Recent reviews by IceSage

Having played DQ III on the Super Famicom a few years ago, I found this remake a nice blend of the charm and coziness of a SNES golden-era RPG with modern sensibilities.

Graphics and art are cozy and inviting and musical score is leagues better than DQXI's. Sound effects are crisp and enjoyable.

Gameplay is superb with a caveat. I really liked the blending of the DQ3 class system with the addition of abilities, re-classing, and stat seeds. Makes for a very fun job system. That being said, restoring full HP/MP on level up really kills the thrill of economy management and is felt most in the early game, when level ups are more frequent. It tapers off in the higher character levels where levels aren't as frequent, but wish this was a toggle to turn on/off.

Outside of some minor gripes with spotty voice acting (would have been better without it) and slow mounts/boats, this is a very worthy remake to a beloved classic.

Well worth the time and got me back on the DQ train! More in this style please SE, any classic JRPG would be the better for changes and updates like in this game.

Overall: 8.5/10
Playtime: 29 hours to credits
Postgame: Didn't play

This game was an incredible experience for me. Having little to no experience with narrative-driven adventure games, and absolutely no experience with Telltale games, I was a little wary of this game at first. A good friend of mine had gifted it to me, and his high praise led me to give it a chance. Right off the bat I was hooked by the haunting atmosphere of the game. The spooky synths, neon lights, and seedy environs of Fabletown all blend together and draw you in.

Once you are hooked, the brilliance of the narrative keeps you stuck to your seat. Based upon the comic series Fables, The Wolf Among Us is a murder mystery focusing on Bigby Wolf, the Sheriff, and formerly known as the Big Bad Wolf. Fables have come in exodus from their story book lands to live in Fabeltown, alongside the humans, or "mundies." They have to maintain a low profile and human like appearance or else they are whisked away to The Farm. This means that Fables who normally do not look humanoid have to pay for glamours in order to keep a human guise. Many can't even afford their rent, let alone a glamour to look human. Is this right? You have a role in deciding their fate.

While on it's surface, the game is a murder mystery and detective story, where the game and writing truly shine is by creating moral ambuiguties. Nothing is what it seems to begin with, and the player is found asking themselves what is real, what is right, and what they should do. The choices you make reverberate throughout each episode, and even into later espisodes. Decisions must be made quickly, or you can stay quiet and no say anything at all. The tension in dialogue is amazing, and really draws the player into the story. Frequent actions sequences punctuate the dialogue, and while some might moan over QTEs, I never found them to detract from the game at large.

While the main plot is a murder mystery, it is all of the little details that truly make this adventure a masterpiece. Uncovering little clues, unraveling leads, seeing what happens to Fables, guessing who each new Fable might be, and observing the fragile ecosystem that they have created in Fabletown is remarkable. Everything is connected, and loose ends are tied up well, with just enough mystery to keep the magic alive. I can't wait for a Season 2, and I will be checking out the entire Telltale catalogue after this game. I advise you do the same.