The Wolf Among Us (2013) created by Telltale games remains one of the most beautiful games I have had the pleasure of playing. The neo noir aesthetic, memorable characters which resonated with many players, the fantasy setting within the modern world which had not been utilized very much over the past few decades. It was no surprise that this video game garnered immense desire for a sequel even though it did not warrant one and set up the comic book series ”Fables’ by Bill Willingham very well. I remember playing the ending to episode 3, there was mystery, anger, shock and worry about what had transpired. There was intense allure about what would happen next and this kept us at the edges of our seats, speculating upon what could happen next. The game also featured many adult themes and I say this in a positive light because it resonated and related to many of us as players, often developers like to promote their agenda within their mediums whether this be a video game or a TV series, but not twau, it was straight up no bs real world.

I was very ecstatic to hear about the previously cancelled ”The Wolf Among Us 2” was going to be continued by the newly created ”Ad Hoc Studio” which is composed of former Telltale employees and additionally Telltale themselves which although shares the same name is a new company created by also former employees of the previous Telltale.

I have high hopes for this game but in my opinion areas in which these companies could help make The Wolf Among Us 2 a better game that goes above and beyond is in the following areas;

Longer episode length

Romance

Utilizing Bigby’s natural senses

More in depth investigations

More branching paths/More ways to fail

Choices that matter and have an impact/ Less discrepancy between chosen decision and words said.

More characters from the Fable universe implemented (Bigbys Brothers/Boy Blue)

New locations

Keeping a similar aesthetic/art style

Episode epilogue end scenes that make sense

Longer Episode Length

I think one of the problems I and many of the players who played the original TWAU, was the short episodes. For example episode 1 was the perfect length at around 1 hour and 45 minutes and close to 2 hours, it had investigations, chasing and action scenes and I enjoyed the down time we had with Bigby in his apartment with Colin. The problem is the following episodes especially 2,4,5 were fairly short and it felt like they could have been extended to allow more character development and plot points rather than abruptly jumping from scene to scene.

I know Telltale wanted to opt for ”one sitting entertainment” but I believe 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours is the perfect average episode length for providing an in depth and fulfilling episode. If the episodes are 2 hours each for example and Telltale/Adhoc make 5 of them that gives us a 10 hour episodic game which I believe is the perfect game length for this genre.

Romance

I think many players and I would have liked to see some form of romance in TWAU. I’m aware canonically Bigby is only drawn to Snow White and their romance continues in the comics. However if it is possible to implement a romance into TWAU 2, I think this would greatly enhance the game and provide an element not previously seen in TWAU. It is not unrealistic to assume Bigby had a minor relationship years before the comics or a fling which may serve as a distraction, perhaps Telltale could implement Bigby in a casual relationship with another Fable but unable to form an attachment with her due to his strong feelings for Snow White.

Utilizing Bigby’s natural senses

I think another avenue that Adhoc/Telltale could explore is utilizing Bigby’s natural senses more often. For example it is often said in the comics that Bigby chain smokes to dull his senses and prevent sensory overload. Perhaps Telltale could implement a system that if Bigby has not smoked in a while his senses become too strong and can impact him negatively. Additionally implementing his senses into investigation such as using his hearing, ability to smell and track various leads, perhaps even implement a system where he communicates with other Mundy Animals as he is a Wolf and they can also aide him in investigations.

More in depth investigations

The investigations in TWAU were enjoyable, however with the TWAU 2 there is room to expand these investigations and make them more in depth. Having larger locations, puzzles, choices that can be made in the various locations for the investigation which lead to different outcomes. Furthermore perhaps allowing Bigby to morph into various forms in the investigation phase to chase different leads, for example in some situations having the option to morph into a werewolf to enhance athleticism and reach locations not reachable in human form etc.

More branching paths and ways to fail

I think one thing that was realized by the community was that the game appeared ”too easy” at times for example there were not many ways to fail missions. Perhaps implementing a feature where if a certain path is taken there is no way to go back and you must live with your decision for the remainder of the game. This would have more suspense and consequence for decisions and make players think more carefully about decisions made. Also, having more quick time events that lead to failure of missions for more sense of danger.

Choices that matter and less discrepancy between text and words said

I think one of the main things discussed during the time of the first game was that many choices did not really matter in the sense they did not provide much of an impact. You could in effect choose anything and the end result would be the same. I think this is one of the most crucial aspects of the game, to implement decisions that leave a lasting and stronger impact. Choices that matter and change the result of the entire game or ending. Implementing multiple endings depending on the choices you made throughout the course of the game.

Another thing I had identified was that often if you chose a text for a decision in the original game, often Bigby would say something that would be unrelated or different. This is slightly misleading and an improvement could be having text choices that clearly define what the action is and what will be said rather than a word that may not even be related to the entire piece of dialogue said.

More characters from the Fable universe implemented

The cast of the original game were memorable but I think with TWAU 2 which I hope aims to be a bigger and better game than the original, there is potential to introduce many characters in the game from the Fable universe. Characters such as Boy Blue. Frau Totenkinder, King Cole, Rose Red and Prince Charming. There is so much potential and story there by implementing these beloved character from the comics. Also how about implementing characters that are only mentioned in the comics for example Bigbys Brothers who are not seen but only mentioned. Maybe introduce some family drama or competition.

New Locations

We all love Fable town, but there is potential in this next game to introduce and visit locations not seen in the first game such as the Farm. Maybe Bigby could travel to other locations across the world to carry out investigations, maybe he decides to take some time off and go somewhere and spends time with various mundy animals.

Keeping a similar aesthetic/artstyle

One thing we all love about the TWAU is the neo noir aesthetic from the first game. The leaked images which were released (I am unaware if they were going to be used or were not legitimate), were too reminiscent of Batman. Furthermore Bigby did not look as great in comparison to the original game. I remember seeing much backlash from these images. Utilizing art style such as this would be a negative, improving and keeping the aesthetic from the first game would be the way to go and distinguishes TWAU greatly from the other Telltale games. Telltale/Adhoc could use a new engine but have an art style similar to the first game, one that helps us identify and distinguish the TWAU 2 as a sequel.

Episode epilogue end scenes that make sense

I remember in the original game that many of the scenes shown at the end of the game ”next time” were not even going to take place in the next episode. This was slightly underwhelming as it felt that interesting locations/plot points that I was looking forward to were never implemented. Another thing I had noticed was that at the end of episode 3 Snow will say ”just take him, take Crane”, this dialogue was said whilst Snow was standing up at a distance, shouting at Bloody Mary and the Crooked Man. However in the ”previously scene” shown in episode 4 it shows, Snow saying this exact dialogue whilst she is crouched beside Bigby and staring at Crane which did not occur. This took me out of the experience, more attention to detail and consistency in ”previously” and ”next time scenes” would be an improvement.

Finally, I am very looking forward to TWAU 2. A long awaited sequel, a roller coaster regarding release and the game that has been demanded more than any other Telltale game due to the impact the first game had left on gaming fans. I hope Telltale and Adhoc considers these points or are aware of them so they can produce an outstanding experience that we all await.