Episodic video games that are written better than TV Shows?
Tales from the Borderlands Episode One review: Busy earnin'
This is a review of one of the most recent TellTale Games Episodic video games, Tales from the Borderlands: Busy Earnin'. The review goes onto give a beautifully descriptive and analytic review of the games writing, design, animations and etc., but this singular review says some things that not only apply to the first episode of the Tales of the Borderlands games, but also to the rest of the TellTale games episodic series of games. It goes into the great immersive aspects of these games and the spectacular writing in these games. Some other reviews of TellTale Games explain aspects of this even better and I will link to them below.
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/26/the-walking-dead-season-2-episode-5-review-exit-wounds/
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/13/the-walking-dead-season-2-episode-3-review-guts-1z4yx/
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/26/the-walking-dead-season-2-episode-5-review-exit-wounds/
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/13/the-walking-dead-season-2-episode-3-review-guts-1z4yx/
"regardless of your level of Borderlands experience, Tales from the Borderlands is a witty, well-written adventure with broad appeal. And yeah, there's a dick joke or two."
"the story is a good one, full of well-realized characters and amusing dialogue. The decisions you make feel significant – even if they don't carry the dire consequences of a zombie apocalypse – and the results will almost certainly put a smile on your face."
" it doesn't feel like two digital characters following paths of a dialog tree."
The writing in these games ranges from heartwarming and post-apocalyptic in the Walking Dead series to laugh-out-load insane in the Tales from the Borderlands and it seems to work out almost perfectly every time, pleasing fans and entertaining casual players. I haven't been able to play all of TellTale Games' games, but the ones I have played have brought me to tears in one way or another. Since this is a choose your own adventure kind of game there is different dialogue written for the different situations your character can get into, yet each set of dialogue and plot is still beautifully immersive, despite the cartoony graphics. These games are a refreshing break from the increasingly formulaic writting of some television shows out there right now. So i recommend everyone at least tries playing one episode of a TellTale Game, whether you prefer the dark and intense drama of the Game of Thrones world, the action and heartwarming narrative of the Walking Dead world, or the wonderfully crazy antics of the Borderlands World.
Just trust Handsome Jack down there,
Just trust Handsome Jack down there,
week 3
As long as video games maintain the juvenile reputation they've received, the storytelling genius in some games will never be respected with the same authority as a movie or book. Even if video games are the objectively superior medium to tell the story, as it allows the player to set their own pace (especially in these games), there will always be the naysayers.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, my favorite Telltale game has got to be poker night at the inventory.