The Wolf Among Us Episode 2: Smoke and Mirrors review

by Illusivebroker on May 31st, 2014

Note that I’m reviewing this game on Xbox 360

Telltale games are brilliant game developers, that much is true. But to say they hit the mark every time would be a bit of a biased few point. Like everyone they make a mistake here and there, and in turn in leads to a disappointing result. Nowhere else is such a statement truer when it comes to their second instalment in The Wolf Among Us series; Smoke and Mirrors.

Released in February 2014, Smoke and Mirrors seemed to have made a rather underwhelming debut under all the strain of a three month wait. No one really knows why the episode took so long to release but many speculate that it was due to a re-vamp of the entirety of the episode. This speculation is backed up by the fact that the Next Time trailer from episode 1 and the episode we got felt very different, as well as some cover changes for episode 3 hinting at a change of direction.

Continuing on from where episode one left off, Smoke and Mirrors has Sheriff Bigby continuing the search and investigation for the killer of two of Fabletowns inhabitants.  The search has you delving a bit more into the second murder that occurred and the people and places connected to it. While it’s a good that it’s expanding on what the first episode laid out, it feels really underwhelming in the sense of story progression.

Don’t get me wrong it explores a few new areas and they all have something interesting to present you, but it feels too quaint in the sense of what goes on. You’ll find yourself exploring the deep damp Witching Well. Visiting the Pudding and Pie, a strip club for fables run by Georgie Porgie and a leasing hotel. I have to say that in these areas the atmosphere works well in giving a dark feel and tone. You can sense that these places aren’t nice places and a lot of dark and twisted things can happen here. It’s great how these games can provide a feel and general look of these environments in such a strong form.

Character interaction is one of the main highlights this episode as well. Each character you interact with in the episode, new faces and familiar ones just feel so alive. They offer such dynamic conversations which really feel fluid and believable in a world that in reality is far from it.  It’s a real testament to the written work and voice acting of everyone who worked on this game, as it proves that people can take such unbelievable concepts and write out in such a believable way.

Gameplay wise the episode has you putting more focus on investigating environments and talking with characters in order to further the investigation of these murders. There’s still a action scene to partake in near the end but for most of this short episode you’ll be spending time furthering this investigation into the murder.

Overall what the episode provides is good, but you have to consider the fact that the wait for this episode took over three months, and for what we got it just wasn’t enough. The episode just feels underwhelming for what it does offer us. It’s good content no doubt, it’s just that there’s not enough of it to warrant the actual wait for the episode with all things considered.

Rating: 2/5

Categories: Reviews