Michael Kirkbride

"Morrowind's "36 Lessons of Vivec" Is the Greatest Piece of Lore in RPG History"

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"All too often, FPS games give the narrative a backseat, an afterthought, giving way to the traditionally fast-paced nature of the experience. Immortals of Aveum's narrative sits front and center of the journey and will keep players on their toes from start to finish."

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"Right from the get-go, players are tasked with making seemingly impossible decisions, truly forcing them to consider their actions. After all, it is very clear that AJ is watching, and this comes into play throughout the episode. While previous episodes of the Walking Dead Final Season contained this element of an ever-present moral judge in AJ, the decisions required in this episode are some of the most difficult. And the seemingly best decisions are not always so, a self-evident factor as the game barrels toward its finale. There are moments where these friendships grow and develop, with all supporting characters getting their equal due.

"These peaceful moments come between periods of intense action and decision-making, yet they feel natural and in-pace with the episode. And when these moments boil down and heat up, it is clear that this is some of the best story-telling found in this season of the Walking Dead. Lives literally hang in the balance throughout this story, and that influence on Clementine stands out."

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"Broken Toys is filled with action, emotion, and all of the things we've become familiar with since the very beginning. When it's at its most bombastic, The Walking Dead shines brightly, but it's in the quieter moments of human desperation and hope that these stories become so much more than a tool to necessitate its gameplay. Yes, the combat has come along way, but it has always been about telling a great story, and the penultimate episode goes a long way to making sure we remember The Walking Dead with fondness."

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"What Ails You is a standout episode with strong writing, compelling performances, and decision-making moments that feel like they have significant consequences. The star is John, the would be Joker, who finally unravels, going from the well-meaning if a bit unhinged friend to something much closer to the Clown Prince of Crime we're used to seeing terrorize Gotham City and Batman. However, since developer Telltale has been building towards this from the very start, the shift is the culmination of a slow descent into madness instead of a leap, and it's fascinating to watch."

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"Morrowind is more than an interesting fantasy world. It's an open challenge to reconsider how we define fantasy as a genre. [...] It is a lesson in the nature of history and how the past can be a symbol of hope or a weapon used by tyrants. It is a story, an experience, and an essential work for anyone who wants to understand what makes fantasy truly great."

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"The narrative is also remarkable in how it balances its many threads, despite the outward appearance of a rote tale where good conquers evil. Aveum ropes in themes of classism, how authority should be questioned, and the effectiveness of propaganda to ground its fantasy setting into something more believable.

"Its cast is similarly complicated, and the game shines a light on all of its characters and examines the good and the bad of its main players regardless of their affiliation. Leaders or groups who are positioned as altruistic can hide terrible secrets that call their legacies into question. Jak, the main character, often makes foolish mistakes and, despite his noble intentions, is often berated for his brashness or incompetence. Even the main antagonist Sandrakk — who looks like a villain from a Zack Snyder movie — makes salient points and is much more nuanced than the delusional tyrant he appears to be."

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"This is everything I wanted it to be and more. The Enigma not only tells a great story, it incorporates some fantastic dialogue and even better gameplay. You finally feel like Batman — like Bruce Wayne, and the thrill ride doesn't stop from the second you start until the credits roll."

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"Without spoiling anybody's ultimate fate, I'll just say The Final Season Episode 4 truly does justice to both Clementine and AJ. In some ways, this last chapter actually redeems some earlier stuff, particularly the shaky third season. I'll admit, I got choked up a couple times — not because this episode loads on the melodrama, although there is a little of that. No, it's the small moments that got me. There are a few perfect arrow-through-the-heart lines in this episode, particularly for anybody who has kids. Brace yourself, this one's a bit of a roller coaster."

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"Batman: The Telltale Series is still firing on all cylinders in terms of story, and is introducing new and more complex dynamics to character relationships with Bruce and Batman, as we should know to expect from the studio. Due to this, I find myself less enthused about pulling off slick combos as Batman, and more about watching how he and his human side tackle this sticky situation and the consequences of their choices."

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"I've noticed some resistance to the choice to use modern vernacular and colloquialisms in Aveum's dialogue, but I honestly can't see myself being as engaged as I was if Ascendant had opted instead for po-faced, pseudo-Early Modern English. In fact, I'd argue that leaning on archaic language would only undermine how otherwise fresh and modern Aveum feels in the first-person shooter space."

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"Here, more than Walking Dead has ever done, the decisions of the entire season bear fruit. A.J. will automatically make two of the biggest choices of the season--arguably, the series--based on your teachings. It's a fascinating narrative decision. Much of the climax here is out of your hands in all but the most basic mechanical sense, but in its own way, you've been deciding how this will play out for the entire series. No matter what, you're going to have to live with the fact that these are the logical consequences of your actions. This is your legacy, and even if A.J. makes what you might consider the right choices, in true Walking Dead fashion, none of them are pretty."

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"The real heart of The Walking Dead: The Final Season is the relationship between Clementine and AJ. In the past, AJ was essentially a human MacGuffin — somebody to motivate Clementine without any personality of his own (granted, up until this season he was a pre-verbal infant/toddler). AJ has grown into a precocious scamp and this episode requires you to make a number of tricky parenting decisions. What do you say when he bites somebody or tries to steal another kid's toy? Do you comfort and indulge him or encourage him to overcome his fears when he insists on sleeping under the bed? This may sound like low-stakes stuff, but, as a new parent myself, I found these choices more compelling than another rote “decide who lives or dies” dilemma. And hey, it's nice to play a game about a badass mom in the wake of all the recent games about put-upon dads.

"This episode culminates in some of the most shocking, disturbing, and genuinely scary, scenes Telltale has ever produced. They lull your into a false sense of security with all the low-key high school hijinks, then hit you over the head with a sledgehammer. These final scenes are a real breakthrough for Telltale in terms of cinematic visuals and direction.

"The debut episode of The Walking Dead: The Final Season is one of Telltale Games' best efforts in quite some time. It builds its cast of likeable new characters with uncommon skill, lets you feel a glimmer of hope, and then tears it all down in devastating fashion. I'm afraid of what might come next for Clementine and AJ, but I can't look away...The Final Season has already sunk its teeth into me.

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