoping for some investigative fantasy stories this year, it sounds like it could be a good thing for the team working on The Wolf Among Us 2. M??ore breathing room and no looming crunch overhead will hopefully make bringing this legend back into the spotlight easier to do.

The resurrected Telltale is still rolling out games, though. The Expanse: A Telltale Series is due out this year, in collaboration with Deck Nine Games. And hey, with all that extra time, it's a good excuse to brush up on the first Wolf Among Us if you haven't yet. It's pretty darn good.

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When being "nice" gets a little dark

Sitting in a ??cab on the way to talk to the rough-and-tumble Woodsmen, Bigby and Snow White discuss their ongo?ing murder investigation. Snow White asks Bigby,The Big Bad Wolf in human disguise, who he thinks murdered their victim after everything they've learned. Several choices pop up on the screen. Do I think it's The Woodsman? The Pimp? Bluebeard? Or do I remain silent?

The Wolf Among Us is one of the most popular narrative games from Telltale Games, with a sequel hopefully coming in 2023. Players play The Big Bad Wolf acting as Sheriff in Fabletown, a neighborhood in New York City populated by famous fable characters. The game looks like a comic book and feels like a gritty noir detective ??story. But with talking animals.

What really makes it amazing is the choice-based storytelling. How you decide to interact with the people around you affects how they will interact with you in the future. You aren’t starting with a blank slate though. These characters have all experienced a history together before the player takes over Bigby's choices. As part of the narrative, Bigby is attempting to make amends for his violent past, but with the choices provided to you, it?'s possible to lean into the aggressive beha??vior citizens expect from him. 

It occurred to me that I am playing Bigby a lot nicer than I could. With every choice, I soothe other characters, doling out compliments and empathizing whenever possible. I even managed to avoid the startling and hilarious “glass him�moment mentioned in this article about narrative choices gone awry. 

How we make choices

While every narrative game is unique, they all prompt the player to play in a few ways. The most obvious way to make choices is for the sake of the story. Tons of players make choices that direct them to a desired outcome or just to follow the best storyline. Often, being nice is the best way to get what you want in-game. NPCs tend to be less f??riendly if you punch them in the face the first chance you get. 

Also, making enemies is almost always worse than making friends. I’l??l never forget getting locked out of the house by my friend as a bloodthirsty w?endigo pounced in Until Dawn. I had lost her trust with sever?al of my p??revious decisions, but the betrayal stung regardless. The Wolf Among Us is a little less intense in this aspect, but o?n a first play-through, who knows? Maybe Mr. Toad will be waiting for me in a dark alley if I push him too hard. 

Mak??ing choices that you feel will move the story in your favor makes sense, but another avenue is to play in character. In this case, you would choose replies or actions that fit the character you’re controlling as closely as possible. In the case of The Wolf Among Us, Bigby is fleshed-out just enough to guide our actions. We are told right away, Bigby is The Big Bad Wolf, and he has a temper. Smashing a bar glass into a suspect's face right after they share their feelings seems about right for him. Honestly, playing Bigby as quiet, cal?m, and understanding as I do is very out of character.

[caption id="attachment_362543" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

On the other hand, a playe??r could be happy to explore the mech?anics of the game itself, testing out different choices to see what happens with each play-through. Trying out different combinations of choices to see different results sounds really interesting, but it also shows an emotional distance from the story.

Which brings me to how I play narrative games. I feel a compulsion to only pick nice interactions, not because of charac?ter and story, but because I have difficulty separating myself from it. There are plenty of players like me who for the life of them cannot pick the mean choice despite knowing that it's all pretend. For us, being nice almost isn’t a choice at all. It has been conditioned into the way we navigate interpersonal communication in real life, and then it bleeds over into the game.

Why so nice?

I think the lack of curiosity and exploration is part of why I'm bothered by my play style, but it isn't the?? main reason I bring it up as an issue. On the surface, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with taking the nice path. It usually works out storywise, and we've already established that none of it is real. Why get hung up on being nice? In short, I'm tired of the dark underlying cause of why I'm unable to be anything but nice.

There are plenty of good reasons why we may insert our own friendliness into the game. Empathy with the characters is an excellent reason. While talking to Snow White, it occurred to me that I was interacting with her like a best friend or ideal boyfriend. During every interaction, I attempted to boost her confiden??ce an??d support her as a good partner should. I even felt a little guilty when I answered Snow's question about the murder suspects with silence. My silence made her feel uncertain.

Also, and obvious?ly, it feels good to be nice! Listening to people and reasoning with them is a wonderful default. Most of us like nice people and want to be kind ourselves.

[caption id="attachment_362547" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The thing that bothers me is what I said earlier about Mr. Toad. On the first play-through, knowing that my choices will have consequences, my deep-down concern is self-preservation. What if I'm rude and then I'm attacked? What if I fight and I lose? I'm?? sorry to say that in real life, I am always thinking about how to avoid trouble. Whether it's when I quit a job or when I try to say no, I have been conditioned to avoid conflict.

If you will all allow me a moment to be vulnerable with you, there isn't just a social expectation for women to be nice all the time. It's also a necessary survival mechanism. Saying no too forcefully can be physically dangerous. Hurting the wrong man's feelings or damaging his ego can even lead to deadly consequences on rare occasions. And lately, it isn't just women in da?nger when tempers flare! The fact that people are getting shot in road rage incidents is alarming.

I'm deeply annoyed that this compulsion to protect myself by soothing tempers and guessing consequences follows me into the virtual world. Sure, I'm grateful for the survival mechanism, I guess, but I want to be able to escape it sometimes. Especially w??hen I have the opportunity to be a tough wolf sheriff, wouldn't it be great t??o let go for a while?

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We're off again, lil' buddy

Skunkape Games has announced that it has begun development of Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Remastered, following on from its previously released remasters of Telltale Games classics Sam & Max Save the World Remastered and Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space Remastered. This latest retread will l?aunch on unannounced platforms later in 2023.

First released on PC and PS3 way back in 2010, The Devil's Playhouse was the third of Telltale Games' Sam & Max adventures, and sees the Freelance Police investigate a series of strange phenomena linked to the powerful psychic machinations of the mysterious "Toys of Power". The original release of The Devil's Playhouse sporte??d a fresh new game engine, and allowed the player to take direct control of both Sam and Max independently �allowing for a shakeup of the title's puzzle elements and adding an extra emphasis on synergy and teamwork between the two characters.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=?rYPuWAQvRy??w&ab_channel=Skunkape

While Skunkape Games has not offered any official information on the new title, we can likely expect The Devil's Playhouse Remastered to feature updated character models and environmental textures, tauter controls, and slicker U.I. integration. If we're lucky, we might also see the new release include additional artwork, voicework, and music, as was the case for both Save the World Remastered and Beyond Time and Space Remastered. We'll be sure to give you a heads-up when more information �includin?g platforms and a release date �is forthcoming.

Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Remastered is currently in development at Skunkape Games.

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The following feature contains a spoiler for Telltale's 2014 title Tales from the Borderlands. Just go play it, because that's basically the conclusion of this article, anyway.

Or maybe even better...

A couple of weeks ago, I had the displeasure of reviewing Gearbox's New Tales from the Borderlands. I try to give every game I review the benefit of the doubt, but this game just kept letting me down again and again and again, and in the end it turned out to be a pretty miserable experience �and I gave it a 3/10. The whole time I was playing, I couldn't stop thinking about how awesome I thought the first game was, to the point that it is one of my favorite games of all time. Before I even finished the first episode of New Tales, I k??new I had to go back and see if the or?iginal held up in the way that I thought it did.

Turns out Alice Bell over at Rock Paper Shotgun and I think alike, because she had the exact same idea. New Tales from the Borderlands was so bad, it actually made more than one of us return to the original to make sure we hadn't created some kind of false, reverent memory as a coping mechanism. But the conclusion is the same, and it seems to be unanimous: Tales from the Borderlands is still one of the best stories e??ver told in a ??game.

A sense of momentum

Right off the bat, the game grabs you. It opens with this mystery of who kidnapped Rhys, one of the player? characters, and after a few quips, he launches into a narration of how he got to where he is in the first place. The story gets rolling right away, and it never really slows down after that.

The dialogue is smart and snappy, and perfectly paced while also giving us exposition at the same time. Compared to New Tales' slow, clunky exposition dumps, the original Tales' sharp, focused writing is all the more noticeable. It's also just funny as hell. The??re are still bits from this game that I quote to this day, and don't even get me started on the finger guns f??ight in Episode 4.

Then there's the musical opening, and while all of them are particularly great (shout out to the slo-mo?? rocket launch sequence from episode 4 �the entirety of the penultimate episode is nothing short of excellent, honestly), but episode 1's heavy beat and funky synth banger "Busy Earnin'" by Jungle is will be one of those gaming moments I remember for the rest of my life. It just sets the tone for the entire series, the song is dripping with style and swag, and it really hammers home the feeling that there's a whole adventure ahead of you. Perfe?ction.

That sense of momentum is maintained throughout the entire rest of the series, except for maybe the last half of the final episode, which I can excuse because it makes way for the most video game-y section of Tales �the final boss fight. Otherwise, the rest of the episodes are jam-packed with plans, obstacles, and random happenstances that send the g??roup reeling, and then we have a blast seeing how they manage to scrape by and eventually come out on top.

One particularly clever story technique they used a few times was having the characters ??lay out their plan, and then use that to narrate them actually carrying out those parts of the plan, which is just efficient writing in my opinion. They don't waste a second of my time??, let alone hours at a time like another game I can think of.

Cause and effect

Right off the bat, we know exactly who the characters are and what they're after. As their goals slowly shift as the series go on, we can see who they are?? changing, in real-time, as they react to and deal with the circumstances that are p??laced in front of them. Of course, you as a player are part of shaping that arc, and the game feels satisfying and reactive every step of the way.

I never understood the criticism of the "they will remember that" messages in the top corner of the screen, especially in regards to Tales. The Telltale dev??s get awesome mileage out of the mechanic, by constantly changing up how they use it for the sake of jokes, and, more sparingly, impactful emot?ional moments.

Something else that surprised me when I started Tales from the Borderlands is how often you interact with the game. It's baby stuff compared to full-on action games, but it might as well have been Breath of the Wild next to New Tales from the Borderlands. You have dialogue choices really often, sometimes as many as three or four choices a minute, and you spend a good amount of time each episode exploring the environment and doing some point-and-click stuff. Again, it's pretty basic, but it's far and away more interaction than you get in New Tales.

You don't know Jack

I also have to take a second to talk about how insanely good Jack's death scene is. Handsome Jack is already dead as of Borderlands 2, but he makes a posthumous return as an AI living inside Rhys' head in Tales from the Borderlands. Not only are all of the exchanges between Rhys and Jack excellent throughout the whole game, but their final confrontat??ion is something straight out of Shakespeare's bibliography?, and I don't say that lightly.

Whereas Rhys started out? as nothing more than a fanboy, he's learned and grown a lot since his first encounter with Jack. Plus, you know, he doesn't want to die so that Jack can just his body as his own personal me??at puppet. That's less sexual than it sounds. Anyway.

An ultimate confrontation in the wrecked remains of Helios, paired off with expert cinematography, thrilling, existential writing, and stellar performances from Troy Baker and Dameon Clarke make for some of the best storytelling in games you're ever going to see. I mean, we get Handsome Jack contemplating the true natur?e of death and Rhys ripping out his own arm and eye to kill his nemesis once and for all. What more could you possibly want? That's peak drama, baby.

I did not misremember... Tales is the GOAT

Tales from the Borderlands has always stuck in my mind as one of my favorite games of all time, but I don't think I realized in the years since I've played it how much it stuck wi??th me, and even influenced my own writing sensibilities. It's a fast-paced, ridiculous adventure, bu??t at its core it's a really moving character piece that manages to give each one of its characters a compelling arc, even outside of the main six cast members.

I could continue to sing its praises for thousands more words, but you get it. Just go play it, and if you've played it before, play it again. Telltale was on some next-level shit in the first half of the 2010s, but if you ask me, Tales from the Borderlands is their best work.

Story Beat is a weekly column discussing anything and everything to do with storytelling in video games.

The post Tales from the Borderlands i??s just as good as I remember appeared first on Destructoid.

Gear up for launch next year, Belters

The Expanse: A Telltale Series is setting a course for launch. The sci-fi narrative adventure set in The Expanse univer?se is aiming fo??r a summer 2023 release window.

The Telltale series showed up today, as part of Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022. The series will follow beloved Belter captain Camina Drummer, in a prequel set before the events of The Expanse show.

In the gameplay shown today, we got a look at some of the zero-G navigation and space sections. Looks like there will be the usual quick-tim??e events, as well as some tough choices to make.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdU8hhftinE

The Expanse: A Telltale Series is being developed by Telltale and Deck Nine, the makers of Life is Strange: True Colors. Today, the team set?? a release window of next summer in 2023.

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Just caught in the churn

Gamescom Opening Night Live is less than a week away, which means we're steadily seeing which games are pre-announcing their show appearance. Today, showrunner Geoff Keighley and Telltale Games confirm that the latter's The Expanse series will show off a first look ??at gameplay duri?ng the showcase.

The Opening Night Live stream is airing on Twitch and YouTube, on August 23 at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT. The show's expected to run for two hours, with over 30 games on stage to show.

/??/twitter.com/telltalegames/status/1559933630104752128

The new Telltale series is from the reformed Telltale Games, which was bought and revived after the first Telltale Games had to shut its doors. This new Telltale, under LCG Entertainment, is the one working on The Expanse: A Telltale Series alongside fellow narrative game studio D??eck Nine and Alcon Interactive Group.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=13h1mxJUZjc

No risk, no reward

I am pretty curious to see what this combination has in store for The Expanse. While the new Telltale is fairly fresh, Deck Nine proved its mettle with Life is Strange: True Colors, a really phenomenal entry in the series.

The story will follow Camina Drummer, who Expanse fans wil??l remember as the all-around-badass Belter from the series. It takes place prior to the events of the series, following Drummer's? search for a mysterious treasure on the fringes of the Belt.

While IP adaptations were Telltale's go-to during its original run, The Expanse is a new franchise for the company. It's also one that could, in my opinion, really benefit from a narrative-focused approach. The ?tensions and politics of the Solar System playing out in verbal standoffs through Telltale's systems could be a good time, if done well. We'll learn more at Gamescom Opening Nigh?t Live.

Telltale is also working on The Wolf Among Us 2, which we got a look at earlier this year. That's set for sometime in 2023.

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Hopes are sky high

I don't think I'm alone in saying that Tales from the Borderlands was far and away my favorite Telltale game. The quality of the writing and characters was amazing, and it set the standard for choice-based adventures for years to come. When the news dropped this week that Gearbox is working on another Tales game internally, everyone kind of freaked out, myself included. But even with the bare-bones information ??we have right now, I have a lot of thoughts about the game. I've h?ad enough time to think about it, haven't I?

The original Tales from the Borderlands came out in five episodes over the course of 2014-2015, and without giving away too much, the game ended on an ambiguous note, leaving room f??or a potential sequel in the future. My automatic assumption was that they'd be picking up right where the first game left off, but after thinking it through a bit more, I'm apprehensive.

//twitter.com/JayShockblast?/status/1517228741721825282

The game's publisher, 2K, said itself that the ga??me will feature "new characters and n??ew stories." That kind of makes me nervous.

So much of what made the first game so great were its characters, their relationships to each other, and the performances the actors gave. Starting over from scratch when it co??mes to character is by no means impossible, but it would mean Gearbox putting themsel?ves in a situation where they have even bigger shoes to fill.

Of course, that may not have been a conscious decision on their part �it's possible that they couldn't get some of the cast back for another game all these years later (Laura Bailey and Troy Baker are in high demand, after all). Legal stuff also got pretty screwy given the way Telltale shut down, so it's possible they weren't allowed to use some of the same characters from the first game due to logistics (although Rhys was a fairly prominent character in Borderlands 3).

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1280"] _{[Image Source: PlayStation LifeStyle]}[/caption]As our very own Jordan Devore pointed out, we also have no idea if anyone from the original Tales team w??ill be working on the new title, so there's no saying whether it will have nearly the sam??e quality when it comes to its tone and humor.

One potential upside that shines through thi?s haze of uncertainty is that the game will likely be developed on a brand new engine, which would be a huge upgrade considering how rickety Telltale's old one was. Players have been complaining for years about the outdated systems, and former Telltale developers expressed their desire to update the engine so they could update how the games feel to play and add all-new features to the tried and true Telltale formula.

The devs at the newly-revived Telltale Games discussed ditching the old engine to make way for Unity all the way back in 2018. Of course, the "new" Telltale is a very different case than however Gearbox is working on the game in-house, but either way, it's pretty safe to assume Tales is being developed on a new eng??ine. So regardless of how the game turns out, hopefully we have that to look forward to, right? ...right?

My take is that if for any reason, Rhys and co. are nowhere to be found in the new game, I'm okay with that. As much of a bummer it would be to not ?see that story continued when I was so invested, I'd rather see a whole new cast of characters than nothing at all.

I will say that above all else, my biggest wish is to keep the awesome mu??sical intros for each episode, because those are honestly my favorite uses of licensed music in any?? piece of media ever.

In the end, I really have no idea what to expect. I'm doing my best to keep my hopes as low as possible so as not to be disappointed, but Tales from the Borderlands really meant a lot to ??me when I first played it back in like 2016, and regardless of what Gearbox does, there will be no escape from fan expectations. Now here's to hoping they can deliver.

//www.tiktok.com/@destructoid/video/7093205021864594693?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=70527881640677063?73

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Bigby's back in business

Telltale Games revealed a new look at The Wolf Among Us 2 ??today, and set a release? window. Bigby's next adventure is set to arrive in 2023.

In a stream hosted by Game Awards showrunner Geoff Keighley today, Telltale confirmed the year it's a??iming for and showed off a new trailer. Over dialogue of Bigby discussing recent events, and his own internal struggles, we see him dealing with some very familiar Oz characters. Safe to say, they're not in Kansas anymore.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkXwW5H28m0

At the end of the trailer, Telltale confirms The Wolf Among Us 2 is coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PS5, and PC. It also sounds like there will still be "episodes," but Telltale says it won't start rol??ling episodes out until all of them are finished.

In today's stream, a few more story details were confirmed. The Wolf Among Us 2 takes place about six months after the events of the first game. ??It sounds like the relationship between Snow White?? and Bigby will be a bit strained, with the latter working as a private investigator. And there's a new character, a human New York detective named Faye Leung, who gets tangled up in whatever's afoot in this new mystery.

The Wolf Among Us 2 is coming from the revived Telltale Games, which was brought back by LCG Entertainment in 2019. Alongside the new story set in Fabletown, Telltale also discussed its upcoming series on The Expanse. Telltale is working with Life is Strange: True Colors developer Deck Nine and?? Alcon Interactive Group on that particular adventure.

While it's still a ways off, the style and tone of the new Wolf Among Us seems solid. As for what mysteries await, we'll see what's in s?tore for ?Bigby and his "anger issues" in 2023.

The post The Wolf Among Us 2 is set for 2023, and there’s a new trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Forget it, Bigby. It's Fabletown.

Telltale is headed back to Fabletown this week. The studio announced a new look at the upcoming The Wolf Among Us 2 set for Feb. 9, 2022.

The resurrected Telltale Games will show off a "behind-the-scenes" look at The Wolf Among Us 2, plus "more." The show will be streamed on Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. PT and hosted by The Game Awards showrunner Geoff Keighley. Keighley also confirmed that they will be showing a brand-new trailer for the game.

//tw??itter.com/telltalegam??es/status/1490777274370691075

It's been quite some time since we last heard from The Wolf Among Us 2 team. It reappeared at The Game Awards in 2019, after Telltale Games was brought back to life under LCG Entertainment. And while Bigby got his moment on the big screen there, we've only seen a few updates between then and now.

Whatever's next from this new, reformed version of Telltale is still up in the air. The studio has been steadily re-releasing old Telltale games back onto the market, but this will be a new follow-up to a pretty beloved story in games. It's not hard to imagine there might be some skepticism about what's in store for The Wolf Among Us 2.

There's bound to be some excitement for old Telltale fans around whatever Bigby is up to next though. And I'm certainly intrigued by the idea of a return to the mixture of crime noir and fairy tales that ?Fabletown provides. Also, whatever this "more" is, it's certainly curious.

We'll? learn more this week during Telltale's stream on Feb. 9 at 10 ?a.m. PT.

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I'll believe it when I see it

Last week's Game Awards were full of lots and lots�and lots of announcements, but one that particularly stood out to me was the trailer for Telltale Games' return with their new title The Expanse. It's a bit jarring to see the studio's name nowada??ys, like it's the zombified corpse of a once dear friend.

When I was a little baby gamer who really loved story-focused games but didn't have the mechanical skills to play anything else, Telltale was my go-to. From the tough but lovable characters in The Wolf Among Us to the kickass licensed soundtrack from Tales from the Borderlands, they're still some of the most stylized narrative experienc??e?s you can find in games today.

Telltale wa??s beloved not only by me, but basically the entirety of the gaming community, so I think I can speak for just about everyone when I say we were devastated to hear that the studio was shutting down in 2019. I also watched the Noclip documentary about the breakdown of the studio, which made the heartbreak of it all the more palpable.

If you aren't familiar, Noclip is a production company that makes crowdfunded documentaries about games. In May of 2019, they released a near hour-long film interviewing some of the former Telltale employees about the company's final days. They speak of backbreaking crunch, poor leader??ship who bit off more than the studio could chew, and the constant looming threat of layoffs and closures. Many of the employees were completely blindsided by the news that the studio went under, who were told that they only had thirty minutes to gather their things and exit the building after the meeting.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-2nNksMBpg

Anyone who was on social media at the time of Telltale's closing, though, will remember the outpouring of love and support for the former Telltale developers on social media. Plenty of game c??ompanies made posts directed specifically at those affected by the closure, as they could provide them jobs at the?ir own studios. Even the release of the Noclip documentary was cathartic, as one developer wrote in the comments on YouTube: "As another Ex-Telltale dev, thanks for this. This provided so many of us with some serious emotional closure, thank you."

So I was shocked to hear in December of that same year that Telltale would potentially return with a second Wolf Among Us game. Surely they had rallied up everyone who had been fired and reformed the team to keep going, right? Nope. The name and rights of the studio had in fact been sold to LCG Entertainment, a new holding company that had been formed in an attempt to revive the brand. "There is still a huge fanbase of Telltale players and that's one of the main reasons we decided to make this investment, said LCG co-head Brian Waddle, while at the time only hiring back a few, if any at all, of the previous Telltale dev?elo?pers.

In fairness, there's a chance that LCG has in fact brought the former devs back on board, but there hasn't been much coverage of the topic since the initial media storm died down. So that brings me to my main point: as far as we know, henceforth all of the Telltale games we're going to g?et will be with a team that is at best mostly new to the brand, and that makes me skeptical beyond all belief. Recapturing the magic of the originals is difficult enough as is, but that's made even more difficult when you're missing major players that made our favorite games what they were.

I'm not saying that a new group of people won't be able to make awesome games, it's just that something about Telltale's return leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Maybe it's the part of me that was also hurt from a project I cared about getting shut down with little warning, but so??mething feels wrong about the previous devs being unceremoniously let go, just for all of their work and assets to be sold to the highest bidder, who can then use that to ride the coattails of the name that they worked so hard to build. It'll be hard to enjoy something new if it feels like it was built on top of the graveyard of the thing I loved.

That initial hit of dopamine when we see our favorite developer's name flash across the screen can be addicting, but every once in a while I want us to stop and think about how that name got there in the first place. I want us all to be able to play ?amazing games all the time, but I also want them to be created in the healthiest, happiest, least-exploitative way possible, and regardless of the sketchiness of the current Telltale situation, the evocation of its name alone should be enough to make us stop and think.

Besides the labor practices, I also just? want them to make good games that are fun to play and pay homage to the Telltale formula while also iterating on it. We've launched into a new console generation since the studio's shutdown, and the fans and the namesake deserve only the best if we're going to do this again. If we must revivify the corpse of Telltale, then by god, just make it good.

One encouraging moment we also got from The Game Awards, though, was a trailer for the narrative adventure game Star Trek: Resurgence from a new indie studio called Dramatic Labs, whose team is comprised of former Telltale employees. If they weren't able to be rehired by the LCG, it's heartening to se?e that these devs are still out here making the types of games that they love. I'm glad they can return on their own terms.

The current team at Telltale recently released a short update, but it was cryptic at best, and focused entirely on the games rather than the teams making them. From where we stand, there's really no way to know the full story, unless some of the for??mer or current devs speak out more substantially. Part of me is curious to give the new titles a try when they come out, but until then I'll definitely be taking everything they say with a grain of salt. Shutdowns can happen out of nowhere.

The post I’m skeptical of Telltale’s return appeared first on Destructoid.

You gotta start somewhere

Holida??y shopping can be pretty difficult, especially when you have really different interests and hobbies than your non-gamer friends or family. Gift-giving can, however, be a great opportunity to introduce? your loved ones to the magic of gaming, because there's nothing better than helping someone understand your passions and then enjoying them together.

The only thing is, if you're going to get someone? a game who has never tried them before, you've got to make sure it's the right one, lest you risk putting them off of games forever. To give you some handy suggestions, or at least get you thinking on the right track, here's our list as some of the best newb-friendly games to gift to your favorite non-gamers this holiday season.

1. Minecraft

When taking into account different types of potential players, Minecraft is an all-arounder when it comes?? to game recommendations. It can appeal to people who just want to chill out in creative mode and build something cool, as well as those who want to challenge themselves with survival mode.

There are also a plethora of mods out ther??e that can cater to all kinds of niche interests, so you can customize the game to be appea??ling to anyone in your life. To top it all off, it's also a great way to help someone learn gaming controls in a low-stakes, low-pressure environment.

2. Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is a great choice for a new player because of its more casual feel. The game never rushes or forces you to do anything in particular �you can play it however you want. The mechanics are also simple and relaxing (with the ex?ception of combat, but new players can work their way up to that), and do a good job of easing the player in as they learn.

There's also the be?nefit of it being a 2D game, so you don't have to worry about dealing with the whole moving-and-looking-at-the-same-time thing if that's a stumbling block. Just make sure you set them up with the practice fishing rod at the start, and your buddy should have an awesome time.

3. Pokémon

I kind of missed the Pokémon train the first time around, but after playing Sword & Shield, I have to agree with my friends that say this series is a great way to introduce someone to turn-based combat or JRPGs. Having cute little critters to collect makes for a fun, easily understandable objective, and you don't have to be amazing at the game to progress, especially with the newer entries in the series. I've heard Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu/Eevee! can be a great place to start, but you're probably fine if you try any mainline series? ent??ries that have come out in the last decade.

4. Telltale's The Walking Dead

Telltale's The Walking Dead is a great choice because w??hile it does introduce new characters, it's part of a franchise that non-gamers? are already familiar with. It's even structured like a TV show with its episodes, which also divide what is overall a longer game into manageable chunks.

The gameplay itself is mostly limited to dialogue choices, but also includes some classic point-and-clic??k adventure stuff �both of these factors can make it a great jumping-off point to try some other games that share these mechanics.

5. Portal

Portal is also a great game I recommend to newbies, seeing as it's the game I played to learn shoot?ing mechanics on a controller. Because it's a puzzle game that only has stationary turrets as enemies, you can really take your time as you try to figure out how the camera works. Some of the later levels require perfectly-timed? shots, but by the time you get there, you pretty much have the controls down.

There's also the fact that Portal has one of the best game stories out there, so in addition to helping a new player l?earn the ropes, they can also see some of the superb storytellin??g that games are capable of. I'd just steer clear of this one for someone who is particularly puzzle-averse, because it can be pretty challenging to figure out some of the solutions.

6. Journey

One of the problems I've run into while trying to recommend games to someone who has never played them is how long most of them take to complete, but Journey negates this issue by having a run time of about two hours. What better way to ??convince a skeptic than to have them play a great game that's no longer t?han a movie?

Journey is also new player-friendly because of its fluid, relaxing gameplay. There are no enemies to be seen, so your friends shouldn't have any issues making it to the end. The game is known for its gorgeous visual style and music as well, so if you show someone Journey, they know they're getting some of the best tha?t gaming has to off?er.

7. Overcooked

Want to be able to play alongside that friend or family member while they learn the ropes? No problem! Overcooked is a great option �while things can get a bit hectic as you progress through the levels, the game is designed to be easy to pick up and understand. Considering it's one of those games where you can se??e yourself mastering it as you go along, it can make for a good confidence booster before throwing your new player into the deep end.

8. Firewatch

Firewatch is such a fun ride, but in different ways than you might expect. The gameplay is super simple, and mostly involves walki??ng around and interacting with items. The real star of the show here is its story, particularly its voice acting, which can make it the perfect option for someone who prefers a more narrative-based experience, if that's something your new gamer is into.

I know for me, story games were a great way to initially get into the hobby, and then I started trying out some more gameplay-heavy games once I learned the ropes. Firewatch also has the benefit of helping players learn the controls at their own pace, similar to Portal.

9. What Remains of Edith Finch

Many of the principles that apply to Firewatch are also in play here. What Remains of Edith Finch is in? the upper echelon of game stories, in my opinion, so it's another excellent choice for those who like storytelling.

It ??also just has some really clever gameplay sections that I think showcase some of the best narrative design in the industry. It's wistful and moving, and is yet another relatively short p??lay that can help you learn controls, so this one is a must for new players.

10. Uncharted 2

If you have a buddy who loves action movies and just wants to feel like a hero, Uncharted 2 is the way to go. I could be recommending the first Uncharted, but parts of that game haven't? aged super well gameplay-wise (I'm looking at you, jet ski level), and the sequel is where Naughty Dog really hit their stride with the franchise, both in terms of narrative and gameplay.

You've got loveable characters, swashbuckling action, and puzzles that will make you stop and think, which makes it perfect for a movie buff. Plus, if they end up liking it, there are still four other Uncharted games they can go and play.

The post 10 newb-friendly games to gift to the non-gamers in your li??fe appeared first on Destructoid.

I can't go back, can I?

Everyone loves a good choice-based game. They're simple, but often very effective in allowing us to interact with the game's world in a more substantial way. Of course, they also present a pretty difficult design challenge, bec?ause writers have to make sure the players know what they're getting themselves into with just a few words, often known as the preview text.

Preview text is obvio?usly a necessity, because there's no way you can fit all of the text you need into a little tiny button for the player to press, but it can sometimes cause the player some problems. Short lines with easy-to-convey messages are a piece of cake, but what do you do when things get a little more complicated? This is the exact problem I ran into when I was writing a choice-based game for the first time.

It's not something you really tend to notice that much when you're playing them, but there are tons of different ways that games try to convey their message using preview text for a choice. There are a few different ways that games will telegraph to you with previews of what exactly it is you're going to be saying or doing, to mixed results. Some games will do their best to make the sample text verbatim what the player character is going to say, but this can be ??difficult with longer or more emotionally complex lines.

Oxenfree is a good example of this -- for the most part you say exactly what's written in the speech bubbles you can choose from, give or take a word, and then if there's more to elaborate on, Alex will continue saying the line. Personally, I think Nightschool did an awesome job of telegraphing exactly what you meant to say when you said it in Oxenfree, so I had very few mom??ents of frustration when it came to the dialogue choices.

Then there's the method of using a different wording in the preview, but in a way that accurately sums up what the character will be saying. It's more of a sentiment, if you will. Mass Effect u?ses this technique most often, and while it usually works fine, I do recall quite a few occasions when I chose a certain line, only to get a slightly different meaning in the real dialogue. One particularly cringy moment happened when I thought I was just being polite to Kaidan, only for it to come off as flirting. I like you, Kaidan �just not like that.

The?? last method is the most simple, but can work just as well �basically, you just describe the function of what the player is going to say, rather than the actual words they'll be saying, like "agree with him," "spare his feelings," or "tell her the truth." This technique was generally used in older, text-based adventure g?ames, but we can sometimes see it mixed in with newer games, depending on the situation. If I had to guess, I would think it's fallen out of fashion because it feels less immersive to play.

The reality is that any of these methods could work, it just comes down to making sure the way you phrase what those choices are is as unambiguous as possible, especiall??y in high tension situations or when there are a lot of complicated emotions involved.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8os2LBgSCAs

Considering this is an easy problem to encounter when devs are writing hundreds of pages of dialogue, inevitably there are moments where the preview text doesn't convey what you're actually going to do or say with any level of accuracy. These moments can range from frustrating to downright hilarious �one of the most classic examples comes from a Wolf Among Us choice that reads "[Glass him]." I personally chose this one o?n my first playthrough without having seen any of the memes because I thought it meant Bigby would cheers the Woodsman or something, but I instead got the shock of a lifetime when Bigby smashed his glass over this poor man's head.

Another well-known (and well-loved) example comes from Mass Effect, during a tense but otherwise civil conversation with the salarian scientist Chorban. One of the choices the player is presented with during the conversation is simply "[sigh]," and if chosen, Shepard actually says "I should kill both of you idiots." Wait, what? While the Wolf Among Us scenario is an example of text that imperfectly portrayed its meaning, pa??rt of me wonders if this was just a mistake that? somehow made it through into the game, because that reaction is so different from what it feels like it should be.

These are really funny scenes in retrospect, but in the moment it can be annoying to have an outcome feel so different than the choice you picked. I mean hell, there are plenty of lists o??ut there chronicling how ridiculous these scenarios can be.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoTzM8xFCMQ

One of the r??easons I love choice-based games so much is because they pose such an interesting question when it comes to writing �how do you stay true to this character while also allowing the player to have as much autonomy as possible? The closest thing I can think to this idea is improvisational theater, where actors are making it up as they go, but also have to stay in character as best t?hey can. Ah, I love when games and theater overlap!

If you enjoy writing and have never tried writing a branching storyline before, I definitely recommend trying it with programs like Twine or Ink because it's a great way to s??tretch those creative muscles.

What's your favorite choice-based game? Are there any scenarios that you f??elt played out differently than you wanted because of some sketchy preview text? What's your most memorable moment from a choice-based game?

Story Beat is a weekly column discussing anything and everything to do with storytelling in video games.

The post Misha??ps in the preview text of choice-based adventure games appeared first on Destructoid.

My two favorite things!

I really love musical theater. I was raised on original Broadway cast recordings of various shows like Les Miserables, Little Shop of Horrors, and Wicked, and my friends and I even had a Phantom of the Opera fan club when I was in third grade. So as you can imagine, I was pretty jazzed when I discovered there was a musical adaptation of the 1971 educational game The Oregon Trail.

The show is aptly named The Trail to Oregon!, and it was first performed back in 2014 by Starkid Productions. If you haven't heard of them, boy are you missing out. Basically they started as a student-run theater company at the University of Michigan in the early 2000s. Their shows are usually parodies of well-known IPs like Star Wars, Batman, and Aladdin to name a few, with their most successful shows poking fun at the Harry Potter universe. I really recommend checking out their ?stuff if you like musical theater and also want to laugh your ass off.

//youtu.be/BxKCX-UvPrI

Other than The Trail to Oregon! being inspired by the classic video game, they take it a step further by letting the audience choose the members in their wagon party as well as which member of the party dies at the end. This isn't?? a ??ton of interaction by video game standards, but remember that these are real people who have to remember a new set of random names that are thrown out by the audience during each performance. On top of that, if they gave the audience any more say on the show's plot points, they would have to prepare whole scenes or songs that the audience would never see.

Ironically, that exact same problem crops up in the development of choice-based video games, mostly because it's really expensive and time-consuming to work on parts of a game that will be seen by only a few players. That balance of preparing enough variety so that the players feel like their choices matter while also?? not biting off more than you can chew is a difficult one to strike.

Similarly, there is a musical video game in production called Chorus, which features top-notch voice actors like Laura Bailey and Troy Baker. The idea is that it's a choice-based narrative game, but when you select dialogue choices, you're actually choosing the lyrics to songs, as well as the direction the story takes. Chorus is an interesting case because it pretty much does what Trail to Oregon can't �give the player an insane amount of choice??s, because each one is meticulously planned and created ahead of time.

//youtu.be/gvDoaYzRaVs

Of course, with a game you can swap out lines of dialogue, character models, environments, and anything else you need at a moment's notice, which is how it can accommodate a much larger number of permutations than live actors can. Who knows, this might all be conjecture and Chorus might be a disappointment upon its eventual release, but for now it's a game I'm real?ly rooting for and can hardly wait to play.

Right from the top of the show, Trail to Oregon is entirely unafraid to acknowledge its physical limitations, from the set to the fact that they're just putting on a show for the audience's entertainment. This concept is called breaking the fourth wall, and while most of us know about this technique because of the movies that use it to great effect, like Deadpool or Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the term originated in theater. T?hat's because you have the three walls of the set, and then there's this imaginary wall between the audien??ce and the performers onstage.

_{[Image Source: Starkid Productions]}

Breaking the fourth wall has been around pretty much since the origins of theater, when performers would speak directly to the audience. Think of Shakespeare's famous soliloquies, like the "To be, or not to be" speech from Hamlet �he's speaking directly to us, which is part? of what makes it so powerful.

Games do this constantly, because NPCs are always talking to you, the player character. There's even an extra level of immersion there because instead of being spoken t?o as yourself, you're being spoken to as another character in the world of the game. In participating in a video game's story, you're participating in a way that's more similar to an actor than that of an? audience member, which I think is a pretty cool thing to do from the comfort of my own couch.

This is especially true of choice-based narratives and role-playing games. My favorite examples are the Telltale Games (RIP), because they actively acknowledge your participation in really fun ways, like the iconic "X will remember that" message that appears in the corner of the screen. I've written these kinds of games before, and I personally think it's one of the most challenging forms ??of character-based writing there is.

You have to maintain the base of who the character is ??while still allowing the player to react how they want in any given situation. The structure actually feels closer to imp??rovisational theater in that way, so the whole illusion is about making the player feel like their choices matter while also keeping the characterization consistent.

I find it ironic that people most often compare games to movies, because I really think they bear a closer resemblance to theater than anything else. Especially with AAA games today, everyone is always talking about how "cinematic" they are, but ultimately films are an entirely separate entity from the viewers �you can't influence the final product in any way. Games and theater both have this explicit knowledge of ?an outside force, whether it be more passive, like sitting in an audience, or active, like directly choosing the direction the story will take.

There are tons of other amazing games that draw on the crossover between theater and games, specifically Dominique Pamplemousse, Kentucky Route Zero, and Elsinore, just to name a few. If this is something that interests you, I seri??ously recommend you do some research because I didn't even scratch the su??rface with this one.

This is a corner of the games industry, and the theater industry as well, that ?is relatively new and unexplored. As someone who loves storytelling, nothing gets me pumped up more than seeing creative ??people push the boundaries of how we can tell stories, so I'm excited to see where else we can go from here.

The post This musi??cal parody of The Oregon Trail highlights the intersection of games ?and theater appeared first on Destructoid.

Our controllers are sweatier than ever

With the unprecedented heat waves that are sweeping the country, it feels like there isn't anything we can do to escape these triple-digit temperatures. Of course, we can always esc??ape into another world entirely, and video games are the perfect conduit for doing just that. If you'r??e feeling like you're about to melt into a puddle of goo, here's our guide to using cool summer games to help you beat the heat.

Seek out cool settings

[caption id="attachment_274814" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] [Image Credit: Gamepur][/caption]Sometimes, cooling off is as simple as just thinking cool. Thankfully, there are plenty of games that take place in freezing temperatures that can help us feel the cold, at least in our minds. After exploring some (virtual) snow-covered mountaintops, icy tundra, and frozen glaciers, you'll be amazed at how much some wishful thinking can help. Games that come to mind in this regard include Skyrim, Breath of the Wild, and Uncharted 2.

One of the most refreshing games I can think of is Super Mario Sunshine, not just because of its innovative gameplay, but because having a magical sentient water jet on my back sounds like the dream right now. There are also games like Abzu, Subnautica, and Beyond Blue, which allow you to take on the role of a scuba diver. When it's just too damn hot, nothing feels better than plunging into a big body of water, and ??if you can't do it in real life, this is easily the next best thing.

Try going for flow state

[caption id="attachment_274815" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] [Image Credit: GamesRadar][/caption]Nothing is more distracting than entering a flow state, which is basically where you're so engaged with what you're doing, the real world melts away, leaving you only to focus on the task at hand. When it's this hot, sometime??s distracting ourselves ?is the best we can do.

Online multiplayer games can be great for this, especially twitchy FPS titles like Call of Duty, Overwatch, Apex Legends, Valorant, etc. It can feel pretty transcendent when you get into a groove, and I'm pressed to find any other genres that get me to an equally euphoric flow state as quickly, but beware of the flip side of that coin �these t?ypes of games can have pretty high highs, but that opens the door to some low lows as well. At least you won't have to worry about your hands being warmed up enough, right?

Rhythm games are another great option if you're into that sort of thing. Got your old Guitar Hero or Rock Band instruments collecting dust? Maybe it's time to bust those out again! Or if roguelikes are more your thing, maybe try Tomb of the Necrodancer or its Zelda spinoff, Cadence of Hyrule.

I've also heard Tetris Effect is incredible for achieving flow state, but I've yet to give that one a try. Someone ??let me know how ??it is, yeah?

Chill out in a figurative sense first

[caption id="attachment_274816" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] [Image Credit: GamesRadar][/caption]Yes, it's hot out here, and my panicking about the impending climate crisis doesn't help anything. In cases where my anxiety is making me even hotter under the collar, I found that playing a game to relax can go a long way. These types of cool summer games can vary from person to person -- maybe you love a farming sim like Stardew Valley or Story of Seasons, or a puzzle game can help you calm down. 

There are also more artistic, poetic games that can be really soothing, especially because they don't have any sort of fail state. Journey or Flower are my favorites in that regard, but pretty much anything from thatgamecompany will do.

If you're more narratively inclined, I also recommend games like What Remains of Edith Finch or Gone Home. There's also Telltale's old catalog you could work your way through -- ??some of them can be a bit intense, but at least you don't have to strain yourself when it comes to gameplay.

Switch on that Switch for cool summer games

[caption id="attachment_274817" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] [Image Credit: USgamer][/caption]If you have a Nintendo Switch, that might be the way to go in terms of a cooler gaming experience. For one thing, you're not tethered to one specific spot -- the console's handheld mode means you can game anywhere you damn well please, which includes directly in front of your air conditioner or fan. Or maybe even your open ??refrigerator. We won'?t judge.

Plus, large consoles like a PlayStation or Xbox, or a PC, often pump large amounts of hot air into your room. Sure, the Switch may?? not have the processing power to game in 4K, but what it lacks in graphical superiority, it makes up for in that it doesn't act as a mini-furnace.

We know times are tough out there, so in all seriousness, we hope you can find some of this helpful. Make sure to stay hydrated as best you can, take care of yourself, and we wish you happy, chi?lled-out gamin?g!

The post Ride the heat wave with these ice cold gaming ti??ps appeared first on Destructoid.

Telltale's spin-off adventure returns

As part of last night's Nintendo Direct presentation, it was confirmed that Telltale Games' 2014 release Tales from the Borderlands is headed to Nintendo Switch. The port was recently rumored after a new listing popped up on the Taiwan Digital Game Rating Committee's website.

The episodic adventure follows the hap?less exploits of Hyperion employee Rhys and savvy con-artist Fiona as the duo collide while on a quest to find and open one of Pandora's many vaults. The mismatched pair team-up in order to faster achieve their individual goals, utilizing each other's unique talents in a quest for riches beyond belief. Of course, it isn't smooth sailing, and the likable adventurers soon find themselves in hot water and on many a hit list.

Tales from the Borderlands was received positively by both critics and Borderlands fans upon release, praising its visual style, interesting cast, and wry humor. But the episodic series failed to find the same success that had been afforded similar releases such as The Walking Dead. Frustratingly for fans of the series, it seems th??at a sequel is cur??rently not on the cards, but with this new re-release (which also recently arrived on PS4 and Xbox One) perhaps the fires will be ignited and the right people will take notice. Here's hoping at any rate.

The post Tales from the Borderl?ands brings its quirky escapade to Switch March 24 appeared first on Destructoid.

It's among Telltale's best adventures

We were just talking about the prospect of Tales from the Borderlands making a resurgence in 2021, and hey, it's happening – kind of. After being unavailable on digital stores, Telltale's super-funny adventure game is returning to PC (St?eam and the Epic Store), PS4, and Xbox One on February 17, 20?21.

I know people who consider this the best of the best for Telltale, and I also know people who loved Tales from the Borderlands despite not caring for – or in some cases not even playing – the main series. I'm somewhere in the former camp depending on the day. It's certainly at or near?? the top of my list.

The original version was released episodically (remember when adventure ?fans had to constantly keep tabs on content schedules that may or may not spiral out of control?), but this time, all five "episodes" will be packaged together. There won't be an option to buy them one-by-one. It's all or nothing.

According to the developers, if you have an old save file, "you can pick up where you left off on the same platform." There's also PS5 and Xbox Series X/S su??pport via backward compatibility, as you'd expect.

This isn't the Redux release I was hoping to see, but it's good to have this game open to new players. It would be interesting to go from Borderlands 3 back to Tales from the Borderlands given Rhys' trajectory.

The post Tales from the Borderlands is getting a re-release on PC, PS4,?? and Xbox One appeared first on Destructoid.

A leak from last year pointed to a Redux release

As I put the finishing touches on my first Borderlands 3 playthrough (I waited for the PS5 version and I'm so glad I did), I've been eying Tales from the Borderlands in my library. I've gone on record to say that it's my favorite Telltale adventure outside of The Wolf Among Us, and I feel like a replay is in order. The story setup, cast interactions, ??and dialogue in general are among the best this series has ever seen.

It's probably worth postponing those plans, though – a pair of recently-spotted PEGI ratings suggest that Tales from the Borderlands is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S at some point. The listings men??tion a December 18, 2020 release date for PC, ??PS5, and XSX, which clearly didn't pan out.

In and of itself, that news might not seem very compelling – these consoles already have backward compatibility support, after all – but in light of a leak last year, there's more to this story. We didn't report on it at the time, but back in March, clips of a work-in-progress trailer for a "Redux" of Tales from the Borderlands with a "bonus mini episode" surfaced on the GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit.

Are we living in the universe where a beefed-up Redux paves the way for Tales from the Borderlands 2? Hope so. If Wolf Among Us 2 can come together after all these years, surely there's a chance.

[Via Reddit]

The post Tales from the Borderlands was rated for PS5 and Xbox Series X, and sure, I could go f?or a replay appeared first on Destructoid.

The creators are 'developing the entire season at once'

Last year at The Game Awards, we found out that The Wolf Among Us 2 was moving forward after Telltale Games went under and LCG Entertainment picked up the rights. Today, ahead of? tonight's news-filled award ceremony, Telltale shared an update on the project. Season 2 is still happening.

"We know you're excited to hear more about TWAU2. And we look forward to telli??ng you more when the time is right. What we can say is that we are developing the entire season at once and there is more to do before we're ready to share what's next for the Fabletown gang. It'??s just not time yet."

In a statement on Twitter, the company reiterated that Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures, Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, and Telltale Texas Hold'Em were just re-released, to say nothing of the Batman adventure series and Tales from Monkey Island. "As for questions about other Telltale titles, some games reverted ba??ck to the IP owners and their fate is not currently in our hands."

Wolf was always my favorite Telltale series next to Tales from the Borderlands.

@TelltaleGames [Twitter]

The post The Wolf Among Us 2 is being made all ‘at once’ rather than episode by episode appeared first on Destructoid.

No word on if they save the cheerleader as well

It’s a real shame the story of Telltale Games ended the way it did because, at one point in its brief history, it was one of the most exciting developers in the industry. With access to some of the top IPs, including The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, and Stranger Things, there was no shortage of stories it could tell, just a shor??tage of mo?ney to keep everything going.

It may be gone, but some of its work will live on with other developers who are keen are keeping its legacy alive. And the best way to do that is to remaster those old games as well as Skunkape Games has done here with Sam & Max Save the World.

Sam & Max Save the World Remastered (Switch, PC)
Developer: Telltale Games, Skunkape Games
Publisher: Skunkape Games
Released: December 2, 2020
MSRP: $19.99

Sam & Max Save the World Remastered is a textb??ook example of how to reinvigor??ate a fairly recent game for modern audiences. 2006 wasn’t that long ago, and yet, there is so much better technology available now that even good titles from that era of gaming could use a bit of sprucing up.

The developers at Skunkape Games, a small team made up of people who worked on the Sam & Max titles at Telltale, have kept what people enjoyed about these games the first time around — the story, the art direction, the puzzles — and gussied up the rest for the HD era. Save the World Remastered features widescreen support, incredible new lighting effects, remastered audio, and updated character models, some of which were made with series creato?r Steve Purcell’s guidance. More than ever before, it feels like you're playing a cartoon rather th?an just a game with a decades-old interface.

Decades-old is probably a bit harsh as the point-and-click adventure genre is timeless. It’s best with a mouse and keyboard, but the two control options on Switch hold up pretty well. With the Joy-Con or Pro controllers, you freely move Sam with the left control stick and use the right stick to cycle through the interactive objects in each area. Holding the L button will highlight everything you can interface with, which comes in handy when you’re in a setting?? that’s densely packed with noteworthy items. It’s an exceptionally intuitive control scheme, one that reduces the chance of misclicking on the wrong object.  

When playing in handheld mode, you do have the option to use touch controls though they tend to not be as reliable as a standard gamepad. When items in an area? are adequately spaced out, they work fine, but when I was in a crowded space, I found myself having to tap the screen several times to get Sam to approach the exact object I was pointing him toward. That happened most often at Sam and Max’s office, a location you’ll know quite well by the end of the game.

As with its original release, Save the World Remastered is divided up into six loosely connected episodes, each with its own respective narratives. Each episode is an individual ??case centering around a theme of mind-control and hypnosis, and you’ll visit and revisit a small smattering of locations as you collect items, interrog?ate witnesses, and generally annoy everyone you run into. While the overarching plot isn’t anything special, the writing  is quite clever even if it never really tickled my funny bone.  

A few of the jokes did elicit some out-loud laughter, but a lot of the humor here is dated in old references. I haven’t heard the words Tae Bo since Akon dropped a track with Eminem, so to have an entire episode revolve around a spoof of the workout craze does the game no favors in feeling fresh in 2020. I know comedy is hard, and while I do appreciate the every-line-is-a-punchline dialogue as it reminds me of t?he old Marx Brothers talkies, eventually, the Sam set-up/Max punchline routine became predictable. It is hard to completely fault the writers for that though as I imagine it would be less of an issue for me had I played the game as it originally released, with episodes spread out by a couple of weeks, rather than going through them all in one sitting.  

Each episode will take around 90 minutes of your time to see to the end. Solving each case isn’t too difficult, though certain puzzle solutions require you to have a strong grasp of your surroundings. Unlike some of the recent adventure games I’ve played, I like how Sam & Max Save the World doesn’t just hand me the answer to every solution. I actually had to use my observation skills throughout each episode, and a few of the puzzles brought a sense of pri??de when I finally figured them out.  

Even if I didn’t find the game terribly funny, each episode of Sam & Max Save the World Remastered is worth playing as they’re solid little adventures that look and control outstandingly on Switch. With a lot of Telltale’s history up in the air right now, it’s nice to have a team dedicated to k?eeping its memory alive by remastering some of its classic titles for modern hardware.

Here’s to hoping I find more to laugh at in Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space and Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse as remasters of both titles seem to be in t??he works at Skunkape Games.

_{[This port report is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Switch Port Report: Sam & Max Save the World Remastered appeared first on Destructoid.

'We currently have no plans for a Season 5'

It looks like it's the end for several Walking Dead properties in this octopus of an IP.

In case you missed it, Robert Kirkman, creator of the original comic, secretly ended the core run in the middle o?f 2019, after ??soliciting several fake "future issues" to throw everyone off the scent. Now, it seems like Skybound Games is ready to sunset the game franchise...for now.

Speaking on Twitter and responding to recent rumors about a new season, the official Skybound account noted the following this week: " Thank you to the fans who have reached out in recent days! While we wholeheartedly appreciate your enthusiasm for Telltale's TWD, we currently have no plans for a Season 5."

Following any number of these franchises has been an extreme roller coaster, to say the least. It seems like c?reatives always start out really well, then as time goes on and the money starts rolling in, that creative control shifts and the series becomes a sort of soulless cash cow. It happened with the game series for a while (and Telltale as a whole, really) and it happened with the TV series (though Angela Kang is trying their best to right the ship).

Perhaps it's for the be??st that it sunsets for a long period of time.

Skybound Games [Twitter]

The post There are no plans for a new season of The Walki?ng Dead gam??e, Skybound says appeared first on Destructoid.

Back from the dead

Telltale's award-winning series The Walking Dead can now be played on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. Skybound Games has announced that all four seasons will be returning to Steam today, while the Nintendo eShop will receive seasons two and four of the tense adventure, (although there is no word of spin-off season, Michonne.)

Previously only the first and final seasons of the gripping episodic adventure were available on the Switch platform while, in contrast, Telltale's catalogue was removed from the Steam storefront following the developer's demise in 2018. The Walking Dead: The Final Season was only available on PC via the Epic Games Store or as part of physical compendium The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series. (It's worth noting that in terms of "bang for your buck," the Epic Games Store edition of Definitive Series is still the best value for your money.)

Switch and Steam fans can now relive the epic journey of Lee, Clementine, and AJ, as they pick their way through the miserable Walker apocalypse. While sometimes a little bland in player choice and interactivity, Telltale's The Walking Dead recounts a great story of courag??e, hope, friendship and family, juxtaposed with grim?? and upsetting scenes of psychological torment and visceral horror.

Telltale's The Walking Dead is available now on P?S4, PC, Xbox One and Nintendo S??witch.

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You wanna get nuts?!?

After some slight marketing confusion last week, Batman The Telltale Series Shadows Edition has popped up for purchase on various digital storefronts, published by LCG Entertainment, now the owners of the Telltale Games ca??talog?ue.

The Shadows Edition includes both previously-released seasons of Telltale's Batman adventures - A Telltale Series and The Enemy Within. The ten episodes of choose-your-own-adventure style action are all present and correct, along with a new filter option that presents the game in a monochromatic "noir" style. Players who have already purchased the seasons previously ??can pick up the filter separately for five bucks. Nah.

Chris Carter and I (a new NBC sitcom) reviewed seasons one and two of Batman: The Telltale Series and found them to be decent if flawed adventures. Worthy of note is Anthony Ingruber's performance as "John Doe" in The Enemy Within, which ranks among one of the best portrayals of the ?man who would be Joker.

Batman The Telltale Series Shadows Edition is available to purchase digitally on PC via Steam and Xbox One right now for around $30, with PS4 and Nintendo Switch releases to fo????llow soon.

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