The Wolf Among Us

Maturing is going from picking all the "nice" options to picking the options that seem most in character/appropriate for the situation

For those accustomed to the Telltale way, the strength of the game rides on its story, and not only does it shine bright with The Wolf Among Us but I think it easily shines the brightest with it. Telltale’s best by far.

On paper, this is the story of Fabletown’s Sheriff the Big Bad Wolf trying to atone for eating people's grandmothers, blowing down houses, and all the rest of his storied mayhem, but it is ultimately a tale of displaced people, second-class citizens whom other residents don't even acknowledge and just might happen to be Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, and the Little Mermaid. It's a strong neo-noir that gets its hands dirty just as much from the grisly violence you're investigating as it does from the ugly first-world problems of its upper crust. It's the story of working poor vs a harried elite, filtered through the lens of long-forgotten legends and folklore. It’s unbelievably good storytelling, and sets itself as a prequel to the Fables comic book series.

It's a triumph of tight plotting, wild imagination, and sure-handed direction. It's a game that never flinches in taking its story and its chain-smoking protagonist everywhere it can.

All aboard the decade-long sequel express. Destination 2024.
We’re nearly there people. Just a little bit longer to go.

A postmodern reimagining of classic fairy tales set against the backdrop of a noir-ish crime-ridden city in the 1960s. The story feels like a darker take on Alan Moore and Frank Miller’s comics. The scene-setting, music, and visual style—I loved it all.
The only downside? Not enough gameplay.
But the hero’s raw brutality and masculine presence, paired with the lonely jazz notes and the scent of cigarettes and whiskey, more than make up for the lack of action.

Back when Telltale still had it in them to make a game with a good story and not some recycled snooze fest of the most popular things on tv. This and the first season of The Walking Dead are peak Telltale and everybody should play them.
During sales it's 50-60% off so i recommend buying then.

Overall: 8/10
Story:
The Wolf Among Us is an episodic narrative-driven interactive adventure game that delivers a captivating story, blending gritty noir with a dark twist on classic fairy tales, and it's genuinely one of Telltale's best titles.
The setting—a hidden corner of New York inhabited by exiled fables—immediately pulls you into its moody, immersive world. As Bigby Wolf, the sheriff of Fabletown, you navigate a tense murder mystery that unravels at a perfect pace, revealing a larger conspiracy without sacrificing the rich character moments along the way. The reimagining of beloved fairy-tale characters is a highlight, as each one is presented with depth, moral ambiguity, and often tragic histories, making the story feel surprisingly human despite its fantastical backdrop. Characters like Bigby and Snow White are especially compelling, with Bigby’s constant struggle of juggling his desire for redemption while also doing what's necessary as sheriff adding weight to every choice you make.
However, while the story is gripping, it is not without its flaws. The illusion of choice—while effective—can sometimes feel limited. Certain decisions, though presented as significant, don't always impact the narrative in a meaningful way, which can leave you feeling like your agency is more superficial than real. Additionally, the game’s linear progression, while well-paced, might leave some people wanting more control over the direction of the plot. Despite these minor drawbacks, the narrative remains engaging, driven by sharp dialogue and a tension-filled atmosphere that captures the essence of noir storytelling. TWAU offers a richly woven tale that keeps you invested, even if it occasionally falls short in delivering the full weight of player-driven consequences.
Gameplay:
The gameplay here stays true to the tried-and-tested Telltale formula, for better or worse. If you've played any of their other games, you'll recognize the familiar mechanics: quick-time events, dialogue choices, and minimal physical interaction with the environment. This design keeps the focus on narrative and character development rather than complex mechanics, making it more favorable for people who prefer storytelling over action.
However, like many Telltale games, the illusion of choice looms large. While the game gives you the sense that your decisions shape the story, in reality, many key plot points remain unchanged regardless of what you do. Your choices may tweak the details, but they rarely have a significant impact on the overarching narrative. Ultimately, the gameplay serves its purpose as a vessel for an engaging noir mystery, but don’t expect too much depth from the mechanics. It's the narrative, not the gameplay, that takes center stage here.
World:
TWAU's world/level design crafts a visually striking setting through its neo-noir aesthetic, using moody lighting, dark shadows, and vibrant neon highlights to create a very atmospheric version of Fabletown that feels alive. The environments—whether it's the shadowy streets, rundown apartments, or seedy nightclubs—are intimate and richly detailed, perfectly capturing the darker, hidden lives of the fables. This attention to detail immerses you in a world that feels lived-in and dangerous, where every location enhances the noir narrative. However, the level design is highly linear, offering little opportunity for exploration beyond key story moments. While this keeps the focus on the narrative, it limits interaction with the environment, making it feel more like a beautifully crafted stage rather than a fully realized world. In addition, the investigative mechanics are simple, often reducing your engagement with the world to clicking on objects, which can feel restrictive for anyone looking for deeper interactivity. Despite this, the game’s meticulous world-building and art direction should (for the most part) succeed in drawing you into its atmospheric, tension-filled setting, helping make each location a powerful narrative tool in its own right.
Visuals:
Building off the previously mention art direction, it's one of this game's standout features. TWAU's bold, comic-book style, with its thick outlines and rich, neon colors, perfectly captures the menacing noir atmosphere of the Fables universe. This visual style doesn't just look good—it also ensures the game holds up remarkably well, even years after its release. While the technical aspects of the graphics may not push the limits, the distinctive art direction gives this game a timeless quality that many graphically superior games from the same era lack. In this way, the visuals serve as a perfect example of how strong art direction can outweigh purely technical considerations.
Music/Sound Design:
The music and sound design in TWAU also excel at setting the tone for its dark, noir-inspired world, with a synth-heavy score that perfectly complements the vibe of Fabletown that the other game elements build up to. The melancholic main theme and subtle background tracks effectively underscore emotional moments without overpowering the dialogue, creating a strong sense of immersion. The top tier voice acting also adds further weight to the narrative. Although, while the music enhances the mood, it occasionally lacks variety, with some tracks feeling slightly repetitive by the end of the game. Despite this, the overall sound design, including impactful sound effects, contributes to the game's tension and emotional depth, making it a key element of the experience.
TL;DR:
The Wolf Among Us is an episodic narrative-driven interactive adventure game with a captivating story, blending neo-noir with a dark reimagining of classic fairy tales. The narrative shines with its complex characters—especially Bigby Wolf—whose struggle for redemption is intertwined with a tense murder mystery that he has to solve. The plot unfolds at a perfect pace, though the "illusion of choice" can sometimes feel hollow, with many decisions failing to meaningfully impact the larger-scale outcomes. The familiar Telltale gameplay formula—dialogue choices and quick-time events—places storytelling at the forefront, but limits mechanical depth, making the gameplay more of a vehicle for the narrative rather than a dynamic experience. Visually, the game excels with its bold, comic-book style and atmospheric world design, capturing the essence of Fabletown. Though linear, the environments are immersive and serve the noir tone well. The synth-heavy soundtrack heightens the mood, though it can become slightly repetitive towards the very end. With all things considered, despite its few drawbacks, The Wolf Among Us remains an engaging, well-crafted experience, with enough tension and style to make me highly recommended it for any fans of narrative-driven games!

Hands down one of the best games I've ever played. The story, the gameplay and the whole vibe is so amazing and pleasing. I'd absolutely recommend this game to everybody, truly one of the games that you should play at least once. Telltale games really do create masterpieces.

First off this story telling game is absolutely breathtaking. Playing this game again in 2024, I often ask myself does it this game have the replayability to compete with more up to date games. For The Wolf Among Us I would have to say yes. Down from its stylized look, to pure enthralling story telling this game does hold up to be replayed even in today's age. Tho it's not without its critiques and problems.

Pros:
> Absolutely the story, characters, and plot are the biggest/strongest thing about this game. Ofcourse playing this game in 2024 I remember when each episode was released either 2 weeks or monthly, but ever chapter was pure enjoyment.

>Style of the game because it has a comic book style, it makes the graphics and visuals of this game somewhat timeless. Now a days yes the graphics could be better, but it's not a hinder in gameplay.

>Choice driven game. Your choices actually do have a impact on the outcome. Not to the sense the storyline would massively change like like Detroit Become Human, but it's nice to see reward and consequences presented.

>Controls were easy and good to use on both keyboard and controller

>Voice Acting is wonderful

Cons:
>It is buggy, there is some movements with the character models that are jittery and random head spasms. Mouth talking and some face expressions are very flat at time, but not a overall hinder

>The one main story hindering bug I have noticed with a lot of Taletell games is the dreaded error on some of the dialogue choices. It is very random and I have experienced that once on PC and multiple times on Apple.

>If your looking for a game with hardcore intellect gameplay, this is not for you. It is a story novel game that does have some X, Y, A, B <- , -> movements, but it does cater to a certain gamer who just wants to watch and unfold a story.

Overall, This game does sit at a 9/10. It's one of my fave story novel games out there with a brilliant concept, and a wonderful cast of characters that you would either love or love hating. I look forward to playing Wolf Among Us 2 whenever it does end up coming out.