The two adaptations of The Walking Dead produced by Telltale have been nothing short of amazing. Some of the best storytelling I’ve ever experienced in a video game has come from these titles. That’s why it makes the finale of Season 2 so bittersweet… it means I’ll have to wait another year (at least) to see what happens in Season 3.
Last season, this wasn’t much of a problem: I purchased the full season when it was on sale, but it stayed in my backlog until Season 2 was announced. Then, I blazed through the first set of episodes in a five-day emotional rollercoaster. Once it was completed, I only had to wait a few months for the next chapter in Clementine’s struggle for survival.
But for now, I must wait. And it will be excruciating. Because chapter five of Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead Season 2, No Going Back, marks the conclusion of one of the greatest games I’ve ever played.
Platforms: Mobile, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 (Version Played)
Publisher: Telltale Games
Developer: Telltale Games
Genre: Choose Your Own Adventure
Release Date: August 27, 2014
ESRB Rating: Mature
No Going Back continues where Amid the Ruins left off as a gunfight breaks out between Clementine’s group and another band of survivors. Once the dust settles, Clem and her companions make their way to a shelter promised to them by one of the foes they have taken prisoner. Things are looking desolate; the group has lost so much in this journey, and now they must continue into the unknown, being led by someone they aren’t sure they can trust.
Once they arrive at the destination, things really take a turn for the worse – not from outside forces, mind you, but from within the group. Kenny’s easy-to-anger tendencies and violent outbursts start to tear the group apart. Tempers flare, fights break out, and in typical Telltale Games fashion, it’s up to you to take a side. By the time you get to the ending, you are once again faced with an extremely difficult decision to make. The entire episode is one big range of emotions – from tense to tranquil, then desolate to frightening – and when it all ends, you’re left feeling spent. Not only that, but the emotional exhaustion stays with you. You look back on your journey and question your decisions. Did I do the right thing? Could I have done anything to save this person? Did my decisions truly matter? Upon completion, it took a couple days to fully comprehend everything that this game threw at me.
While I still remain a bit unsure of my choices, I can assure you that your decisions do actually make an impact. In Season 1, your choices were merely a means to an end. The game mostly played out in the same fashion no matter what choices you made. In contrast, Season 2 has at least two very distinct endings, defined by the choices you made in the final moments of this episode. I really am curious as to how Telltale Games is going to tackle this issue in the next installment. All I know is that I cannot wait to see what happens next.
Once again, the writing of this episode – and the entire season for that matter – is amazing. The dialogue between the characters truly draws you in, and you develop an emotional connection between them. One of the important choices I made in the game was also the hardest. I don’t want to give too much away, but because of the relationship that both Clementine and I had with this particular character, making a choice that could possibly end this person’s life was gut-wrenching. I still feel that I made the right choice, but at the same time I feel wrong in having made it.
As with the other chapters in this series, nothing has changed much by way of graphics and audio. My major complaint about Season 1 – the jerky animations and sometimes out-of-sync voices – are almost nonexistent. The music is reminiscent of the synthesizer-based soundtracks of some of George Romero’s classic zombie flicks of the 70s and 80s. And the song that played during the final credits is a somber reminder of just how bleak it truly is living in this apocalypse.
And so, we close the door on the second season of Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead. We’ve seen heartwarming reunions, heartbreaking deaths, terrifying moments, and a runaway raccoon. It has been one hell of a ride, and I seriously cannot recommend this entire season enough. The story is remarkable. The characters are relatable. You actually experience the same emotions that they feel. It’s that kind of storytelling, gameplay, and immersion that makes this game a must-own title.
Just make sure you keep that hair short.
Review Disclosure: A review copy of The Walking Dead: Season 2 was provided by Telltale Games for the purposes of this review.
