by Jacob Doolin
DECAY & GROWTH
What do we lose when the world turns
to hell? More so than comfort and security, we lose the ability to change. To
borrow a line from everyone’s favorite chemist Walter White, the ability to
change stems from the cycle of “growth, decay, and transformation.” But what if
the world around you was stuck in that second part, decay, how would you be
able to reach the end? Modern zombie fiction, including Telltale’s first season
on The Walking Dead have somewhat
avoided this issue, focusing on survival instead. In the most recent episode of
The Walking Dead’s second season, In Harm’s Way, Telltale is starting to
show the final transformation of these characters, and the results are
volatile.
Picking up right after the events of
A House Divided, Clem and the crew
are in the clutches of Carver as he takes them to his “community” within an
abandon grocery store. Carver quickly proves himself to be a formidable
villain, opting for psychological torture and quick bursts of violence to get
his points across. The game truly gets you to hate him, yet it speaks to the
writing of Pierre Shorette that instead of simple revenge this episode focuses on
the relationships between these characters.
In
Harm’s Way is filled with a surprising amount of quiet moments where
characters just talk, letting wounds and insecurities show that they might
otherwise keep bottled up. Where I had problems with the characters in the
first episode this season appearing too similar to the previous group, these
last two episodes went a long way to give each survivor a moment or two of
really in depth development.
And those interactions are really
starting to pay off in big, emotional ways. We start to see the cracks form
between the group and the individual psyches of the survivors almost
immediately. They are starting to decay, and the only thing holding them together
is the need for survival. When the action finally does come, it’s hard and
brutal and leaves the player questioning not only their own decisions, but also
those around them.
Gameplay this time around is
strictly quick time events (QTEs) and character interaction focused, with no
puzzles to be found. While that kind of railroading of player interaction bothered
me a bit with Telltale’s other episodic series, In Harm’s Way fairs better because of how well those interactions
and QTE’s played out. Although it does stand to reason that a continuation of
these kinds of mechanics could wear thin on the player.
One of the biggest strengths of the
episode is the direction of Graham Ross and the way the visuals enhance the
story. The way Ross places the camera in a way that visually puts players in a
lower position compared to Carver is a small but very interesting way to say
something about the relationship between the characters. And while Clem and
crew are trapped in the store, Ross uses shadows and lighting to great effect,
creating a tense atmosphere throughout.
The only problem with this focus on
the visual side of storytelling is the influx of bugs and pop-ins, which seem
to be very prevalent in this episode. On one occasion I had to stop the game
and return to the menu to resume playing. While these kinds of things are to be
expected, the frequency of them did put a hamper on the mood once or twice.
By episode’s end everyone has been
shaped by the events that have unfolded. And death is literary closing in
around them; the survivors have once again found their futures reshaped. Yet as
they make their way through the decay, one has to wonder if that final step,
transformation, is far behind.
+ Story takes a
unique route
+ Most visually
interesting episode in a while
+ Carver makes for
an intimidating presence
- Frequent bugs and
pop-in
- Less exploration
8/10
