play station official magazine

090

REVIEW

INFO

FORMATPS4

ETAOUT NOW

PUBFOCUS HOME

INTERACTIVE

DEVBIG BAD WOLF

THE COUNCIL –

COMPLETE SEASON

This narrative adventure threatens to make devil’s advocates of us all

N

ine months after the first episode

released, and Louis de Richet arrived on

an island to learn what had happened

to his mother, I’ve still got my ear

pressed up to that door. The conclusion of this

season has long since been played but I’m still

here, straining for just one more whisper.

The game uses artistic licence in its approach

to history, and has a tabletop sensibility, with

conversational choices being gated by skill

checks. Even if you go for a Jack-of-All-Trades-

build when creating your Louis, you still have

to contend with your conversational partner’s

vulnerabilities and immunities, plus the fact you

have a finite number of points to expend on skill

checks. These barriers to picking the right thing

to say make confrontations tense.

Your social successes can unlock unique traits

that give you perks, mechanical milestones that

reflect how your version of Louis develops. It’s all

in aid of a familiar illusion, that of freedom, but

these wrinkles make the casting of it feel fresh

and will have genre fans eager

to return to the island manor.

CROWN JEWELS

A similarly thoughtful approach

is reflected in the puzzles,

some of which are impressively

involved. However, the quality

of these is not sustained, with

the high point coming several

episodes before the season’s

finale. But the road to that

ending is worth taking.

While the supernatural is

alluded to from the beginning,

the story takes a hard left

turn into it with a quick

succession of revelations –

which also adds another power

to your persuasive repertoire.

Without spoiling anything, I

will say it gives you an edge

when gathering information,

and you’ll wish you’d gained

it earlier and had more

opportunity to use it.

As the season wraps it’s

hard not to feel like there’s a

lack of closure of several loose

threads that were enjoyable

to pull at over time. For one,

a number of characters’ true

natures were revealed, but the

ending to their stories betrayed

little of any soul-searching that

may have followed. The final

confrontation also felt like an

anticlimax, especially compared

to the one preceding it.

Speaking of climaxes, before

that showdown you’re treated

to dream-like environments

and the visual direction at

its best. Sadly, the character

models’ stiff animations never

fully convince, proving to be

the main sticking point for

the presentation. But even

though the guests visiting Lord

Mortimer’s estate are a little

awkward, it should take more

than that to keep you away.

RUNS IN THE FAMILY

VERDICT

Tensions rise and

things even get

surreal. The conclusion

to this season has to

be seen to be believed.

A fresh take on the narrative

adventure, there’s plenty to

encourage a return to Lord

Mortimer’s manor. Though the

chat is scintillating, however, it

feels cut short. Jess Kinghorn

“YOUR SOCIAL SUCCESSES

CAN UNLOCK UNIQUE TRAITS,

THAT GIVE YOU PERKS.”

@KoeniginKatze