The Council - Final Episode "Checkmate" Releases December 4th

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  • dojo32161dojo32161 Moderator

    I'll think about picking this up once I hear how the mood's going in a few episodes, I am very interested.

  • edited March 2018

    This game has brought me back around to being a little more critical of Telltalle. Their games have slowly become shorter AND more simplistic in their approach. Just with the way things work I don't see how that's possible to maintain if that's the case. I like all the stuff they put out but I can see why people have an issue with Guardians etc. Lets face it us core fans aren't the people who keep them in business. If all their releases are just more streamlined versions of the games they released prior then the sales will continue to decline. Regardless of how good the stories are.

    After Tales from the Borderlands which set the bar high. They drastically scaled things down as opposed to the other direction. If TWD really is going to end soon. TTG really needs to release something with more...whats the word I am looking for? Whatever it is it needs to be right after The Wolf....

    EDIT. It does however drive me insane when any game does what this game does with advancing into another room without knowing you were about to. There is many times when dialogue will start because you walked near an area. Or times where you have 5 things you could look at but one will end up forcing you to leave the area. To their defense they did do this fairly reasonable with most places being able to be looked over. However, I missed HALF the room at the end with Elizabeth because I interacted with the item that would end the segment...

  • edited March 2018

    The small salon? You can actually revisit that area after you have breakfast with all the other guests. I think you'll actually be able to revisit a lot of these areas in the next episode too so I imagine the items you didn't pick up will still be there.

    Also unfortunately though I think you are right when a new developer comes along and makes an episodic game they really outclass what telltale have been putting out lately. This, Life Is Strange and Dreamfall Chapters are all good examples.

    PHub07 posted: »

    This game has brought me back around to being a little more critical of Telltalle. Their games have slowly become shorter AND more simplisti

  • Yes the first episode was very well done. They focus so much on story, and the RPG elements are very cool. Can't wait for the next episode. TT got more competition.

  • Which is great, competition usually always ends up benefitting the consumers. Even with the new Telltale CEO, we're seeing Telltale trying to improve on the quality of their games, but add in some competition, whether that be from The Council or even Life is Strange (regardless of what my feelings are towards that game), I guarantee we'll see some more improvement.

    MosesARose posted: »

    Yes the first episode was very well done. They focus so much on story, and the RPG elements are very cool. Can't wait for the next episode. TT got more competition.

  • edited March 2018

    A much better way to look at it compared to one being superior than the other. Both are aiming for top quality episodic content with the goal of learning from one another and improving.

    Which is great, competition usually always ends up benefitting the consumers. Even with the new Telltale CEO, we're seeing Telltale trying t

  • I think during the 2014-2015 period, where Life is Strange was competing with Telltale, we had the best games from Telltales.

    Hopefully with the Council, we can experience the same thing again.

    Which is great, competition usually always ends up benefitting the consumers. Even with the new Telltale CEO, we're seeing Telltale trying t

  • Majority of steam reviews seem to be very positive so far. Hopefully it is selling quite well Focus Home Interactive's published games are definitely gradually going up in terms of quality.

  • edited March 2018

    I agree with all of you. The Council is definitely worth checking out. It has a really interesting mix between historical fiction and political drama. The writing is really good. Every character has their own strengths and weaknesses (even your main character).

    Since the game is partly RPG, there are some things that you'll be more fitting to do than others based on how you want to develop Louis's skills. You can be a character especialized in diplomacy, which means that you'll benefit mostly when you interact with other characters (or when you read ancient languages in books and other texts). You can also especialize in detectivesque skills, which will be useful when questioning characters, figuring out people's minds, opening locks... Besides this, you have another skill tree, occulitsm, which focuses mostly in sciences and arts. Erudite knowledge.

    The voice acting could be better, but it's not as terrible as I've seen in some reviews. It's decent in most cases and really good in characters like Emily or Sir Holm.

    One of the main gameplay elements of The Council is the confrontation system. Sometimes, you'll see yourself involved in a dialectical duel focused on manipulating or confronting the other character to get him to do something that will benefit you.

    While it's better to win these confrontations (since you can establish relationships and temporary alliances with other characters), even failing them has some kind of benefit, since there's a list of "talents" which are some kind of achievement progress that once they're completed, it results in improving a certain skill of Louis. The thing is, one of these talents is unlocked once you lose several confrontations, so even failure can be used as an advantage to Louis.

    Several decisions carry a physical or psychological cost for the main character that can benefit him or harm him. While I've not been able to replay the episode, it seems (based on what I've been reading on these posts) that decisions do matter.

    To sum up, The Council has been a real surprise for me and I can't wait for the remaining episodes to be released. The premiere does a great job establishing this dark, gritty world full of secret societies (Illuminati-esque ). I hope that this sells good enough. The developers deserve it (even more considering that this is their first game).

  • I have been saying for some time now that Telltale has let their formula completely die down due to its overuse. This game is the living proof of that. Don't get me wrong, this is not what I want every Telltale game to become, nor do I think these particular mechanics would work on their narratives, but bloody QTEs and ultra simplistic dialogue systems which impact virtually nothing can only entertain people for so long. I hope Telltale looks at this game and sees that being perpetually stuck on their comfort zone with their 5-year-stale formula is not sustainable if they want to keep interest and dominion over being the suppliers of these type of games.

    Review -
    Interesting little game. I absolutely love the setting and atmosphere. All the artistic references make it all that much richer (and I'm also sure a lot of it holds meaning over the main plot and its characters, someone should definitely look into that). I really like historic fiction so that's an automatic plus for me.
    The plot itself overwhelms you a bit with all the details. It definitely requires you to pay close attention to what is being said. This is an intricate mystery so I imagine attention to detail is absolutely crucial. Makes me wish I had brought some paper and a pen, honestly :sweat_smile: .
    It's absolutely bothersome to know that no matter what I chose, I can't gather all the clues and details available. You can't unlock all the skills and that will lock you out of plenty dialogue options, opportunities and even literal locks (I kept getting "missed opportunities" because I hadn't picked that bloody "Questioning" skill :(). I'm not sure if replaying the episode would be best though, as it may be way more immersive if I jump to the next episode knowing only what my canon Louis does. Something to ponder about.
    The gameplay elements are a bit... overwhelming. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate them and they are tremendously innovative when it comes to these types of games, but I found myself sometimes so worried about managing my resources that I stopped listening to what was being said.

    This seems to be a pretty solid game. I can't vouch for its story yet, but it definitely seems to be going somewhere interesting. Undoubtedly, it has potential. I must say that the dialogue felt a bit weird sometimes, specifically during the confrontation segments, and my ending didn't really feel like and ending. The game is filled with content, mechanics to explore and replay value, so the higher price when put next to similar 5 episode games like Life is Strange and the whole Telltale Collection might be justified. I will be definitely looking forward to what this game and the Big Bad Wolf studio have to offer in the future.

    My Choices -

    • I trusted Sarah.
    • I stood with George Washington and Emily rather than accompanying Holm.
    • I read the letter but managed to keep Piaggi from discovering that I did.
    • I investigated Napoleon and Mortimer rather than helping Washington. (fuck?)
    • I followed Emily back to Louis's quarters but did not sleep with her.
    • The episode ended with Mortimer outside my quarters, Elizabeth is still alive?
    • I got every confrontation, so I convinced Elizabeth to talk about Sarah, Emily to talk about her sister Emma, Napoleon to trust me and Piaggi to give me the letter.

    Theory - the vision Louis has at the very beginning of the game is not about what'll happen in the future, but about what was happening at that precise moment.

    The Evidence:

    • the only other time Louis has one of these visions it happens in real time, at the same time as he is out of it. He is able to witness encounters that happen only seconds before he awakes.
    • Emily reveals she has a twin sister, Emma. The game emphasizes that they look exactly similar, dress the same and act the same. Furthermore, Emily reveals that her sister was supposed to be on the island, yet also went missing. We see Louis witnessing the whole scene through the eyes of Emma until she gets shot.
    • Lord Mortimer is not able to meet Louis that night. Louis expresses, on several occasions, that this is extremely odd and even insulting. Did Mortimer delay their encounter on purpose, or is it something else? In case this proves to be true:
      • Mortimer was not able to meet Louis because he was dealing with Emma's murder and murderer, Sarah.
      • Sir Holm, who witnessed Emma's murder, was sent to deal with the guests as Mortimer deals with Sarah.
      • Right after Emma is shot we hear "You can [???] if you want to Sarah, but you will pay for what you've done!". It does not sound like Holmes higher pitched voice at all. Could it be Mortimer?
      • We see Mortimer specifically directing Napoleon toward Louis, acting as if Sarah was completely out of the picture already.
  • edited March 2018

    I assume it is a vision of the past simply why would they call Louis to the island about his mother being missing if she wasn't missing at the time of his arrival. At the end of the vision Sir Holm mentions how "you'll pay for this Sarah". So I'm guessing she went into hiding on the island while Emma is either gravely wounded or dead. I believe Mortimer/Sir Holm want to find and punish Sarah discretely due to the uproar and unwanted attention it would cause from the English mainland or if the guests found out. Something interesting to note is that Emma appears in your journal with her immunity's/weaknesses listed as "to be discovered" which made me question her fate in the vision.

    spoiler for Elizabeth route if you choose to follow her instead of Emily at the end then she will mention how she spotted your mother.

    I have been saying for some time now that Telltale has let their formula completely die down due to its overuse. This game is the living pro

  • So I replayed episode 4 times now and come to the conclusion that there are 4 endings.if you are interested I will list them below, just let me know

  • Please do, I only know of three but I assume not sleeping with Emily is a 4th ending?

    So I replayed episode 4 times now and come to the conclusion that there are 4 endings.if you are interested I will list them below, just let me know

  • I feel like we all missed the point. Sir Holm doesn’t act as if Emma was killed/injured. That simply means that he knew of the sisters’ double identity. Now, why did he not mention it to Emily, who came looking for her sister? Dont you think that’s a bit strange? What is he up to? As Emily said, he’s playing both sides. Either that, or the vision happens in the future, just as most predicted.

    Anyway, my choices are:
    - I trusted Sarah.
    -I stood with George Washington and Emily
    -I did not betray Piaggi’s trust.
    -I helped Washington
    -Went back with Emily and slept with her.
    -Episode ended with Lort Mortimer inside my room.
    -Nailed every confrontation as well.

    Also, I hope you used your skill to read the letter. There might be pretty big consequences if you did not let Piaggi edit the later because he adds something quite important. I don’t want to spoil it for you though.

    I have been saying for some time now that Telltale has let their formula completely die down due to its overuse. This game is the living pro

  • First one is sleeping with Emily or not sleeping with her,you get same ending
    Second one is to go to Elizabeth but don't drink not even once,you will go to your room and wake up in the morning by sir Holm and others accused of murder of Elizabeth.
    Third one is to go to Elizabeth room and to drink till the end and then tell her that she should leave the island,and then you will pass out and she won't be killed i guess
    since episode cuts to black when she drugs you
    Forth one is the same as third except you tell her that she should stay on the island and she will be found dead on the floor by you and sir Holm when you wake up
    Hopefully you understood it,sorry English isn't my main language

    Please do, I only know of three but I assume not sleeping with Emily is a 4th ending?

  • Spoil it for me I couldn't read the letter after he added a name only before but I didn't find anything important just some names

    ScootyZ posted: »

    I feel like we all missed the point. Sir Holm doesn’t act as if Emma was killed/injured. That simply means that he knew of the sisters’ doub

  • dojo32161dojo32161 Moderator

    OK, I've updated the thread to resemble something similar to the Life is Strange one, if anyone wants to create a banner for the series, similar to the one I made in the LiS one, you can either PM it to me or post it in this thread.

  • edited March 2018

    Is this ok?

    dojo32161 posted: »

    OK, I've updated the thread to resemble something similar to the Life is Strange one, if anyone wants to create a banner for the series, similar to the one I made in the LiS one, you can either PM it to me or post it in this thread.

  • edited March 2018

    That's great!


    I made this quick one a few hours ago, so I sent it to dojo as an interim banner (of course, he hasn't gone online since then to edit it in), but I figured it was quite large so I advised against posting it as I knew someone else would eventually make a smaller, less obtrusive one. And you've made it!
    Forget my monstrosity, yours should go up ASAP.

    Is this ok?

  • edited March 2018

    Out of curiosity, out of all the characters is there anyone you actually trust/are more truthful towards? I've tried to divert my reasons for being there by not giving much information away. I think the only time I opened up in the episode was when I told Emily I was looking for the MC's mother then when she asked about the book I gave her as little information as possible. I feel like Emily is somewhat an ally but I still don't totally trust her.

  • dojo32161dojo32161 Moderator

    That's perfect, I've put it in the OP.

    Is this ok?

  • My louis don’t trust anyone


  • ...

    Shadow2122 posted: »

    My louis don’t trust anyone

  • Well I assume Mortimer and Sir Holm both know everyone's secrets especially considering Mortimer is shaping the future of the world. The confusing thing though is that Sir Holm invited Emily not Mortimer which could mean Mortimer doesn't know about the whole incident.

    ScootyZ posted: »

    I feel like we all missed the point. Sir Holm doesn’t act as if Emma was killed/injured. That simply means that he knew of the sisters’ doub

  • I most definitely trust George Washington the most. Emily being a close second. Elizabeth being the third.

    Since we’re on this topic, I’m most wary of Napoleon Bonaparte. That guy screams trouble. I might be affected by AC Unity haha. I’ve not seen enough of Lord Mortimer to make a judge. I find him insanely shady and suspicious.

    Out of curiosity, out of all the characters is there anyone you actually trust/are more truthful towards? I've tried to divert my reasons fo

  • Just curious, anyone seen the launch trailer for this game. It’s straight up spectacular. Makes me want to see how Telltale would handle a historical franchise that is grounded in realism.

  • I enjoyed the developer commentary (trailer) more it got me more excited about the game and actually made me buy the whole season.

    ScootyZ posted: »

    Just curious, anyone seen the launch trailer for this game. It’s straight up spectacular. Makes me want to see how Telltale would handle a historical franchise that is grounded in realism.

  • What do you all think happen to Sarah?

  • I thought it was pretty good. Rather slow, but good. I took the detective route and missed out on a lot of cultural skill opportunities. Sided with George Washington a lot and won all my persuasion challenges except the one with Napoleon. Even correctly guessed that Emily worked with her sister. Ended the episode sleeping with Emily instead of drinking with the crazy chick. Looking forward to the next episode but I do hope it gets faster paced and more intense.

  • Is the visions that louis has happening now or in the past?

  • I wasn't too impressed at first because of the iffy voice acting and facial animation but by the time I entered the manor I was hooked. Do we have a release date for episode 2?

  • The only thing they've said so far is that all the episodes are releasing in 2018 so hopefully end of April or start of May for episode 2.

    Cheddarhead posted: »

    I wasn't too impressed at first because of the iffy voice acting and facial animation but by the time I entered the manor I was hooked. Do we have a release date for episode 2?

  • I'm a bit confused about this I think they are past and present. I don't think his first vision on the harbour about his Mother happened in the present cause she was already reported missing. The second in his room definitely seemed like the present.

    Shadow2122 posted: »

    Is the visions that louis has happening now or in the past?

  • I wonder what's going to happen in ep. 2 for me. I ended up with elizabeth and told her to leave, and the credits just rolled. I hope she's okay.

  • edited March 2018

    I think she is alive if you told her to leave or stayed with Emily seems to me like someone wanted to frame you with the murder which isn't possible if Emily was with you to prove your innocence.

    MosesARose posted: »

    I wonder what's going to happen in ep. 2 for me. I ended up with elizabeth and told her to leave, and the credits just rolled. I hope she's okay.

  • I really hope so. I like elizabeth.

    I think she is alive if you told her to leave or stayed with Emily seems to me like someone wanted to frame you with the murder which isn't possible if Emily was with you to prove your innocence.

  • Really enjoyed the first episode. Had three playthroughs with the three "professions" and three different endings. It does seem to bring something new to the table, though episode 2 will tell if it can live up to the promises it makes or not.

  • I like how the developer is called 'big bad wolf' lmao, some much needed competition for telltale alongside life is strange 1/2 with the recent dip in quality over the years.

  • I felt like garbage ignoring Elizabeth just so I could spend time with Emily. The minute I did that I knew I had to go back and change that.

  • spoilers...

    AnimalBoy posted: »

    I felt like garbage ignoring Elizabeth just so I could spend time with Emily. The minute I did that I knew I had to go back and change that.

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