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Ah, Telltale. Truly, you have mastered the fine art of pretending that our in-game choices matter one jot. That may sound a tad harsh, but their frequent assertion that 'The story is tailored by how you play' will ring hollow to anyone who has played their games. Even if you decide save Little Billy from being devoured by a mutated shark, he's still going to meet an equally horrific demise later on in the series.
So if the lack of choice irks me so, why is it that I've continued to give Telltale my money, purchasing several of their episodic releases? Because Telltale have a knack for weaving tales that not only keep you on the edge of your seat but which also deliver a real emotion punch. I defy anyone to play through the final heart-breaking episode of The Walking Dead without getting a lump in their throat.
Their latest effort, The Walking Dead: Michonne, differs from their previous games in that it casts you as an existing character from Robert Kirkman's zombie comic. Telltale had previously created all new characters for their games, yet this game puts you in the shoes of a character, the titular Michonne, whose temperament and demeanour have been well established.
I had mixed feelings about this approach because while I was looking forward to playing as everyone's favourite sword-swinging badass, I was worried that the limited narrative freedom I was granted would be even further curtailed. Yet despite my reservations, I've thoroughly enjoyed this initial episode, though it's admittedly a little slow to get going.
The Walking Dead: Michonne actively courts its comic connections, partially addressing a narrative gap that occurred when the comic's timeline jumped forward roughly two years. You, as Michonne, have joined the crew of a small sailing vessel, exploring the waters in search of supplies and survivors, though both seem to be in perilously short supply. Things take a turn for the worse and your ship runs aground forcing you and Pete, the ship's captain, to visit a local marina to find parts. This eventually leads to an encounter with some less than friendly locals and things spiral out of control from there.
I'm reluctant to divulge further details, but the series stays true to form and offers some genuinely surprising twists and turns which are, more often than not, fairly gruesome. The new characters are, for the most part, well rounded, each with their own motivations and distinct approaches to survival in The Walking Dead's post-apocalyptic world. That said, I did balk at the introduction of one of the characters, who seemed to me to be very similar to Carver, a character featured in Telltale's Walking Dead Season 2.
Michonne doesn't sport any real gameplay innovations and still employs quick-time events and button mashing mechanics as a means of executing actions and resolving encounters. This tried-and-tested system still works fairly well, though I'd like to see the series take a leaf out of Until Dawn's book, a game where QTE failure didn't necessarily result in your character's demise.
In addition, you get to choose how Michonne responds when addressing allies and antagonists. While you're typically offered several potential responses, I found myself defaulting to aggressive responses. This was partly because, as a longtime reader of the comic, I viewed Michonne as a total badass.
Though I also found myself getting mildly frustrated when I had to listen to one the episode's villains monologuing, rather than being able to put a sword through his smug face, a move I felt was more in character for Michonne. Granted, she probably would have been gunned down shortly after, but I would have loved to have had the option.
The one genuine criticism I have of The Walking Dead: Michonne is that it ends just as things are getting interesting, on a cliffhanger. Previous episodes in the series did this, but given that Michonne is a three episode series, it feels somewhat odd. Nevertheless, I'll be looking forward to the two remaining episodes. While it won't convert non Walking Dead fans, Michonne is a solid, entertaining game that is worth the asking price.
So if the lack of choice irks me so, why is it that I've continued to give Telltale my money, purchasing several of their episodic releases? Because Telltale have a knack for weaving tales that not only keep you on the edge of your seat but which also deliver a real emotion punch. I defy anyone to play through the final heart-breaking episode of The Walking Dead without getting a lump in their throat.
Their latest effort, The Walking Dead: Michonne, differs from their previous games in that it casts you as an existing character from Robert Kirkman's zombie comic. Telltale had previously created all new characters for their games, yet this game puts you in the shoes of a character, the titular Michonne, whose temperament and demeanour have been well established.
I had mixed feelings about this approach because while I was looking forward to playing as everyone's favourite sword-swinging badass, I was worried that the limited narrative freedom I was granted would be even further curtailed. Yet despite my reservations, I've thoroughly enjoyed this initial episode, though it's admittedly a little slow to get going.
The Walking Dead: Michonne actively courts its comic connections, partially addressing a narrative gap that occurred when the comic's timeline jumped forward roughly two years. You, as Michonne, have joined the crew of a small sailing vessel, exploring the waters in search of supplies and survivors, though both seem to be in perilously short supply. Things take a turn for the worse and your ship runs aground forcing you and Pete, the ship's captain, to visit a local marina to find parts. This eventually leads to an encounter with some less than friendly locals and things spiral out of control from there.
I'm reluctant to divulge further details, but the series stays true to form and offers some genuinely surprising twists and turns which are, more often than not, fairly gruesome. The new characters are, for the most part, well rounded, each with their own motivations and distinct approaches to survival in The Walking Dead's post-apocalyptic world. That said, I did balk at the introduction of one of the characters, who seemed to me to be very similar to Carver, a character featured in Telltale's Walking Dead Season 2.
Michonne doesn't sport any real gameplay innovations and still employs quick-time events and button mashing mechanics as a means of executing actions and resolving encounters. This tried-and-tested system still works fairly well, though I'd like to see the series take a leaf out of Until Dawn's book, a game where QTE failure didn't necessarily result in your character's demise.
In addition, you get to choose how Michonne responds when addressing allies and antagonists. While you're typically offered several potential responses, I found myself defaulting to aggressive responses. This was partly because, as a longtime reader of the comic, I viewed Michonne as a total badass.
Though I also found myself getting mildly frustrated when I had to listen to one the episode's villains monologuing, rather than being able to put a sword through his smug face, a move I felt was more in character for Michonne. Granted, she probably would have been gunned down shortly after, but I would have loved to have had the option.
The one genuine criticism I have of The Walking Dead: Michonne is that it ends just as things are getting interesting, on a cliffhanger. Previous episodes in the series did this, but given that Michonne is a three episode series, it feels somewhat odd. Nevertheless, I'll be looking forward to the two remaining episodes. While it won't convert non Walking Dead fans, Michonne is a solid, entertaining game that is worth the asking price.
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Ah, Telltale. Truly, you have mastered the fine art of pretending that our in-game choices matter one jot. That may sound a tad harsh, but their frequent assertion that 'The story is tailored by how you play' will ring hollow to anyone who has played their games. Even if you decide save Little Billy from being devoured by a mutated shark, he's still going to meet an equally horrific demise later on in the series.
So if the lack of choice irks me so, why is it that I've continued to give Telltale my money, purchasing several of their episodic releases? Because Telltale have a knack for weaving tales that not only keep you on the edge of your seat but which also deliver a real emotion punch. I defy anyone to play through the final heart-breaking episode of The Walking Dead without getting a lump in their throat.
Their latest effort, The Walking Dead: Michonne, differs from their previous games in that it casts you as an existing character from Robert Kirkman's zombie comic. Telltale had previously created all new characters for their games, yet this game puts you in the shoes of a character, the titular Michonne, whose temperament and demeanour have been well established.
I had mixed feelings about this approach because while I was looking forward to playing as everyone's favourite sword-swinging badass, I was worried that the limited narrative freedom I was granted would be even further curtailed. Yet despite my reservations, I've thoroughly enjoyed this initial episode, though it's admittedly a little slow to get going.
The Walking Dead: Michonne actively courts its comic connections, partially addressing a narrative gap that occurred when the comic's timeline jumped forward roughly two years. You, as Michonne, have joined the crew of a small sailing vessel, exploring the waters in search of supplies and survivors, though both seem to be in perilously short supply. Things take a turn for the worse and your ship runs aground forcing you and Pete, the ship's captain, to visit a local marina to find parts. This eventually leads to an encounter with some less than friendly locals and things spiral out of control from there.
I'm reluctant to divulge further details, but the series stays true to form and offers some genuinely surprising twists and turns which are, more often than not, fairly gruesome. The new characters are, for the most part, well rounded, each with their own motivations and distinct approaches to survival in The Walking Dead's post-apocalyptic world. That said, I did balk at the introduction of one of the characters, who seemed to me to be very similar to Carver, a character featured in Telltale's Walking Dead Season 2.
Michonne doesn't sport any real gameplay innovations and still employs quick-time events and button mashing mechanics as a means of executing actions and resolving encounters. This tried-and-tested system still works fairly well, though I'd like to see the series take a leaf out of Until Dawn's book, a game where QTE failure didn't necessarily result in your character's demise.
In addition, you get to choose how Michonne responds when addressing allies and antagonists. While you're typically offered several potential responses, I found myself defaulting to aggressive responses. This was partly because, as a longtime reader of the comic, I viewed Michonne as a total badass.
Though I also found myself getting mildly frustrated when I had to listen to one the episode's villains monologuing, rather than being able to put a sword through his smug face, a move I felt was more in character for Michonne. Granted, she probably would have been gunned down shortly after, but I would have loved to have had the option.
The one genuine criticism I have of The Walking Dead: Michonne is that it ends just as things are getting interesting, on a cliffhanger. Previous episodes in the series did this, but given that Michonne is a three episode series, it feels somewhat odd. Nevertheless, I'll be looking forward to the two remaining episodes. While it won't convert non Walking Dead fans, Michonne is a solid, entertaining game that is worth the asking price.
So if the lack of choice irks me so, why is it that I've continued to give Telltale my money, purchasing several of their episodic releases? Because Telltale have a knack for weaving tales that not only keep you on the edge of your seat but which also deliver a real emotion punch. I defy anyone to play through the final heart-breaking episode of The Walking Dead without getting a lump in their throat.
Their latest effort, The Walking Dead: Michonne, differs from their previous games in that it casts you as an existing character from Robert Kirkman's zombie comic. Telltale had previously created all new characters for their games, yet this game puts you in the shoes of a character, the titular Michonne, whose temperament and demeanour have been well established.
I had mixed feelings about this approach because while I was looking forward to playing as everyone's favourite sword-swinging badass, I was worried that the limited narrative freedom I was granted would be even further curtailed. Yet despite my reservations, I've thoroughly enjoyed this initial episode, though it's admittedly a little slow to get going.
The Walking Dead: Michonne actively courts its comic connections, partially addressing a narrative gap that occurred when the comic's timeline jumped forward roughly two years. You, as Michonne, have joined the crew of a small sailing vessel, exploring the waters in search of supplies and survivors, though both seem to be in perilously short supply. Things take a turn for the worse and your ship runs aground forcing you and Pete, the ship's captain, to visit a local marina to find parts. This eventually leads to an encounter with some less than friendly locals and things spiral out of control from there.
I'm reluctant to divulge further details, but the series stays true to form and offers some genuinely surprising twists and turns which are, more often than not, fairly gruesome. The new characters are, for the most part, well rounded, each with their own motivations and distinct approaches to survival in The Walking Dead's post-apocalyptic world. That said, I did balk at the introduction of one of the characters, who seemed to me to be very similar to Carver, a character featured in Telltale's Walking Dead Season 2.
Michonne doesn't sport any real gameplay innovations and still employs quick-time events and button mashing mechanics as a means of executing actions and resolving encounters. This tried-and-tested system still works fairly well, though I'd like to see the series take a leaf out of Until Dawn's book, a game where QTE failure didn't necessarily result in your character's demise.
In addition, you get to choose how Michonne responds when addressing allies and antagonists. While you're typically offered several potential responses, I found myself defaulting to aggressive responses. This was partly because, as a longtime reader of the comic, I viewed Michonne as a total badass.
Though I also found myself getting mildly frustrated when I had to listen to one the episode's villains monologuing, rather than being able to put a sword through his smug face, a move I felt was more in character for Michonne. Granted, she probably would have been gunned down shortly after, but I would have loved to have had the option.
The one genuine criticism I have of The Walking Dead: Michonne is that it ends just as things are getting interesting, on a cliffhanger. Previous episodes in the series did this, but given that Michonne is a three episode series, it feels somewhat odd. Nevertheless, I'll be looking forward to the two remaining episodes. While it won't convert non Walking Dead fans, Michonne is a solid, entertaining game that is worth the asking price.