Whetherthisisclosetothesend-off
that was originally planned for
Clementine is hard to divine – but
surely her story wasn’t set to wrap up
quite like this. It hardly needs
repeating that the team that finished
this season isn’t the
same as the one that
started it (they’re
credited as the “still not
bitten” team, which
feels like a crass
misjudgement in the
circumstances).
Penultimate chapter
Broken Toys doesn’t
seem to bear too many obvious scars
from Telltale’s sudden, awful closure,
suggesting the bulk of the work had
already been done. Instead it’s the
last, crucial chapter of Clem’s story
that feels curtailed and compromised.
Until then, the final season makes
a case for being the strongest since
the first. Our increasingly world-
weary protagonist has grown from a
timid child to a tough-nosed survivor,
prepared to do whatever it takes to
keep her friends and loved ones alive.
Here her story comes full circle –she’snowtheadulthalfofasurrogate
parent/child relationship, imparting
vital life lessons to the orphaned AJ
as Lee did to her in Season One. You
have a little more input in the rules
you establish for the kid, but
otherwise we’re on
similar narrative
ground – with one
small but significant
difference. Born into a
violent world, AJ has
never known what life
was like before the
zombies arrived. As a
result, he has a twisted
sense of right and wrong.
At times that makes for great
drama. You’re often reminded that
he’s just a kid, though his outbursts
make him a very different proposition
from young Clementine. It’s a risky
move – hardened by circumstance, he
can be difficult to warm to, but trying
to address his warped idea of
morality leads to some thought-
provoking moments as Clem is forced
to consider the hypocrisy of her own
behaviour. And you’ll soon learn that
leading by example only goes so far.Yourchoicescanbemisinterpreted
inwaysyoudon’texpect – most
obviouslyinadisturbing scene right
attheendofepisodeone, a jaw-
looseningcliffhangerthat proves,
afterallthistime,The Walking Dead
isstillcapableofshocking us.
Italsohandilysolves the second
season’sbiggestissue,where Clem
somehow became the de facto leader
of a bunch of adults. Now, having
fallen in with a group of school-age
survivors at an institute for troubled
youngsters, it makes more sense that
she’s the decision-maker. She has,
after all, spent longer in the world
beyond the boundaries these
resourceful kids have established.
And the story pumps the brakes just
often enough for us to get to know
them – though as ever, it’s best not to
get too attached.Teary-eyed
As usual the writers get to decide
which relationships are important,
though this time you’re given the
option of beginning a tentative
romance with the introverted Violet
or laid-back Louis, offering some
welcome moments of tenderness
amid the tension. Regardless of your
choice, Clem’s love interest is largely
sidelined in the later stages. But that’s
nothing compared to an 11th-hour
surprise that feels like a total cheat.
Yet I’d be lying if I pretended, as
with Lost, that I stayed dry-eyed until
the credits – though much of that is
down to the efforts of those who
never got the opportunity to put the
finishing touches to Clementine’s
story. She may have been too good a
character to be left in limbo, but this
concluding chapter leaves you
wondering what might have been
had the storytellers at Telltale still
beenaroundtoclosethebook.NeedtoKNow
Whatisit?
Award-winning
narrativeadventure
reachestheend
oftheline
EXPECttOPaY
£19(EpicGamesStore)
DEvElOPEr
Telltale Games/
SkyboundGames
PublishEr
Telltale Games/
SkyboundGames
rEviEWEDOn
Intel Core i3-8350K
CPU, 8GB RAM, GeForce
GTX 1060
MultiPlaYEr
No
http://www.skybound.com/
telltales-the-walking-
dead/season-4-the-
final-season70
An otherwise
strong season drops
the ball at the death.
Clementine really
deserved better.vErDiCtThefinal
season makes a
case for being
the strongest
since the firstR
emember the last episode of Lost? Where several seasons’
worth of narrative groundwork was abandoned in favour of
a series of nostalgic flashbacks and weepy reunions? You can
see the sense in it – having written themselves into a corner,
the show’s creators decided to tug at heartstrings. The
Walking Dead: The Final Season attempts to pull off a similar trick. Unlike
Lost, it’s a missed opportunity to connect more fully with its past.Kill my darling?
Clementine’sjourneycomestoabumpyendin
thewalKiNgdead:theFiNal SeaSoN. By Chris Schilling
the raNKiNg deadTelltale’s topsix,from besttoworst
SeaSoNoNe
That award-
winning debut
season remains
top dog. Lee and
Clem’s story
made us gasp
and weep in
equal measure.SeaSoNtwo
Not far behind,
with a brutal,
tragic ending
and arguably the
series’ best
villain in Michael
Madsen’s
Carver.theFiNal
SeaSoN
Doesn’t stick the
landing, but
otherwise
balances
character
development
with shocks.400 dayS
Five short
stories
intertwine in
this add-on.
Short but sweet,
with some of
the series’
tightest scripts.a New
FroNtier
A glimpse at
Clementine
through another
character’s
eyes, but the
scenarios are all
too familiar.twd:
MichoNNe
Samira Wiley is
terrific as the
surly
sword-wielder,
but this spin-off
is hardly an
essential play.1 2 3 4 5 6TheWalking Dead: The Final Season
rEviEW