6 Memorable Moments from Telltale Games
The recent news of the closure of Telltale Games has shocked and saddened many in the gaming world, especially die hard fans of their work like myself. We wish their talented former staff all the best in finding new jobs, and thank them for giving us some truly brilliant stories. With the cancellation of all future projects, including the long awaited Wolf Among Us 2, and The Walking Dead: The Final Season up in the air, it is a genuinely devastating time for us as fans. Despite the upsetting news, now seems like an appropriate time to look back on the work of Telltale and note some of their truly brilliant and memorable moments.
Reuben's Death- Minecraft: Story Mode
Minecraft: Story Mode is one of the more polarizing Telltale Games with praise given to the light hearted nature of the franchise but criticism for story and character, usually the strongest elements of a Telltale game. However, there is one character from the first season of Minecraft who did stand out, Jesse's best friend and pet pig Reuben. Acting as a companion throughout the game, Reuben is not only an adorable addition but also a helpful ally. This makes his death in Episode 4 a genuinely upsetting moment as he dies saving your characters life. Though he soon turns into a piece of bacon, as is the norm for deceased pigs in Minecraft, the moment is still an emotional one. That'll do Reuben, that'll do.Handsome Jack pleads for his life- Tales from the Borderlands
Tales from the Borderlands was a pleasant surprise from Telltale, offering a game that had a strong narrative and kept the tone and spirit of the Borderlands franchise. Major Borderlands antagonist Handsome Jack appears in AI hologram form during the game as his real life counterpart is dead. He appears when Rhys, one of the player characters, installs a Hyperion chip into his consciousness, becoming a part of him and following him for most of the game. Towards the end of the game, Rhys is given a choice. Crush his EchoEye augmentation that Jack is stored in, destroying the last remnant of Handsome Jack forever, or keep hold of it. Jack is initially cocky and his usual self but as Rhys begins to dismember more of his implant, he starts to panic. He begs and pleads for his life, despite not technically being alive. Telltale manages to make an evil character sympathetic by making him beg pitifully for his last scrap of existence. It's a powerful moment, one that makes the player hesitate before they make their choice.
- Lilly shoots Carley/Doug- The Walking Dead: Season One
The first season of The Walking Dead was one of the finest of Telltales creations. With its strong character development, brilliant narrative and choices that have consequences, it was the game that made Telltale Games a household name. There are many memorable moments from the game but one in particular comes half way through Episode. Tensions are high in the group of survivors. Lilly, a character who watches her father die brutally in Episode 2, is close to breaking point when one of the group is found to be making a deal with bandits. As she tries to figure out who it was, she is pushed over the edge and snaps. She shoots Carley/Doug, whoever Lee saved in the first episode, and instantly kills them. The sudden death proved that Telltale were not afraid to kill off any of their characters and that everyone was expendable. You can learn a lot about video games playing and if you buy essay papers you can find useful codes and some tips for your games. It also showed how the horrors of the apocalypse can change people and turn them into ruthless killers. Lee is then left to choose whether to abandon Lilly on the road or let her stay with the group, another tough player choice. The shocking murder and aftermath from Lee's choice made for one of the most gripping episodes of the entire season.
- Bigbys Final Transformation- The Wolf Among Us
The Wolf Among Us was a particular fan favourite in Telltales catalogue. Based on the Fables comic book series wherein traditional fairy-tales are mixed with gritty realism, The Wolf Among Us was a mystery story that gripped players during its run. Protagonist Bigby Wolf is a man who was a monster, trying to prove he isn't who he once was. Unfortunately, the long awaited Wolf Among Us 2 was one of the casualties of Telltales closure. The first game had plenty of brilliant moments, but Bigbys final transformation into his true self has to be a stand out. Throughout the game, Bigby struggles to control his inner Big Bad Wolf. He goes through smaller changes at certain times, during fight scenes which may call for a more violent presence. The final fight between him and Bloody Mary is the longest action sequence in the game and the moment when Bigby finally lets his true form take over entirely. He becomes the Big Bad Wolf and the player is let loose upon his enemies. You are able to grab them in his jaws, crush them with his paws and even huff and puff until they are blown away. The scale of the giant wolf is huge and shows us that despite his attempts to hold back, Bigby really is a dangerous, mystical and fearsome creature. It was a moment teased throughout the entire season, and it didn't disappoint.
- Clementine stitches her own arm up- The Walking Dead: Season 2
Clementine is shown to be a strong willed and determined little girl, even from the very beginning of The Walking Dead game when she was at her youngest. She continued to prove herself to be more than capable of surviving, but this moment in particular shows just how resilient she is. Clementine is attacked by a dog and left with a large gaping bite wound on her arm. The new group she finds is suspicious of her bite so she's locked in a shed. After finding the items she needs to clean her wound and stitch it up, she sets about patching herself up.The player is forced to sew up Clem's arm with a regular needle and watch as she screams and cries in pain. It's hard enough to watch, but even harder having to control Clementine as she digs the needle in and her wound bleeds. Painful in every sense of the word, this moment not only shows that Clementine is more capable than most adults, yet alone an ordinary child, but also that Telltale are able to make their players squirm with a simple press of a button.
- Ethan's Death- Game of Thrones
Telltale's Game of Thrones series was another game that was due to receive a second season but the studio closure led to its cancellation. The first season managed to successfully capture the feeling of the Game of Thrones universe and the death of Ethan Forrester at the end of the first episode encapsulates this perfectly. Game of Thrones is a world where no one is safe, not even the major players. Ethan is set up to become a strong presence in the season. When his father is killed, his eldest brother assumed dead and the second eldest son exiled, he must take the mantle of head of House Forrester. Ethan is one of the playable characters in episode one and when controlling him, he must make a series of choices that seem to set up what kind of ruler he is going to be. However, at the very end of the episode he is brutally stabbed in the neck and killed by Ramsey Bolton. It's another sudden and shocking death as the player realises this will not be Ethan's story as was initially suggested. The sudden death of the main playable character was a brutal tactic by Telltale but it also shows how well they know the Game of Thrones universe. No one is safe, especially you.