Recent reviews by FearingVirus

Played 1.0 for an hour and a half, got to the final stage where the boss one shot my brothers and I.

10/10 would risk rain again.

Used to have issues with exporting the footage to my editor, but ever since an update a couple months ago, it's been literally perfect. Ease of use, high quality, high frame rate. Total package.

(Minor spoilers for individual characters, but no plot points)
Alright, let's get the bad stuff out of the way.
-This game is way too short. I mean WAY too short. Walking Dead S1 took me 32 hours to complete (including the dlc). Season 2 took over 72 hours. So how long was the much awaited season 3? Less than 10 HOURS! This lack of effort is really surprising to me, as I loved the previous two games more than almost any other game I've played, and I've seen telltale make other extremely good games since, such as the new Batman series. Now the other problems, most of which stem from the previously stated shortness.
-The characters are not very well realized. No single character is given enough time on screen to leave a lasting impact in any marked way with the exception of Javier, the main character, and Clementine, Telltale's sweetheart. A couple of characters ALMOST escape this problem in the later episodes, but the efforts often feel "too little, too late".
-Another problem is the plot seems to jump around a lot, for some reason. Looking back I realize that I didn't really go any more places than S1 or S2, probably less actually, but it feels much more jarring and unnatural in this season. Again, this is likely because of the short time spent in each place, giving no real attachment to any single place as the plot rushes Javi and Clem around.
-One last thing, and something that lends to the short run-time: Telltale seemed to go much heavier on the quicktime events in this season, and VERY light on the puzzle parts, which were always an invaluable part of TWD in my opinion.

Okay, that's the major problems out of the way. Of course there are some bugs and glitches, but they're nothing gamebreaking, and most can just be ignored or not even noticed in the first place. Now the good things!
-I like the characters. Javier felt really natural as a protagonist, at least the way I played him. He made a good foil for Clem's character, and offered internal conflict with his family that I thought was the most interesting story in the whole plot. Kate, while not a particularly interesting character in herself, made a good connector to other characters, and was a very good motivator for Javi in many plot events. Gabe, while I wanted to LITERALLY throw him to walkers at the beginning of the game, sees significant character growth over the course of the plot, and I definitely appreciate that. His arc and change from a tempermental brat into a capable, caring, empathetic young man, filled Javi (and me) with pride at the end of the game.
-There's a lot more choice in this season. I don't mean actual volume of choices, mind you, but the IMPACT those choices have on the story as a whole. For example, this season has the voice-options actually effect how other characters view Javi, and can minorly change which options are available to you down the road, which I thought was friggin awesome.
-The family centered story really felt intense and emotional to me, and I thought it was an interesting extension of TWD world we'd seen in the last two games.
-I still love the Telltale shaded comic-bookey style, and it is still very strong here, with very pleasing character designs and asthetics.


To summarize, I liked this season. Quite a bit, actually. The family centered story was very easy to connect to, and the choices made such an impact that I found myself constantly questioning what I wanted Javi to be, which I think was the point. The story was pretty solid, and the cast would've been an interesting bunch if given the time to shine individually, such as in S1. Javier himself was a great protagonist, and I really enjoyed the internal struggle('s) that he experiences over the course of the game. Clementine was still amazing, even if she did feel like an overstaying cameo at some points. However, the game was VERY short, and if you're looking for the long drama that Season 1 and 2 offered, then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. With all that said, I believe the game is worth the price it's sold for. It's a fun and emotional ride with interesting characters and lasting consequences of the player's choices. This also offers the game much more replayability, as opposed to the other two games. I myself intend to jump back in and restart my playthrough right after finishing this review, which I think should speak to what I'm trying to show. So, is this season as good as TWD 1 & 2? Not by a longshot. But is it still good? Absolutely. Worth the $25? I certainly think so.

"Seriously. ♥♥♥♥ you, helicopter." -Javier Garcia, 2016

BEST GAME EVER! no other game makes you take a long time to make a decision, this game is so emotional!