This article was produced in collaboration with our sponsor, Telltale.
When I pick up a controller, I often seek out games with unique hooks, titles that pull me in without much thought. I want something with a bit of grit and a narrative that reels me in. I am looking for something that makes me hungry to play and eager to see how the story unfolds. No game has snagged my attention as a voracious gamer quite like The Wolf Among Us, a narrative episodic noir thriller based on Bill Willingham’s Eisner Award-winning “FABLES” comic series, and created by the talents at Telltale, the same studio that brought us the gripping tale of The Walking Dead.
Narrative titles are deeply interactive, drawing the player in with an exceedingly rich story, unique setting, and likable, and some not so likeable, characters. The Wolf Among Us is just that, managing to make me feel pain, joy, intrigue, and rage all in one playthrough. It is up to players to explore the world around them, gather information, and come to their own conclusions about problems faced during gameplay. In short, there is a big emphasis on player agency, crafting the story they want to see. Now that the remaster is hot on our heels, it’s about time that players experience the game for themselves.
A Big Bad Wolf in Manhattan
The Wolf Among Us is richly detailed with a unique plot built upon nostalgic fairy tales we were read to as children. Nestled in a small subsection in the heart of Manhattan is a host of princes, princesses, anthropomorphic frogs and pigs, and all sorts of whimsical beings called Fables. Of course, these creatures aren’t just roaming the city streets in their natural forms. To keep their magical personas hidden, these citizens utilize disguises that help them blend in with everyday NYC life, known as glamours. Think of this as a way to keep these Fables safe, giving them a chance to blend in.
Characters crafted in this world are far removed from their storybook counterparts, partaking in illicit activities, committing crimes, and learning to survive in a world aimed at silencing them. Familiar faces are everywhere in Fabletown, from Snow White to Beauty and her beloved but hot-headed Beast. These characters have strong personalities and a knack for getting themselves into trouble.
Fabletown sets the stage for a fascinating mystery narrative, kicking off with a brutal crime that shakes the town’s fairy-tale citizens to their very core. When a severed head ends up on the doorstep of this little town, Bigby Wolf, aka the Big Bad Wolf, is tasked with uncovering the mystery and protecting the city from a killer. Mean, lean, and armed with a dry sense of humor, players must sniff out clues, and speak to fellow Fables to suss out the culprit.
Choice is everything in The Wolf Among Us. As you uncover more details about the gruesome crimes that provide the foundations of the story, it’s evident that the mystery goes deeper than Bigby first realized. It’s in the player’s hands to make decisions with their dialogue and choices that influence the characters and world around you, and the thrilling outcome of the story as a whole. As I played, I actually found myself taking down literal notes to keep track of suspects and clues I found along the way. Safe to say I was pretty immersed in all the game had to offer. Despite being a story-heavy game, the game offers plenty of replayability based on how you handle the twists and turns of each episode. The thing I found that drew me deeper into the story was how Bigby is characterized.
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Image via Telltale Games -
Image via Telltale Games -
Image via Telltale Games
The detective is a reformed monster, seemingly atoning for his ways in the old world, aka The Homelands. Tension is brought because players are left wondering if Bigby can control himself, fighting off his violent impulses that led Fables to fear him in the first place. Bigby is an authority figure, someone the Fables are supposed to trust, but how can they? During gameplay, this conflict is prominent in choices made. This world and narrative are built upon the cinematic stylings of neo-noir films and comic books, seen heavily via characters’ playful designs and the city’s color scheme. Despite the fantasy characters, this game is far from happily ever after, and Willingham acknowledges that through Bigby’s real struggle.
Players are forced to pick between playing by the book or intimidating and getting physical with characters, “getting ugly,” so to speak. Has Bigby changed enough that the folks of Fabletown can trust him? I’d venture to say so, but that is up for other players to decide. This push and pull is a unique addition that always had me playing on the more conservative side, though now and again I loved to rough up a particularly unruly Beast or Gren aka Grendel if he got in my or Snow’s way.
Fairy Tale Characters Like You’ve Never Seen Them Before
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Image via Telltale Games -
Image via Telltale Games -
Image via Telltale Games
Gameplay is stylistic and dark, characters are equally as sharp and quick-witted, and the story is one players won’t want to put down for long. There’s something so intriguing about nostalgic, well-known fairy tale creatures and characters being turned on their heads, re-created in an adult image. Despite being almost 13 years old, The Wolf Among Us’ story is one that still resonates because the narrative is gripping and sometimes hard to swallow. There were certainly times when I had to put the controller down and sit with what was given to me for a while, before pushing forward. At the end of it all, all I wanted was to bring justice to the people of Fabletown, offering them a sliver of hope for a better future.
After all, the Fables are essentially refugees, stuck in an uncaring and corrupt system that doesn’t have their best interests at heart. The whole story revolves around the injustices done to these Fables after their time in The Homelands, something I’d hoped to correct through gameplay. Just like in the real world, these Fables suffer poverty and discrimination. There’s also a major class divide between Fables since their old wealth, titles, and lands did not come with them in the human world.
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Image via Telltale Games -
Image via Telltale Games -
Image via Telltale Games
It is just as shocking as it is addictive to see beloved characters with previously pristine images now tainted by struggles faced in the real world. With the long-awaited sequel set to drop in 2027, the upcoming release of The Wolf Among Us Remastered could not come at a better time for long-time fans of the beloved franchise and newcomers alike. In a world full of games that prioritize combat rather than storytelling, The Wolf Among Us Remastered is a breath of fresh air. The focus on narrative is something I deeply crave, especially when narrative is something other games often gloss over.
While storytelling is a main draw for me here, I can’t ignore how intriguing it is to have the opportunity to play through multiple deleted scenes from the original, or opt to switch on Noir Mode for a nostalgic black-and-white experience. Diving back into the first game with sharper visuals and performance comes at a great time, as the sequel, The Wolf Among Us 2, is slated to release in 2027, so there’s really no better time to get involved with the iconic franchise — at least, not with this much attention to detail.
Image via Telltale Games
With the sequel, The Wolf Among Us 2, slated to release in 2027, there is really no better time to play the original, beautifully remastered, might I add, and get in on all the action. The Wolf Among Us Remastered launches October 29 at $24.99, with launch discounts for new players and a more significant discount for digital owners of the original game. It’s coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox One (playable on Xbox Series X|S through backward compatibility), and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, with the Nintendo Switch version launching at a later date.
