Fair enough. I can try to list off a few of the reasons I like it. I'll try to keep this as cohesive as I can, because I'm not always the best explainer.
First off, I liked the relatively unconventional structure it had for a finale. Usually you'd expect something relatively fast-paced, something all action-y leading up to the conclusion, right? NGB decided to take a much more subdued route, especially considering how action-packed the rest of the season was for the most part. For some people, they probably see this decision as making the episode into a bore, but for me, I really liked the tonal shift they went for by having a slower-paced, more character driven finale than anything else. I'd wager that, what, about 3/4 of the episode is just sitting around talking to characters? And for me, considering how little of that we got throughout a majority of the second season, it was a welcomed change of pace for me, albeit a bit late to the party.
Secondly, I enjoyed the characters, or more specifically, the interactions and dynamics... for the most part. The conflict between Jane and Kenny, to me personally, was compelling. In fact, I found both of them rather intriguing. Kenny's slow spiral into insanity, Jane's attempts to, in her perspective, save a sinking ship. Couple that with Bonnie and Mike making the choice to try to get out ahead of everything in a rather morally questionable sequence, and the death of Luke, which created an irrevocable rift between the remainder of the group that contributed to most of the above. The character dynamics, for the most part, made sense and felt compelling. But most of that comes down to personal taste... or possibly the lack thereof... notimplyinganything
One of the things I didn't like character-wise was Bonnie's disposition towards Clementine if you didn't help Luke. I can understand her being upset to some degree, but I think they went a bit too overboard on it, sort of like how they did with Rebecca in episode 1. They went above and beyond just making a point that Bonnie didn't like what Clementine did (or rather, didn't do).
I also didn't really like how Mike still got next to nothing as a character. It especially irks me that in an episode that is mostly talking to characters, they still didn't do shit with Mike. Even Bonnie got some worthwhile scenes out of it, and she can get one of the most abrupt determinant deaths possible. And even more ironic is the fact that Mike's one of the only characters that doesn't wind up dead (or potentially dead) by the end of the season.
Thirdly, production value, especially in comparison to Amid the Ruins. NGB just felt like more effort was put into it not only from a writing perspective, but overall in terms of functionality and aesthetic. They cared enough to make sure to add breath clouds whenever a character talked out in the cold. They didn't have to do that, but they decided to, anyways. And cinematography-wise, it was solid for the most part. Even gameplay-wise, with the small amount of gameplay there is was well-handled.
For a small example, the lake scene; for the very beginning, they give the player control as you walk along the ice. The game basically conditions the player to anticipate something bad happening when the player is given control; is able to look around, has to press a button to move, etc. It helps invoke the tension on a higher level as a result, by using a game mechanic to help heighten the mood. If you ask me, that's a rather clever design decision.
You can see a similar thing in the S1 finale, when you cross that makeshift bridge just before the infamous herd scene; you get this top down view as you're forced to walk across. Given how every other time the player has been given that kind of control, something bad has happened, the player anticipates shit to go down; a board breaks, Lee falls, something. But nope, nothing happens and you cross it without issue. Which is exactly the kind of feeling you would be feeling if you had to cross some makeshift piece of shit about 4 stories above ground. It's using gameplay to heighten the sense of dread and anticipation. I like that.
Overall aesthetics and environments deserve a mention, I think. S2 was mostly walking through the woods, and yeah, NGB is technically still the woods, but turned on its head thanks to the snow. And the other areas, like the power station, and the unfinished house look pretty nice.
Fourthly, multiple endings. This is a pretty subjective thing, but I appreciate the effort in making different outcomes, and relatively unique ones, at that. It's liberating to be able to, for once, make the story go in a way you want it to. You wanna be alone? Sure. You want to stick with Kenny? Go right ahead. Wanna go with Jane? Awesome. Want to finally kill Kenny? Say no more. Want to see both Kenny and Jane dead? Telltale's got you.
Fifth, choice impact. I'll admit this one is a bit of a double-edged sword, though. I liked how this episode had quite a few callbacks to various different things that happened in both S1 and S2. On the other hand though, the choice of going after the baby or running for cover had... absolutely no effect. It isn't even acknowledged by anyone else whatsoever. I'd at least expect someone to mention something related to it.
And just so it doesn't look like I'm playing favorites too much, I'll throw something in that I didn't like for good measure; the gunfight at the beginning. Because of the lack of cohesion between the ending of episode 4 and the opening of NGB. While I generally come to defense of scenes that a lot of people give flak to, this is one I can't really defend. They dropped the ball on it. I really think they should have had someone on our side die. Instead, we got two nonthreatening injuries, one of them that no one even cared about, including the guy that got shot.
I'll give the gunfight one thing, though; the soundtrack for it was pretty good.
Also, just as a fun fact to finish this off, NGB has the second lowest amount of zombie kills across the entire series, with a possible low of 2, depending on choices. It loses to Starved For Help, which only has a single zombie kill made by the player; the one at the very beginning.
Christ, I typed a lot, didn't I? I hope most of that makes sense or is valid enough, because I ain't proof-reading that shit right now. Maybe later.
Also, most of what @IronWoodLover below said, too. I agree with most of what he said about NGB. So much so that I'm going to shamelessly piggyback off of what he said. Thanks @IronWoodLover, appreciate it, bro.
There's hardly a wrong answer to the question, and I'm not giving you a pop-up quiz. I just want to know what was subjectively so astounding… more about NGB to you, possibly throw some objective things in to further base your bias as understandable.
Otherwise, I'd say it just proves how egregious NGB was as a whole.
It's been too long since I played season 1, so I can only rate season 2 and 400 Days.
Season 2, best to worst
"Amid the Ruins" because of the slow pace and opportunity to talk the characters independent of each other and the edge-of-your-seat cliff-hanger
"A House Divided" because of Carver's promising introduction, finding Kenny, and the constant mystery and tension
"All That Remains" because it set the tone for the season but the developers should have expanded on Clementine's relationship with Christa and what happened to the baby
"No Going Back" gets low marks for the unrealistic number of survivors after the firefight and Jane's and Bonnie's bizarre turns of character
"In Harm's Way" because Carver was dispatched too easily and was a really "cookie-cutter" video game/B-movie bad guy
"Shel" because it felt like the longest segment, the experience was the most immersive, and the personalities were well-contrasted
"Bonnie" because the title character can be played as either an innocent victim of circumstance or a devious opportunist which gives the segment two very different tones
"Russel" because the title character appears as an every-man, but the decision to leave the company of a murderer and thief was a no-brain-er
"Wyatt" because the "choice" isn't really a choice at all and the segment was too short
"Vince" because Vince himself is not as memorable as the other convicts so it was difficult to be invested in what happened to him
400 Days, Best to Worse
* "Shel" because it felt like the longest segment, the experience was the most immersive, and the personalities… more were well-contrasted
* "Bonnie" because the title character can be played as either an innocent victim of circumstance or a devious opportunist which gives the segment two very different tones
* "Russel" because the title character appears as an every-man, but the decision to leave the company of a murderer and thief was a no-brain-er
* "Wyatt" because the "choice" isn't really a choice at all and the segment was too short
* "Vince" because Vince himself is not as memorable as the other convicts so it was difficult to be invested in what happened to him
(E205) - No Going Back (9.5/10):
Positive
* Consistent from the begining to the end. The plot wasn't all over the plac
* The Season bu… moreilt the conflict up.
* Character development that wasn't given through endless exposition (looking at you E204 Jane).
* Character development and slight importance to the plot given to characters who had been pointless beforehand (looking at you Mike).
* Small, yet meaningful little tailoring (the Bonnie relationship divergence, getting Kenny to come by the fire, siding with Jane or Kenny's plan.)
* Multiple endings and different resolutions to the conflict.
* Meaningful overall message.
* Meaningful choices that felt like I was really hammering out who 'My Clementine' is (asking to leave with Mike, go for the baby or not, drinking/smoking, killing Kenny or not, responding to Bonnie's regret question, etc.)
Negative
* Lame death. Necessary to the plot but lame. (talking about Luke here. they sho… [view original content]
400 Days, Best to Worse
* "Shel" because it felt like the longest segment, the experience was the most immersive, and the personalities… more were well-contrasted
* "Bonnie" because the title character can be played as either an innocent victim of circumstance or a devious opportunist which gives the segment two very different tones
* "Russel" because the title character appears as an every-man, but the decision to leave the company of a murderer and thief was a no-brain-er
* "Wyatt" because the "choice" isn't really a choice at all and the segment was too short
* "Vince" because Vince himself is not as memorable as the other convicts so it was difficult to be invested in what happened to him
Comments
Fair enough. I can try to list off a few of the reasons I like it. I'll try to keep this as cohesive as I can, because I'm not always the best explainer.
First off, I liked the relatively unconventional structure it had for a finale. Usually you'd expect something relatively fast-paced, something all action-y leading up to the conclusion, right? NGB decided to take a much more subdued route, especially considering how action-packed the rest of the season was for the most part. For some people, they probably see this decision as making the episode into a bore, but for me, I really liked the tonal shift they went for by having a slower-paced, more character driven finale than anything else. I'd wager that, what, about 3/4 of the episode is just sitting around talking to characters? And for me, considering how little of that we got throughout a majority of the second season, it was a welcomed change of pace for me, albeit a bit late to the party.
Secondly, I enjoyed the characters, or more specifically, the interactions and dynamics... for the most part. The conflict between Jane and Kenny, to me personally, was compelling. In fact, I found both of them rather intriguing. Kenny's slow spiral into insanity, Jane's attempts to, in her perspective, save a sinking ship. Couple that with Bonnie and Mike making the choice to try to get out ahead of everything in a rather morally questionable sequence, and the death of Luke, which created an irrevocable rift between the remainder of the group that contributed to most of the above. The character dynamics, for the most part, made sense and felt compelling. But most of that comes down to personal taste... or possibly the lack thereof... notimplyinganything
One of the things I didn't like character-wise was Bonnie's disposition towards Clementine if you didn't help Luke. I can understand her being upset to some degree, but I think they went a bit too overboard on it, sort of like how they did with Rebecca in episode 1. They went above and beyond just making a point that Bonnie didn't like what Clementine did (or rather, didn't do).
I also didn't really like how Mike still got next to nothing as a character. It especially irks me that in an episode that is mostly talking to characters, they still didn't do shit with Mike. Even Bonnie got some worthwhile scenes out of it, and she can get one of the most abrupt determinant deaths possible. And even more ironic is the fact that Mike's one of the only characters that doesn't wind up dead (or potentially dead) by the end of the season.
Thirdly, production value, especially in comparison to Amid the Ruins. NGB just felt like more effort was put into it not only from a writing perspective, but overall in terms of functionality and aesthetic. They cared enough to make sure to add breath clouds whenever a character talked out in the cold. They didn't have to do that, but they decided to, anyways. And cinematography-wise, it was solid for the most part. Even gameplay-wise, with the small amount of gameplay there is was well-handled.
For a small example, the lake scene; for the very beginning, they give the player control as you walk along the ice. The game basically conditions the player to anticipate something bad happening when the player is given control; is able to look around, has to press a button to move, etc. It helps invoke the tension on a higher level as a result, by using a game mechanic to help heighten the mood. If you ask me, that's a rather clever design decision.
You can see a similar thing in the S1 finale, when you cross that makeshift bridge just before the infamous herd scene; you get this top down view as you're forced to walk across. Given how every other time the player has been given that kind of control, something bad has happened, the player anticipates shit to go down; a board breaks, Lee falls, something. But nope, nothing happens and you cross it without issue. Which is exactly the kind of feeling you would be feeling if you had to cross some makeshift piece of shit about 4 stories above ground. It's using gameplay to heighten the sense of dread and anticipation. I like that.
Overall aesthetics and environments deserve a mention, I think. S2 was mostly walking through the woods, and yeah, NGB is technically still the woods, but turned on its head thanks to the snow. And the other areas, like the power station, and the unfinished house look pretty nice.
Fourthly, multiple endings. This is a pretty subjective thing, but I appreciate the effort in making different outcomes, and relatively unique ones, at that. It's liberating to be able to, for once, make the story go in a way you want it to. You wanna be alone? Sure. You want to stick with Kenny? Go right ahead. Wanna go with Jane? Awesome. Want to finally kill Kenny? Say no more. Want to see both Kenny and Jane dead? Telltale's got you.
Fifth, choice impact. I'll admit this one is a bit of a double-edged sword, though. I liked how this episode had quite a few callbacks to various different things that happened in both S1 and S2. On the other hand though, the choice of going after the baby or running for cover had... absolutely no effect. It isn't even acknowledged by anyone else whatsoever. I'd at least expect someone to mention something related to it.
And just so it doesn't look like I'm playing favorites too much, I'll throw something in that I didn't like for good measure; the gunfight at the beginning. Because of the lack of cohesion between the ending of episode 4 and the opening of NGB. While I generally come to defense of scenes that a lot of people give flak to, this is one I can't really defend. They dropped the ball on it. I really think they should have had someone on our side die. Instead, we got two nonthreatening injuries, one of them that no one even cared about, including the guy that got shot.
I'll give the gunfight one thing, though; the soundtrack for it was pretty good.
Also, just as a fun fact to finish this off, NGB has the second lowest amount of zombie kills across the entire series, with a possible low of 2, depending on choices. It loses to Starved For Help, which only has a single zombie kill made by the player; the one at the very beginning.
Christ, I typed a lot, didn't I? I hope most of that makes sense or is valid enough, because I ain't proof-reading that shit right now. Maybe later.
Also, most of what @IronWoodLover below said, too. I agree with most of what he said about NGB. So much so that I'm going to shamelessly piggyback off of what he said. Thanks @IronWoodLover, appreciate it, bro.
Why did you not include 2 of season two's episodes?
It's been too long since I played season 1, so I can only rate season 2 and 400 Days.
Season 2, best to worst
Because fuck those episodes?
Rank your favorite episodes in disorder
I am deeply sorry, but I had to point this out.
400 Days, Best to Worse
I've got to agree with the placement of both Shel and Bonnie.
I like how you structured everything out, Iron!
No Time Left
Around Every Corner
Starved For Help
A New Day
Long Road Ahead
400 Days
A House Divided
All That Remains
No Going Back
In Harm's Way
Amid the Ruins
Michonne DLC (don't remember the episode names)
in Bonnie's story you can literally hit "..." the whole time and it won't really affect anything.