Analysing Environments: The Wolf Among Us

I'd like to revisit some of Tell tale's games as i have found that they have created some of the most engaging pieces of Video game story telling i have come across. Tell Tale have found a great niche within today's gaming market, with today's action shooters dominating the Games today it's nice to see some developers focusing on more story driven games. One of my favourite games today is The Wolf Among Us.

Like other Tell Tale Games the story telling is often done through Dialogue, Characters and their actions but unlike other games they have made this particular one focuses on a Detective Murder Mystery. The game's world focuses on creatures called fables that are born from the old brothers grimm fairytales and the player assumes the role of the big bad wolf but not as you would expect, a humanoid(It's explained through dialogue and some scenes within the game).

This particular entry from Tell Tale has a different visual style, Harsher colour tones during night and what is supposed to be a darkly lit space, Vibrant contrasting often clashing colours are often depicted within the game world.

Revisiting what i said about The Walking Dead Game and it's use of low poly and stylised environments with minimal amounts of "detail" (Debris), the comic booky style of The Wolf Among Us works well to immerse the player into the Game's narrative.

The style allows the designers freedom to experiment with colours and lighting in to tap into human psychology and contextual colours that a more realistic style environment would now as easily allow. This reminds me of the comic book Watchmen written by Alan Moore, where it strives to transcend what a comic is at the time by using such vivid colours.

My main gripe when it comes to these games is that the characters of the story are what gives the main context as to what is happening in the scene. Such as below, this is a cutscene from the game and if you were to take out the characters, the narrative would be completely changed. What was a cornered and trapped individual facing two thugs and a leader would simply be a low camera shot of a seedy alley in the red light district, sure there is still atmosphere but the context is not there.