Props to TellTale for ANF's Finale
I understand ANF wasn't great. Short episodes, no hubs, and most of it was a movie (because it had little to no actual "playing.")
That said, this finale was their best one done yet in my opinion. I'm amazed at the number of different possibilities that can go on in this finale.
I just finished my playthrough, which led with Javier and Gabe staying in Richmond, David dying, and Kate not being found.
However, upon reading discussions/watching videos, there are a NUMBER of different ways this season can turn out.
David, Kate, and Gabe are all determinant, with any combination of them being able to die/live in the final moments of the game. Then of course, the relationships were pretty well - Clem and Gabe being a thing can actually be canon, based on your decisions. Conrad is able to survive (regardless of being determinant SINCE EPISODE 2). This is the type of episode TellTale should actually focus with - many decisions, many possibilities.
Overall, as much as I wish ANF was a bit better, I've gotta give props for this finale.
Comments
What? It was awful nothing from previous episodes mattered at all. Conrad suddenly disappars despite being right next to Javi then doesn't appear til the end of the episode. Both Tripp and Ava die in a shit way. Davids (and Gabes) deaths were fucking stupid like Kennys and we didn't see AJ at all making Clementines only plotline pointless just so they can pop out more seasons. Worst episode of the walking dead ever
I completely agree. A great episode and I'm really impressed with the determinant deaths. At first I thought it was just David and Kate could die and then I found out that Gabe had a heart wrenching death.
Not worse than the season 2 finale.
It's all opinionated I guess. I didn't even have Conrad (Killed him in Episode 2 of my playthrough). I agree that Ava's death was pretty bad, but I saw Tripp's, and it was definitely handled better. I mean, the helicopter propeller broke, he couldn't get across, there were a shit ton of walkers. What would your ideal situation have been that they handled?
I disagree that David + Gabe's death were pointless (saw Gabe's, he lived in my playthrough).
David's showed that even though he wanted to do what he thought worked best - wasn't necessarily the case. It got him screwed. Sure, he may have died in a way you didn't see fit, but there was also an opportunity for you to bring him back alive. He didn't have to die.
I definitely don't think this was the "worst Walking Dead episode ever" as I feel like this episode placed at the top of this Season.
No way this was 10000x worst
Not really.
How exactly was this one that much worse? Choices actually mattered, and there was a huge variety in endings.
Season 2 had an ending.
ANF doesn't.
How did it not have an ending?
Choices didn't matter Conrad disappeared til the end the person you saved died anyways and after the episode 1 flashback scenes. You're a fool if you think these endings will matter at all in season 4 and you have to fight David for no fucking reason even if you rejected Kate.
?????
ANF has an ending - it completed the Javier storyline. It also gives us a bonus with giving us insight on to where the game as a whole will go from here, with Clementine.
I'd love to hear your reasoning as to how ANF "doesn't have an ending." It ended.
At no point did I say I think these endings will have a part in Season 4. This was Javi's story - it's completed. Obviously Season 4 will be following Clem again. Choices obviously mattered. Did you only watch your playthrough, or have you seen other endings?
Because the choices you made had an impact on one of the many possible endings. Also, you technically don't have to fight David. He'll fight you regardless, sure, but you don't need to fight back - he's crazy - that was clearly shown as part of his character.
How can you say it's worse than season 2 and the choices don't matter, when literally not even a single choice matters in season 2?
Save Nick or Pete? Who cares, Pete dies, and Nick has a cool moment then is just a background character until he dies.
Kill Sarah or save her? Who cares, she dies anyway in the same episode and has basically no more lines except for her screams.
If you cut off Sarita's arm? Who cares? Episode still plays out basically the same and Kenny yells at you for a few seconds then is back to normal.
Season 3s choices at least had a bit of impact, even if it was just some dialogue later, it still mattered more than season 2s choices. There was barely even any acknowledgement for your choices in season 2.
It just ends without any kind of proper closure to anything, Javier's storyline doesn't even feel earned or make any sense in its conclusion.
Insight? You mean the incredibly awful "teaser" after the credits?
How riveting.
I never said choice mattered in s2 but the kenny ending was so much more emotional telltale actually thinks Im going to cry over Gabes death when we've literally only had like 7 hours playtime with the characters at least you could care about the characters in s2 so your choices were hard to make. I stopped caring about the choices the second Ava died
I personally thought it was a good ending, and ended Javier's story in a good way. But hey, opinions, yeah?
We must not have played the same game - the ending, with whoever is left, shows what Javier is going to do, how he's going to move forward after all he's lost or who he's managed to save.
Also, how exactly is the teaser "awful?"
Were you expecting a 4 minute trailer for the next season? It gives what it needs to - a hint as to what the next Season will be about. Clem finally finding AJ and moving from there.
It's funny that you seem to want every little thing spelled out for you - no speculation or anything on your part, eh?
"I stopped caring about choices the second Ava died."
That just makes you stubborn, doesn't it? Allowing that one moment to ruin the rest of your experience?
Maybe they didn't expect you to cry over Gabe's death. Judging from the forums though - some people did. Hell, if you played it a different way, Gabe wouldn't have died at all. Your choices made a difference in your game. If you didn't like it, that's great - but the way you're talking makes it sound like there's only one possible outcome in this game.
I personally thought both Gabe, David AND Kate's death were all pretty sad. I teared up for them, and even cried at Gabe's.
Edit: said something rude at the start of my comment that I regret saying.
How is this the first time? Kenny didn't matter but I kept hope they wouldn't fuck it up again with Ava and Tripp then I realized its never going to stop they will always just die anyway
I don't need everything spelled out for me for the story to work, I'm not a ANF fan.
Javier gets the posistion of being a full time settlement leader and that doesn't make any sense to me because there wasn't really proper build up to that story arc, it just randomly appears in Ep.5 because "Oh, crap Javier Blandcia doesn't have much of a story arc, quick let's ass pull something for the finale."
I don't care for that teaser because Clementine is portrayed as some "hardened ultimate badass action hero," and that's just flat out insulting to me for someone who loved Clementine for her overall character and not because she was some "badass" it's lazy and pandering to the lowest common denominator.
Being a leader is a choice though, Isn't it? You can even tell Jesus that you might not even stay. And don't act like she wasn't portrayed as a "badass" in season 2 either. Being able to kick down doors?(even tho she was eleven) "Still not bitten!", etc.
Funny, because I hate that about Season 2 as well.
Bunch of shitty sequels Telltale has made, hmmmm?
At least we can agree on one thing. I agree with you that the whole "badass" thing about Clem is kinda ehhhh, but I don't really mind it in ANF, it HAS been 4 years or so now. I just thought that the rest of the season made up for that, but as I said, opinions, right?
They didn't fuck it up with Conrad, though.
What yeah they did after episode 3 hes absent throughout most of episode 4 and in episode 5 he disappears without any explanation until the very end
I don't know if you saw, but there was a gunfight, and a herd pouring in. Kinda hard to keep up with the rest of the group in that situation. At least he can survive. If Telltale really didn't care, they'd make him a background character for 1 and a half episodes then kill him off-screen like they did with Nick.
Lol don' try to justify Telltales laziness it was completely out of character for Conrad to just abandon Javi and not help him at all.
Yet people will justify it for season 1 and 2. Just admit it, you're looking for a reason to shit on ANF.
I'm not i enjoyed the first 4 eps and would give them a solid 8. Conrad was handled amazingly in episode and there was loads of choices that led to different characters dying that I didn't expect then ep 5 came out and none of it fucking mattered again.
It does sound like you're looking for an excuse to shit on the season if you liked every other episode and just those small things apparently "ruin" the experience for you.
Small? all my choices from previous episodes don't matter and you called that small? are fucking serous? This game is literally advertised as a game where your choices matter
Conrad can survive the whole fucking season and him disappearing for a while all of a sudden means your choices involving him are just thrown at the window? Your choices do matter mate, a lot more compared to season 2.
Agree 100%. Definitely the best of the season and some of the best branching telltale has ever done. Although my single complaint is that Ava's death was absolutely pathetic and I'm sorry people had to see that for their first playthrough.
How when the characters I save suddenly disappear when I'm playing the game with no explanation given or they stupidly fall to their death in the most predictable or they crash a car like morons and can't even take down some fucking walkers 4 years into the ZA and you're saying my choices mattered, are you delusional?
First of all, as I said, him fucking disappearing for a while in the middle of a HERD AND a GUNFIGHT isn't that unrealistic, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING IT HAPPENED IN SEASON 2! I do agree with you about Ava's death, that was shitty, but tripps death was fine. He could take out some walkers, sure. But more than fucking 20 of them at once? You're fucked if that happens to you.
It seems to me that you're more delusional here. Two things happen, then all of a sudden you have a hate boner for the entire season, You sure you weren't going out of your way to find someone wrong with it so you could just join the bandwagon?
So you're saying Conrad a pretty brave dude willing to sacrifice himself for Javi in the previous episode. Would run off like a coward instead of helping Javi save Kate and you're trying to say thats realistic really?
And what makes you think he was able to get to Javier in the first place? Once again. G U N F I G H T and H E R D.
Errrr have you played with Conrad alive he was right next to Javi lol there's no reason for him not to stick with him lol
You said yourself It's out of character for Conrad to not help Javier. Would it also be out of character for him to go help everyone else?